Former Mayors
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RAMON ESTANISLAO
1901
In July 5, 1901, RAMON ESTANISLAO, SR. was elected Presidente actual (mayor) of Dinalupihan.
RAYMUNDO PAYUMO
1902
RAYMUNDO PAYUMO became the second mayor and the first elected Mayor of Dinalupihan. He won through acclamation. During his administration, Hermosa was annexed as a barrio to Dinalupihan.
Description of the Church
PAULINO SOCCO
1903-1908
PAULINO SOCCO of Barangay Bonifacio was elected Mayor, the third top town executive since 1901. The first recorded major calamity happened during his administration in 1903. The whole town proper was razed to the ground. Only a few light houses were spared.
MAURICIO C. PAGUIO
1908
MAURICIO C. PAGUIO who was elected fourth Mayor of Dinalupihan in 1908.
VICENTE MIJARES
1908-1912
The fifth elected Mayor of Dinalupihan was VICENTE MIJARES of Bonifacio who was elected in 1908 and was re-elected in 1911. In his first year as mayor, the town center of Dinalupihan was engulfed by fire.
RAMON VELEZ
1912-1913
In 1912, RAMON VELEZ of Burgos became the sixth mayor of Dinalupihan.
CIRIANO PEÑAFLOR
1913
In 1913, CIRIACO PEÑAFLOR won as seventh mayor of Dinalupihan. It was during his administration that Tucop was turned into a sugarland. Under the direction of Whitaker and Boquer, the hacienda was divided into three sections. The first section, with a sub-administrator in charge, comprised the old, traditional, exclusively rice-growing section of some 3,500 hectares (about 1,500 hectares of rice lands and 2,000 hectares of virgin lands). It included the lands of most of the inquilinos and aparceros. The second is the Tucop area, the newly cleared and planted sugarland. Between 1913 and 1916, 37 new parcels of land (about 174 hectares) were cleared and planted. The third section consisted of a modern centrifugal mill built in the sitio of Pagalanggang, as well as a railroad and rolling stock for delivering sugar cane to the mill.
TOMAS SOBREVIÑAS
1913-1922
TOMAS SOBREVINAS was Dinalupihan’s eight mayor. He initially served as Municipal Chief Executive for both Dinalupihan and Hermosa from 1914 to 1915, when the two towns were merged as one town and renamed “Bagumbayan”. (The reason behind the merging was the fire which razed Dinalupihan town center to the ground in 1913, Hermosa was also hit by big fire in 1915).Sobreviñas, a wealthy inquilino and native of Barangay Poblacion (Burgos) took the cudgels for the aging Dinalupihan Mayor Ciriaco Peñaflor when a combined election for the two merged towns was held in 1914. It was Sobreviñas who ran for Mayor against Hermosa’s incumbent Mayor Gregorio Jaring. Sobreviñas won and Jaring took the defeat calmly and allowed Sobreviñas to reign over “Bagumbayan”.Sobreviñas administration, however, drew flak from Hermosa residents after a big conflagration hit the San Pedro-Daungan-Sto. Cristo in late 1915. The mayor was accused of inaction and neglect of duty after Hermosa’s town center was hit by another big fire. The residents petitioned then Governor Maximino delos Reyes to reconsider his earlier decision of merging the two towns. The governor readily gave in. A special election was held in Hermosa in 1915 and Gregorio Jaring was elected mayor for the second time.
Meanwhile, Sobreviñas sought re-election in 1916 and easily defeated former Mayor Ramon M. Velez. He continued his winning ways in the next two elections, in 1919 and 1921. It was during his first year in office that the American Archbishop Jeremiah Harty was able to secure a Torren’s Title for the Dinalupihan Estate with practically no opposition, as no notices were sent out about the land registration case. There was a strong feeling among the farm workers that they had wrongfully been deprived of their lands by trickery and fraud. Teodoro David, a wealthy inquilino led a resistance against the church. As mentioned earlier, the Dinalupihan Estate was the product of labor and perseverance of the original settlers of Dinalupihan who had cleared and worked on the land. Archbishop Harty ordered the clearing of more forested areas in Tucop. Approximately some 2000 hectares were added to the existing Estate. The administration of the Dinalupihan Estate was transferred from the office of Obras Pias to the Phil. Trust Company.
