Antipolo - History

History

The city was named after the tipolo (breadfruit) tree (Artocarpus incisa), which was in abundance in the area.

Franciscan missionaries arrived in Antipolo in 1578, and built a church in Boso-Boso. They were soon replaced in 1591 by the Jesuits, who organized the village into a parish. By 1601, the Christian population of Antipolo had grown to about 3,000 as the indigenous Dumagat population dwindled and moved deeper into the interiors.

An uprising of Manila's Chinese residents reached Antipolo in 1602 that lead to the razing of the church.

On March 25, 1626, the image now known as the Virgin of Antipolo was brought from Acapulco, New Spain (now Mexico) by Governor-General Juan Niño de Tabora, who relinquished the image to the Jesuits for Antipolo's church.

In 1650, the village was organized into a town and became part of Tondo Province. When the province was divided in 1853, Antipolo became a part of the District of San Mateo de los Montes, which later became the District of Morong.

The Recollects took over Antipolo in 1864. It was during these years that the Virgin of Antipolo gained a following of devotees. Devotees from Manila and nearby towns and provinces flock to Antipolo on foot or on hammocks, trekking along mountain trails and springs.

During the First Republic, the town served as the capital of Morong, until it was occupied by the Americans on June 4, 1899; the Revolutionary Government then transferred Morong's capital to Tanay. Soon after, the Americans established a civil government in 1901, Valentin Sumulong became the first municipal president. On June 11, 1901, Antipolo was incorporated into the newly established Province of Rizal, which included towns of Morong District and Manila Province. In 1903, Antipolo, Boso-Boso and Teresa were merged. The town's territory was expanded again in 1913 to add the sitios of Mayamot and Bulao; just to lose Teresa six years later to become an independent municipality. The Manila Railroad Company inaugurated a railway service to Antipolo on December 24, 1908.

During the start of the Second World War in the Philippines, Antipolo became a refugee destination for many citizens from Manila and its suburbs to avoid the Japanese invaders vying for the occupation of the Philippine capital. Also, two guerrilla units operated in the town against the Japanese. They were the Hunters ROTC under Miguel Ver and Terry Adevoso and the Marking Filipino and American Troops, which were established and led by Marcos Villa Agustin, more popularly known under the name Brig. Gen. Agustin Marking. Many inhabitants were tortured and killed by the Japanese, including Mayor Pascual Oliveros and his son Reynaldo, Padre Eusebio Carreon, Padre Ariston Ocampo, Sis. Ma. Elizabeth Cagulanas, RVM, Sis. Ma. Consuelo Recio, RVM; Ambrosio Masangkay, Alfonso Oliveros and Atty. Francisco C. Gedang Sr.

The liberation of Antipolo from the Japanese forces was bloody and devastating. On February 17, 1945, Antipolo was heavily bombarded by American planes. Antipolo residents evacuated to Sitio Colaique and up to the towns of Angono, Santolan, and Marikina. To protect the image from being destroyed, Procopio Angeles, then the sacristan mayor, and members of the community brought with them the Virgin of Antipolo. The bombings on March 6–7, 1945 destroyed the church and after twelve days of battle, the American and Filipino soldiers and aided the local recognized guerrillas liberated the town on March 12, 1945. After the war, a temporary church was built and the Virgin of Antipolo was returned from the Quiapo Church on October 15, 1945.

Started the Allied Invasion of Antipolo on February to August 1945, the stronghold of all combined military forces of the Filipino soldiers of the Philippine Commonwealth Army 4th and 42nd Infantry Division and the American soldiers of the United States Army 43rd Infantry Division and aided the local guerrilla resistance fighters of the Marking's Filipino-American Troops and the Hunters ROTC was liberated and invaded the municipal town of Antipolo and defeats Japanese Imperial armed forces and ended World War II.