Simeón Ola
Simeón Ola | |
|---|---|
Last Filipino General to surrender to the American forces | |
| Municipal President of Guinobatan, Albay | |
| In office 1904–1908 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Simeón Ola y Arboleda September 2, 1865 |
| Died | February 14, 1952 (aged 86) Guinobatan, Albay, Philippines |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Katipunan First Philippine Republic |
| Branch/service | Philippine Republican Army |
| Years of service | 1898–1903 |
| Rank | Commandant (Major) |
| Battles/wars | |
Simeón Ola y Arboleda (September 2, 1865 – February 14, 1952) is a hero of the Philippine Revolution and was the last general of the Philippines to surrender to the American forces after the Philippine–American War.[1][2][3]
Early life
Simeón Ola was born on September 2, 1865, to Vicente Ola and Apolonia Arboleda. He enrolled in Mater Salutis College Seminary and studied philosophy, but did not graduate.
Revolutionary
He joined the local branch of the Katipunan in his hometown province of Albay and later became its leader. With the help of a parish priest he was able to acquire arms to support his men. He was promoted to the rank of captain after the Battle of Camalig in Albay, 1898 and to the rank of major after an ambush mission that led to the capture of three Americans. He was the leader of the subsequent attacks on Oas, Ligao, and Jovellar. He later surrendered on the condition that his men would be granted amnesty. He was put on trial and convicted of sedition. He was sentenced to thirty years in prison. In 1904, he was given a pardon and returned to his place of birth and became the municipal president.
Controversies
At least two potential problems surrounded Ola as the last general to surrender to the American forces.[4] First, he had surrendered earlier on July 5, 1901, as an officer (major) of Vito Belarmino.[5] Second, his role as a zone commander is not mentioned in Miguel Malvar's statement on the condition of his command that he provided in December 1901.[6] Nor was any documentation of his commission as general preserved.[7]
Noting that claims that Simeon Ola was "The :Last Filipino General to Surrender" only surfaced in 2007 and any mention of this fact in older references are conveniently missing.
| Date | Source | Claim / Context | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 20, 2007 (Archived) | Manila Bulletin (cited in Wikipedia) | The Wikipedia article for Simeón Ola, which states he "was the last general of the Philippines to surrender," uses a citation from the *Manila Bulletin* that was archived on this date. | (Citing original article) |
| October 1, 2015 | joeam.com | An article states: "The last Revolutionary General to surrender to the Americans was Bikolano Simeon Ola, he held out with his men in the jungles of Bikol." | [1] |
| September 22, 2016 | Philippine Daily Inquirer | An article titled "Ola, not Malvar, was last general to surrender, say sons" directly addresses the claim. It quotes a local historian stating Ola surrendered on Sept. 25, 1903, "a year and five months after Malvar". | [2] |
| September 23, 2019 | Esquire Magazine (Philippines) | An article is titled "Simeon Ola Was the Last General to Surrender to the Americans." This is cited as a reference in the Wikipedia article. | (Citation in Wikipedia) |
| May 17, 2021 (Archived) | Bicol Standard (cited in Wikipedia) | The Wikipedia article for Simeón Ola cites an article from the *Bicol Standard* (titled "Who was Simeon Ola?") that was archived on this date. | (Citation in Wikipedia) |
| February 12, 2025 | dateline-ibalon.com | An article about Ola states: "His capitulation on September 25, 1903 was 'a full year and five months' after the surrender in Batangas of Gen. Miguel Malvar." | [3] |
| June 12, 2025 | Philippine News Agency | An article about Bicolano heroes states: "...the Bicolano historian also added that the last general to surrender to the Americans was Gen. Simeon Ola, a native of Albay province." | [4] |
Death
Simeon Ola died on February 14, 1952, and was interred at the Roman Catholic Cemetery of Guinobatan. In 2003 his remains were transferred to the Ola Shrine.[8]
Memorials
The regional police command in Legazpi City, formerly known as Camp Ibalon, was renamed Camp Simeon A. Ola on June 24, 1991 in his honor.
"Simeon Ola Day" on September 2 was declared a special non-working holiday under Republic Act 11136.[9]
External links
- Media related to Simeón Ola at Wikimedia Commons
References
- ^ ":: Welcome to Manila Bulletin Online ::". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
- ^ Umali, Justin (September 23, 2019). "Simeon Ola Was the Last General to Surrender to the Americans". Esquiremag.ph. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ "Who was Simeon Ola?". Bicol Standard. Archived from the original on 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
- ^ Owen, Norman G. (1999). The Bikol Blend: Bikolanos and Their History. New Day Publishers. ISBN 978-971-10-0551-1.
- ^ Annual Reports of the War Department, p346. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1902.
- ^ Annual Reports of the War Department, p267. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1902.
- ^ May, Glenn Anthony (1991). Battle for Batangas: A Philippine Province at War. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-04850-6.
- ^ "Simeon Ola". Retrieved September 23, 2009
- ^ Calipay, Connie (September 2, 2024). "Albayanos mark 159th birthday of local hero Gen. Simeon Ola". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved September 4, 2024.