HISTORY OF MENDEZ
MENDEZ
has a brief but checkered history. It started as a mere sitio
of Indang called Gahitan,
derived from the Tagalog word gahit
(to cut), referring to the cutting of cogon grass which abounded in this place
during the early Spanish times.
As time went on, the number of houses in Gahitan increased so that the sitio
eventually became a barrio and finally a full-fledged town on
Why was it called Mendez-Nuñez? It is believed that the town was named by Malcampo, a Spanish admiral, after a close friend. In 1856
two Spanish naval officers, Jose Malcampo and Castro
Mendez-Nuñez, established the first Masonic lodge in Kawit under a charter from the Grand Lodge of Portugal. The
friendship of these two officers had been tested in many a battle against
Muslim pirates from
Mendez continued to be a municipality
from 1875 to
Pedro Aure was
the gobernadorcillo of Mendez during its first
year as a municipality in 1876. Cayetano Aure, perhaps a relative of Pedro, was the first and only capitan municipal of Mendez during the First
Philippine Republic, 1899-1901. Pedro’s son, Marcelino
Aure, became a famous general during the Philippine
Revolution. His nom de guerre was Alapaap
(Cloud).
When the Americans established a civil
government in the
TOWN
HEADS OF MENDEZ
The municipal executives of Mendez from
its establishment to the present are the following:
GOBERNADORCILLOS,
1876-1894; (1) Pedro aure, (2) Felix Aure, (3) Francisco Ruiz, (4) Modesto Dimapilis,
(5) Esteban Aure, and (6) Bonifacio
Aure.
CAPITANES MUNICIPAL: (1) Balbino Crucillo, 1895-1896
(during the Spanish regime); and (2) Cayetano Aure, 1898-1899 (under the First Philippine Republic).
MUNICIPAL PRESIDENTS: (1) Severino Llamado, 1990-1901; (2) Marcelino Aure, 1901-1903. [From
1903 to 1915, Mendez lost its independent status as it was merged with Bailen and Alfonso.] (3) Agustin Dimaranan, 1919-1916 (appointed); (4) Damaso
Panganiban, 1916-1919 (elected); (5) Agustin Dimaranan, 1919-1922; (6) Pedro Aure
Alegre, 1922-1925; (7) Pedro Aure
Alegre, 1925-1928; (8) Pedro Aure
Perey, 1928-1929; (9) Pedro Aure
Alegre, 1929-1931; and (10) Pedro Aure
Perey, 1931-1934.
MUNICIPAL MAYORS: (1) Miguel Mojica, 1934-1937; (2) Miguel Mojica,
1938-1941; (3) Pedro Aure Alegre,
1942-1945; (4) Miguel Mojica, 1946-1947; (5) Miguel Mojica, 1948-1951; (6) Felipe D. Aure,
1952-1955; (7) Mariano Dimapilis, 1956-1959; (8) Honesto P. Mojica, 1960-1963; (9)
Honesto P. Mojica,
1964-1968; (10) Pablo Vidamo, 1968-1970; (11)
Francisco L. Mendoza, 1972-1975; (12) Francisco L. Mendoza, 1975-1977; (13)
Tomas H. Torneros, Jr., 1977-1980; and Francisco L.
Mendoza, 1980