The Pagalanggang Sugar Mill was shut down and abandoned in 1919. A new sugar mill was opened in Barrio del Carmen, Floridablanca. Tucop sugarland was placed under the Pampanga Sugar Mill under its new manager, Renton Hird, an American engineer and sugar specialist After his term in 1922, Sobreviñas gave way to the candidacy of MATEO V. PINILI, a famous zarzuela personality and inquilino leader from Luacan.
MATEO PINILI
1923-1930
Mateo V. Pinili of Luacan won as the ninth mayor of Luacan in 1923. He served a three term office from 1923-1930. Mayor Pinili grew up in Barangay Luacan. He was a well-known zarzuela stage actor, author and producer. During his administration, Luacan had its first school, the four classroom LuacanPrimary School which opened in 1925 with Marcos Garcia and Cosme Magtanong as first teachers. In June 12, 1927, Luacan had a newly completed Elementary School.
During his term, peace and order in Dinalupihan was disrupted. In 1927, resistance erupted inside the Dinalupihan Estate between the farm workers and the employees of the Pampanga Sugar Mill. This was due to the expansion of sugar cultivation by the PSM which ate into the traditional rice-growing areas of the Hacienda. It should be noted that not all inquilinos were homogenous in their conditions of life. Some of the big, wealthy inquilinos had taken advantage of the PSM’s rapid expansion of sugar cultivation to become sugar planters in their own right. There were about thirty or so sugar planters in Dinalupihan affiliated with PSM. Their plantations ranged in size from that of William Fassoth with 404 hectares, those of the Spanish-mestiso planters, Justo Arrastia and Alfredo Infante with 377 and 332 hectares each respectively; to those of leading inquilinos of Dinalupihan like Teodoro David with 59 hectares, Eugenio Estanislao with 73 hectares and Ciriazo Pineda with 43 hectares. This went on for almost two years. Mayor Pinili supported the rice inquilinos of Dinalupihan who resisted the encroachment of the Pampanga Sugar Mill (PSM) in the Dinalupihan Hacienda. He also joined several protests against the laying of railroad tracks over the rice fields of smaller inquilinos in the Tucop-Pagalanggang area to get to the sugar plantations of sugar planters associated with PSM, like Teodoro David. It turned out that the PSM management was forcing the workers to sign one-year contracts at a rental rate one-third higher than before. He openly challenged PSM after getting the support of Governor Quicho of Bataan and Representative Teodoro Camacho. Unfortunately his actions bore no favorable result. By September, 1928, some 40 rice inquilinos were already sentenced by the courts to be dispossessed of their lands. This greatly incensed the farmers and intensified their protest actions against PSM.
To ease the tension, then Governor of Bataan Gregorio Quicho suggested to Senate President Manuel Quezon to purchase the Dinalupihan Estate and sell it to the workers. But Quezon refused. Meanwhile, Representative Luis Santiago worked with the Dinalupihan Estate Improvement Company, a committee of Diunalupihan inquilinos. He filed a bill in Congress for the purchase of Church Estates in Dinalupihan, and resell them to tenants on easy installment basis. He also negotiated directly with the Archbishop until the Archbishop agreed to sell the Estate to the Dinalupihan Estate Improvement Company for P 2,212,250.00 in July 15, 1930. But the problem now is where to get that amount.
TEODORO DAVID
1931-1937
Mayor David was a rich sugar planter of Mabini, Dinalupihan. He owned 59 hectares of sugar land in the Dinalupihan Estate. Prior to his election as Mayor, he was already deeply involved in the conflicts involving the said Estate. He was the wealthy inquilino who led resistance to the Church attempt to register the Dinalupihan Hacienda in the name of Pampanga Sugar Mill (PSM) in 1914. In 1927, he and the other wealthy inquilinos were threatened by the smaller rice-growing inquilinos on mere suspicion of cooperating with PSM. At one time, some men deliberately set fire to one of David’s cane fields.
