BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

ANTIPOLO…The City on the mountain ridges east of Manila where the sun begins to shine. The City whose name was derived from the Tipolo trees growing indigenously on its land…trees with broad leaves that provide shade while gently fanning in the soothing breeze.  Antipolo, the City of pilgrims and contemplatives, tourists and traders, artists and artisans.

Rich in cultural and historical heritage, Antipolo’s history dates way before the first Franciscan Missionary recorded its work in 1578.  The land was home to indigenous tribes as the Dumagats, Tagals, Indians and Aetas.  Its virgin forests of varied tropical trees were also nests to a diverse wildlife.  Its rich water tables gushed forth as springs and waterfalls.

As the missionaries relentlessly pursued their ‘Christianization’ campaign, these natives desiring to keep their own way of life moved themselves into the hinterlands of neighboring mountains.  Migrants supporting the missions came to settle and the semblance of a mission town firmly established itself and grew to the proportions it is today.  The Jesuits came so did the Recollects.

A host of other religious congregations (both male and female) followed suit and took residence in this forested mountain whose cool breeze and verdant sceneries primed them into contemplative unions with the Creator.  Word spread.  The laity from lower lands also wanted a share of this haven.  More so when the famed image of the Blessed Virgin Mary sculpted from a dark hardwood of Mexico  was  permanently  enshrined   in  Antipolo.

Soon enough a shrine (evolving to Cathedral stature through the years) was built for this venerated image to allow all believers to ventilate their aspirations to her.  As more pilgrims came, more were enamored to take residence in this pleasant town and established services related to pilgrims’ needs.  The trek up continued…the population grew while services expanded to the level of being a city.  By February 13,1998, Antipolo was promulgated into a city when, then President Fidel V. Ramos signed its bill into law.

ANG PUNONG TIPULO (The Antipolo Tree)
By: Bienvenido M. Alarcon

            Ang puno ng Tipolo o ang Antipolo Tree ay isang mahalaga at makasaysayang punong kahoy sa Lungsod ng Antipolo. Bukod sa sinasabing dito hinango ang pangalan ng pook na ito ay sa mga sanga pa rin daw nito nakita ang imahe ng Birhen ng Antipolo matapos ang tatlong ulit na pagkawala nito sa pook ng Sitio Santa Cruz na unang pinagdalhan sa kanya, humigit-kumulang sa tatlong daan at pitumpo at siyam na taon na ang nakalilipas.
Bunga ng pangyayari, sa pook na iyon na ngayon ay kinatatayuan ng Antipolo Cathedral ay ipinagawa ng mga paring Hesuita ang simbahang bato noong 1630-1633 na sa kasamaang palad ay nawasak noong Marso 6-7, 1945 sa panahon ng pagtatapos ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig sa Pasipiko.
