Alimodian Firsts: Gregorio Alvior

President Gregorio Alvior (1873 - 1980)

First President of Alimodian

       Gregorio Alvior Y Tolentino was the first president of Alimodian after its separation from Leon. He was sworn into office on January 1, 1919. As the town head for many years, he did much for the progress of his town. He encouraged the people to plant bananas so that they could have food when staple crops failed. He also required the people to have galvanized iron roofs to prevent the havoc wrought by fires which caused damage in previous years. 

        Gregorio Tolentino Alvior, popularly known as “Goyo,” was born in 1873 (month and day unknown) in the corner of the present Alvior and Plaza Libertad Streets.  He was the eldest of the four children of Timoteo Alvior and Julia Tolentino. His brother's name is Martin while his other sisters were Daprosa Alvior Amarillo and Claudia Alvior Amantillo. 

        Goyo learned his cartilla lessons from his mother.  His parents wanted him to become a priest so he was sent to the Jaro Seminary.  Their dream ended when he chose instead to marry Sofia Velez, from Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

        His father, Don Timoteo, was the gobernadorcillo of Iloilo when the first concerted insurrection against the Spanish government took place on October 31, 1898.  Don Pedro Torres, a Tagalog and identified with the Magdalo faction of the revolution, led about 400 Tagalog-speaking and local revolucionarios in an assault of the church convent and the takeover of the municipal government.

       Despite being the capitan interno and leader of the voluntarios, Don Timoteo did not resist the assault and the leaders of the revolutionaries included his son Goyo.  Later, along with Tomas Algallar and Gelacio Tabiana, Don Goyo represented Alimodian at the proclamation of the revolutionary government led by Martin Delgado, the estado mayor, in Sta. Barbara in November 1898.

       On April 4, 1903 the municipalities of Alimodian and San Miguel were merged and became the arrabales of the municipality of Leon, where the seat of government was located, with Don Evaristo Capalla as municipal president and Solomon Algallar of Alimodian as concejal inspector.

       In 1908 Don Goyo was appointed secretary in the administration of Don Nicolas Cambronero, the municipal president, and Sixto Tabiana, the vice president.

       For all the good deeds that he did for his town, he was considered the father of his community.

Alimodian Firsts: Atty. Jesus P. Amparo

 Atty. Jesus P. Amparo

Assemblyman of Alimodian

          Jesus P. Amparo, ANCHS, Class 1955, is the first Alimodiananon to become assembly man. He is the son of Esteban A. Amparo and Angelina Patriarca. He finished his Associate of Arts at Central Philippine University in 1957 and his Bachelor of Laws in 1961. He practiced his profession and made good in this line. He became a social and civic leader in North Cotabato.
          He ran for congressman in North Cotabato and won in the election. While in Congress, he was made state minister for cultural minorities. He has been on official business to Taipei and Red China to accomplish his mission.
          He introduced several bills in Congress for the welfare of the people in North Cotabato whom he represented in the Congress.
          He is making good in the Batasang Pambansa and is in conference with President Marcos in Malacanan Palace during that time.
         He is married to Pilar Dolar with whom he has four children.

Alimodian Firsts: Atty. Rafael L. Almacen

Atty. Rafael L. Almacen

First Lawyer of Alimodian

        Atty. Rafael L. Almacen is the first lawyer of Alimodian. He passed the bar examination and got his license on October 15, 1923. During the term of Mayor Simeon Salarda, he was delegated by the Municipal Council of the town to settle the boundary dispute between Alimodian and Cabatuan which started in 1919 and won the case.

        During the war he was the Sector Commander of the guerilla unit. He was also head of the Intelligence Unit of the G2 section.

        The Municipal Council of Alimodian passed a resolution asking the legal assistance of Atty. Almacen in solving the boundary dispute between Alimodian over Cabatuan, but up to now, the decision of the Provincial Board was not implemented.



