.....Tagkawayan 101….part 2…preaparation for township…

........ Before the year 1941, Tagkawayan is a barrio of the Municipality of Guinayangan and its center is the place called “ Tagkawayan-Bato “. First people to settle in Tagkawayan is the husband and wife Don Victorino Lagdameo and Dona Fortunata Olega-Lagdameo. The Lagdameo’s came from Unisan, Quezon and they were the first to establish an agrupacion or “bayan-bayanan” which consist of only ten houses. They also establish a small chapel where they place the image of Our Lady of Lourdes which was carried by Dona Fortunata Olega-Lagdameo when they first arrive in Tagkawayan in 1902.

........The barrio of Tagkawayan experienced a ‘population boom’ when businessmen discovered its potential for business. Mining and Lumber are the two main reason. Don Tomas Morato established the lumber business in Tagkawayan. He built a bahay-kubo where he can see his lumber company as well as the whole barrio of Tagkawayan. In this bahay-kubo, he invited twice the then First Lady of the Philippines Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon where they planned to prepare the barrio of Tagkawayan to be Municipality of Tagkawayan. Don Tomas Morato and Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon invited the townsfolk and ask them about creating the barrio og Tagkawayan into a independent municipality. The people are jubilant when they heard the news.

Don Tomas B. Morato

Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon

Dona Aurora Aragon-Quezon with her husband  President Manuel Quezon

..........A petition letter was needed in order for the barrio of Tagkawayan to be a municipality. In a short period of time Atty. Guillermo Eleazar, Dr. Benjamin Enverga, G. Antonio Lagdameo and G. Gaudencio Salvo prepared the petition letter with other necessary documents.

.......... Through Don Tomas Morato the documents was immediately sent to President of the Philippines. While back in barrio Tagkawayan, G. Antonio Lagdameo created the “Urbanization Plan” where they laid the plans as to where to place schools, municipal hall, market, park and other things essential in the creation of the Municipality of Tagkawayan.