In 1929, David headed a committee of Dinalupihan inquilinos who were interested in purchasing their land directly from the church. He then formed a corporation, the Dinalupihan Estate Improvement Company, and became its president. He started collecting funds and issued stocks to get the capital (about P2,212,250.00) necessary for the purchase. His popularity among farmers led to his election as Municipal Mayor of Dinalupihan in 1931. His triumph, however, was protested by Arturo Reyes, the losing candidate. As a chief executive, he continued organizing societies in Dinalupihan, the avowed purpose of which was to get the government to purchase the estate for resale to its tenants. In November 1931, however, David and the Treasurer of the Improvement Company were charged in court in connection with the alleged mishandling of some of the funds collected by the corporation. David denied any crime and claimed that the whole affair was only concocted by political enemies. He was convicted but the Supreme Court exonerated him and his treasurer in May 1934. David was re-elected Mayor in 1935 and served until 1937. He initiated the separation of Saguing from Luacan and made it a separate barrio in 1935. Tenant unrest continued.
EMILIO V. REYES
1938-1942
Emilio V. Reyes became the eleventh Mayor of Dinalupihan in 1938. During his administration, the government began to challenge in courts the titles of the Church in the Dinalupihan Estate. In response to the tenant unrest, the Rural Progress Administration (RPA) purchased the Dinalupihan Homesite Area for 268,067.95 pesos from the Archbishop, subdivided it into 1,550 lots and began to sell them to the 750 occupants. But the distribution of lots had only just begun when Dinalupihan suffered extensive damage during the fighting at the outbreak of the war
APOLONIO R. DIAZ
1942-1944
Apolonio R. Diaz, a high school teacher, was introduced into politics while serving as municipal secretary to the Mayor Teodoro David. In November, 1942, he won over his uncle Emilio Reyes. International turmoil marked Mayor Apolonio Diaz’ administration.
On December 8, 1941, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii was attacked by the Japanese which signaled the start of the Pacific war and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. USAFFE forces trooped to Bataan for a last ditch stand against the Japanese aggressors. In December 28, the residents of Dinalupihan were surprised with the arrival of many American and Filipino soldiers. In the heroic stand of Bataan during the Second World War, Dinalupihan played a pivotal part. The Abucay-Morong Defense Line had been acknowledged as the First Defense Line put up by USAFFE units against the advancing Japanese Army during the first months of World War II. But it was on records that the first confrontations between the two protagonists transpired in the vicinity of the Layac junction, in the so-called Dinalupihan-Hermosa Defense Line. The defense line was established primarily to delay Japanese forces pursuing the last USAFFE units into Bataan and buy time for more solid defenses to be set up in the peninsula. The line was laid parallel to the Almacen River, the major water tributary dividing the towns of Dinalupihan and Hermosa. It stretched across Northern Bataan, from the Colo area in Dinalupihan down to Barangay Almacen, Hermosa.
The Japanese Army, composed of the Imai, Tanaka and Takahas Detachments, arrived in Dinalupihan in full force on January 1, 1942. They pitched camp along the Bataan- Pampanga boundary. At the sight of the Japanese soldiers, Dinalupihan residents left the town in a hurry. Half of the population proceeded to the direction of Olongapo City while the other half went to Hermosa and other southern towns. Those who fled towards Floridablanca, Pampanga, via Barrio San Jose, were forced to climb the nearby mountains of Zambales after encountering the Takahas Detachment along the way. The Takahas soldiers came from Basa Air Base which was captured two days earlier. Assigned to defend the southern portion of the Defense Line were the 31st and 71st Division, as well as the 26th US Cavalry, all under the command of US Brig. General Selleck. The Japanese attack began in the morning of January 2. It started with heavy artillery fires and complemented by aerial bombings. It was followed by a Japanese tank advance. Japanese soldiers also pushed forward in various parts of the line to probe for weaknesses. But the numerous attempts by the Japanese to break through the line failed as the defenders were well-entrenched. Surprisingly, USAFFE units did not attempt a counter-attack. The Japanese made their way back to their original position before night fell. The defense of the Dinalupihan-Hermosa Line continued for the next five days. However, on the fifth day (January 6), the situation became very critical as the Japanese pushed even harder. Major General George M. Parker, overall commander of II Corps, had no choice but to order his men to withdraw to the Abucay-Morong Defense Line.
