Gabriel Daza

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Cinco and the surname or paternal family name is Daza.
Don, Sir

Gabriel Daza

KGCR KC*SS
Gabriel Daza April 1921.jpg
Gabriel Daza in 1921
Personal details
Born
Gabriel Amando Cinco Daza

(1896-02-06)February 6, 1896
Borongan, Samar, Captaincy General of the Philippines
DiedMay 18, 1994(1994-05-18) (aged 98)
Quezon City, NCR, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
American
Spouse(s)
Angeles Ortega
​
(m. 1922)​
Children7
See children
ParentsEugenio Daza (father)
Carolina Cinco (mother)
Alma materWestinghouse Electric Co.
Ateneo de Manila
ProfessionBusinessman
Electrical Engineer
Known forCharter member of the BSP
First Filipino Electrical Engineer
PLDT Co-Founder
ReligionRoman Catholicism
Military service
Allegiance Philippines
Branch/servicePhilippine Army Seal.svg Philippine Army
RankUS-O3 insignia.svg Kapitán (Captain)

Don Gabriel A. Daza, KGCR, KC*SS (February 6, 1896 – May 18, 1994) was the first Filipino electrical engineer and one of the charter members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP). He co-founded the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Co. (PT&T), Philippine Electric Manufacturing Company (PEMCO), Phelps Dodge Philippines. He was the Supervising Engineer and Assistant General Manager of Visayan Electric Company (VECO) and led its expansion out of Cebu City. President and Chief Scout of the BSP in 1961-68. In 1945, President Osmeña appointed Daza to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Manila Railroad Company and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. In 1950, he was Vice-Chairman of the National Power Corporation and on the board of directors of the Manila Hotel Company. In 1951, Daza was appointed Appointed by President Quirino as a founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Shipyard and Steel Corporation in 1951. President and Director of the National Economic Protection Agency (NEPA) in 1956.

Early life[]

Daza was born and raised in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, to Don Eugenio Daza and his wife, Carolina Cinco. Daza was a principale (noble) through his father, while the social class was slowly dissolved following American colonialism, Daza retained the principale honorific title of Don. Daza was the eldest of 7 siblings: Carlota, Cirilo, Jesus, Rosario, Maria and Juan. Daza was born 3 months before his father left to fight in the Philippine Revolution. In 1907, when Daza was 11, his father became the Representative of their region to the First Philippine Legislature.[1] Daza completed a Bachelor of Arts at the Ateneo de Manila University from 1907-1914.[2] In 1915, he was part of the Philippine Delegation to the Panama–Pacific International Exposition.[3]

While studying engineering in the United States, Daza picked up "odd jobs" to support himself. These odd jobs at various times included being a gardener, janitor, clerk, and even a houseboy for the U.S. House of Representatives Philippine Resident Commissioner Jaime C. de Veyra. Daza stated his experience in these odd jobs were the reason he was known for his cleanliness, orderliness, and fondness for nature.[4][5] Daza's U.S. World War I draft registration card states that he was an American citizen.[4]

Engineering[]

In 1915, Daza moved to the U.S. to attend in San Francisco, California. While studying he lived at the and worked there as a clerk.[4] Daza then studied at the Bliss Electrical School in Washington, D.C. where he graduated in 1919.[2]

Shortly after, Daza moved to Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. There he lodged at the home of a fellow electrical engineer Everett Ashworth who had recently married and moved from Washinghton, New York.[6][7] He joined the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Bliss Electrical School Alumni Association. Daza studied in Alexander & Baldwin, New York, to help familiarise himself with engineering methods and practices before working for Catton-Neil Eng. & Machinery Co. Daza received his graduate and post-grad from the Educational Department of Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a company that employed the likes of Nikola Tesla.[2] Daza's education led him to be the first Filipino licensed electrical engineer with a license number 001.[8][9]

In 1922, Daza worked as an electrical engineer and salesman for Catton-Neill Eng. & Machinery Co, and was an Associate Member of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE).[2] On December 3, 1927, Daza became a full member of the AIEE.[10]

Return to the Philippines[]

In Cebu City, as early as 1927, Daza was the Supervising Engineer and Assistant General Manager of the Visayan Electric Company (VECO), and the Assistant General Manager of the Visayan Electric Supply Company.[10][11] Daza led the expansion of VECO out of the Cebu City. In 1929, Daza went to the Philippine Legislature in Manila to develop a new franchise for VECO. In 1931, the Legislature approved a 50 year franchise allowing VECO to expand to: Mandaue, Consolacion, Liloan and Compostela, North of Cebu; and Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando and Danao.[11]

In 1928, he co-founded the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) with Col. Joseph Stevenot.[3] Throughout his career at PLDT Daza filled several positions at various times including Vice President, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Public Service Commissioner, Manager of Manila District and Acting General Commercial Manager.[12][13][14]

From 1930 to 1939, Daza was the Illuminating Engineer of the executive staff, and Electrical Engineer of the Philippine Carnival Association. The Association held the Manila Carnival, an American Colonial showcase for Philippine commerce, industry and agriculture.[15][16][17] He co-founded the Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Co. (PT&T), Philippine Electric Manufacturing Company (PEMCO) and Phelps Dodge Philippines.[3] From 1936-1937, Daza was the chairman of Illumination Committee for the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress (IEC).[18] In 1937, he was treasurer of the Philippine Association of Mechanical and Electrical Engineers (PAMEE).[14]

By 1937, Daza had been a consulting electrical engineer for the Philippine Army for some time, he was formally announced to be Captain of the Signal Corps for the Philippine Army on June 15, 1937.[19]

From 1946 to 1951, Daza was the Assistant Chief Examiner and engineering consultant for the US-Philippine War Damage Commission (PWDC). In the late 40's, under President Elpidio Quirino, Daza was tasked with engineering two hydroelectric dams in the Benguet province along the Agno River. The dams became known as Ambuklao Dam, which was opened in 1956, and Binga Dam, which opened in 1960.[5]

In 1961, Daza retired as Vice-President and Treasurer of PLDT.[5]

On November 12, 1985, Daza and Quezon City Mayor Adelina Rodriguez sponsored the (IIEE) Building Cornerstone for a new IIEE Headquarters.[9]

Boy Scouts[]

Daza (bottom right) Founders of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines. Stamp for National Boy Scout Movement 50th Anniversary, 28 Oct 1987.

In 1928, Daza registered to be a member of the Cebu Council, Boy Scouts of America. On October 31, 1936 Daza and the other Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) founders officially chartered the BSP in Commonwealth Act No. 111 authorized by President Manuel Quezon. Later, he was appointed as Secretary of the Boy Scout Foundation by Joseph Stevenot and served in the BSP's National Executive Board.[20][21]

Post-World War II[]

Following World War II, out of the seven Charter members, Stevenot and General Vicente Lim were casualties of the war. and Manuel Camus were occupied in power-war reconstruction. Jorge Vargas was facing charges for collaboration with the Japanese (later cleared), and General Carlos Romulo was working on the formation and establishment of the United Nations. This left Daza as the sole charter member available to build the fledgling organisation in the aftermath of the war.[5]

As a member of the US-Philippine War Damage Commission (PWDC), Daza acquired a donation for a furnished Quonset hut including office equipment for the first BSP national office which was established at the Mehan Gardens.[5]

In 1947, the BSP National Council elected Daza Treasurer. In 1949, after Camus' passing, Vargas became President and worked with Daza to establish firm financial foundations for the BSP through lobbying. This included the original Sweepstakes law which helped finance the operations of the BSP and several other organisations including the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP), the Philippines National Red Cross, the , among others. In 1949, Daza and Vargas lobbied the passing of Republic Act No. 397 An Act Granting the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Ten Thousand Hectares of Public Agricultural Land for Additional Support and Maintenance of Said Corporation, this law was used to acquire campsites and council offices throughout the country. The act was the basis of a later 6,000 hectre BSP Land Grant in Asuncion, Davao, and Manila. As treasurer, Daza was responsible for determining a suitable site for the BSP national office. He gave the BSP Board three choices: the Bordner School (now the Manila Science High School), the City Court site adjacent to Manila City Hall, and the US Army Hospital site which was also a Quonset hut. The Board chose the US Army Hospital which is where the present national office is situated. In 1952, Daza surprised the BSP board by announcing his husbandry of BSP finances made viable the start of construction of the BSP national office building. Daza attained the services of architect Juan Nakpil for the BSP national office building's design and plans, and Gonzalo G. Puyat & Sons, Baughman and Arte Español for the furnishings.[5]

President and Chief Scout[]

Daza began serving as acting President and Chief Scout in 1951, while the incumbent President and Chief Scout Jorge B. Vargas was concurrently serving the position and as a member of the World Scout Committee. In 1961, he was elected to succeed Jorge B. Vargas. Daza retired as President and Chief Scout in 1968.[20][21]

As an avid gardener and orchid fancier, nearly everyday Daza would inspect and prune the BSP grounds with the sole BSP gardener nicknamed Tek, and would often plant trees and flowering plants.[5] Throughout the 1960s, Daza had PEMCO employees and Boy Scouts plant 1 million trees around the Angat Water Reservoir.[22]

The BSP were put in charge of managing the Makiling National Scout Reservation at Mount Makiling. Daza hired an agriculturist to not only support training and camping but also to plant bananas and set up a piggery.

11th World Scout Jamboree[]

Main articles: 11th World Scout Jamboree Memorial Rotonda and United Arab Airlines Flight 869 (1963)
Daza at the 11th World Scout Jamboree Memorial in 1963

In 1963, Daza, several other BSP officials and 3 scouts of the BSP delegation opted for a earlier flight to Greece for the 11th World Scout Jamboree. This decision saved their lives as the bulk of the BSP delegation died with the crash of United Arab Airlines Flight 869.

Reorganization[]

In 1985, President Marcos questioned the BSP Constitution, bylaws and provisions in the BSP charter in Commonwealth Act No. 111. On September 19, 1985, President Marcos issued Letter of Instruction no. 1481, declaring all positions in the BSP vacant.[23] President Marcos appointed Daza as Chairman for a Temporary Executive Committee tasked to reorganize the BSP.[24]

Gabriel A. Daza Award[]

The BSP Quezon Council annually award ten outstanding KAB Scouts the Gabriel A. Daza Award based on a point system considering the level and number of scouting activities they have participated in, number of scout of the year awards, and membership advancement. As of 2020, the award requires a minimum of 150 points out of a potential 240.[25][26]

Political career[]

In 1920, Daza was superintendent and special representative of the U.S. House of Representatives Philippine Resident Commissioner Jaime C. de Veyra for the Philippines' participation in the Missouri School of Journalism's Journalism Week. Throughout the week speakers and performers promoted Filipino history, products and resources, including Filipino food, dress and an orchestra sent from the Philippines.[27] The Made-in-the-Philippines Banquet, held on 7 May 1920, was the final event of Journalism week and took place at the Rothwell Gymnasium of the University of Missouri.[2][27] The Banquet was headed by Vice-Governor of the Philippines Charles E. Yeater, Philippine Senate President Manuel L. Quezon, and U.S. House of Representatives Philippine Resident Commissioner Jaime C. de Veyra.[27]

Daza never held an elected position in government office. However, he was respected and trusted by several Presidents who appointed him to positions within government companies and committees.

  • 1945, President Osmeña appointed Daza to be a member of the Board of Directors of both the
  • July 25, 1945, President Osmeña appointed Daza to be chairman of the Petroleum Products Control Board.[30]
  • August 2, 1945, President Osmeña appointed Daza to be a member of the National Power Corporation Board.[30]
  • 1945, Vice-President and Managing Director of Rehabilitation of the Manila Hotel Company[3]
  • 1946, Chairman of the Housing Committee of the Joint RP-US Executive Committee for the inauguration of the Philippine Republic.[3]
  • 1950, Vice-Chairman of the National Power Corporation.[31]
  • 1950, Member of the Board of directors of the Manila Hotel Company.[31]
  • May 14, 1952, President Quirino appointed Daza to be a founding member of the Board of Directors of the National Shipyard and Steel Corporation.[32]
  • 1956, President and Director of the National Economic Protection Agency (NEPA).[33]
  • 1956, Member of the Coordinating Council on Economic Nationalism.[34]
  • 1958, Member of the Rice and Corn Production Council.[35]
  • 1958, Member of the Jose Rizal Centennial Commission.[36]
  • 1963, Member of the Board of Censors for moving pictures.[37]
  • 1985, President Marcos appointed Daza as Chairman for a Temporary Executive Committee tasked to reorganize the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.[24]

