Sunday, September 13, 2015

Konsehal Myke Magalang's work "Col. Maximo Abad: Exultations and Twinges in His Life Stories"




Photo: Abad en route to surrender, Boac, Marinduque Is. P.I.,” from the Harry H. Bandholtz papers ca.1890 - ca. 1937 which are in the repository of the Bently Historical Library, Item No. BL003767 and accessed by the author (Miguel R. Magalang) through umich-bhl-9436 on November 09, 2014, 10:00PM.


Valuable long hours of work have been spent by Konsehal Myke Magalang in researching, compiling and writing "COL. MAXIMO ABAD: Exultations and Twinges in His Life Stories". On the occasion today, Sept. 13, of the Battle of Pulang Lupa, Col. Maximo Abad, foremost hero of the Philippine-American War in Marinduque is once again remembered.

The author, Magalang is the Chairperson of Kilusang Pangkasayayan ng Bayan ng Boac; and Chairperson, Committee on Education, Local History, Culture & the Arts of the Sangguniang Bayan of Boac (2013-2016).

His work with the following Introduction may be accessed here.


INTRODUCTION

The photo above attests to the eminence and prominence that Col. Maximo Abad played in the war for independence by the people of Marinduque during the Filipino-Spanish War and the Filipino-American War, and his post-war achievements, feats and exploits that significantly changed the course of history and story of this Island Province. Eli Obligacion in his blog endeavoured in "Tracing the Footsteps of Col. Maximo Abad”  (Obligacion: 2009) where he mentioned that:

"Lt. Col. Maximo Abad  is probably one of the most elusive among the Filipino soldiers who fought during the Philippine-American War, the hero who led the Marinduque revolutionary forces and defeated the Americans in the “Battle of Pulang Lupa”. During the last four decades after the first commemoration in Marinduque of this, now annually-celebrated event, facts about Abad have remained equally elusive.

"So little is known about him  –  the Maximo Abad who tenaciously adhered to the cause of Marinduque’s defense and Philippine Independence."

As student of history, the author was challenged to also add up to the needed information on Maximo Abad and to fill in the gaps, little by little, on his life story. With the initial information gathered by Obligacion, patience and hard work were employed to look for and gather important information from primary sources of local history and other significant government documents, secondary sources and other references in order to validate the information in his initial research. 

This paper is a work in progress for the last few years. References were compiled since the year 1998 (Philippine Independence Centennial) to give light to the various periods in the life stories of Col. Maximo Abad and other events in the island of Marinduque and the Pueblo of Boac. This aims to provide references to students and teachers of local history so that the future generations will have a fair and better understanding of the lives and contributions of our local heroes, and the events that shaped the historical and cultural development of this Island.  - Miguel R. Magalang, Col. Maximo Abad: Exultations and Twinges in His Life Stories

Also read: