Juan Clímaco
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General Juan Clímaco y Faller (December 24, 1859 – July 16, 1907) was the second governor of
Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
, Philippines, the first governor elected to the position, and a Cebu revolutionary during the
Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...
.


Early years

Juan Clímaco was born to a wealthy family in
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...
, Cebu, Philippines on December 24, 1859. He was married to Maria Regina Veloso ''y'' Ramas who was a
mestiza ( , ; fem. , literally 'mixed person') is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry in the former Spanish Empire. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also refer to people who are culturall ...
of
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and
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extraction and a granddaughter of the Portuguese consul to Cebu. Before the
Philippine revolution The Philippine Revolution ( or ; or ) was a war of independence waged by the revolutionary organization Katipunan against the Spanish Empire from 1896 to 1898. It was the culmination of the 333-year History of the Philippines (1565–1898), ...
against the Spaniards, he served as ''gobernadorcillo'' of Toledo and was popularly called "Tan Hantoy" ("Tan" as short for ''kapitán'' or captain). He wrote the monograph of the municipality of Toledo for the Philippine Exposition that opened in
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on April 1, 1887, which was described as subversive and counterproductive to the intentions of the exposition. At that time, all municipalities were asked to answer 81 questions intended to introduce the Philippines as a Spanish colony to Spain and to the entire Europe.


Philippine-American war

Upon the establishment of the revolutionary council by Luis Flores, Clímaco was chosen as chief of staff with Arcadio M. Maxilom as general. He financed the revolutionary efforts and was assisted by Andres Jayme, who was his deputy and aide. He was later promoted to general by
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (: March 22, 1869February 6, 1964) was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who became the first List of presidents of the Philippines, president of the Philippines (1899–1901), and the first pre ...
. Flores called for a meeting among Cebu officials of the
Philippine Republic The term "Philippine Republic" refers to a succession of republics during and after the Philippine Revolution in the Philippines. The current government of the Philippines recognizes five "Philippine republics" in the history of the Philippines: ...
on February 10, 1899, to discuss the war against the American forces. Clímaco was designated to the task of war preparations. By February 21, 1899, when the American forces landed in Cebu and demanded surrender, Clímaco threw support on the anti-American revolt led by General
Arcadio Maxilom Arcadio is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * José Arcadio Buendía, fictional patriarch in the novel ''One Hundred Years of Solitude'' by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez * Arcadio Arellano (1872–1920), notable arch ...
and traveled to
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to gather arms. Flores, together with
Julio Llorente Julio Llorente Gento (born 14 June 1966) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played mainly as a right-back. Club career Born in Valladolid, Castile and León, Llorente finished his development with La Liga giants Real Madrid, makin ...
, who would later be appointed as the first governor by the Americans, agreed to surrender the province. By October 2, 1900, Clímaco later wrote a memorial delivered to the
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advocating for Philippine independence and justifying the cause of the revolt. In addition, he wrote a manifesto on April 1, 1901, urging the revolutionaries to continue the fight for independence should the news of Emilio Aguinaldo's capture would be proven true. Maxilom and Clímaco, together with 40 of their men, 30 rifles, and 4 canons, surrendered to the Americans on October 27, 1901, marking the end of Cebu's organized resistance.


Politics

In 1902, upon the installation of Cebu's civilian government, first election for governor was held. Then incumbent governor
Julio Llorente Julio Llorente Gento (born 14 June 1966) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played mainly as a right-back. Club career Born in Valladolid, Castile and León, Llorente finished his development with La Liga giants Real Madrid, makin ...
, who was appointed by the Americans a year earlier, ran for another term. However, Clímaco won over Llorente on February 5, 1902, and assumed office on March 5, 1902. The Americans were initially not too pleased with his election particularly for his role in Cebu's anti-American revolt. However, he cooperated with the U.S. forces, and called for peace during the speech he made in his inauguration and rehabilitation of infrastructures including schools, postal delivery system, public works, and agriculture. He ran again for the second term and was reelected on February 4, 1904. During his term as governor, he initiated the construction of the road that connects Tabunok, Talisay to Toledo now known as Manipis Road, as well as the establishment of an electrical system called Visayan Electric Company (VECO). The port of Cebu was expanded, marking it as the country's modern harbor then.


Later years

US president
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...
appointed Clímaco to the delegation for the St. Louis Exposition in the United States and then appointed
Sergio Osmeña Sr. Sergio may refer to: * Sergio (name), for people with the given name Sergio * Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found * Sergio, the mascot for the Old Orchard Beach Surge baseball team * ''Sergio'', a 2009 documentary film about ...
as acting governor. On Clímaco's arrival in Hong Kong, he got sick and was unable to complete the trip. Osmeña succeeded him as governor on March 6, 1906. Clímaco died at the age of 47 on July 16, 1907.


Commemoration

* Juan Clímaco Street, which stretches from Paseo de Magallanes to Sanciangko Street in
Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu, is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 964,169 people, making ...
, was named after him. * Barangay General Juan Clímaco in Toledo, Cebu, formerly known as ''Sitio'' Magdugó, was also named after him.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Climaco, Juan 1859 births 1907 deaths 20th-century Filipino politicians Governors of Cebu Cebuano people Visayan people Filipino paramilitary personnel People of the Philippine Revolution People from Cebu People from Toledo, Cebu People from the Spanish East Indies