This week’s milestones

(Nov. 24 to Nov. 30)

Nov. 25, 1936

A portion of municipal district of Dulawan and Libungan was merged to create Midsayap as a separate town in Cotabato province through Executive Order No. 66 signed by then President Manuel Quezon. Midsayap started as a fifth class municipality, but was reclassified in July 1996 as a first class town and is now a center of commerce, trade and education. It had a population of 151,684 in 2015 and has 57 barangays as of September this year.

Nov. 28, 1974

A historical marker of the abolition of the tobacco monopoly in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte province, was installed. A monument was built in 1882 to commemorate the abolition of the tobacco monopoly by King Alfonso XII. It also symbolizes the courage of the Ilocanos to fight the injustice committed by the Spaniards to Filipino tobacco farmers. The tobacco monopoly was established in 1782 after the Spaniards saw the potential of tobacco as a major cash crop that would boost economic development in the region. But farmers were forced to grow tobacco and were later abused by the Spaniards. Other issues, such as smuggling, banditry and declining income, led to the abolition of the tobacco monopoly.

Compiled by Kathleen de Villa, Inquirer Research Sources: Inquirer Archives, officialgazette.gov.ph, Historical Markers (Regions I-IV and CAR), psa.gov.ph, laoagcity.gov.ph, cavite.gov.ph, pna.gov.ph