THE fourth week of October was filled with memories and recollections to the whole citizenry of the Local Government of Valencia.
It marked the 154th Foundation Day of the town with a daily nigthtly and day affairs.
The former name of the town was PANANGATAN. This word comes from the root word SANG-AT meaning “to put up on an elevated place”.
This referred to the practice of fishermen from Dimiao and Lila who would put up (“SANG-AT”) their boats on the banks of the Panangatan River when taking shelter during the southwest monsoon. Along the banks of Panangatan River, nipa palms grew preventing the boats from being washed away by the waves.
The same as that of the local government unit of Lila, Panangatan (now Valenca) was once a part of Dimiao.
Valencia remained part of Dimiao until 1867. In that particular year, a Spanish priest was assisgned to the place. He was instrumental in creating PANANGATAN into a separate municipality and named it as VALENCIA.
The priest named it after his birthplace in Spain.
Present leaders in the town is naming Valencia as the Land of History and Victory. And, they were one and fast enough in justifying their acts and pronouncements in naming the town as the Land of History and Victory.
According to them and Short Cuts immediately agrees:
It is the Land of History because the last defense of the Imperial Forces of the Japanese Government in our Province of Bohol during World War II was made at Valencia.
The Japanese forces were accordingly ‘holed up” in a cave in the upper portion of Barangay Ginopolan (now Barangay Banderahan) at Valencia. And, in that particular position the Japanese forces were easy prey to the tirades from the Allied Forces positioned at Barangay Adlawan of the same municipality.
Barangay Banderahan (meaning gi BANDERA) got its name because immediately after the surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces, the Allied Forces erected an American flag over the area.
And, it is the Land of Victory because of the following facts according to the justification made by the present leaders of the municipality. Foremost of it is in the field of politics.
Valencia is the only municipality in the province that produced national and a number of provincial leaders.
- Atty. Juan C. Pajo served President Carlos P. Garcia as his Executive Secretary;
- Atty. Juan C. Pajo served as Member of the Provincial Board of Bohol;
- Atty. Juan C. Pajo served as Governor of the province before serving as the Executive Secretary;
- Dr. Concepcion O. Lim served as Board Member for nine years;
- Dr. Concepcion O. Lim served as Vice-Governor for six years;
- Mr. Renato O. Lim served as Ex-officio member of the Provincial Board;
- Atty. Dionisio D. Balite as Barangay Captain of his barangay served as Secretary General of the Liga ng Mga Barangay (Manila) for four years;
- Atty. Dionisio D. Balite served as Board Member for three terms;
- Atty. Dionisio D. Balite served as Vice-Governor for one term;
- Dr. Dionisio Victor V. Balite served as Board Member for two terms;
- Dr. Dionisio Victor V. Balite is the incumbent Vice-Governor of the province.
Short Cuts has not known of any local government unit in the province that holds the record that could equal or surpass that of Valencia!
But, if there is one, kindly call Short Cuts’ attention for him to be corrected.
