Mayor Simeon Cañonero First Term

1948 Municipal Officials

First Term

The tenure of the officials appointed by the military government was only temporary as the local officials were to be elected by the people in the election of November 1947. Mayor Simeon Canonero and Vice Mayor Anacleto Amparo won in that election.

The councilors who were elected were Ignacio Amparado, Pablo Albeza, Salvador Tolentino, Teodosia Amarra, Wenceslao Anino and Jose Aligaen. The mayor’s secretary was Federico Ambata.

Rehabilitation of Life in the Poblacion

Two years after the Japanese invaders have left, the life of the people was still fraught with vestiges of the war. The routinary life in the community was jolted into wild disarray by the rampaging Japs and the defending Filipino-American combined forces. Because the people had been physically and psychologically fatigued by the war, the government of Mayor Simeon Canonero thought it wise to bring back a semblance of normalcy in the aftermath of the war.

To realize this end, the local government tried its best to request the Treasurer of the Philippines to expedite the redemption of emergency notes so that it would help rehabilitate the people. The redemption of the emergency notes benefitted the populace who were little by little picking up the pieces of their shattered life.

Although, agriculture was the main source of livelihood of the people, production was very low in the late 1940’s. At the same time, capital for production was not available, thus lowering the net yield. There was an acute rice shortage throughout the country and Alimodian suffered the same fate. In this state of crisis Mayor Canonero requisitioned for rice from the NARIC.

To improve the economic life of the people, the Municipal Council passed a resolution requiring owners of vacant lots in the Poblacion to transform them into home gardens. Poultry and swine raising was also encouraged so as to mitigate the lack of livestock for the people’s consumption. The campaign for food production through self-help was successful that in no time Alimodian came to be regarded as the egg basket of Iloilo.

Infrastructure Project

Many of the public structures in the poblacion and barrios became helpless victims of Japanese artillery attacks and arson attempts of the Filipinos forces retaliating maneuvers and the looting sprees of the economically-deprived Alimodiananons and evacuees. During Mayor Canonero’s tenure of office, roads, bridges, schools and other infrastructure destroyed during the war were rebuilt and made functional.

From the Philippine War Damage Claim, school buildings in the poblacion and barrios were reconstructed. The rehabilitation of school buildings was given priority because of the surge of enrolment figures after the war and the acceleration program in the elementary schools so that deserving students might be promoted to higher levels and make up for the years wasted during the war. Many of the rooms constructed through the war damage claims still house classes today.

Since roads became virtually impassable, Mayor Canonero requested P10,000 pesos each from the pork barrel of Hons. Camilo Osias, Jose Zulueta, Jose Laurel and Gil Puyat for the asphalting of the provincial road connecting Alimodian to San Miguel. The reconstruction made mobility of people and produce info and out of Alimodian more convenient.