Other work[]

Daza was a member of the Executive Committee for the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), which was held in Manila 3–7 February 1937.[38] Daza was the chairman of Illumination Committee for the 33rd IEC.[18]

In 1938, Daza was a Director of the Philippine Wax Products Co.[39]

In 1939, Daza was the Directorate of the Ateneo Alumni Association, Directorate of Catholic Action, Reserve Officer in the Signal Corps of the Philippine Army, a member in the Knights of Rizal and Knights of Columbus, and assisted with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes and Philippine Exposition.[13]

In 1946, Daza was a Director of the Philippine Trust Company.[40]

From 1955-1956, Daza was a member of the Executive Committee of the which was held in 1956, in Manila, from 28 November to 2 December. Daza and fellow boy scout and electrical engineer Hermenegildo B. Reyes were in charge of planning the event. As electrical engineers Daza and Reyes also managed the lighting and P.A. system for the event.[41]

In 1965, Daza was a member of the Executive Board for the United Nations Association of the Philippines. Daza participated in the First Asian Conference on Industrialization held during the period 6 to 20 December 1965 at Manila. Daza attended as a member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) observer delegation.[42]

Personal life[]

Daza married Angeles Rosales Ortega on July 8, 1922 in Calbayog, Samar.[2] Daza later moved to Cebu City around 1923. In Cebu City, Daza fathered his first four children Beatriz Daza Orendain, Gabriel Daza Jr., David Daza and Rodolfo Daza. Daza later moved to Manila between 1930-1935. In Manila, Daza fathered Elena Daza Valenzuela, Teresa Daza Baltazar and Francisco Daza.[14]

His eldest son and namesake Gabriel Daza Jr. became a lawyer and married celebrity chef Nora Villanueva-Daza.[43]

Awards and honours[]

 The Philippines:

  Holy See:

United Nations Association of the Philippines:

  • General Carlos P. Romulo (CPR) Award

Boy Scouts:

Ateneo de Manila University:

  • Lux in Domino Award in 1991[49]

References[]

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  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g de Jesus, Max (2008). 2008 Sapphire Anniversary Issue. 11th World Jamboree Menorial Foundation Inc. pp. 20–24.
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  7. ^ "Everett Ashworthin the New York, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1847-1849, 1907-1936". Ancestry Library. 2016.
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  12. ^ Ruiz, Dominga (June 1938). "Good Transmission". Good Transmission. IV – via Open Access Repository @ UPD.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Paredes, Jesus (April 1939). "An Interview with Mr. Daza". Good Transmission. Manila, Philippines: Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company. V: 3–4, 6 – via Open Access Repository @ UPD.
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  15. ^ Commercial handbook : Philippine Carnival Association. Manila: Philippine Carnival Association. 1931. p. 17.
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  25. ^ Republic of The Philippines Department of Education Division of Quezon (February 20, 2020). "Seven (7) Categories of Awards for Districts, Public Secondary Schools and Private Schools & Outstanding Scouts (for Scouting Year 2019 - 2020)" (PDF). DepEd Quezon.
  26. ^ Republic of The Philippines Department of Education Division of Quezon. (February 6, 2019). "Seven (7) Categories of Awards for Districts, Public Secondary Schools and Private Schools & Outstanding Scouts (for Scouting Year 2018 - 2019)" (PDF). DepEd Quezon.
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  42. ^ United Nations (1965). "Industrial development ASIA and the FAR EAST Report of the Conference". open.unido.org. UNIDO. p. 100.
  43. ^ Enriquez, Marge (July 17, 2016). "Bong Daza: Bon vivant with a big heart". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
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  46. ^ Ofilada, Macario (October 1959). "The Knights of Rizal" (PDF). The Cabletow. II: 73.
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  48. ^ reinanzaka-sc.o.oo7.jp/kiroku/documents/20140523-3-kiji-list.pdf
  49. ^ "Nominations for the Traditional University Awards 2011". Ateneo de Manila University. January 6, 2011.
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