NE town honors son with first-ever monument

 LICAB, Nueva Ecija – Townsfolk here honored a beloved son, the revolutionary general who liberated Ilocos from Spanish colonizers and became Nueva Ecija governor, by erecting a life-size bronze statue right in front of the town hall building.

The statue of Gen. Manuel Tinio, after whom a southeastern town of Nueva Ecija was named, was unveiled in the presence of his scions and the townsfolk as a highlight of this town’s founding anniversary on Sunday.

The activity started with the traditional Kariton Festival, themed “Sa Kabukiran,” that underscored the livelihood and lifestyle of agricultural workers here.

Mario Tinio, 83, the hero’s grandson, expressed gratitude to the local government and the people of this municipalityfor letting them see the first monument of their grandfather in the province. “We are very very thankful sa Bayan ng Licab na binigyang-pugay ang aming lolo,” he said.

Mario is a son of Manuel Quijano Tinio, a son of the general who also served as a soldier with the rank of a major assigned in Bataan before becoming a farmer in Talavera, Nueva Ecija.

“Ito pa lang ang monumento ng aming lolo na nakita namin sa Nueva Ecija,” said Mario, now a businessman from Paranaque.

Gen. Tinio was born to wealthy couple Mariano Tinio and Silveria Bundoc at Sitio Ablang, now Barangay Aquino here on June 17, 1877 according to historical accounts.

He studied in San Juan De Letran, Manila and was named general of the Hukbong Rebolusyunaryo ng Pilipinas at the age of 20.

“History says he was the youngest general in the entire Philippines,” said Mayor Wilfredo Domingo of this town.

He acknowledged though that Gen. Gregorio Del Pilar remains to be the youngest general “who died in battle.”

Tinio died of cardiac arrest in Manila in 1924 at the age of 46.

Tinio was commissioned brigadier general and designated as commanding general of operations on Nov. 20, 1897 after Gen. Mamerto Natividad was killed in Entablado, Cabiao, Nueva Ecija while leading some 200 men on Nov. 9 that year, historical accounts showed.

He started leading the campaign to free the Ilocos region in 1898.

“A liberator of the entire Ilocos region, we are honored of having him a true-blooded Licabeño,” Domingo said.

Tinio served as governor of Nueva Ecija from July 1907 to May 8, 1908. From Oct. 17, 1913 to Sept. 13, 1914, he was cabinet member as director of Kagawaran ng mga Lupain.

“Si Hen. Tinio ay isang magiting na heneral, batikang pulitiko at matagumpay na mangangalakal. Isang natatanging Licabeño,” Domingo said.

Mario said it was the first time in the last 50 years that he visited this municipality.

Besides witnessing the unveiling mof his grandfather’s monument, he and his relatives have been part of the grand homecoming of Licabeno, another activity highlighting this town’s founding anniversary.