Nationality Filipino Spouse(s) Carmen Jalandoni Jover | Religion Roman Catholic Name Ludovico Banas | |
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Born 16 February 1901 ( 1901-02-16 ) Died 27 June 1979(1979-06-27)
Iloilo City, Philippines Profession Telecommunications Superintendent, Soldier Allegiance Philippines
United States of America
Commonwealth of the Philippines | ||
Ludovico Arroyo Bañas (16 February 1901 – 27 June 1979) was a high official of the Philippine Bureau of Telecommunications (National Telecommunications Commission who was one of the local American-trained pioneers in Telecommunications service in the Philippines during the American Regime in the Country and who, through his professional specialization and expertise, made some significant contribution in the liberation of the Philippines during the World War II, in the field of communications.
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Service in the Bureau of Telecommunications in the Philippines
During the American Regime, Ludovico Arroyo Bañas was chosen as one of the ten personnel of the American government telegraph service in the Philippines to compose the first and only group of Filipino pensionados who, in 1919, underwent advanced training in wireless telegraphy (radio), at the US Naval Radio School in Cavite. The training of the ten Filipinos was made possible through a special arrangement between the US Naval authorities in the Philippines and the Insular Government. To select the trainees, a special examination was conducted among the 398 students of the Post-Telegraph School.
After the training, Bañas was appointed to the office of Assistant Radio Inspector and Radio Superintendent in Manila, until the World War II broke out in 1942.
After serving the U.S. Army Forces Far East (USAFFE) during the war, Bañas left the military service with the rank of Second Lieutenant, and went back to Telecommunications Bureau (this time under the Philippine Republic). Later, he became the Regional Superintendent of the Bureau of Telecommunications (BUTEL) in Region IV (Panay, Negros, Romblon, and Palawan) until the time of his retirement at the age of sixty-five years, on 16 February 1966, after forty-seven years of continuous service since 1 January 1919. He died in 1979.
Military Service during the World War II
At the beginning of the War (on 10 October 1941 ), Ludovico Arroyo Bañas was drafted in the Civilian Employee Warning Service of the United States of America (Iloilo City Station), under the command of Major Campbell. This task was short-lived for on 2 January 1942, he was inducted to the USAFFE, in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo by Lt. Col Crispen Gorriceta. From 4 January to 16 April 1942, he was assigned to the 61st Signal Company of the 61st Division, Philippine Army, stationed in Sta. Barbara. Lt. Col Amos Francia, who was in command of the unit, disbanded his men on 17 April of that same year. That forced Bañas to go home to Banate, Iloilo, where he farmed his land.
Lack of equipment, difficult terrain and undeveloped infrastructure made coordination of the groups of disbanded USAFFE forces nearly impossible, and for several months in 1942 all contact with Philippine resistance forces was lost. Communications were restored in November 1942 when the reformed 6th Military District in Panay island, led by Colonel Macario Peralta, was reorganized.
Upon the reorganization of the 6th Military District in Panay, Ludovico Arroyo Bañas again joined the defense of his Country, and worked with Capt. Eliseo Espia in the 61st Signal Company of this Military District (stationed in Passi, Iloilo), on the 5th of that month. Later, he was sent to the 64th Signal Company of the same Military District, under the Command of Lt. Col. Cesar Hechanova, where he served until the end of the war.
2Lt Ludovico Arroyo Bañas made an important contribution to the US and Filipino forces during the war, in the field of communication. He was responsible in successfully making the first radio contact with the US War Department through the USAFFE command in Australia, months after the United States Armed Forces was disbanded in the Philippines. This first radio contact affirmed the continuous existence of Filipino resistance forces against the Japanese, thereby providing the joint and combined U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth military forces important data for the liberation of the Philippines. This enabled the forwarding of intelligence regarding Japanese forces in the Philippines to SWPA command, as well as the consolidating the once sporadic guerrilla activities, thereby allowing the guerrillas to help in the war effort.
Family and Marriage
Ludovico was one of the three sons of Celestino Barboza Bañas and Francisca Arroyo, both were native and residents of Banate, Iloilo, Philippines. His siblings were Martin and Maximo. He was married to Carmen Jalandoni Jover - sister of Dominador Jalandoni Jover, who was Mayor of Iloilo City. The couple had seven daughters (Thelma, Alsina, Maja, Emma, Manajama, Nancy, and Francily) and a son (Richard).