The sitios of Sta. Cruz, Manga, Baga, (now Santa Maria), Capalaran, Villaba, Taguite, Paiton and Simasay were formed into regular barangays upon recommendation of the Provincial Board of Misamis Occidental making a total of sixteen barangays. A few years after, another ten barangays were created, namely: Guinabot, Sumirap, Bocator, Pontod (now Lorenzo Tan), Maquilao, Caniangan, Kimat, Bongabong, Baybay Mantic, and barangay 5, with a total of twenty-six barangays. With the interest of political leaders and to give political independence to the people, eleven more barangays were opened. These were Baybay Migcanaway, Banglay, Salimpono, Minsubong Lumban, Katagan Mitaron, Garang, Frenza, Guinalaban, and San Vicente. Years after the creation of Barangays 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 of the poblacion, San Apolinario, Maloro Silanga Santo Niño, Marcos, San Antonio, Panalsalan and Owayan were created On June 19, 1952. The Sangguniang Panglungsod passed a resolution creating the barangays of Tugas, Hoyohoy, Sicot, Matugnaw, and Baluc, which made the total number of 55 barangays.

 
Socio Economic Development

Tangub 5 economy was greatly affected by the Second World War. The losses of work animals, farm implements, and the lack of capital seriously hampered the growth of the agricultural production.

Agriculture

Tangub is primarily an agricultural area. Its vast farmlands were unproductive during the war, which were once again given better attention. Corn, which is the staple food of the people, was grown in open spaces and under coconut trees. Rice was planted in both the lowlands and in some parts of the upper region. Vegetables, bananas and root crops were raised with copra as the major agricultural crop. Table 2 below shows the different farm products, the area planted, and the estimated annual production during the year 1982.

Barangay Hoyohoy, one of the five latest barangays created, is famous for everlasting flowers, cabbages and carrots, while Matugnaw another newly created barangay, cultures the local onions. The planting of cassava in large scale has attracted many farmers of the good market product, the Binangcol, dried cassava meat, which is sold in Ozamiz, Cebu and Manila. Binangcol is a good substitute for flour. In order to improve agricultural practices, model demonstration farms featuring multiple cropping, crop rotation, composting, and fertilizer application were established. These demonstration farms are as follows: for vegetable demonstra­tion, Bintana: banana, in Minsubong, Sta. Maria and Panalsalan: tomato culture; Labuyo and Sta. Cruz, peanut growing; Kauswagan, Manga and Prenza, ginger culture; Lumban, Sicot, Banglay, Sumirap and Bocator, duck culture.

Fishing

Next to farming in point of number of people engaged in fishing. People living along the seashore of Tangub are engaged in fishing. Both the shallow and deep-sea methods of catching fish are used in the area. The number of fishermen in the area increased after the liberation period. Twenty three percent (23%) of the 707 fishermen owned motorized bancas for their fishing operation with the rest using non-motorized type.

All of these fishermen get their catch from the Panguil Bay, a very rich fishing ground abundant with a number of varieties of fishes. Of the rich varieties, common catfish species are goby, catfish, cravale, grouper and cela. The bay is also rich in other marine products such as clams, shells and oysters. Shrimps during season time are sun-dried and processed in big quantity locally known as “hebi”. They are sold to different markets in Mindanao, Cebu and Manila.

From January 1980 to December 1980, the entire fishing output was estimated as 1,900 metric tons. Revenue collections derived from fishing permits are licenses amounted to P8, 062.80 in that year.

A major boost to the fishing industry in Tangub was the granting of supervised and liberalized credits of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). As of June 1977, 200 fishermen composing forty seldas of five members each were granted loans under the DBP’s Fishing Development Program.

The amount of Php 703,270.00 was released at an average of P17, 581.75 per selda or P4, 395.43 per fisherman.

Fishpond operation in Tangub which is mostly privately owned is still in it infancy as far as methods are concerned. As of June l977, the total area devoted to fishpond is 84.2 hectares. Only twenty hectares are fully developed, total production valued at Php 24, 000.00 per hectare with two major harvests every year. Employment data in fishpond operation showed that ten were members of the household; forty percent were employees; and twenty-six part time employees, a total of seventy-six workers.

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Elementary Education

There were actually only few elementary schools opened immediately after the war Laureano Pina was the District Supervisor while Santiago Dizon was then the Division Superintendent of Schools for the Division of Misamis Occidental. With the opening of more elementary schools in the succeeding years, one additional school district in the southern part of the town was created in 1966 with Nestor Bolotaolo as the District Supervisor. The District Office was located at Lorenzo Tan Memorial School, with Albino C. Cebedo as the District Supervisor. When Tangub was created as a city by virtue of its charter, Tangub became an independent division with Carlos A. Balaoro as Ex-Officio Superintendent. In  1970, Felipe Romero was appointed as the first City Superintendent succeeded by Querino Beriones in 1972. In 1975, the division was dissolved due to lack of required number of teachers and was fused with the Division of Misamis Occidental under Superintendent Florentino S. Bunao. Mayor Tan who believed that the teachers from Tangub City would spend more and experience more hazards in going to Oroquieta worked for the fusion of Tangub with the Division of Ozamiz in 1976 with Carmen Ferdices as Superintendent. In 1978, a new school dist' Ct opened in the Northern part of the city called the Santa Maria District, with Maximo N. Romero as in-charge of the district. In l980, the defunct school division was recreated with the inclusion of the district of Bonifacio into the school Division of Tangub City with Conchito C. Balbutin, General Education Supervisor I of Ozamiz City School Division as Officer In-charge.

