Bogo, Cebu

History

The year 1600 saw the founding of a real settlement which was subsequently transformed into a barangay with small huts made of cogon grass and bamboo, standing where the Bogo Central Extension now stands. While the barangay was then part of another community in the north (today's town of Daanbantayan), the natives enjoyed tacit freedom of self-rule although they continued to pay tributes and taxes to the chieftain of Daanbantayan. This barangay grew in prominence and for this reason, it was separated from Daanbantayan. In January 1850 the Bishop of Cebu, appointed Spanish friar Fr Jaime Micalot as the first parish priest of Bogo and decreed Saint Vincent Ferrer as the town's patron saint.

The first mass was celebrated in the hastily built chapel on 5 April 1850, to coincide with the death anniversary of the patron saint. This chapel was later gutted by fire and a new stone church was constructed at the place where the Bogo Town Plaza is now located. About this time, the Spanish authorities in Bogo introduced civil government. Pedro Aballe became the first Cabeza de Barangay or mayor from 1864 to 1869. Senator Pedro L. Rodriguez, popularly known as the Grand Old Man of Bogo named one of the oldest streets of the town after him.

In those times, a cabeza de barangay took charge of the collection of tributes to support the encomienda system of Spain. Later the tribute was substituted by the "papelita" (cedula) which the individual paid in two installments annually. A taxpayer who could not afford to pay the cost of papelita in the amount of ₱1.50 was made to work on local projects at fifty centavos a week. Because of this, a good number of delinquent taxpayers escaped and hid in the mountain fastness of Bogo.

Early historians aver that the town of Bogo derived its name from a lone bogo tree or Garuga floribunda, which stood on the shore where now is Bogo wharf. Here the inhabitants met traders who sailed in loaded with goods to be sold or bartered. Thus this spot became a rendezvous for traders and merchants as well as for nature-lovers and leisure-seekers. Some of these traders remained and married locals.

A few years before the turn of the 20th century, eventful episodes took place in the town marked by fire and blood. The nationalistic fervor of the Katipuneros in Luzon fanned the flames of the resistant movement in Cebu. In Bogo, the younger kin of the Katipuneros, the so-called "Pulahans", exacted heavy tolls on the forces of the cazadores (guardia civil) (cf Caçadores) during fierce encounters near the outskirts of the town. Although the Pulahans were ill-armed, untrained and outnumbered at times, they nevertheless continued to hit back at the enemy.

Success seemed almost within reach when in 1898 an American cavalry unit under Captain Rowan landed at Nailon point and proceeded to the poblacion where his troops assembled in front of the church. He was met by Pedro L. Rodriguez then presidente municipal of the town, and they soon sealed an agreement for the protection of the civilian populace of the town.

World War II

Again in 1941, the Philippines, being a territory of the United States, became a battleground in an undeclared war between the invading Japanese Imperial Forces and the combined Filipino–American troops. After the surrender of the USAFFE many from Bogo refused to swear allegiance to the Japanese. They went into the hills and organized guerrilla warfare headed by disbanded officers of the constabulary and army units in the province.

Cognizant of the anti-Japanese sentiment of this armed group who were determined to carry out harassment tactics against the occupation troops in northern Bogo, six Japanese seaplanes bombed the town of Bogo on the early morning of 12 December 1942. Several civilians were killed and many injured. In order to quell the seething rebellion, the Japanese military authorities in Cebu established a garrison in the town in a building now owned by the Northern Cebu Colleges. As a means to win the loyalty and support of the people of the town, a local puppet administration was established in Bogo under Japanese supervision, with Moises Lepatan appointed town mayor during the occupation.

Liberation came in 1944, and civilian government soon restored. Former municipal secretary Perfecto Andrino was appointed first mayor of Bogo by President Manuel Roxas in 1945. In the first election held after the war, Severo Verallo was elected with a considerable majority and appointed town mayor.

The plebiscite for the cityhood of Bogo was held on 16 June 2007 in which 97.82% of voters of Bogo voted for cityhood. Former representative Clavel Asas-Martinez announced that the cityhood of Bogo has been ratified. It became the sixth component city of Cebu province.

Government center

The new Bogo City Hall was inaugurated on 19 April 2013 by President Benigno Aquino III. On 8 November 2013, a powerful super typhoon Haiyan, also known as Yolanda, badly hit northern Cebu, where Bogo City is located and not spared the widespread devastation. Typhoon Yolanda destroyed almost everything from infrastructure to agriculture, 90% left homeless and thirteen died in Bogo, among more than 6,000 fatalities in Central Philippines. City Hall was one of the structures damaged: its roof got ripped off, its windows broken and other parts of the building also affected and devastated.

Barangays

Bogo comprises 29 barangays:

Demographics

In the 2016 electoral roll, it had 48,290 registered voters, meaning that 62% of the population are aged 18 and over.

Fiestas and festivals

Bogo City celebrates two town fiestas in every year in honor of its patron saint, Saint Vincent Ferrer.

Media

Major TV networks based in Cebu City have signals in the city

National and local daily newspapers, tabloids and magazines are available in the city.
City of Bogo has its own quarterly official publication "KANAAS" (Gikan sa Amihanan – A Whisper from the North).

Notable Bogohanons

City hymn

The Bogo City council has passed an ordinance requiring all schools in Bogo to sing the Bogo Hymn in all flag-raising ceremonies and school programs just like the Philippine National Anthem, "Lupang Hinirang". Radio Stations based in Bogo are also required to play the hymn every sign-on and sign-off. City legislation prohibits the alteration of the lyrics, tempo and tune in the rendition of Bogo hymn entitled "Padayon Bogo".