Who’s Who in Bataan – The Banzons of Bataan

MANUEL DE LEON BANZON SR. (1884-1976) was Bataan’s sixth Congressman. He represented the province in Congress from 1925 to 1928. One of his major accomplishments was the completion of the old Bataan National Road from Dinalupihan to Lamao, Limay.

Congressman Banzon was born in Balanga on June 13, 1884. He was the eldest of seven children of Candido Banzon and Juliana de Leon. He completed his secondary education at the Bataan High School in Orani and enrolled at the Escuela de Leyes in Manila in 1905.

In 1907, while still in college, he was elected as councilor of Balanga at age 23. In addition, he also worked as confidential secretary of his uncle, Balanga Mayor Amado de Leon (1910-1912). After two years, he returned to Manila and continued his studies to become a lawyer. He supported his schooling by working as chief of s         taff of former Congressman Tomas del Rosario (1910-1912). He passed the Bar examinations in 1912.

His affiliation with Congressman Del Rosario became very handy when he ran for the same congressional position in 1925. He beat the incumbent Representative Antonio G. Llamas of Mariveles (1922-1925). It was during his term (1925-1928) that he joined forces with Governor Gregorio R. Quicho of Orion (1925-1928, 1928-1931) to complete the Bataan National Road, specifically the Orion-Limay portion.

Don Manuel was a former president of the Bataan Lawyers League and the Bataan Sugar Planters. He was married twice, to Arcadia Arca and Teofila Velasco Garcia of Bulacan. He had a total of 17 children and passed away in February 1976.

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CONRADO ARCA BANZON, a native of Balanga, was the country’s most famous ophthalmologist. He was named “Most Outstanding Professional in Medicine” by the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC). In a fitting ceremony held at the PICC in Manila on June 22, 2000, the “Top Physician” award was conferred to Dr. Banzon by PRC Commissioners Hermogenes Pobre, Alfonso Abad and Avelina dela Rea-Tan, in the presence of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.

Dr. Conrado Banzon was in the company of 35 other awardees cited for their excellence, achievement and unparalleled contributions to the country. Another awardee was Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., the “Outstanding Mechanical Engineer.”

“Rado” Banzon was the son of former Congressman Manuel Banzon Sr. and Arcadia Arca. A graduate of the Arellano Memorial High School, he studied Medicine at the University of Santo Tomas. He also finished post-graduate studies at the Bronx Eye and Ear Infirmary in New York City, USA.Thereafter, he founded his own EENT clinic in Sampaloc, Manila in the 1950s.

Dr. Banzon pioneered in Refractive Surgery by introducing Radial Keratotomy in the Philippines. He also spearheaded the unification of Filipino eye doctors into one specialty association in 1971. He served as secretary-general of the Asia Graduate Course in Opthalmology and chairman of the EENT Department of UST where he also served as the medical director of the UST Hospital.

Banzon was one of the founding members and former president of the HAS Club of Balanga. He was married to the former Filomena “Nenita” Delgado of Manila and had seven children: Radito, Dr. Marcel, Renato, Lizette Banzon-Cojuangco, Monique Banzon-Daza, Raul and Yvonne. He passed away on August 18, 2008.

BANZON, Jo.

JOSE VICTOR HUGO BANZON (1913-1990) was a native of Balanga who was involved in at least three wars: World War II, Korean War and the Vietnam War. A WWII Silver Medal awardee, he was also an officer of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) and one of the organizers of “Operation Brotherhood” that provided humanitarian services to the people of Vietnam.

Colonel “Pepe” Banzon was born in Balanga on April 11, 1913 to parents Manuel Banzon Sr. (former Bataan congressman) and Teofila Garcia. Instead of using “G” (as in Garcia), he decided to use the letters “VH” (Victor Hugo) as his middle initials.

Even before World War II broke out, he was already an officer of the Philippine Army with the rank of captain. He was assigned as commander of the Second Battalion, 71^st Infantry Regiment, 71^st Division that was based in Capas, Tarlac. On December 20, 1941, the battalion was sent to Pangasinan by General Jonathan Wainwright to reinforce the 11^th Division. As the Japanese Army advanced toward Central Luzon, the 71^st Division and other units withdrew to Bataan. Banzon earned his Silver Star medal for bravery during an encounter with the enemy at the so-called Dinalupihan-Hermosa Delay Phase Line.

The 71^st Division occupied the eastern portion of the Bataan Highway, specifically the barrios of Pulo and Almacen, in Hermosa. The division was subjected to bloody attacks by the Japanese. After the said line was abandoned, the 71^st was assigned in Aglaloma, Bagac, and was involved in the so-called “Battle of Points.”

Banzon was among the USAFFE soldiers who surrendered to the Japanese after the Fall of Bataan. He also suffered the tragedies of the Death March and the hardships of being incarcerated at Camp O’Donnel. After his release, he joined a guerrilla unit operating in Central Luzon.

He continued his military service even after the war.  He was placed in command of a PEFTOK battalion that was sent to South Korea in the 1950s. During the Vietnam War,  he organized the “Operation Brotherhood.”

After his retirement from the Army, Col. Banzon became a military attaché in Thailand, then in Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. He also served as military adviser during the term of President Ramon Magsaysay. Thereafter, he became a director at the Philippine Refugee Processing Center in Morong, Bataan.

Col. Banzon was married to Maria Nicolas. He was the doting father of Marietta, Rolando, Angelo and Victor. He passed away on January 23, 1990.

JULIAN ARCA BANZON, a noted chemist from Balanga, was the “National Scientist of the Philippines” in 1978. His greatest contribution to the progress of the country was his studies on sugar cane and coconut as possible sources of renewable chemicals and fuel. He was able to produce ethyl esters from coconut and sugar cane. He also deviced a novel method in the extraction of coconut oil through chemical process.

Dr. “Jules” Banzon was born in Balanga to parents Manuel Banzon Sr., former Bataan congressman, and his first wife Arcadia Arca of Cavite. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and his Doctorate degree, major in Biophysical Chemistry and minor in Microbiology at the Iowa State University, USA, in 1940.

He was employed as an assistant instructor at the UP College of Agriculture in Los Banos, Laguna. He spent the most productive years of his life at the UP-Los Banos where he initiated and completed his research works and inventions. He was already an associate professor when he moved over to the Philippine Atomic Energy Commision in 1958 as chief scientist and later as director.

In 1966, Dr. Banzon rejoined the UPLB as full professor and chairman of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry. In 1970, he became the first chief administrator of the Food Science and Technology Department until he retired in 1973.

In addition to his 1978 “National Scientist” award from the Professional Regulatory Commission, Dr. Banzon also received other recognitions: Distinguished Alumnus Award, given by UP in 1986; Distinguished Service Award by the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines, Inc., 1980; PHILSUGIN Award for Research, Crop Science Society of the Philippines, 1976; and Outstanding Chemical Graduate, UP Chemical Society, 1970.

Dr. Banzon was married to the former Dr. Vivencia Fernandez of Cebu with whom he had ten children, namely Cecilia, Teresa, Julian, Isabela, Genara, Joel, Daylinda, Julio, Patricia and Pacita. He passed away on September 14, 1988 and was interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Manila.