The early parts of the 1980's and the 1970's were characterized by tie rapid acquisition of new school Sites, opening of new barangay elementary schools and construction of new school buildings to answer the needs of the growing school population, as welt as the employment of more new teachers.

Secondary Education

In 1940, Reverend Fr. Olan Healy, of the Society of Saint Columban established the St. Michael's High School with Mariano T. Tiano as the first secondary school principal. In 1949, the school turned out nineteen successful graduates. Enrolment greatly increased in the later part of the l970's because of the high cost of tuition fees. With the support of the Spiritual Director and the parents who wish Catholic Education for their children, the school still survives.

Republic Act No.4848, entities an Act creating a school known as “Tangub Agro-Industrial School in the Municipality of Tangub, Misamis Occidental", defining its objectives and appropriating funds thereof, took effect in 1967. The school was finally opened in March 1971, with a budget of Php 20,000.00. During the first year of operation, the school had no site of its own. Classes were held in one of the buildings in Sumirap Elementary School with Jesus Bonillo as its first Vocational School Administrator. On June 26, 1973, the school was transferred to Labuyo, three kilometers from the city proper, and 400 meters from the national highway. The school offers a four-year Technical Secondary and a two-year Agricultural Technology curriculum with Central Mindanao University of Bukidnon.

Tangub City residents had to travel to a distant place to acquire secondary education, Tangub City National High School started with sixty-five students, forty-seven of whom constituted the first graduates in March 1974. At the start there were only four secondary school teachers with Elisa V. Diez as the principal. The classes were first held at the city gymnasium but were later transferred to the grandstand of the Tan Sports Center located in Barangay Maloro. After ten years the enrolment increased to 938, with thirty-six teachers, and five non-teaching person­nel.

The school has successfully acquired an eight-hectare site adjacent to the City Central School in an effort to provide secondary Education to the different barrios, barangay high school were opened. In 1970, Lorenzo Tan, Sumirap and Banglay High Schools were opened. A year after the barangay high school of Sumirap was transferred to Balatacan; Banglay School was closed after two years of operation because of lack of enrolment. In 1982, two other barangay high schools were opened, that in Sumirap and Santa Maria. Banglay was also re-opened and that of Balatacan was transferred to barangay Silangit.

Social Services

One of the responsibilities of the government is to provide optimum assistance for the total development of the Filipino people. Presidential Decree No. 1563 entitled “Providing for the National program for Social Services and Development for Filipino children and youth” was promulgated by President Ferdinand E. Marcos on June 11, 1978 to put into operation the provisions of P.D. 103 and the National Plan of Action of the Social Services and Development for the decade of the Filipino child. The mandate to serve the needs of twenty million children and the youth below twenty-one years is clearly defined in the Constitution and P.D. 103.

Among the social services, agencies in Tangub City are the Population Commission, the Ministry of Social Services and Development.

The City Population Commission

The Population Commission in Tangub City started in 1977 as a tripartite agreement of the Population Commission (POPCOM), the local government, and Project Compassion (PROCOM). The project was then called “Integrated Local Government – PROCOM Outreach Project”. The signatories of the tripartite agreement were Atty. Ramon P. Benamira, President and Project Manager of PROCOM, Inc., Primitivo B. De Guzman Executive Director POPCOM and Hon. Alfonso D. Tan, City Mayor of Tangub City. In 1978, Mayor Alfonso D. Tan and Dr. Conrado L. Lorenzo signed a bilateral agreement of POPCOM services from 1978-1982.

Cooperatives

In order to improve economic condition and to raise the standard of living of the people, a few cooperative programs have been established in the city by private individuals on the encouragement of Father Joseph Murtagh, the Columban parish priest of Tangub. Among these were the Cooperative Credit Union and the Consumer’s Cooperative.

Credit Union

In 1967, the Tangub City Cooperative Credit Union, Inc., (TCCCUI) was established with Mariano Tiano as its first President of the Board. The Credit Union, which started with Php l00, 000.00 capital was originally composed of about 2O members who had similar interests, needs and problems. It gradually grew and developed into a full-pledge organization when the members realized that their economic needs were somehow answered. The movement has practically elimi­nated usurious practices of the loan sharks, which operated unabatedly in the past.

