Who’s Who in Bataan – BONIFACIO BALUYOT CAMACHO

BONIFACIO BALUYOT CAMACHO, a lawyer from Abucay, was the 11th congressman of Bataan. He was a member of the so-called Second Congress. His term started on June 1, 1946, a month before the inauguration of the Philippine Independence and served until December 30, 1949. He still holds the title of being the only Abucay native to represent Bataan in Congress, specifically during the terms of President Manuel Roxas (1946-1948) and Elpidio Quirino (1948-1953).

Born in Calaylayan, Abucay on May 10, 1905, Camacho finished his Law course at the Philippine Law School. He became a full-fledged lawyer on February 4, 1933. He was the Justice of the Peace of Orion and Limay from 1936 to 1939.

Camacho, then a private practitioner and law professor, was elected congressman during the April 23, 1946 congressional election. He ran under the banner of the Nacionalista Party. He defeated Lawyer-Judge Vicente Estanislao of Dinalupihan at the polls. While in Congress, he pushed for the establishment of the Php16,000,000 NASSCO shipyard in Sisiman, Mariveles. Using his pork barrel, he funded the completion of the four central rooms of the Bataan High School in Balanga and other elementary schools, as well as puericulture centers.

He did not run for reelection during the 1949 congressional elections because of the worsening condition of his throat. Lawyer Medina Lacson-de Leon of Balanga was elected as Camacho’s successor. The former Abucay congressman resumed his private practice after his stint in Congress.

He passed away on September 23, 1965 but his name will always be remembered by the young and old generations of Abukenos after a public high school in town was named Bonifacio Camacho Memorial High School. He was married to Dolores Concepcion, a pharmacist of Santa Cruz, Manila with whom he had four sons.