Ang punong kahoy na ito na ayon sa kasaysayan ay malaganap na tumutubo sa lahat halos ng panig ng Antipolo apat na raang taon na ang nakalilipas ay unang nakilala sa kanyang pang agham na pangalang (scientific name) Artocarpus Incisa.  Subalit sa mga aklat na The Forest of the Philippines ni H.N. Whitford noong 1911; Commercial Woods of the Philippines ni E.G. Schneider; Minor Product of Philippine Forest ni William H. Brown noong 1920 ng Bureau of Forestry; gayon din sa aklat na Philippine Woods ni Luis J. Reyes ng Department of Agriculture and Commerce noong 1938 ay sinasabing Artocarpus Cummunis.
Ayon pa rin sa nabanggit na mga aklat ang punong kahoy na ito ay hindi lamang sa pook ng Antipolo matatagpuan.  Maging sa mga lalawigan ng bansa buhat sa Cagayan hanggang Mindanao ay marami din nito.  At sa bawat bayan o lalawigan ay may kanya-kanyang katawagan (common name) ito na gaya ng tipulo, tipolo, pakak, kamangsi, rima, ugob, pakak-bakia, tuyop, kamanse, dalungian, agob, basara, tagob, tugob, atipuno, antipolo, at iba pa.
Sinasabi pa rin sa nabanggit na mga aklat na ang mga punong kahoy na kapamilya ng Antipolo Tree ay ang Anubing (Artocarpus Cumingiana) at ang Nangka (Artocarpus entergra/integrefolia).
Sa ibang lalawigan ay sinasabi rin na kinakain ang murang bunga nito sa pamamagitan ng pagsasama sa nilagang karne.  Ang magulang na mga buto naman ay ibinubusa na ‘tulad ng balatong.  Subalit dito sa Lungsod ng Antipolo ay hindi kinakain ito.  Ang tuyong dahon laman nito, kasama ang tuyong dahon din ng abocado at sariwang dahon naman ng pandan ay isinasama sa pinakulo o nilagang tsaa upang maging mabango at malinamnam ang lasa.
Samantala, sa pahina 162 ng The heritage Illustrated Dictionary of the English Language International Edition, na ang punong kahoy na Artocarpus Cummunis ( or A. Incisa) ng pook ng Polynesia ay ang tinatawag na Breadfruit.  Subalit sa pahina 158 naman ng The New International Encyclopedia 1996 Edition published by Triden Press International ay sinasabi na sa South Pacific ang Breadfruit nila ay ang Artocarpus Atilus na kapamilya ng mga puno ng mulberry ay kinakain ang bunga.  Marami rin daw ang tumutubo nito sa tropical America.  Kung ano ang pagkakahawig, pagkakamukha, o pagkakaiba ng mga iyon sa ating Antipolo Tree ay malalaman natin sa ibang pagkakataon.
Samantala pa rin, sa gitna ng kahalagahan ng Antipolo Tree, ang lahat halos ng sektor ng mga mamamayan ng Lungsod ng Antipolo ay waring walang pagmamalasakit dito.  Katunayan, samantalang isinusulat ito, humigit-kumulang lamang marahil sa bilang na limampu ang natitirang tumutubo doon na halos walang pumapansin liban kung ang lilim nito ay gagawing pananggalang sa init ng araw at mga bahagyang pag-ambon.
Sa liwasang bayan ng Lungsod ng Antipolo, lubhang napakahirap paniwalaan subalit tutoo, wala kahit isang puno ng Antipolo Tree ang nakatanim o tumutubo dito.  Maging sa mga lote ng pribado at publikong paaralan dito sa Antipolo ay mahirap makakita ng kahit isang Antipolo Tree na tumutubo doon.  Kung mayroon man, napaguusapan kaya ng mga guro at mga estudyante nila ang tungkol sa punong kahoy na ito?
Sa gilid ng open space na kinaroroonan ng basketball court ng Monte Rosas Executive Village sa Barangay Dela Paz ay may dalawang puno ng Antipolo Tree na itinanim ng inyong lingkod walong taon na ang nakalilipas.  Napakaganda ng tubo, malilim at malaking kasiyahan ang naidudulot nito sa mga naninirahan doon lalo na sa kanilang mga kabataan.