In 1982, the TCCCUI members reached about 1,000 with an asset of 1.5 million pesos. The figures showed great success of the program because of the persons implementing the policies of the cooperative. The Credit Union made a tie-up program with the Tangub City Consumer's Cooperative, Inc., (TCCCI) a sister cooperative, by establishing credit lines with the cooperative store. This new program attracted several members. The TCCCI offers the following loans: Agricultural, commercial, fishing, special credit card, emergency provi­dential and educational loans. It also offers mortuary aid fund, mutual aid and has its own Retirement Benefit System.

Consumer's Cooperative

In 1974 Tangub City Consumers Cooperative, Inc., (TCCCI) was established with the hope that prevailing prices of prime commodities would be stabilized. Like the TCCCUI, the TCCCI stared with a few members who put up a meager capital, rented a small room owned by Lauro Kaamiño. The pioneers were led by Mariano Tiano who acted as chairperson of the Board. The Board of Directors served on a voluntary basis at the beginning. The pioneers of the TCCCI recognized the importance of their task. They work not for the monetary reward, but because they were fully convinced of the noble cause it stood for. Honoraria are given to each member of the Board of Directors, and the staff's salaries were increased.

After a period of eight years, both membership and the cooperative's capital increased considerably. Its assets have reached almost Php 200, 000.00. The cooperative has row 350 active members. The marked success of the cooperative could be attributed to the able management and supervision of the paid staff under the supervision of the pioneer, Mrs. Maria Mendiola and the full support of the officers.

Governor Alfonso D. Tan Memorial College

For the past 5 years, a college located right in the heart of Tangub City was unobtrusively graduating students in various courses. These graduates now hold responsible positions in government service especially in the field of teaching. The institution referred to here is no other than the city-owned Governor Alfonso D. Tan Memorial College (GADTMC). Very recently, GADTMC hugged the limelight when five of its midwifery graduates passed the Licensure Examination and 7 of its teacher graduates hurdled the Professional Board Examination for teachers these are modest accomplishments but proves that GADTMC has the capacity to turn graduates who can succeed in national qualifying examinations and the concrete realization of the vision of its founder that the poor of Tangub City, when given a chance to be educated could become useful and productive citizens.  

Stadium Entrance

Gov. Alfonso D. Tan Memorial College Stadium

But far from every ones knowledge is the colorful history of GADTMC which started with the vision of one man in whose memory the college is now so named, the late Governor Alfonso D. Tan, the city of Tangub, which was then a first class City an institution of higher learning for its young men and women especially those who can not afford to study somewhere else.

In the second year of operation the college added several collegiate as well as elementary and secondary courses. This however, was phased out to enable the college to concentrate on its present offering, namely: 4-year course in Liberal Arts, Commerce, Education (Elementary and Secondary) and the two-year Secretarial and Midwifery courses.

In the same year, the Tangub City College community felt a traumatic experience, the untimely demise of the founder. Tangub City College mourned for this.

In 1986, Mrs. Narcisa A. Naron took over as College Deanship until l987 when Miss Marieta A. Aballe was appointed acting Dean. In l989 Mrs. Nancy A. Lasmarias served as acting dean until July 18, 1990, when Dr. Ramon N. Daomilas, Jr. took over after an almost violent confrontation between two groups of faculty-students, one group being ignited by left-wing “militant organization” from outside Tangub City.

Dr. Ramon N. Daomilas, Jr., a graduate of Master of Arts from George Washington University, Washington D.C. and Ph.D. in Education from the University of San Carlos took over as the College Administrator, after being requested by the Board of Trustees during one of its emergency meeting.

In his administration, the college created an atmosphere of true picture of quality education. The improvements both tangible and intangible were seen and felt.

One is the issuance of the DECS Order No. 95, s. 1990 an authority to continue offering the two-year Junior Midwifery (G.M.) and two-year Junior Secretarial Course. This was later followed by DECS Order No. 79, 5. 1992 authorizing the operation of the four-year courses on Liberal Arts, Education (Elementary and Secondary) and Commerce. In an effort to increase the college library collection, Dr. Daomilas initiated the solicitation of books from embassies aside from the donations from the instructors and previous administrators and city officials of Tangub.

For the Midwifery course, a spacious mock ward with multi-tiered seats was made. According DECS officials who visited GADTMC, THE COLLEGE IS THE ONLY INSTITUTION IN THE REGION WITH A FULL SIZE mannequin of Mrs. Chase. On its own initiative the Faculty and Staff personnel completed two comfort rooms accessible to users.

Personnel wise GADTMC has engaged the services of better-qualified instructors for key position. A recent survey of its graduates showed that a good number of the graduates passed the different licensure examinations broken as follows: 31 for licensure Midwifery Examination and several professional and sub-professional examination passers.

The present name of the college, Governor Alfonso D. Tan Memorial College was adopted per City Council Resolution No. 387 dated June 23, 1990, in honor of the late governor as a fitting tribute to its founder and first President.

By: Margissa T. Amen