Alimodian Firsts: Engr. Arturo Amarra

Engr. Arturo Amarra

First Aeronautical Engineer and Professional Mechanical Engineer

       Engr. Arturo Amarra is the second son of the late Francisco Amarra and Teodosia Andutan.
       He is the first aeronautical engineer of Alimodian. Aside from being an aeronautical engineer, he is also a professional mechanical engineer.
       He is married to Cristeta Belardo, a holder of MA in Home Economics. She hails from Bago City, Negros Occidental.
       The couple has seven children who are professionals: Archimedes, manager of Union Bank; Ma. Milagros, doctor of medicine; Francisco, supervisor, Shell Refinery, Batangas City; Veronica, architect; Asteria, industrial engineer; Agustin, mechanical engineering student; Abraham, BSC, major in Agri. Business.
       Engr. Amarra has been the International Sugar Consultant of Marubeni Corporation.

Alimodian Firsts: Dolores Soberano

Mrs. Dolores Soberano

First Female BSE Graduate of Alimodian

        Mrs. Dolores Alvior Soberano, daughter of President Gregorio Alvior, is the first femae BSE graduate of Alimodian.

Alimodian Firsts: Casimiro Allones

Mr. Casimiro Allones

First District Supervisor

        Mr. Casimiro Allones saw the first light of day on February 24, 1911, the son of Anecito Allones and Tomasa Canonero, both natives of this town.

        He obtained his elementary and secondary education from Alimodian Central School and Iloilo Normal School, respectively. He finished his Junior Teacher Education Course from the Philippine Normal School before finally obtaining his education degree from the University of San Agustin.

        Right after graduation, he served as classroom teacher at Alimodian Central School from 1937 until the war broke out in 1941. During the years, he served the Philippine Army as 2nd Lieutenant in the 63rd Infantry Regiment.

        In 1946, when peace again reigned, Mr. Allones was promoted principal of Jordan Central School in Guimaras. He stayed there for a year and then was transferred to four other schools during the next 22 years.

        Finally, he was promoted to district supervisor of Leon district in 1961. In 1969, he was transferred to San Miguel and he stayed there until his retirement in 1977.

       He was married twice, first to Gertrudis Amparo, and then to Lourdes Amparo. He has nine children.

Alimodian Firsts: Remedios Anam

Miss Remedios Anam

First Female District Supervisor

       No educator has done much for the education of our youth than Miss Remedios Anam. This lady, who is small in size but big in ideas was born on April 29, 1911 in this town to Basilio Anam and Josefa Anayas.

       Mediong, as she is fondly called by her friends, graduated valedictorian in the Alimodian Elementary School and third honors in the Iloilo Normal School, now the West Visayas State University. She finished her BSE in Manila Quezon College. She has been grades school teacher from 1931 to 1950. Then in 1951 she was promoted principal of Jordan Elementary School. In 1956 she was again promoted as district supervisor in Duenas District and served in that position until 1964.

       It is often said that although how long the procession is, it has all the possibilities of returning to its place of origin. Then in 1965 Miss Anam was transferred to her native town where she spend the remaining years of her teaching career until her retirement on April 29, 1976.

      Miss Anam spent 46 years of her life in the education of our youth that she even forgot to take a life partner. This little lady deserves the veneration of all Alimodiananons who have been under her tutelage in the grades school. She died in 1998. 

Alimodian Firsts: Patrocinio Gaerlan

Mrs. Patrocinio Gaerlan

First Elementary School Principal of Alimodian

Mrs. Patrocinio Alvior Gaerlan, eldest daughter of Pres. Gregorio Alvior, is the first principal in an elementary school. She was also the matron of the Girl’s Government Dormitory before the war.

Alimodian Firsts: Teodosia Andutan Amarra

Teodosia Andutan Amarra

First Lady Councilor of Alimodian

        Mrs. Teodosia Andutan Amarra is the first lady councilor of our town. She was born on March 23, 1894 to Maria Juana Andicoy and Pedro Andutan. She took her elementary education under Mrs. Venancia Sta. Cruz Edurese in Grade I, under Mr. Gelacio Allones in Grade II and under Mr. Justo Puga in Grade III.

        After studying for three months in Grade II when she was only 13 years old, she was made to teach because there was an urgent need of teachers. She taught simple English and arithmetic. In 1919 she married 1st Sgt. Francisco Amarra and they resided in Camp Stotsenburg, Pampanga. The couple was blessed with only two sons, Arturo and Napoleon.

       Arturo is the first electrical engineer of our town. Later he pursued aeronautical and mechanical engineering. Napoleon became a doctor of medicine. He had been the resident physician of Aleosan District Hospital before his demise in 1980.
      When Mrs. Amarra became a widow, she devoted her life to the service of the church and the community. She has been an officer of various church organizations such as Sacred Heart Association, Catholic Women’s League and Dominican Tertiary. She is the first president of the Catholic Women’s League.
 
      She has improved the right wing of the church for the “Sabadohan.” She has contributed some amount for the shutters of the church.

     While she is active in the church, she is also involved politically. She has been a municipal councilor for six terms or for 26 years. She is one of the founders of the Alimodian High School and has donated a lot for the school site.

     Mrs. Amarra is also responsible for organizing the Alimodian Puericulture Center. When the center was finished there was no nurse to attend to the needs of the people, so she went to Manila to ask for a nurse. 

     In the twilight of her life Mrs. Amarra enjoys staying at home knitting, crocheting and embroidering. She also shows her culinary arts by cooking catsup, making preserves and pickles. She loves to read the Holy Bible which is her constant companion at a very old age. Well, that’s Mrs. Teodosia Amarra’s life in a nutshell.

Alimodian Firsts: David Rodriguez

David Rodriguez

First Holder of Master of Arts Degree

David Rodriguez is the first holder of a master’s degree in our town. He was born on June 22, 1907 to Jose Rodriguez and Francisca Amaguin, both residents of this community.

He finished his elementary education at the Alimodian Elementary School and his secondary education at Siliman Institute. He wanted to become an educator and he took up Bachelor of Science in Education at the same institution and graduated in 1934.

He joined the faculty of Philippine Women’s College, Iloilo City, where he taught chemistry for 37 years. While teaching at that college, he took up post graduate courses at Central Philippine University and finished Master of Arts degree in 1954.

After his retirement from the teaching profession, he joined the Rural Bank of Alimodian (Iloilo) and served as its president-manager for five years until his death on March 29, 1977.

Mr. Rodriguez is married to Dafrosa Alcon with whom he has two children, Florante, a CPA, and Laura, a Master of Arts graduate and an instructor in a Normal School in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.