Friday, January 8, 2010

Alimodian Municipal President (now called Municipal Mayor) Ruperto Rodriguez

Ruperto Rodriguez
6th President of Alimodian
Ruperto Rodriguez
6th President of Alimodian
(1880 – 1957); President 1932 – 1934



                President Ruperto Rodriguez was born to the spouses Eusebio Rodriguez and Bernabela Amatorio on March 27, 1880 in San Eusebio Street, now R. Rodriguez Street. He attended the Spanish escuela elementaria under maestro Justo Puga.
             Upon reaching the age of 22, he married Simeona Barredo and resided in Alimodian. Six children were born to the spouses namely: Engracia, Florita, Santiago, Daniel, Marcelo and Antero.
             In 1907, Ruperto enlisted in the Philippines Constabulary and served as constable for 12 years. Then in 1921 he was became a policeman. He had various jobs until the municipal and provincial elections in 1922 when he was elected councilor which he served for six years.
             In the June 1928 elections he won as vice president of Gelacio Allones. Then in the June 1931 elections, he won as president under the Democrata Party banner.

As president of Alimodian he had these improvements:

1. The installation of electric light plant which made the life of the people easier and convenient.
2. The construction of the tennis court in front of Rizal monument at the town plaza.
3. The construction of the first wooden bridge that spans Soledad – Inocencio Street.
4. Improvement of roads and bridges.
5. Improvement of the town plaza by energizing the whole place.

            It was the tenure of Rodriguez that the plan of the concrete public market was made and approved by the municipal council. It was during the administration of Jose G. Alvior that the construction of the market was effected.
            After his political defeat by Jose G. Alvior in his bid for reelection in 1934, Rodriguez retired from public office and devoted himself to farming and his family.
            He met his Maker on July 1, 1957 and was given a necrological service in front of the Municipal Hall.

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for this info. I was named after this man He is my great grandfather, My grand father is Daniel Rodriguez and my father is Fermin Rodriguez. I left Alimodian when I was 7 for California, USA and have never been back. I am going to visit in March 2012. I do not speak our dialect anymore but remember certain words.

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  2. I took the "O" off at the end to Americanize the name. My mother is Yolanda Allones Rodriguez. Her Grand Uncle is Gelacio Allones who was Mayor of Alimodian form 1929-31. Ruperto Rodriguez was his Vice President (Mayor). Another man, great great great grandfather Fermin Rodriguez was the mayor in 1850. My Father is named after him.

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  3. Correction on and children of Ruperto and Simoena. I just looked at the family tree picture my cousin had and children of Ruperto and Simoena are (in order):Engracia, Florita, Santiago, Daniel, Marcelo and Antero. My grandfather, Daniel was the last surviving in his family. His brothers, my grand uncles died in World War II. That's what my Aunts and Uncles said.

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  4. I just found out from Aunt Linda regarding brothers and sisters of Lolo Daniel Rodriguez --Engracia, Florita, Santiago and Marcelo all died when they were young (below 7 years old) during the Cholera-Typhoid Epidemic in the Philippines during 1900-1915...."All in all, 200,222 lives including 66,000 children were lost. Three percent of the population was decimated in the worst epidemic in Philippine health history. Few remember this horrible tragedy."

    For more info see http://philippines1900.tumblr.com/post/265089585/epidemics-in-the-1900s

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  5. Lolo Daniel and Lolo Antero survived because by the time they were born or there after the Epidemic was under controlled and they may have been inoculated. Antero died in World War II when he was captured by the enemy and killed.

    5. Rodriguez, Antero - Pvt., Inf. 25 November 1942, Alimodian, Iloilo


    See link at http://dreamcatcherrye.blogspot.com/2010/01/death-casualties-alimodiananons-during.html

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