Source:

http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/lawlist/

Alimodian Firsts: Dr. Benjamin Alderete

Dr. Benjamin Alderete

First Doctor of Alimodian

        Dr. Benjamin Alderete is the first doctor of medicine in Alimodian. He is the only son of Leon Alderete and Geronima Almira, prominent citizens of the town. He graduated from the University of Sto. Tomas. He was the Vice Alcalde of Atty. Cipriano Cabaluna Sr. before the war. He is married to Albertina Valles of Bohol with whom he has six children: Zenaida, a physician; Nelida, nurse; Elizabeth, nutritionist; Mae, nurse; Benjamin Jr., a BS graduate and Cynthia, nutritionist.
       Dr. Alderete has been a doctor of the PC, Rural Health Unit of Alimodian and was later promoted as head of Patag Rest Settlement in Silay City. His latest position was in Pototan Mental Hospital. He has lived in Ohio, USA with his daughter Zenaida who is in active practice there.
       He died of heart disease a year after his return from the US.

Alimodian Firsts: Sr. Ma. Clemencia

Sr. Ma. Clemencia

First Nun of Alimodian

        On September 17, 1908, a daughter was born to the couple Jose Alingasa and Encarnacion Algallar of this town. The couple named her Constancia.

       The Alingasa’s being quite a religious family, Constancia and her three younger sisters were sent to the Assumption Convent in 1929 with the help of the local parish priest, Rev. Fr. Mariano Perez. In 1933, she took her vows of poverty and chastity and chose the name Sr. Ma. Clemencia. In that year, she went to Europe for her novitiate at Val Notre Dame in Belgium. After her novitiate, she went to Mons, one of the houses of Order of the Religious of Assumption in Belgium. She has also served in the houses of their order in Madrid, Spain, Canary Island and Miami, Florida. She celebrated her Golden Jubilee on July 2, 1983.
      She came home to the Philippines in 1978. She served in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States for the remaining years of her life. She died on June 3, 2013 at a hospice home in Lansdale, Pennsylvania at the age of 104. 


Source:

http://assumptionsisters.org/130604Clemobit

Alimodian Firsts: Fr. Valente Alpane Alegro

Rev. Fr. Valente Alpane Alegro

First Parish Priest

           In the spiritual world we have our first parish priest in the person of Rev. Fr. Valente Alpane Alegro, who was ordained on March 11, 1928 in the chapel of the Carmelite Convent by Msgr. D.D. Jaime P. McCloskey, Bishop of Jaro.
        He celebrated his first mass in the Alimodian Parish Church on March 15, 1928.
       Rev. Fr. Valente Alpane Alegro was ordained parish priest in the chapel of the Carmelite Convent in Jaro on March 11, 1928 by Msgr. D.D. Jaime P. McCloskey, Bishop of Jaro.

Alimodian Firsts: Msgr. Ireneo Amantillo

Msgr. Ireneo Amantillo

First Bishop of Alimodian

                   Alimodian is doubly proud to present Msgr. Ireneo Amantillo, first bishop of Alimodian. He is the son of Eustaquio Amantillo and Soledad Alisla of Plaza Libertad. Bishop Amantillo obtained his elementary and secondary education in this town. He is an alumnus of the Alimodian High School, Class 1953.
            He joined the Redemptorist congregation on July 2, 1957 in Cebu City. He took his philosophy and theology courses in Mt. St. Alphonsus, Bangalore 5, Mysore, India from 1957 to 1962. He was ordained to priesthood on December 16, 1962 at St. Alphonsus Seminary, Cebu City.
           After his ordination he was assigned to missionary work in Iloilo, Antique, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Lanao del Sur, and Norte, Misamis Occidental and Oriental, Zamboanga del Sur, Bukidnon and South Cotabato in 1963 to 1975.
           He was Rector of Redemptorist Community, Iligan in 1967 to 1972; Vice Rector of Redemptorist Community, Bacolod in 1973 to 1975; Novice Master, Redemptorist Novitiate, Lipa City in 1975 to 1976; Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Archbishop Patrick Cronin, SSC, D.D., Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro on January 10, 1976.
           Msgr. Amantillo was appointed first bishop of Tandag by Pope John Paul I on September 12, 1978. Up to the present, Msgr. Amantillo is the bishop of Tandag, Surigao.