Raymundo Melliza

Dublin Core

Title

Raymundo Melliza

Subject

Governors

Creator

Latañafrancia, Remelyn

Source

Date

July 9, 2024

Coverage

Term: 1904-1906

Person Item Type Metadata

Birth Date

March 15, 1854

Birthplace

Molo, Iloilo

Death Date

November 11, 1945

Biographical Text

Raymundo Angulo Melliza was born on March 15, 1854, in Molo, Iloilo, Philippines, to Don Cornelio Melliza and Gregoria Angulo. He later married Germana Conlu.
Melliza earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Santo Tomas in 1873. He then pursued further education in Spain, obtaining a Licentiate in Laws from the University of Seville in 1878 and a Doctor of Laws from the Universidad Central de Madrid in 1879. He was notably the only Filipino to achieve a Doctor of Laws from the University of Madrid.

Returning to the Philippines the following year, he initially served as a judge in Bulacan and Ilocos Norte. Additionally, he was the only Ilonggo selected by the Spanish colonial administration in Cuba to serve as the secretary of the Real Audiencia, the highest court on the island, in 1897.

Raymundo Melliza became a central figure in the "Iloilo Fiasco," which delayed the American forces' landing in Iloilo Strait on December 28, 1898. He strongly argued against the American landing based on international legal principles, which the Americans struggled to counter. Despite his efforts, the Americans eventually landed by force in February 1899.

Following the revolution, Melliza served as the governor of Iloilo from 1904 to 1906. He played a crucial role in establishing the Philippine Railways in Panay, the only railway system in the country outside Luzon. Act 1497, passed by the Philippine Commission in 1906, authorized the Philippine Railway Company to build railway lines across the Philippines, aiming to improve transportation and facilitate the movement of people and goods. Construction of the Panay railway began that same year, and by 1912, a 116.1-kilometer system was inaugurated, marking the first railway system outside Luzon.

Raymundo Melliza, passed away at the age of 91 on November 11, 1945. He was laid to rest at the Molo Catholic Cemetery.