            Sa tabi ng gusali ng yumaong Francisco “komong” Sumulong sa Ninoy Aquino Blvd., Barangay Dela Paz na kung saan naroroon ang tanggapan ng DENR, ay isang magandang puno ng Antipolo Tree ang matatagpuan.  Iyon ay kaloob ng iyong lingkod kay Ka Aging Reyes Sumulong walong taon na ang nakalilipas.
Maidadagdag pa rin natin dito na sa tabi ng Barangay Hall ng Dalig ay isang napakaganda ring Antipolo Tree ang itinanim ni Kapitan Engineer Loni M. Leyva.   Gayon din sa tabi ng magandang tahanan nina Doktora Resurrection Marrero-Acop, MD sa Barangay Dela Paz; Dr. Juan F. Torres Jr. MD sa Cottonwood Height; at Rico Naidas sa tabi ng kanilang Las Brisas Hotel & Conference Center malapit sa Beverly Hills.
Sa mga taga-Antipolo, matapat nating pahalagahan ang puno ng Tipulo, ang Antipolo Tree, na luntiang simbulo ng maluwalhating kaysaysayan, kultura, at mga tradisyon ng ating Lungsod.

The Road to Cityhood

Cityhood marked the beginning of the period of Antipolo’s greatest growth and development.
From being just one of the many municipalities of Rizal Province Antipolo has become one of the fastest growing cities in the country with an annual income and population that rivals the combined income and population of all the other towns in Rizal largely because it became a city 10 years ago.
Unknown to many, Antipolo would not have become a city if not for the determined effort of Mayor Vic Sumulong.
He started the long process for Antipolo to become a city in 1995 with a luncheon meeting attended by the political kingpins of the province. Present were Rizal Congressmen Egmidio Tanjuatco, Jr. and Gilberto Duavit, Governor Ito Ynares, Antipolo Mayor Daniel Garcia and Sumulong.
Duavit had to be convinced of the merits of cityhood for Antipolo because Antipolo was within his congressional district. A bill to convert Antipolo into a city had to originate from his district.
Ynares had to be persuaded because the whole province of Rizal had to back the move to convert Antipolo into a city.
The support of Garcia had to be earned because if a law was passed and a plebiscite held then it was the local government of Antipolo which would spend for the elections.
After the cooperation of political leaders of Rizal were convinced of the need for cityhood, Cong. Duavit filed the bill for Antipolo to become a component city of Rizal in 1996.
Legislation is a long tedious process. To speed the cityhood bill along, Mayor Sumulong used political will to seek the help of key personalities in Congress.
Sumulong and Duavit first talked to Speaker Jose De Venecia. They were able to get the Speaker on their side. Then they convinced the chairman of the Committee on Local Governments Cong. Ciriaco Alfelor.
With the backing of the Speaker and the committee chairman the cityhood bill was passed at the committee level and then at the plenary session of the lower house.
But to become a law all bills had to pass both houses of congress. Key persons in the Senate had to be sold to the idea of making Antipolo a city.
Mayor Sumulong talked to Senate President Neptali Gonzales who was the head of the upper house. He also talked to Majority Floor Leader Kit Tatad who set the senate agenda. Finally Mayor Sumulong talked to Senator Tito Sotto who was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government.
Mayor Sumulong received the support of the Senate leaders and the cityhood bill passed Senate muster in record time.
The bill making Antipolo a component city of Rizal province passed both houses of congress and was signed into law by President Fidel Ramos on Feb. 13, 1998.
Difficult as the legislative hurdle was, getting the approval of the people through a plebiscite proved to be an equally difficult obstacle.
The Comelec scheduled a plebiscite for March 23, 1998. Because there was an objection filed with the Comelec, Mayor Sumulong, an accomplished lawyer, had to argue the merits of holding the plebiscite before then Comelec Chairman Bernardo Pardo.
Pardo agreed with Sumulong’s arguments and ruled that the plebiscite be held April 4. But another petition to stop the plebiscite was filed, this time before the Supreme Court.
Mayor Sumulong had to talk about the importance of the cityhood of Antipolo before the highest judicial body. He argued the case before Chief Justice Andres Narvasa who was the merits of his arguments and allowed the plebiscite to take place as scheduled on April 4,1998.
The result was an overwhelming victory with cityhood prevailing by a ratio of 8 to 1. Antipolo became a component city of Rizal and started its march to progress and development.

Ten Interesting People From Antipolo

      Aside from these tidbits, you can benefit from knowing some of the personalities that hail from Antipolo. Check your history books and see these familiar names.

  1. Don Juan Marquez Sumulong is the first Antipoleño who became a Senator and ran as President against former Pres. Manuel L. Quezon. Before his political stint, Sumulong was secretary of the revolutionaries in the province.
  2. James O’Hara was an American Irish who was part of the group of about 500 pioneer teachers sent by the US government to the Philippines in the early 1900s. He headed the first Antipolo public school system.
  3. Valentin Sumulong is the first mayor of Antipolo and Presidente Los Alcaldes after the civil government was restored in 1901 by the Americans.
  4. Procopio Angeles is the sacristan mayor. He and members of the community evacuated the Virgin of Antipolo from the church to Colaique and to different towns of Morong (now Rizal Province), during the war.
  5. Miguel Ver and Terry Adevoso led one of the two guerilla units that fought against the Japanese during World War II. They continued the struggled during the occupation, known as the Hunters ROTC.
  6. Marcos Villa Agustin is the leader of the Marking Fil-American Troop, an anti-Japanese guerilla unit known under the name of Brig. General Agustin Marking.
  7. Lorenzo Sumulong is the Senator from Antipolo who bravely faced Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev in a fierce debate in the United Nations. The premier was said to have been so angry that he removed his shoe and pounded it on the podium.
  8. Padre Francisco Avendaño, who together with Mayor Manuel Seranillo, Jose Lawis and Leoncio Anclote, led the building of the temporary church of Antipolo after the onslaught of World War II. He also led the first procession of the Virgin of Antipolo from the hills of Pinagmisahan on May 6, 1947.
  9. Rev. Protacio G. Gungon, D.D. is the first bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo which was created on June 25, 1983.
  10. Joven Cuanang is a neurosurgeon and a philanthropist. He converted his property in Sierra Madre St., Grandheights into the Pinto Art Gallery which hosts exhibits, film screenings and the Antipolo Arts Festival.