Launching of Historical Trail starts Antique's Binirayan Festival
San Jose, Antique -- A bust statue of Governor Josue L. Cadiao was part of the historical trail launched over the week end to kick off this year's Binirayan festival here. The late Gov. Cadiao was head of the province of Antique from 1955- 1959. The street right in front of the provincial capitol is dedicated in his honor and rightly so as it was during his term as Governor when the new provincial capitol was built. A lawyer by profession, Gov Cadiao also served in the national government as Public Service Commissioner. He died in 2001 leaving behind a legacy of good public service to his family.
The historical trail form part of an "outdoor museum" that the Binirayan Foundation, the lead organization for the festival, hopes to establish in the province. For a start, the trail covers the provincial plazuela and five streets surrounding it, all of which were named after past Governors of the province: Aside form Gov Fornier, also mounted around the plazuela facing the streets that honor them are General Leandro Fullon, Amtique's local hero who led the 1896 revolution in Panay against Spain, resisted Japanese invaders, the last general to surrender to the American forces and subsequently became the first civil governor of Antique (1901); Governor Tobias Fornier (1941- 1945); Governor Alberto A. Villavert (1946-1951); and Governor Calixto O. Zaldivar (1951-1955). The trail commences at the heart of the plazuela or the EBJ Freedom Park named after Governor Evelio B. Javier (1972-1980).