GENERAL SANTOS ARCHIVE

heritage

Victorio Velasquez, MD

Victorio Velasquez, MD

1997 - 1976

  • Born on 30th August 1897, Dr, Velasquez got married in 1934 at age 37 to Felicidad, who was 19 years his junior
  • After graduating from the University of Santo Tomas Medical School in 1929, he applied for work at the Department of Health in Manila and, in 1931 – he was assigned in Mindanao.
  • Long before NLSA established settlement districts in this part of the country, Dr. Victorio Velasquez was the Rural Health Doctor with Jose Catolico as his Nurse-Assistant serving the entire Municipality of Glan to include Municipal District of Buayan in the (undivided) Province of Cotabato. His Rural Health Unit was based in Glan.

SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION

  • Long before NLSA established settlement districts in this part of the country, Dr. Victorio Velasquez was the Rural Health Doctor with Jose Catolico as his Nurse-Assistant serving the entire Municipality of Glan to include Municipal District of Buayan in the (undivided) Province of Cotabato. His Rural Health Unit was based in Glan.
  • In one of his tours of duty up North, he met Felicidad Suerte-Felipe, an 18-year old daughter of a medical practitioner in Pikit, Cotabato. Congressman Salipada Pendatun was one of her classmates at the Pikit Elementary School.

He eventually settled his family in Buayan.  They were blessed with eight (8) children, Elfren, Alma (Francisco), Fevi (Purisima), Riza (Punzalan), Victor, Arturo and Jose. Later in 1951 – Dr. Rey Mauro, the dentist was born. During the war, as mentioned in the book of Rafael Aquino, Harking Back to my Days with General P. Santos, Dr. Velasquez together with Mr Jose Catolico and their families trekked to Banga to join other settlers for fear of their safety and lives. Their house in BukayPait, where they evacuated were looted of their money and belongings by Moro marauders.

 BukayPait is located in Tantangan, about 27 kilometers away from Banga. Banga, a land-locked area was refuge to most settlers and the families of Albert Morrow and General Santos. In one of its barrios became the base-camp of the defunct NLSA office and holding shed of all its equipment, farm tools and machineries transferred from Lagaoand other settlement districts. In 1961, the rapid growth of its cluster barrios made the support of the creation of a new town, Municipality of Surallah. To date, the said NLSA base-camp is under its jurisdiction. 

Some buildings and/or structures are still visible, and, may have looked “rusty brown” – a symbolism that stood time and elements. Still in use, however. After the war, Dr. Velasquez continued his private practice.At the same time, he was an active member of various socio-civic organizations. All through the years, he never hesitated to be of service to the community, to the needy, the sick and the infirm. He died peacefully on 17 April 1976.