There is no more turning back. The P1.5-million budget has been alloted and partially spent. The 25 working committees have been formed and convened. Leyte will throw a fiesta to commemorate the province’s first-ever founding anniversary.

The date is March 10, 1997, the same day Republic Act 2711 was passed by the Philippine Legislature 80 years ago in 1917. This law provided for "non-autonomous government in several islands of the Philippines" including Leyte.

The anniversary has for its theme "Kaadlawan ha Leyte: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow." The proposed week-long series of activities includes the Search for 12 Outstanding Leyteños (1917-1997), the Second Kasadyaan Festival, the unveiling of the Hall of Governors displaying the pictures of all governors of Leyte, and a People’s Day.

Leyte Governor Remedios L. Petilla said the 80th founding anniversary of Leyte is a big event to look forward to.

But wait, the date seems to be wrong. There are still living Leyteños in their eighties and nineties who can attest that Leyte was already operating as a province at the time of their births.

Just like Tacloban City’s unnecessary second and third fishery ordinances, RA 2711 was a redundant piece of legislation. It was enacted after the implementation of the Jones Law of 1916, which provided for limited self-government by Filipinos under American colonial rule.

As a law of general application, RA 2711 was not even a monopoly of Leyte. It was not taken seriously by other provinces such as Cebu, Bohol, and Negros, perhaps because their respective officials and historians knew that their provinces existed long before the enactment of this law.

Only Leyte so far has given importance to RA 2711.

March 10 is an inept choice to celebrate Leyte’s founding as a province. It will be laughed off by almost everybody else, except its proponents and adherents in the provincial capitol.

Perhaps the provincial government should consider other sensible and older dates.

One is April 22, 1901, the effectivity of the American "civil government" that replaced the military government in Leyte since 1899. This was mandated under Act No. 121 passed that day, which extended to Leyte the provisions of the "General Act for the Organization of Provincial Governments in the Philippine Islands" enacted by the Philippine Commission on February 6, 1901.

On April 24, 1901, or two days into the effectivity of the American "civil government," Governor-General William Howard Taft (who later became president of the United States and chief justice of the US Supreme Court) and the members of the Philippine Commission arrived in Tacloban. In their presence, Leyte became the first province to be ceremonially proclaimed under "civil government" by the national leadership at that time. (Act No. 121 was perhaps enacted on the boat bound for Tacloban.)

Six months later, in the aftermath of the "Balangiga Massacre" in September 1901, General Jacob Smith wanted to extend the coverage of martial law proclaimed over Samar to neighboring Leyte . But this request was refused by his superior, General Adna Chaffee, who noted that Washington knew Leyte was the "showcase of American benevolent administration to the American public."

April 22 or 24, 1901, are therefore possible alternative dates to commemorate Leyte’s founding as a province. Any of them would officially make Leyte 96 years old. They are the most realistic and representative dates to celebrate. After all, the basic government structure and the perennial dire effects of Leyte’s adolescent provincial politics could be traced back to this era.

Leyte was already the name of this island when Fr. Pedro Chirino and his fellow Jesuits arrived here in July 1595 to start their evangelization work. This event was commemorated during the 400th anniversary of "Leyte Evangelization" in Carigara town two years ago.

A list of unclassified Samar and Leyte documents found by Fr. Cantius J. Kobak, OFM, in the Philippine National Archives more than 20 years ago offers valuable insights and inferences.

Two cedularios (certificates) issued in 1647 and 1655, respectively, which were appointments to Samar-based encomiendas for two Spaniards, suggest that the "Province of Leyte" included Samar during those years.

However, certificates issued in 1704 suggest that Samar was by then separated from Leyte. Samar’s capital was Catbalogan; Leyte’s capital was Carigara.

Then a certificate dated 1719 suggests that Samar was returned to the "Province of Leyte." In 1746, the colonial government in Manila issued a decree noting the impossibility of performing the powers and its obligations by a single alcalde mayor (Spanish governor) for the Province of Leyte (that included Samar).

A certificate issued in 1747 suggests that Samar had been separated from Leyte. But another certificate issued in 1774 suggests that Samar was once again a part of the "Province of Leyte," which capital appeared to be Catbalogan, as can be inferred from another certificate.

The specific government decree finally dividing the provinces of Leyte and Samar into two alcaldias (i.e., with separate Spanish alcaldes mayores) was issued in Manila on April 25, 1777. The access code of this document in the Philippine National Archives, as noted by Fr. Kobak, was "PNA, Cedulario, 1755-1777, Expediente 106, folio 201-202b."

If the provincial government of Leyte will consider April 25, 1777 as the date of the official founding of the province, then Leyte will be 220 years old by now.

I believe the province of Leyte is entitled to celebrate a founding anniversary. But Gov. Petilla and her experts in the provincial capitol acted rather hastily in making this possible. The wrong choice of date just proves that sheer vanity and profligate spending, not historical accuracy, are at the heart of the March celebration.

Already, the provincial government had ridiculed Leyte’s history with the frivolous Ibabao-Tandaya Festival in May last year. Ibabao and Tandaya were recorded names of parts of Samar, not of Leyte, at the eve of Spanish colonization. Leyte was therefore the wrong venue and sponsor of that expensive festival.

With the March 10 date, the provincial government is out for a second foolish act. And all at the people’s expense. It may seem funny, but it hurts, especially the taxpayers’ pockets.

Of course, Gov. Petilla and her working committees for the anniversary can always ignore or drown out this single voice.

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