Origin and Political History

The municipality of San Francisco the then known as Barrio Bondo has no specific record of its origin before the Philippine Archipelago was discovered by the Spaniards in 1521. It is said that the place then was a forested and a huge wilderness area located in hilly mountainous geographical location. Its historical background was only an excerpt from the official document of the municipal government and of the trusted information from the oldest citizen of the municipality. However, it is believed that even before the discovery, the place was reached already by Chinese merchants to the fact that there were many kitchen wares and utensils dig and found along the town’s shoreline and according to the experts these were branded during the Ming and Sung Dynasty based on the color and design incise on its surface.

It was in 1784 when a place named Barrio Bondo (derived from the word Bundok) was organized into a village under the leadership of Juan de Torres, Manuel Cuyo and Gregorio Palacio, comprises of Sitio Matalola, Maayas-as, Mayabok, Kuling and Kampana, which are now called Barangay. Cawayan, Inabuan, Silongin and Casay. Bondo was then frequently raided by Moro Pirates, so the villagers headed by their leader with a unity of feeling and sentiments among each other that bolster their spirit in the fight against their enemies decided and chose to move their settlement at Sitio Kampana, a high place wherein they could easily see the pirates who are going to attack.

The first and prominent families who inhabited Barrio Bondo were: Lizardo, Escovidal, Presas, Casabella, Rocero, Escobar, Palacio, Rocafor, Aurinto, Ojastro, Olgina, Loretizo, Baladhay and Montes, all of them were came from Visayas Region except Montes and Palacio who came from Atimonan. The village at Sitio Kampana lasted for thirty (30) years.

In 1814 when the plundered Moro Pirates stopped raiding the coastal areas and due to the fact that the settlement area is too far from Mulanay town, the villagers decided to move and transfer again to the lowland section along the shoreline (the present site). As years passed by, the people prospered; agriculture progressed at an even pace; the population grew as people from suburb provinces and towns migrated to Barrio Bondo and settled down; endowed with rich natural resources, the settlers developed their living condition.

In 1898, Numeriano Nosce was appointed Tenyente Absoluto. It was during his term when the first Philippine Republic was proclaimed and this pave the way to become Barrio Bondo as separated independent municipality from Mulanay in the name of San Emilio and Vicente Edaño was appointed as Municipal Mayor. His administration lasted for two (2) years because the Spanish-American war broke out. He was succeeded by Galicano Ner, his governance last for four consecutive years wherein the municipality of San Emilio suffered financial constraint due to the effect of war. The local governance was unable to generate taxes and revenues to support the basic necessities of an independent municipality – thus, the Municipal Council decided to turn back the municipality as barrio of Mulanay and once again it was called Bondo. Since 1904 – 1938, Bondo remained district of Mulanay. Bondo is about 34 kilometers from Mulanay and the Southern tip Sitio that comprised Bondo district is about 50 kilometers.

It was in 1936 when a group of eight (8) men namely; Ambrocio Napeñas (native from Batangas married to a native of Bondo), Andres Castillejo, Antonio Giron, Nemesio Jorquia, Vicente Sanchez, Vicente Rocas, Angel Ojastro and Ciriaco Maralit; formed an Association called Dakilang Mithi; Andres O. Castillejo, the oldest and most experienced in the group was elected as President with Don Venancio, Queblar (former Lucena town Mayor) as Adviser. The main objective of the association was to find the most possible way to separate Bondo as an independent municipality from Mulanay.

On the other hand, in 1937 after the election, the Municipal Council of Mulanay become under the control of the group of men which are all native from Bondo, they were Daniel Pardilla as Mayor and Ricardo Allarey, Jose Allarey, Perpetou Napeñas Dalmacio Ojastro and Galicano de Leon as councilors. This opportunity gave way to the passage of a resolution authorizing the Dakilang Mithi Association to manifest all necessary measures for the separation of Bondo into an independent municipality.

Immediately the three men headed by Don Queblar went to Matataja to see the President in order to give him due respect and invite to visit Borrio Bondo, when they found the President group, they stood on a high place where the president could noticed them easily and it worked, they were recognized by the president because Manuel L. Quezon and Don Venancio Queblar had known each other before. (They were both member of Municipal Council of Lucena town, Queblar as Mayor and Quezon as Councilor). After a short talk, the president invited them to join him in the Presidential Yacht “Casiana” anchored on the shore for a lunch and later Don Venancio Queblar invited the President (Manuel L. Quezon) to visit Barrio Bondo wherein the latter give them an assurance. After a few days, Don Venancio received a telegram from President Quezon saying that he would come to visit Bondo on April 27, 1938.

Early in the morning on April 27, 1938, the school children, the residents headed by Don Venancio gathered on the shore to meet and welcome the president, when they saw the Presidential Yacht “Casiana” at Bondo Harbor, they were shouting with joy. At around 9:00 o’clock A.M., the President ashore, together with two American Geologist, he was followed by a long group of residents, waving his hand and proceeded to the plaza in front of Catholic Visita (Chapel). Viewing for a short moment the situation of Village, he said; Vena, Bayan na pala ito! Gaano ba ito kalaki? Malaki po ang kalupaan nito kaysa Mulanay, Vena answered. Then the President asked, O, mga taga Bondo, ano ang gusto ninyo? The residents answered in the high pitch of their voice; Independencia po Senior Presidente; and the President answered; Mula sa araw na ito kayo ay isa nang ganap na Bayan. The residents shouted with joy and enthusiasm. After a while again, the President asked, Sino naman and gusto ninyong maging Punong Bayan? The residents answered, si Don Vena po mahal na pangulo, kung gayon si Vena and inyong Punong Bayan, payag ka ba Vena? Kung iniuutos po ninyo tinatanggap ko, Don Vena answered.
After a few weeks, Don Vena received a copy of Executive Order No. 152 dated April 30, 1938 and effective July 1, 1938 organizing nine (9) barrios into an independent municipality under the name of Bondo together with his appointment paper as Municipal Mayor.

FIRST SET OF MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF BONDO

NINE (9) SITIOS WHICH WAS ORGANIZED INTO BARANGAY THAT COMPRISED MUNICIPALITY OF BONDO WITH THE CORRESPONDING BARRIO LIEUTENANT

The first resolution passed by the first Municipal Council headed by Don Venancio Queblar was changing the name of Bondo to Aurora in honor of the President wife, Doña Aurora Aragon Quezon.

In 1962, on account of the delay of communication for letters intended for the municipality of Aurora being missent to municipality of Maria Aurora in the Sub-Province of Quezon. The Municipal Council of Aurora sponsored Resolution No. 2 S.1962 calling for the change of name Aurora to San Francisco in honor of the Patron Saint, St. Francis of Assisi. The resolution was sponsored by Congressman Eladio Caliwara of the Second District of Quezon in the Congress and finally approved on June 17, 1967 under R.A. No. 4977, (AN ACT. CHANGING THE NAME OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF AURORA, PROVINCE OF QUEZON, TO SAN FRANCISCO).

Historic List of Municipal Mayor