Dinalupihan was bombed on January 1, 1943. The people abandoned the town and fled to the surrounding forested hills, leaving the dead among the ruins. Mayor Apolonio Diaz ordered the rounding up of the wounded and the mass burial of the casualties of the heavy early morning bombing. After aiding the last families to evacuate, he and his officials joined their families in different safe evacuation areas, leaving the town proper open to the onslaught of advancing Japanese troops towards southern Bataan on the heels of the USAFFE troops. Upon the surrender of Bataan, the Japanese started hunting down residents of the town. They harmed the men and raped some women. The people, suffering then from lack of food and malaria begged their Mayor Diaz to do something to stop the atrocities. He then sought audience with the Japanese captain camped in town. He was assured that his soldiers would not harm the civilians if they “surrender” peacefully and come back to their homes. Mayor Diaz demanded a “trial coexistence” to make the residents trust the word of honor of the Japanese. Pita was designated a temporary townsite where some families started to live in some vacated houses. Indeed the Japanese soldiers came and befriended the people. More families came as “trust” started to build up because there was no more raid in Pita alone. The captain kept his word until the residents started to return to the town after the Fall of Corregidor. The captain allowed Mayor Diaz to pick “his relatives” among the soldiers passing Layak in the infamous Death March. Because food was scarce, his council ordered that no foodstuff be transported outside Dinalupihan. He stayed the wrath of the Japanese against the rise of the guerilla movement nestled in the hills. One of the guerilla groups held camp in the Mayor’s farm. Squirmishes between them led to the capture of guerilla leaders Generals Trinidad and Regala. They were sentenced to be beheaded in the town plaza. The Mayor pleaded for their lives. The Japanese agreed on condition that he be personally responsible to a pledge to abandon the movement and regularly report to the headquarters. These two officials, upon gaining their freedom, fled to their guerilla camps, putting the Mayor in a very dangerous position. He could no more beg for clemency for his townmate who suffered from the arrests that resulted from every “zona”. At this turn of events, he was pronounced pro-Japanese by the guerillas and must suffer the fate of all traitors to their cause. So Mayor Diaz was “invited” to his farm to confer with the guerilla officials there. He went in full trust that he was with friends for whom he had staked his own life. When he arrived in the camp, he was placed under trial, sentenced to death and was shot and buried in a grave, dug in his own farm, days before he was invited in September , 1944. President Quirino declared an amnesty for all civil cases filed against guerillas for various killings committed in the firm belief that the victim were pro-Japanese. The court trial led to the exhuming of the remains of Mayor Diaz to be given a more fitting resting place in a crypt in the church. It also laid bare the fact that his capture and death was politically motivated.
FRANCISCO TURLA
1944-1945
Francisco Turla was the vice mayor of Apolonio Diaz. He replaced Mayor Diaz when the latter was abducted by guerillas.
In August 26, 1945 General MacArthur returned to the Philippines to liberate the country. From January 19 to February 25, the Battle of Zigzag Pass raged in the mountains of Dinalupihan and Hermosa down to OlongapoCity. It was one of the historic battles between the American Liberation Forces and the retreating Japanese Army during the last months of World War II. After the Liberation of Manila, the retreating Japanese Army split into two groups of Japanese. The first group led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita, proceeded to BaguioCity. The second group headed towards OlongapoCity where they hoped a new Japanese Armada will arrive from Japan via Subic Bay. Alarmed by the advance of the American and Filipino soldiers, the second group of Japanese established a stronghold at ZigzagPass, the hilly and mountainous areas in the boundary of Bataan and Zambales. The whole vicinity, starting from MountMalasimbu and Maite-Bamban (Hermosa) were fortified with dugouts and machinegun nests.
The Liberation Forces arrived in Dinalupihan on January 19, 1945. After a careful study of the Zigzag Pass, the Americans committed the 149th , 151st , 152nd Infantries, 113th Engineering Combat Battalion, 38th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troops, 38th , 138th , 139th Field Artillery Battalions, 113th Medical Battalion, and the 38th Division Special Troops to destroy the Japanese stronghold. The attack on ZigzagPass started on February 2, 1945. Supported by the artillery, the Liberation Forces encountered fierce hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese. The defense was so tough the Americans were forced to use incendiary bombs and flame throwers to penetrate the tunnels occupied by the Japanese. General Douglas MacArthur arrived in Dinalupihan on February 3 to personally assess the situation. On February 5, he went to Hermosa to greet the residents. The Battle of Zigzag Pass lasted until February 25, a total of 23 days of grim struggles. Some 2,000 American and Filipino lives were lost in the battles. On the part of the Japanese, some 16,000 soldiers were killed. By September 2, World War II was over. Newly installed Philippine President Sergio Osmeña, Sr. recognized the national and local government units immediately after the war. Former Congressman Teodoro Camacho was appointed Governor of Bataan.
