Former governor Eligio Lagman, a native of this town, was recently saluted in simple ceremonies here on Friday. The honor came after the municipality, through the leadership of Mayor Ricardo Rivera has formally installed a portrait of the governor in the town's Bulwagan ng mga Punong Bayan.
Former Governor Lagman's portrait will join other town notables that have been honored by previous administrations of the municipality.
Lagman was born in Guagua, Pampanga on January 28, 1898. He finished Law at the Escuela de Derecho in l917 and passed the Bar exam at 19. He rose in politics starting as a councilor, mayor, twice as an assemblyman and twice as a congressman. During the Japanese Occupation, he was appointed as governor of Pampanga.
Observers here have lauded the effort of the municipal government saying that such would help the young generation become more proud of their town heritage.
"The portraits and popularization of local heroes and prominent sons of the town reminds us more of our proud heritage as a town and inspires us to be better in our selves," said Carmina Ocampo a college history teacher here. "The thing that remains now is the inclusion of local history among schools," she added.
Guagua begot the first Philippine Cardinal in the holy person of Rufino Cardinal Santos and the first native Filipino Catholic priest, Fr. Francisco Baluyot, who was ordained in 1698 by Archbishop Diego Camacho.
Other prominent Filipinos from Guagua were Senate President Gil J. Puyat, Secretary of Public Works and Governor Brigido, Minister of Justice Ricardo C. Puno, Brigadier General Rafael Goseco, World War II hero Captain Ruben Songco; movie action star Jess Lapid, internationally known poet, professor and Congressman Amado Yuzon, noted Tagalog and Kapampangan writer and revolutionary leader Aurelio Tolentino, philanthropist and businessman Mariano Salazar and college executive/professor Irene Songco-Nicdao. Guagua is also the hometown of eminent insurance executive Nardo Chingcuango, business mogul Jose Chingcuangco of the Court of Agrarian Relations and Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Randy David UP Professor, Public Affairs TV personality and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist.
Guagua rests in a boundary between Bacolor and Lubao town. It is also the home of the famous Betis wood carvers and one of the most commercially dependent towns among the southern towns of the province.
