General Arcadio Maxilom’s 158th birth anniversary commemoration

Cebu’s first Cebuano governor and the last general to surrender to the Americans is given homage with the installation of its statue at the police camp rightfully named after him.

Snappy salute to a great leader, Tuburan Mayor (now Vice Mayor) Democito “Aljun” Diamante for sponsoring the sculpted statue. Cebuanos will now see how the great Cebuano general (successor of Pantaleon Villegas, more known as Gen. Leon Kilat, who was betrayed and assassinated by town leaders of Carcar, Cebu, on April 8, 1898) looks like. Mayor Diamante also sponsored the erection of a statue and dedicated a plaza in the town’s poblacion in honor of Gen. Maxilom, a son of the town (he was the town’s teacher and gobernadorcillo before the Battle of Tres de Abril).

It was on December 1, 2015 through the valiant efforts of General Noel Gillamac, then director of Cebu Police Provincial Office, that the Cebu Provincial Police camp was officially named as Camp General Arcadio M. Maxilom. The camp was established to its new site on August 2009 courtesy of Governor Gwen Garcia, the Iron Lady of the South. The provincial director at that time was Senior Superintendent Jesus Gacquing.

The road to the erection of the statue of General Maxilom was given birth during the time of Senior Superintendent Eric Noble, provincial director, followed through by provincial director, Manuel Abrugena, then the dream was executed during the stint of provincial director Police Colonel Roderick D. Mariano, and now formally installed to its present provincial director, Police Colonel Aladdin Collado.

General Maxilom surrendered to the Americans on October 27, 1901. His commander in chief, President Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by the Americans and took an oath of allegiance on April 1, 1901 and issued the formal proclamation of surrender of the Filipino armed forces on April 19, 1901.

General Maxilom was the first Cebuano to occupy Fort San Pedro when the Spanish governor, Adolfo Montero, abdicated the fort on December 1898. General Maxilom held the fort and raised the Philippine flag until the onset of the Philippine-American War in 1899. He abandoned the fort and transferred his headquarters to Sudlon and fought the Americans. He was succeeded by Julio Llorente, the first governor of Cebu appointed by the Americans.

The statue was sculpted by Cebuano artist, Arturo “Dido” Ruiz Araneta, son of famous Cebuano artist Fidel Araneta.