Pres. Carlos P. Garcia, the Boholano who married a Cebuana
Carlos P. Garcia, the second Cebuano-speaking President of the Philippines was born on November 4, 1896. His parents were Policronio Garcia and Ambrosia Polistico, who both came from Bangued, Abra.
The father of Carlos (Policronio was the son of Pablo Garcia and Petronia Babia) served as municipal mayor for four terms, died at the age of 80 in 1947, at that time Carlos was already a Senator. When his mother died in 1933 at the age of 60, Carlos was Governor of Bohol.
Carlos, called the "Prince of Visayan Poets" while finishing his primary education in Talibon, Bohol took up and finished his Secondary Education at the Cebu Provincial High School. He graduated Valedictorian. The Cebu Provincial High School was created during the American Occupation through the Philippine Commission's enactment of Act No. 372 on March 6, 1902. It became operational in 1906. In 1945, the Cebu Provincial High School was transferred in Argao thus the creation of the City High School. The school is now known as the Abellana National High School named in honor of the martyred Governor of Cebu, Hilario Abellana.
Garcia finished his law course at the Philippine Law School and was admitted to the Philippine Bar on November 5, 1923 (a day after his birthday). Elected as Congressman in the election held on June 2, 1925 of the old 3rd District of Bohol which used to be composed of the municipalities of Anda, Candijay, Duero, Garcia-Hernandez, Guindulman, Jagna, Jetafe, Mabini, Sierra Bullones, Talibon, Valencia, Trinidad (used to be called Ipil), Alicia, Dagohoy (formed in 1956), Buenavista (formed in 1959), San Miguel (formed in1961), Danao and Pitogo (renamed after Garcia).
Carlos P. Garcia succeeded Teodoro Abueva (served from 1922 to 1925) in representing the district. The former was also succeeded by the veteran legislator, Filomeno Casenas Orbeta of Jagna, who earlier served the district from 1916 to 1925 and reelected in 1931.
Carlos married Leonila "Inday" Dimataga (a Licensed Pharmacist and a graduate of the University of Santo Tomas), on March 24, 1933. Leonila was the daughter of Bartolome Mangubat Dimataga, the Fifth Municipal President of Opon. The mother of Leonila was Leoncia dela Serna. The brother of Leonila by the name of Mariano dela Serna Dimataga was fondly called as Dodong Oping and held the title of the longest reigning Chief Executive of Opon, which was converted into a city and renamed as Lapulapu City on June 17, 1961. Mariano became the last Municipal President of Opon and the First City Mayor of Lapulapu.
A sister of Leonila by the name of Rosita married Josefino Durano Almendras, who is the father of former Secretary Jose Rene Almendras and Vice Governor Agnes Almendras Magpale.
Carlos was elected Governor of Bohol in 1933 (December 30, 1933 to December 30, 1941) and ran for the Senate in the election held on November 11, 1941. It was the first senatorial election were electors vote at large not by districts as what was practiced from 1916 to 1935. Carlos placed 7th in the election, with two other Cebuano-speaking victors, Mariano Jesus Cuenco and Vicente Rama.
Garcia became the High Advisor of the resistance movement against the Japanese and his house was burned on July 4, 1942 while escaping to Leyte with his family. He ran and won as Vice President of Ramon Magsaysay who died in a plane crash in Balamban, Cebu on March 17, 1957. He became successor President on March 17, 1957 and served until December 30, 1961.
He was elected Delegate of the 1971 Constitutional Convention and became its President on June 1, 1971 but he died on June 14, 1971.
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