Year in and year out, Lucena City, the capital of Quezon province, celebrates its foundation day on Aug. 20. History buffs and cultural leaders dispute the date.
LAST August 20 was a special non-working holiday in Lucena City as all Lucenahins celebrated the city's charter day.
But the head of a non-government historical and cultural advocacy group in Lucena is firmly opposed in celebrating August 20 as the foundation day of the city.
Vladimir Agcaoili Nieto, president of the Konseho ng Herencia ng Lucena (KHL) or Lucena Heritage Council has issued a challenge to anyone “kung ano ang pinakamahalagang totoo, factual, historical at relevant event ang naganap sa Lucena ng Aug. 20 kaya walang pasok”.
Nieto has long felt dismay and frustration that the city government has kept on celebrating Aug. 20 as the city’s founding anniversary stressing that it has no historical basis and is not proven by any historical records.
Celebrate on November 3
“Ang issue dati ay kailan itinatag, that was the point of contention when I appeared sa Sangguniang Panglungsod. Lately na lang ini-raise ang cityhood. Yun siguro ang kanilang scapegoat. Fine. Pero still, mali na August 20. Dapat June 17. Kaya nga tayo binigyan ng pag-iisip para itama ang mali, di ba? Charter day dapat. Ano ang relevance at ginusto nilang August 20? Which is more important and has bearing?” Nieto, who took up AB Mass Communication and graduated summa cum laude at Manuel Enverga University in Lucena city, told Opinyon Quezonin.
Nieto, insists that Lucena city must celebrate its foundation day on Nov. 3 as it was on Nov. 3,1879 that the city was founded.
Historical accounts
According to historical accounts, on Nov. 3, 1879 the Spanish colonial administration of the Philippines issued a Royal Order for the new town of Cotta to be separated from Tayabas town. Later, Cotta was renamed Lucena in honor of Fr. Mariano Granja.
Nieto proceeded to show the book A Definitive History of Lucena (1879-2000) by Cesar Villariba proving his contention.
The book said Fr. Mariano Granja (1841-1889) a parish priest of Gumaca in 1874 and Tayabas in 1876 had worked closely with the principalia and the inhabitants of Tayabas, Sariaya and Pagbilao for the establishment of a new town of Cotta, a barrio of Tayabas, then the capital of the province. The new town include the barrios of Mayao, Gulang-Gulang, Ibabang Dupay, Ilayang Dupay, Canlurang Iyam, Silangang Iyam, Ibabang Talim, Ilayang Talim, Bocohan, Ibabang Isabang, Canlurang Domoit, Silangang Domoit and Salinas.
On Nov. 3, 1879 a royal decree was issued creating the town of Lucena named in honor of Fr. Mariano Granja who came from the town of Palencia, province of Andalucia in Spain.
At present, Cotta is just one of the 33 barangays of Lucena city, the capital of Quezon province. Tayabas, now also a city, is formerly the name of Quezon province in honor of the late president Manuel Luis Quezon.
Republic Act 3721
Nieto also cited another document, Lucena city Cultural Mapping, commissioned by Lucena Council for Culture and the Arts in January 2011 which showed that Lucena city became a city on Aug. 20.
The research book conducted by MSEUF College of Arts and Sciences with Ph.D Claudia Odette Ayala as lead researcher said that Republic Act 3721 authored by Manuel Enverga converted Lucena into a city with Casto Profugo as its first city mayor in 1961-63.
It also said that it was on Aug. 20, 1961 that Lucena became a city by virtue of R.A. 3721 authored by Manuel Enverga, Lorenzo Tanada, Decoroso Rosales, Pascual Espinosa and Cipriano Primicias.
“What are their bases for celebrating the 20th of August? The answers we got were all vague, if not ridiculous. If they had a better argument to stop us from saying it’s on Nov. 3, then we would have remained silent already. Unfortunately, wala naman silang maipakita,” Nieto said in his Facebook post.
2 noted local historians
He said that 2 noted historians of the province – Mark Anthony Glorioso and Pepe Alas - also support him and alleged that Nov. 3, 1879 is the foundation date of Lucena city.
Glorioso who is from Tayabas, graduated from Southern Luzon State University in AB History and now works at Jesse Robredo Museum under National Historical Commission of the Philippines while Alas is from Unisan town but was born in Lucena who wrote numerous researches about different municipalities of the province.
‘Sana ay ituwid nila’
“Sana ay ituwid nila ang pagkakamali nang may maiturong tama sa mga mamamayan at mag-aaral,” Nieto said in his comment to this writer’s story published in the Facebook page of Opinyon Quezonin.
Jerick Defensor Emprese, a netizen and director of Alumni Association of Manuel Enverga University in Lucena also commented:
“Totoo naman talaga, nagtataka ako kung ano talaga ang naging basis nila para maniwala, paniwalaan at patuloy na naniwala sa ganitong petsa (Aug. 20). Dahil ba dikit ng November 3 ang mga petsa ng a-uno at a-dos at panget magcelebration dahil hindi makaka-aura sa dikit na All Soul’s Day?”