Juan Saraza Castañeda

Heneral Juan Sarasa Castaneda: May 8, 1870 to October 15, 1902

* General of the Philippines - Spanish - American Revolution

* Founder of the Pilar Lodge No. 203 of the Free & Accepted Masons Of The Philippines under the Gran Oriente Espanol with a pen name of "LANGGAM" .
*Master of the Pilar Lodge when General Emilio Aguinaldo was initiated on January 1, 1895.
*He was the 7th Presidente de Imus ( Mayor of Imus) - 1899
CASTANEDA, JUAN , mason , revolutionry in Cavite province, was the son of Numeriano Castaneda and Paula Sarasa; he was born in Imus Cavite. His Father was a landowner, leasing his lands to tenants; and his mother. educated in a school for girls in Manila, could play the piano, but later she put up a sari-sari store ( sold cloth among other things) and helped her husband in the feild. Juan had a younger sister, Venancia (d. july 1902) who was married to epifanio Paredes. His education is not known, but he must have some schooling in the town.

Juan Castaneda was among the first in Imus to be initiated into masonry. As a mason he became a "bitter foe of the friars" according to Ocampo (1941:2), During this time most of the lands around Imus Belonged to the Religious order, and so he looked for lands in Las Piñas, but the friars didnot like the idea, since that would alienate farmlands they needed in their haciendas. Rents were given in produce, and those who could not live up to contract were driven out. So the people were generally poor, and it was by dint of great industry that some bettered their lives.

When the Revolution broke out in August 1896, he went to Hong Kong then proceeded to Kobe, Japan then to Yokohama, Japan to buy arms, He boarded the Vessel "Natal" , he stayed in the house of Jose A. Ramos. He was not in favor of the Revolution, for he believed that it was not yet timely. However, he was identified by Alfonso Ocampo (DPB.I:290) as one of the local leaders in Imus town to start the Revolution in Cavite (W.E. Retana, Archivo, III:402). He was arrested in Malte, and was imprisoned in Fort Santiago, where he suffered tortures. He was not present, therefore, when the Bonifacios stayed in his house in Imus when Andres Bonifacio moved to Cavite (see T. A. Agoncillo, The Revolt of the Masses, 1956:203).

Then Juan Castaneda was exiled to Spain, then to Fernando Po. During the occupation of Manila by the Americans, he arrived together with other prisoners; this was the occasion for his detention by the American military. When the Americans occupied Imus town, the people petitioned for his release. He was named town head, but after two months, he resigned and went to the field. His military activities are not chronicled. But he was captured at Pulong Saging, Saging, Silang, Cavite , because he contracted sickness.

REFERENCES

Mainly from Catalina Castaneda, who was interviewed in Imus, Cavite, on April 8, 1956 by E. A. de Ocampo, Some Celebrated Cavitenos (1941:2) noted that Juan Castaneda was "Brigader-General in the Revolutionary Army", but this statement could not be confirmed.

http://www.imus.gov.ph/heroes-of-imus/