<< Cont'd from Chapter 7, Page 6

      Only the little town of Pagsanjan of all towns in the entire Philippines has ever produced six provincial treasurers. This is a record which is worthy of special citation.
      The first of these six Pagsanjeños who became a provincial treasurer was Catalino Lavadia, elder brother of Municipal President Pedro Lavadia and uncle of the Lavadia brothers (Brigadier General Elias Lavadia and Commodore Remo Lavadia). He served as provincial treasurer of Isabela.
      The other five Pagsanjeño provincial treasurers were Dionisio Fabella (Cebu), Lorenzo Palileo (Cotabato), Jose Zaguirre (Nueva Viscaya), Marcial Yia (Pampanga), and Ricardo Buenafe (Laguna).

Prominent Pagsanjeños in Philantrophy

      Some Pagsanjeños, who are rarely endowed by God with a civic conscience, generously gave substantial donations for the welfare of their natal town. Foremost among them are the many-splendored couple -- Dr. Rosendo R. Llamas and his wife Doña Guida Hocson. This couple financially supported the beautification of the town plaza and the reconstruction of the Catholic church. Dr. Llamas donated part of his rice land for the extension of the Crisostomo Street and all his surgical instruments to the Pagsanjan Puericulture Center. Before his death in 1974, he donated P400,000 for construction of a building for the U.P. College of Medicine (his Alma Mater) and another sum of P200,000 as scholarship fund for indigent but bright medical students. Doña Guida, from her personal funds, donated a P50,000 trust fund for the Pagsanjan Puericulture Center and a smaller amount for the restoration of the historic Town Gate to its original condition. It is interesting to recall that the National League of Puericulture Centers of the Philippines, in its Diamond Anniversary Convention (1973), conferred on Doña Guida the prestigious "Outstanding Humanitarian Diamond Award" in recognition of her humanitarian services.
      The late Engineer German Yia, spending much of his time and personal funds, spearheaded the costly reconstruction of the town Catholic church which was woefully ravaged during the war. He also donated P250,000 for the construction of Research Center Building for the U.P. College of Engineering (his Alma Mater).
      Two civic-spirited clans in Pagsanjan are the Lanuzas and the Yans. The Lanuza clan, headed by Doña Julia Zaide Vda. de Lanuza, donated the carillon to the central elementary school of the town. Her son, Cesar Lanuza, donated a large piece of land which enabled Barrio Biñan to have a barrio elementary school. Through his efforts, when he was still the head of the Philippine Reparations Mission in Tokyo, the Municipality of Pagsanjan was able to acquire its fire-fighting equipment, including a big truck.
      Other civic-spirited Pagsanjeños who generously gave donations for the welfare of their town are the following:

1. Don Pedro Unson, father of Professor Salvador Unson, donated a piece of land which enabled the children of Barrio Cabanbanan to have their own elementary school.
2. Mrs. Maria Abanilla Llamas generously gave to the Municipality of Pagsanjan a piece of her land for needed extension of Crisostomo Street.
3. Mr. Mauro Bernardo, former municipal councilor, donated his rice field in front of the cemetery to be used as a rotunda of the projected Crisostomo Street extension.
4. Doña Carmen Hocson Fernandez donated part of her land near the Town Gate which is now Zalamilla Street. She was the wife of Don Ramon Fernandez, former City Mayor of Manila and senator, and also the first Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James (London).
5. Mrs. Josefina Garcia Buenafe freely gave part of her coconut plantation near the railway station in Barrio Maulawin and is now Soriano Street.
6. Dr. Gregorio F. Zaide, who at the expiration of his term as municipal councilor of Pagsanjan (1947-1951) donated a piece of land near the Town Gate and this is now F. Zaide Street, named after his father, Francisco D. Zaide.