In 1946, a monument was constructed at the Layac Junction by the 38th Infantry Division, US Army, to commemorate the gallantry of the Filipino and American hero during the Liberation. The said monument was replaced by a new one.
JOSE PAYUMO SR.
1945-1947
In September 7, 1945, Jose Payumo Sr. of Burgos was appointed by Governor Camacho as the fourteenth Mayor of Dinalupihan. He was re appointed by the succeeding Governor Joaquin Linao in 1946. It was during the administration of Mayor Payumo Sr. that the plan to install the Dinalupihan electric power plant was started by the Dinalupihan Local Government. By 1946, the population of Dinalupihan was registered at 11,000. The Philippine Government in 1948 bought 4,150 hectares of the Dinalupihan Estate and sold the lots to the settlers. Colo was recognized as a regular barangay of Dinalupihan in March 1.
RAMON ISTANISLAO
1948-1951
Ramon Estanislao of Rizal St. was elected 15th Mayor of Dinalupihan and served up to December 31, 1951. Barrio Banicain of Zambales was annexed to Dinalupihan. Through his leadership, two noteworthy projects were accomplished which greatly improved the way of life of Dinalupihan. First was the opening of a new municipal cemetery as approved by the Department of Health. The second, was the installation of its own electric power plant. In July 31, 1950, the Dinalupihan municipal cemetery as approved by the Department of Health. The second, was the installation of its own electric power plant. In July 31, 1950, the Dinalupihan government unit applied for a P80,000 loan to be used for the establishment of an electric power plant. By May 25, 1951, the new Dinalupihan Electric Company started its operation.
Two major problems marred his administration. The residents of the Dinalupihan Estate wanted to own their lands claiming that they paid the lots that they have been occupying with Japanese war notes during the Japanese occupation. The Mayor and his council requested the National government to speed up subdividing the Dinalupihan Estate to be sold to landless residents. Yet some 600 hectares of the Tucop Estate was leased by the Pampanga Sugar Central in April 10. In this connection, Railway in Del Carmen, Floridablanca, Pampanga was extended in Dinalupihan through the Manila Railroad Company for the hauling of sugar cane.
Just like in many parts of Luzon, Dinalupihan was also affected by the HUK movements. So Mayor Estanislao requested for the stationing of an army detachment in Dinalupihan to combat HUK dissidents. First to be stationed in the area was the Charlie Company of the 18th BCT and was later replaced by the Echo Company. In December 2, 1951, HUK dissidents attacked Dinalupihan but soldiers of the Echo Company repelled the attack.
In education, an extension class for Grade V in Barrio Colo was opened.
FEDERICO A. MULI
1952-1962
Federico A. Muli, a native of Luacan was the sixteenth Mayor of Dinalupihan. He was the Municipal Mayor from 1952 to 1962. Mayor Muli was a manager of a bus company plying the Zambales-Manila route when he was persuaded to run for Mayor of Dinalupihan. It was no less than Ramon Magsaysay, one time mechanic of the same bus company and current secretary of the Department of National Defense, who supported his candidacy. Ramon Estanislao, Jr. the incumbent mayor, proved no match to Muli. He was elected three times, in 1952, 1953 and 1960. Mayor Muli was responsible for the operation of a power plant in the municipality, the deployment of the 18th BCT to combat insurgency in various barangays, distribution of government owned lots to landless tenants, construction of irrigation canals, creation of Sto. Nino, New San Jose and Old San Jose as barangays (1962), establishment of primary schools in Colo (1953) and Sto. Nino (1957). He also appropriated P4,000 for the purchase of the lot owned by the Hocson family and this was used as the site of the new municipal building in Poblacion.
In 1953, he personally welcomed newly elected President Ramon Magsaysay who visited Dinalupihan to help in the distribution of Torrens Titles to the tenants of the Dinalupihan Estate. His closeness to the President made it possible for him to be appointed as acting governor of Bataan when the incumbent governor, Adelmo Camacho, was suspended due to abuse of authority charges. He took reign of the Capitol from April 23 to May 14, 1953. (Ruperto T. Estanislao was also appointed the acting Governor of Bataan from May 16 to July 15, 1955. That same year, when the position of deputy administrator of the Philippine Veterans Board was vacated, President Magsaysay appointed him to the post.)
