GARGANTIEL FAMILY

Education - The Legacy of Telesforo Gargantiel Sr.

OUR STORY begins in the early 1900’s, when Telesforo Garcia Gargantiel born in Guimbal, Iloilo and his wife Socorro Grecia Golez of Jaro, Iloilo settled in a small barrio called Malabugas . This small barrio was located in the town called Tolong, now Bayawan City. Born on January 5, 1892 Telesforo went to Iloilo (provincial capital) to pursue his ambition of becoming a lawyer and worked as a clerk of court for senator Ruperto Montinola. His ambition did not materialize but he met and married Socorro from one of Iloilo’s “principalia” families (Socorro is the great grand daughter of  Don Ramon Javellana and Dona Beatrice Lopez). She was beautiful and kind that the people of Malabugas loved her.

They had 6 children, Cesar, Remedios, Consolacion, Igmedio, Serafin , and Rodolfo. Telesforo and his family called Malabugas their home. Farming was their means of livelihood and ‘Porong’ as he was called, was successful at that. Aside from the farm land in Malabugas, Porong owned property in Mantapi, a small sitio in the barrio of Nangka , also in the town of Tolong.

Porong was quite wealthy at that time and the family enjoyed the amenities that prosperity could bring. A ‘batil’ (a large colonial-era sailboat used for ferrying passengers and goods between Visayas and Luzon) would dock on the shore of Malabugas to pick up Porong’s produce and sold in the nearby province of Cebu.

In 1930, his wife Socorro contracted tuberculosis, a deadly disease at that time. She was brought to Mantapi in the hope that the cool mountain air would help her recover. Unfortunately, she died at the age of 33, on April 30, 1930. To keep the family intact, the prominent family of Socorro in Jaro, Iloilo advised Porong to marry within the family. So Porong married the elder sister, Maria who was single at that time. Adjustments to a new wife and raising young children left the farm in Mantapi unattended. Felix Gaudiel, Sr. whose first wife at the time was Porong’s cousin decided to purchase the farm in the mid 1930s and developed the property.

Felix Gaudiel’s wife later died leaving him with 2 children, Felix Jr. and Ester. In March 29, 1939 Porong’s eldest daughter Remedios nicknamed “Meding”, married Felix Gaudiel Sr. and have four children.

After  the war,  Porong  became municipal mayor of Tolong.  Under his administration the name Tolong was changed  to Bayawan and the town of Santa Catalina was separated from Bayawan.  The biggest legacy of Telesforo was  laying the foundation of education in Bayawan. He believed education is  the driver of progress and a passport to the future.  A tireless community organizer he worked with the citizens of Bayawan both rich and poor raising funds to  establish the first high school in Bayawan known as Tolong Junior High School.  The high  school  opened its doors  on  July 5, 1947.

 Tolong Junior High School evolved over time. In 1950, from Tolong Junior High School (TJHS), it was renamed Tolong High School (THS) then, Negros Oriental Rural School (NORS) in 1953, Negros Oriental National Agricultural School in 1963, Central Visayas Polytechnic College Bayawan-Sta. Catalina Campus in 2000, and as Negros Oriental State University Bayawan-Sta. Catalina (NORSU-BSC) Campus from 2004 up to the present. The foundation of education in Bayawan brough about by Telesforo Gargantiel is an eduring legacy bestowed upon the next generation.

In the eulogy of former municipal councilor Pacifico Quindo during the necrological services of Porong, he says about him , “He believed in the adage that  to give is better than to receive. He did not have much in life to be given away but what he has bestowed to his children, material or otherwise,  and service to the community demonstrated his unselfishness at its best”.

 The Telesforo  Gargantiel  Memorial Elementary School  in Malabugas, Bayawan City is a fitting tribute to the man who  firmly believed that education transcends all other considerations in the uplift of the youth.  And  the values  of honesty, unselfishness and community service  has been firmly ingrained in the upbringing of his family.