Mayor Pedro J. Monsanto Center
It is named in honor of Pedro J. Monsanto, the town mayor who served the longest. He was elected in 1959 until he was replaced in 1986. The revolutionary government of President Corazon C. Aquino in 1986 declared all elective positions as vacant. To fill the vacancy, the new president appointed Officers-In-Charge throughout the country, one of which was the elective positions of Catmon, Cebu.
Monsanto won the election for mayor in the general election held on November 10, 1959. His winning was questioned as his opponent, the incumbent mayor, lawyer Gabriel Roldan protested. Monsanto earned 1,076 votes as against Roldan's 1,074 votes. Atty. Roldan challenged the declaration of the municipal board of canvassers. The legal suit took years to be resolved until it reached the Supreme Court and disposed in November 8, 1963. Atty. Roldan was represented by the famous lawyers at that time like Ramon Duterte, A.B. Fernandez, J. Batiquin and Jose L. Rodriguez, on the other hand Monsanto was represented by the Durano Law Offices.
The Supreme Court through Justice Labrador denied the petition and upheld the winning of Pedro J. Monsanto as Mayor of Catmon who was repeatedly reelected.
Monsanto was replaced by Atty. Gabriel Roldan in 1986 (Roldan was elected Mayor in 1951, it was he who built the town's community stage), who won in the first election after the EDSA People Power One Revolution held in 1988. Roldan was succeeded by Dionisio O. Sucalit. In 1995, Master Sergeant Abel J. Modequillo was elected Mayor, the famous aide driver of President Fidel Valdez Ramos. Modequillo was succeeded by Herminia Basa Jurado, the first woman mayor of the town. In 2001 another woman was elected as mayor, this was Estrella Cleopas Aribal, who served until 2010 (three terms).
It was during the term of Mayor Monsanto that eleven streets of the town were constructed and the municipal hall was expanded. Monsanto was the recipient of the "Most Outstanding and Highly Distinguished Municipal Mayor of the Philippines". The award was for the term served from 1964 to 1967.
Others who served as the town's chief executive were: Santiago Montecillo, Simeon Seno, Bartolome Pontillas, Juan Guinoo, Pedro Ares, Marcelo Menchavez, Angel Dongallo and Gabriel Jurado.
Mayor Monsanto was supported by the public officials who served the town: Hermenia B. Jurado, Vice Mayor, Segundo Rojo, Municipal Secretary, Celso Mundo, Judge, Prudencio Dungog, Treasurer, Epifanio E. Pontillas, Chief of Police and Dr. Leticia Montayre as Municipal Health Officer.
The town councilors in 1964 to 1967 were: Cayetano Aride, Jovito Barte, Casiano Colonia, Lucio J. Densing, Roque Tungal, Constancio C. Montecillo, Nemesio Rojo, Luis Molinas and Delfin G. Estenzo.
During the Spanish Occupation, the following were listed by the Municipal Government as those who were appointed as Capitanes: Facundo Rojo, Francisco Ares, Clotaldo Joring, Bautista Ares, Alejandro Juban, Melchor Ares, Potenciano Rojas, Eleuterio Colinares, Martin Colipapa, Valentin Arigo, Folgencio Cololot, Sulfencio Nuneza and Pantaleon Montecillo.
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