Máximo Macapobre

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is based on an article written by Cecilio M. Lasco of the City Assessor's Office, Toledo City, Cebu Province, Philippines.

Máximo Macapobre is one of the founders of Toledo City, Cebu. He was born in Valencia, Carcar, Cebu as Máximo Tanudtanod. Little is known about his life except for stories handed down to his scions still living in Bato. His nickname was Imok. He was a leader and an activist. He often denounced the abuses of the guardia civil (the police) and the oppression brought upon by tax collectors. He defied the Spanish authorities by refusing to be drafted in the military service.

Imok's father was Amadeo. Concerned for the safety of his son, he sneaked Imok to Bato. To hide their identities, they changed their family name from Tanudtanod to Macapobre. In Bato, Imok settled for good and married a beautiful lass, a certain lady named Sumilhig, with whom he begot eight children, namely: Ángel, Victorina, Potenciana, Regino, María, Baldomero (this guy wasn't one of the children mention in the article, but from tradition and written accounts he is of Imok's line), and two others whose names are lost to history.

As a resident of Bato (formerly known as Batohanon) and having a family of his own, Captain Imok, as he was now called by the people of his barangay (district) showed his concern for the welfare of his community and for the quality of life for his people.

He was an ordinary man, Imok possessed an extraordinary desire to provide for his family a green pasture which served as his inspiration to work hard. He was able to own and operate an "intosan" - the old system of milling sugar cane to produce sugar which was constructed in sitio Tipoo, Bato. The sugar was then sold in Hinulawan, the old name of Toledo.

In Hinulawan, he was invited to a council composed of other leaders in the area, to establish the new town. The new town and its present location is called Toledo upon suggestion of the alcalde mayor of Cebu whose place of origin was Toledo, Spain.