Sometime in the early 1950's, an American businessman named Alvin Jacobson was granted a logging concession of about 69,000 hectares in the jungle within the province Surigao del sur in the northern part of Mindanao. The Philippine government granted the concession to the Americans by virtue of law which allows Americans to harvest our natural resources and spur economic activity in the country. The country was still suffering from the ravage of World War 2 at that time. It was also a way of the Philippine government to "thank" the Americans for "liberating" us from the Japanese invaders.
Alvin and his wife Christine together with other partners set up the logging company in the town of Lianga, Barangay Diatagon. The place was pure virgin forest. No road connects Barangay Diatagon from the main highway at that time. Access was by the sea from Lianga town proper. Diatagon was almost uninhabited then. Only the natives who are Manobos settled the forested area. A legend has it that a Manobo tribe leader named "Tawidi" ruled the place. But I'm not so sure about that.
Alvin Jacobson started the company at about 1954. He hired an army of the best engineers, surveyors and professionals he can get. One of them was my uncle Enyong Pesical who he pirated from PICOP in Mangagoy. My uncle said his friends named Guazon and Ombat lead the survey of the 69,000 hectares of jungle. They hired Manobos and surveyed the jungle for several months to know where the thickest logs were located so they can prioritize making roads leading there.
Lawaan, Yakal, Narra, Apitong, Molave were among the tree species that mostly occupied the forest. Alvin Jacobson brought heavy equipment worth millions of dollars to Barangay Diatagon by boat. He built an airport, a port, a camp, a gym, a church, a school, a hospital, a power plant and basic facilities to make sure his army of professionals and employees live and work comfortably as he prepares to harvest the tens of millions of cubic meters of logs in the Jungle of Diatagon.
By 1960s the Lianga Bay Logging company was very prosperous employing about 800 strong regular employees. Lianga Bay Logging Company was the second biggest company next to San Miguel Brewery at that time. The minimum daily salary wage back then was only P4.00 a day and was considered more than enough to provide for one single family.
The employees of Lianga Bay mostly lived a happy and prosperous lives being able to cloth, feed and send their kids to the best colleges in the country particular Manila and Cebu. Diatagon was the one of the most prosperous Barangay in the entire province of Surigao del sur and Region 11.
The Americans were good managers and employer. They provided the best benefits, best support and moral support to there employees to make them happy and productive. Diatagon was a paradise and a perfect place to live and race a family in 60's and 70s.
- Jun Abines
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