Lorenzo Ziálcita

Ref: http://www.nhi.gov.ph/downloads/fihgov0124.pdf

Lorenzo Zialcita spent his lifetime serving his country and his people with honesty and extreme faithfulness. He was born on August 17, 1873 in Orani, Bataan to Ciriaco Zialcita, a wine merchant and landowner of Binondo, Manila and Basilia Torres of Sta. Cruz, Manila. His father was the municipal president of Binangonan during the short-lived Revolutionary Government.

After finishing his primary education in Orani, Bataan, he was sent to Manila and enrolled at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree. One of his contemporaries was Juan Sumulong. Wanting to become a doctor, he sailed to Hong Kong to study medicine but, however, changed his mind, and took up business course instead.

While in the British colony, he became acquainted with Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and his group of loyal comrades who were there in exile after the Truce of Biak-na-Bato. His association with General Aguinaldo and his men awakened his nascent spirit of nationalism. He became determined to do everything for the cause of his motherland so that he returned to the Philippines and worked with the revolutionary government. He was Aguinaldo’s aide-de-camp because of his knowledge of the English language. He was commissioned as a lieutenant when the seat of the Revolutionary Government was transferred to Malolos, and was later promoted to captain. He was later named among the members of the delegation, which conferred with the Americans on suspension of hostilities in May 1899.

In 1901, Zialcita married Florentina de Leon, a pretty and charming lass from Balanga, Bataan. Their marriage was blessed with eight children. In the same year, he worked with the government as deputy treasurer of Bataan with a salary of $25 a month and was later on acting provincial secretary, with an annual salary of P2, 200. His appointment as secretary became permanent in 1903, when he passed the civil service examination.

In 1906, he was elected provincial governor of Bataan, defeating and succeeding the popular Tomas G. Del Rosario, a former member of the Malolos Congress. On November 5, 1907, he ran for reelection but was defeated by Mariano Rosauro. In March 1908, he was offered a responsible position in the marine division of the Bureau of Customs, with a monthly remuneration of P199. In 1909, Governor General Forbes appointed him chief clerk of the newly created Bureau of Labor with an annual salary of P2,300.00, which was increased to P3,800 in 1913.

A homebody, Zialcita preferred to stay home with his family during his free time from work. His form of amusement was playing the harp, banduria and piano. He was a devout Catholic, quiet and jovial by nature. Zialcita was 52 years old when he became a widower. He died on May 10, 1932 at the age of 58.

References: Manuel, E. Arsenio. Dictionary of Philippine Biography Volume 2. Quezon City: Filipiniana publications, 1955. Quirino, Carlos. Who’s Who in Philippine History. Manila: Tahanan Books, 1995.