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
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* 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
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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
Iberian
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*Someone or something originating in the Iberian Peninsula, namely from Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra.
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and
Chinese
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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
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
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
Samar
Samar ( ) is the third-largest and seventh-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 1,909,537 as of the 2020 census. It is located in the eastern Visayas, which are in the central Philippines. The island is divided in ...
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
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
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.
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* Sergio, the mascot for the Old Orchard Beach Surge baseball team
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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