Other Significant Events/Developments:
Start of the operation of buses in Dinalupihan like the Try –V-Trans, La Mallorca-Pambusco, Rabbit and Victory Liner.
Transco is converted into residential lots.
Valeriano Sta. Maria donated one-half hectares of land to be used as a school site in Pinulot.
San Benito, Dinalupihan (formerly owned by the Benedictine Fathers) was chosen as municipal nursery.
Carlo Club honored sons and daughters of Dinalupihan who passed government examinations.
Dinalupihan has three movies houses : Dina Threater in Rizal St. (owned by Leonardo Dizon, NormaTheater in Burgos St. (Owned by Ricardo Tulod) and GloriaTheater in Bonifacio (owned by Pilar David).
Construction of the Layac-Luacan road started in January 10, 1953
Sitio Corba, part of San Benito, was created as a barangay and named Magsaysay in March 31, 1959.
Don George Litton, well-to-do Dinalupihan businessman was convinced to file his income tax in Dinalupihan which bolstered the town’s financial condition.
Roosevelt Park was transferred to the Reforestation Administration from the National Park and Wildlife office.
The National power Corporation started servicing the electricity requirements of Dinalupihan.
Crispin Reyes, a famous and distinguished lawyer of Dinalupihan was assigned the Judge Advocate General’s Office (JAGO).
Saint JohnAcademy was founded in 1960 by Msgr. Florentino F. Guiao.
In 1962, Muli, along with Mayors Artemio Saldana of Samal and Benito Reyes were suspended from their respective offices based on oppression, abuse of authority and other administrative charges filed against them by several residents led by Leonardo Martin and Rosita Mallari. He was replaced by Vice Mayor Quintin Sta. Maria while the case were being heard by the provincial council. He remained under suspension until November 1963 when local election was held. He attempted to make a comeback by running for Mayor against newcomer Jose C. Payumo Jr. The attempt, however was unsuccessful. In September 25, 1969, Muli died in an ambush in New San Jose, Dinalupihan, Bataan.
QUINTIN STA. MARIA
1963-1964
Quintin Sta Maria became the seventeenth Mayor of Dinalupihan, when he officially replaced Mayor Muli who was suspended by Governor Pedro R. Dizon. Acting Mayor Sta. Maria opened the San BenitoPrimary School as well as the PinulotPrimary School. Extension classes for Grade I & II opened in Magsaysay.
JOSE C.PAYUMO JR.
1964-1986
Jose Cruz Payumo Jr. (1934-1986) was the eighteenth Mayor of Dinalupihan, He administered the affairs of the municipality for 22 years. He was elected and took his oaths of office as mayor in 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1980. His reign covered from 1964-1967, 1968-1971, 1972-1975, 1976-1989 and 1980-1986. Payumo was born on November 19, 1934 in Burgos, Dinalupihan. His father, from whom he was named, also served as municipal mayor from 1945 to 1947. His mother was Marcela Cruz. He has two siblings, Felicito (former Congressman and SBMA Chairman) and Laarni. After finishing his Bachelors Degree in Agriculture, Payumo worked as an agriculturist at the Bureau of Agriculture Extension (BAEX) in Dinalupihan. He married the former Lucila Penaflor in 1964. The same year Payumo took on the campaign trail for the mayoralty position against Federico A. Muli of Luacan who had served Dinalupihan as mayor from 1952 to 1962. Using Muli’s one year suspension on graft charges as a major issue, Payumo won easily at the polls
Since education was one of his primary concerns, upon assumption of his office, Payumo started the opening of barrio schools and went on constructing and completing both elementary and high schools:
1964 - San BenitoPrimary School / MagsaysayPrimary School
1966 - LuakanBarrioHigh School
1967 - PinulotElementary School
1968 - Primary Schools in San Pablo, Roosevelt and Bangal
San Benito became a complete Elementary School
1974 - Happy ValleyPrimary School
1975 - Roosevelt became a complete Elementary School
1980 - Bangal became a complete Elementary School
He also established the DinalupihanMunicipalHigh School, PagalanggangHigh School and Jose Payumo, Jr. Memorial High School.
To augment the financial situation of the municipality, Mayor Payumo created new barangays.
1969 - Bangal, Tabacan, Dalao and the former streets which were formerly part of the Poblacion: San Isidro, Del Pilar, Gomez, Burgos, Zamora, Mabini, Roxas, Torres, Bonifacio, Mabini Extension, Rizal, Padre Dandan and General Luna.
