“On the battlefield, the military
pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when
they return home, we leave no veteran behind.” Dan Lipinski
By Alex P. Vidal
The Revolution of 1896 against Spain involved the illustrious Ilonggos.
Dingle town contributed three sons—Gen. Adriano Dayot Hernandez and his
brother, Revolutionary Government Secretary of Interior Julio Hernandez, and
Major Nicolas Roces.
According to lawyer and philosopher Ernesto Justiniani Dayot, grandson of
Gen. Hernandez, Dingle has several active generals and retired full colonels
deserving a star as one higher promotion.
He recalled that in the 1896 Revolution, the highest rank of Gen.
Hernandez was chief of staff of the Ejercito Liberator.
In politics, Gen. Hernandez was elected the first assemblyman of the
fourth district of Iloilo and later governor of Iloilo.
Because of his strong interest in agriculture, he was appointed assistant
director and promoted as the first Filipino director of the defunct Bureau of
Agriculture.
In music, he played several instruments and was a composer whose
composition, “La Marcha del Conant”, won first prize at the St. Louis
Exposition in the United States in 1904.
Born on September 8, 1870 in Dingle, Iloilo, Gen. Hernandez’s parents
were Don Fernando Hernandez of Villadolid, Spain and Lucia Dayot, member of a
prominent family in Dingle.
He was married to Carmen Gavira. They had six children: Jose, a national
poet and writer in Spanish; Fernando, who became a presiding judge of the Court
of Appeals in Manila; Lucia (Mrs. Angel Manzano); Alfonso, who was with the
Bureau of Plant Industry; Ramona (Mrs. Ramona Legarda); and Guillermo, a
Spanish, English and Filipino sportscaster reputed to be the best in Asia
during his time. He was also a sports editor.
ACHIEVERS
Among Gen. Hernandez’s branch were the following achievers: Gov.
Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco of Tarlac; Atty. Eduardo Hernandez of Dingle and
Manila; and cinema idol Eduardo Manzano.
Julio Hernandez was appointed the first chief of the Register of Deeds of
Iloilo. He was also an inventor, a prolific writer and editor of Spanish
newspapers.
Gen. Hernandez’s granddaughter, Alana, was one-time a cover girl of a
prestigious U.S. magazine and his grandson, Hollywood movie producer Dean
Devlin, produced the “Patriot” and “Godzilla”, among other award-winning films.
Gen. Vivencio Dayot was fresh graduate of electrical engineering in the
University of the Philippines (UP) when recruited by Gen. Douglas McArthur to
be one of the professors at the founding of the Philippines Military Academy
(PMA).
According to the Examiner in its October 5, 1962 issue, Gen. Dayot was
the first Filipino radar expert. He was a wartime instructor in electronics,
with U.S. generals and colonels as his students. His rank in the Philippine
Army was only a captain.
Even if he was not a holder of a doctorate degree, he was appointed as a
member of a graduate faculty of engineering of Washington State University in
the United States.
He made a vital contribution to the development of U.S. radar and was
cited by the U.S. government.
HONOR
Brig. Gen. Alfredo Dayot, younger brother of Vivencio Dayot, was an honor
graduate of the PMA. He survived Bataan and continued his military career after
World War II. Finally he was designated III PC zone commander during the term
Marcos administration.
Brig. Gen. Noe Dayot was a UP-ROTC graduate and artillery expert in the
Philippine Army.
Other holders of military ranks are: Tingting Cojuangco, granddaughter of
Gen. Hernandez, is a full colonel in the reserve force; retired Col. Lorenzo
Taasan, alumnus of the PMA; retired Col. Alejandro Dayot of Mina, Iloilo; Col.
Dagum of the Philippine Air Force, a native of Dingle; and Col. Luis Pascual
Dayot Bedia, still in the service.
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