Filomeno

Gov. Filomeno O. Casenas ( April 15, 1888 – October 6, 1944)

First saw the ligth  of day to bless the union of Capitan Catalino Casenas (Nov. 25, 1864 – March 12, 1925) and Buenaventurada Orbeta ( July 12, 1866 – Feb. 10, 1926). She came from a well- to- do family in Cebu. There were two priests in her family, a status symbol in those times.

His father, Catalino, was then a struggling young entreprenuer looking for his place in the sun. Thru industry and hardwork, succeeded in establishing a thriving business in the community. Though progressing as it maybe, it was not enough to quench his restless spirit, so he decided to venture into copra buying business via a tie – up with a firm, principally financed by Spanish nationals, which had business transactions all over the island.  He was installed as the manager of the Bohol office.

In the waning days of the Spanish era, Catalino taught Spanish in his sparetime, holding class at the groundfloor of his business establishment in a room adjoining his office. It was composed of a handful of afficionados.

With the Philippine revolution at its peak, disrupted all his plans for his house was razed to the ground by the rampaging revolotionaries and the whole family to moved to the safety of the mountains in Cabungaan, which provided a safe haven for his beleaguered brood, but soon returned to the town when the hostilities ceased.

By 1904, being one of the few literates in the community, he was appointed as Justice of the Peace in Jagna. He stayed only for two years in the position, for he felt that the sinecure job was too mild for his active nature. He soon ventured into the realm of politics, as fate would have it, after a hotly contested election, he was elected as the first town Mayor of Jagna.

The union of Catalino and Buenaventurada bore five more children after Filomeno, namely,Vicenta,  Agustin, Jose, Maria and Catalina. Six years after his demise, his family earned the singular distinction of as the only family having spawned 3 provincial governors (Filomeno, Agustin, Jose), the only case in the history of Bohol. The distinction still stands today.