1971 - Pag-asa
1972 - Naparing, San Simon
1973 - Sapang Balas, Happy Valley
1974 - Kataasan, Sto. Nino
1975 - Pita
1982 - Payangan, Tubo-tubo, Maligaya, Bayan-Bayanan, Pentor, Aquino
1985 - JC Payumo
1988 - Tucop
Mayor Payumo developed RooseveltPark into a major Boy Scout jamboree camp and Nature’s park. He also completed various irrigation projects. He was responsible for building the new MunicipalBuilding in San Ramon. The new Dinalupihan Public Market was completed during his administration.
He was re-elected in 1968 against Ruben Vergara and continued serving Dinalupihan until 1979. He also won overwhelmingly over Reynaldo Muli, son of former Mayor Federico Muli, who challenged his leadership during the 1980 elections. On February 24, 1974, the Philippine government was able to purchase the remaining 4,150 hectares of the Dinalupihan Estate and sold them also to bonafide residents of the municipality. During his administration, another Payumo brought honor to Dinalupihan. Elsa Payumo was chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) in 1976. In 1982, Mayor Payumo established the initial 25 bed capacity, one storey hospital in Barangay San Ramon. It sits on a 1,900 square meter lot at the back of the Dinalupihan Municipal building. By 1985, Dinalupihan was re-classified as a second class municipality. In addition to his many accomplishments, Payumo also served as president of the Bataan Mayors League and the Central Luzon Mayors League starting in 1982. He was elected as Luzon’s National Vice President of the organization after beating former Mayor Luis “Chavit” Singson in 1983. In 1986, he made history by retaining his position as mayor even after all known political supporters of Ferdinand Marcos were purged from their government positions. He maintained his dedication to work in the company of new mayors and other appointed government officials in the province. In August 20, 1986, a group of armed men ambushed and shot dead Mayor Payumo in Barangay San Jose. The crime remained unsolved up to this day. In his place, his wife Lucila was installed as his replacement.
LUCILA P. PAYUMO
1987-1995
Lucila P. Payumo was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino as replacement of her late husband Jose Jr. who was ambushed and killed on August 20, 1986. She was the first woman mayor in the Philippines. She was elected to the same position in 1988 and 1992 despite the challenges put up by Amy Muli and Roberto Rubiano respectively. During her administration, Mrs. Payumo completed the smooth transfer of vendors from the old market to its new and present location in Barangay San Ramon. She is credited for building several barangay halls, barangay health centers, new roads and bridges and other major infrastructures in the municipality. She also initiated the construction of the Dinalupihan Sports Complex (Phase I) and the development of the RooseveltNational Park and the MountMalasimbuTourismPark. She was also successful in her CARP programs in Luacan, Daang Bago, Pagalanggang, Sapang Balas, Colo, Payumo, Layac, Old San Jose, Pita and Pag-asa.
Mayor Lucy also spearheaded the construction of Bataan State College after the then Congressman Felicito “ Tong” C. Payumo was able to pass a bill for its construction. It opened on Nov. 26, 1988 . She established new elementary schools in Dinalupihan and completed several primary schools by building additional classrooms. JC Payumo residents got their initial two-classroom primary school on June 4, 1988. In 1991, Mt.Pinatubo in Zambales erupted. Dinalupihan, the closest town to Pinatubo among the other municipalities in Bataan, suffered great devastation. Ashfall in the municipality was registered at two-feet deep. Several houses collapsed due to accumulated ash debris on the roof. Residents panicked and evacuated to several evacuation sites. Luckily, there was no casualty reported in the municipality. In 1993, RooseveltElementary School re-opened as a complete school. In 1994, two primary schools were opened, Maligaya and Pag-asa. Mayor Payumo added two more classrooms to MagsaysayElementary Schools and San PabloElementary School making them complete schools. In June 1995, PagalanggangHigh School was opened.
After her stint in Dinalupihan, Mrs. Payumo ran and won as Board Member of the First District of Bataan. She represented Dinalupihan in the provincial board from 1998-2001 and 2001-2004. It was during her administration that Dinalupihan got its first Congressman when Felicito “Tong” C. Payumo was elected Congressman of the First District of Bataan.
