Brief profile
FLORENTINO PEÑARANDA was born on June 18, 1876 in the town of Barugo, province of Leyte. He studied at the Escuela Normal de San Francisco Xavier (located in Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila) ran by Spanish Jesuits. After completing his studies, Peñaranda set up a school for children in his hometown and forthwith launched his career in teaching.Life as a Revolutionary
At 24, he was commander-in-chief of the Leyte revolutionary forces, by fate destined to articulate his command's firm resolve to hold fast to their commitment to continue the Filipino resistance against the American occupation of the Philippines at the turn of the 19th century. It was in point of fact the last stand of the all-but-ended Philippine resistance movement that began to unravel when its initiator and prime mover General Emilio Aguinaldo, supreme commander of the Philippine revolutionary forces, was captured by the Americans in Palanan, Isabela in March 1901. The saga of Leyte's little-known heroic stand in the Philippine-American War had its beginning insofar as Peñaranda was concerned when he returned to Barugo after completing his studies in Manila. Before long, however, Leyte's role in the resistance movement intensified. The Supreme General Command ordered General Vicente Lukban to focus his efforts on Samar and at the same time designated General Ambrosio Mojica as commander-in-chief of the Leyte Jefatura (Office of the Political-Military Chief). Noting the shortage of combatants in his fledgling army, General Mojica closed down all the schools in Leyte and conscripted the able-bodied male students and teachers, among them Schoolmaster Peñaranda, to beef up his command. Mojica launched a guerilla campaign against the much-stronger and well-equipped enemy. It was largely a hit-and-run strategy. The capture of General Aguinaldo changed the long-range plan. Acting on orders from General Headquarters in connection with the need to speed up the pacification drive, General Mojica surrendered to the Americans on May 18, 1901. On the same date, he entrusted to Peñaranda the official papers and funds of the Jefatura. Shortly thereafter General Lukban announced he was taking over command of the Leyte revolutionary forces. He designated Peñaranda as his assistant. Whatever new surprises General Lukban had mapped out against the American war machine, all came to nothing with his capture by an American special force in his mountain hideout in Samar on February 19, 1902. Lukban's capture plus the earlier capitulation of GeneralContributions
Duties at the First Philippine Assembly or Philippine Legislature
In the wake of pacification and the significant changes that came after it, such as the establishment of the First Philippine Assembly (a unicameral legislature), Peñaranda ran for a seat in the Assembly and was elected representative of the Third District (now Second District) of Leyte in 1904. At the First Philippine Assembly, Peñaranda was a member of various committees including agriculture, Civil Service, Navigation, and Provincial and Municipal Governments. He authored and took a leading role in the proposed enactment of laws on agriculture, trade, public instruction, preservation of Philippine sovereignty and protection of its territorial integrity, reduction of the budget, and the removal of unnecessary government agencies and bureaus.Others
Peñaranda was married to Francisca Villasin, a native of Barugo with ancestral roots from Bantayan Island off Cebu. They had nine children, two boys and seven girls, one of whom died in her young years. Peñaranda died on September 3, 1938. A street is named in Peñaranda's honor in his birthplace, Barugo as well as in the neighboring town of Tunga in Leyte. Historian and writer Manuel Artigas of the Federalista Party who was born in Panalaron, Tacloban also ran for the same seat for the 3rd District of Leyte but Artigas lost to Peñaranda.References and notes
External links
* Hon. Florentino Peñaranda, First Philippine Assembly Representative of the Third District of Leyt