JOSE ALEJANDRE P. PAYUMO
1995-2004
Mayor Jojo, as he is more popularly known, is the eldest child of former Mayor Jose C. Payumo, Jr. – (Dinalupihan Mayor , 1964-1986) and Lucila Peñaflor Payumo (Dinalupihan Mayor, 1986-1995). He formally entered the political scene in 1995 after his mother, Mayor Lucila, decided to run for board member of Bataan after serving as Mayor of Dinalupihan from 1986 to 1995. He won over board member Ramonette Reyes. In 1998, he defeated another former board member, Dr. Rosario (Rose) Acuña of Barangay Rizal. He had another runaway victory during the 2001 elections against Marlon Susim.
During his nine-year reign as Mayor, Jojo Payumo has established the Dinalupihan Water District Phase 2 which serves the nine western barangays of Dinalupihan. He also instituted the first ever Waste Management System in Bataan by constructing the recycling plant for biodegradable waste in Pagalanggang. His Clean and Green Program was adjudged as the Best Municipality for Clean and Green Program, Category B in 1995 and 1996. His Land Zoning project, Gintong Ani Program, Municipal Irrigation System and Awareness Drive against drug abuse speak well of him as a true leader of Dinalupihan. In addition to the establishment of Sta. Isabel Elementary School, Mayor Jojo also initiated the third floor expansion of the Dinalupihan Municipal building which was inaugurated in June 2004. It was during his term that Mt. Malasimbo, based on a new SBMA documents, was shown to be within the municipal boundary of Dinalupihan. Dinalupihan was embroiled in a “political war” against the Gordons of Olongapo when its favorite son, Tong Payumo was appointed Chairman of SBMA by President Joseph Estrada. Richard Gordon, the incumbent Chairman, refused to vacate his position. Amidst heavy politicking and a fractitious workforce, he began a series of strategic moves to restore investor confidence and rebuild the Freeport’s organization. He opened the Morong Gate which ended the town’s six decades of isolation and ushered in development in that community. From 1998 to 2004, Mayor Jojo served as President of the Bataan Mayors League.
JOEL JAIME P. PAYUMO
2004-2013
The 21st Mayor of Dinalupihan came from the political clan of Payumo. He is the son of two former mayors of Dinalupihan, Lucila P. Payumo and the late Jose Payumo, Jr. and the brother of the former Mayor, Mayor Jojo. His grandfather, Jose Payumo, Sr. was also a former mayor of Dinalupihan and his uncle, Felicito C. Payumo was a three-termer representative of the first district of Bataan and was a Chairman of SBMA. Reared and brought up for public service, and educationally qualified as well, (AB Economics (UST), M.A. Public Administration (UP). Joel was the most logical choice among the Payumo clan to replace his older brother Jose Alejandre who has completed his three-terms as Mayor of Dinalupihan. He won over former Board Member Reynaldo “Tikboy” Muli and businessman Marlon Susim.
As a neophyte mayor, Joel Payumo turned out to be a man of vision. In the field of educations, he was responsible for the:
- Completion of two classrooms in SapangBalasElementary School
- Completion of four classrooms in PitaElementary School to serve as annex building of PagalanggangHigh School
- Completion of six classrooms in PagalanggangHigh School, courtesy of JICA
- Completion of three classrooms, TetBuilding, JC Payumo Elementary School
- Completion of three classrooms, TetBuilding, in Naparing
- Completion of Tubo-tuboElementary School
With the “common tao”, especially the farmers close to his heart, he worked for the:
Mayor Joel also facilitated the construction of puericulture centers (RHU I) in Padre Dandan and (RHU II) in Colo.
For his socio-economic programs, he undertook the:
- Completion of the arcade and common terminal
- Construction of additional stalls at Common terminal
- Repair and upgrade of the DinalupihanCivicCenter and TownPlaza
- Re-organized and revitalized the different socio-educational arms of the municipality which spearheaded viable project. To name a few: Tourism Council, Educational Council and Historical Committee
- Launching of the Water Festival in Dinalupihan
- Final completion of the repair and third floor addition of the MunicipalBuilding.
- One of the most notable accomplishment of Mayor Joel was the re-classification of Dinalupihan into a first class municipality in March, 2006.
Another feather in his camp was the activation of the Ethics Committee. The “Common Tao” in the barangay level were able to find justice against abusive barangay officials. Without fear or favor, many abusive barangay chairmen, “kagawads” and “tanods” were suspended or reprimanded.