My Journey to the History Pages of a Forgotten Man

History the final frontier!

Im a dreaded voyager of the USS Journey Enterprise. My mission to
glimpse the past. Where boldly go where no man has gone before.
Gosh! Enough with the Star Trek introduction. Knowing the past
through history books seems boring for many people today. They ignore
reading and even worse testified that such subjects must be excluded in the
school curriculum because it has no significance at all. It looks as if they
want to disregard the potential lessons of the past and grasp its inspirations.
By virtue, I believe it leaves a streak and carves the heart. You may not
understand it completely but I had proven it when I entangled on the life of a
forgotten Filipino hero.
George K. Tait, Sr. is an Igorot from Bontoc, Mountain Province. The
writer of the script from where I read most of what is said here; and in truth
he was an Educator, a Politician and an Army man. He started with the
following statements: He is the man! He is the man to be emulated by
everyone, especially the politicians. George Kulalaching Tait was the first
Igorot of Bontoc, Mountain Province who was elected Assemblyman during
the Commonwealth Regime.
He is the son of Piyayas of Samoki, Bontoc and Tannao also of Bontoc
Proper, Mountain Province. He had two elder sisters, Tannao and Kagsa-ao.
In the early days, the natives of Bontoc had only one name, usually a
combination of the first name and the family name. The middle initial is
Kulalaching and his family name Tait was taken from the family name of
Miss Selwyn Tait, an English woman who stood as his godmother when
Reverend Spencer, an Anglican Priest from Los Angeles baptized him George
in 1912.
The young George finished his primary education at the Bontoc Central
School when few pupils were being forced to go to school. He finished his
intermediate education at Teachers Camp, Baguio City.
In 1918, he went to the United States accompanied by Mrs. Staunton,
wife of an Anglican Priest in Sagada, Mountain Province. They rode on the
USS PRESIDENT MADISON. Reverend E. A Sibley, a well-known American,
who died in a vehicle accident in Tucucan, Bontoc recommended him and
helped him in his studies in America. He was enrolled at Morgan Park High
School in Chicago for his first to third year high school, and then he
transferred to Brockfield High School, Illinois where he graduated his
secondary education. For his college education, he studied at the Toledo
University, Ohio and finished his liberal arts in 1926. Rodolfo Hidalgo, a
friend, also a Bontoc Igorot recommended him to his work with Mr. & Mrs.
George Harter so he could earn for his trip back to the Philippines, who after
some months, they gave him $300.00 to be able to return home to the
Philippines. He came home with Dr. Jose Aruego, author of several law
books.

Upon his arrival to the Philippines, he was immediately employed at

the La Trinidad Agricultural School (now Benguet State University), during
the opening of the school year. He taught English in the third year high
school and reading in the intermediate grades. The former Governor Bado
Dangwa was one of his pupils. A year after, Governor John A. Early sent him
to teach first and second year English at Teachers Camp, Baguio City. Fiscal
Toribio Mayo was one of his students. There he met Agatha Bannagui of
Payag-eo, Sagada, Bontoc, Mountain Province, a graduate of the Philippine
Normal School, Manila, who was also teaching there. They got married in
1928. A year after they had their son, George, Jr., mining engineer by
profession, who graduated from Mapua, Manila.
In 1929, Mr. Tait was assigned in Apayao as District Supervisor. He
had his office in Kabugao, Apayao. There, Beatrice was born. She studied at
Centro Escolar University, Manila and finished her Bachelor of Science in
Social Work. Later she became a Missionary Sister, member of the Sisters of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary (S.I.H.M.).
Helen was also born there but
died at an early age of 3 years and Ernesto, the second boy became a
mechanic-conductor.
In 1934, Mr. Tait was transferred to Bauko District. In Bauko, the
youngest daughter Emilie (now Mrs. Sumbad) was born, a teacher who
graduated at the Trinidad Agricultural School as a teacher and pursued her
education subjects at the University of Baguio.
Mr. Tait resigned as
supervisor to launch his candidacy for Assemblyman in the third district of
Mountain Province. There were five opposing candidates, three from Ifugao
and two from Lepanto. He won the election, this was in 1935. During his
term, unfortunately, his wife died in 1936 and was buried in Bontoc.
After his term, he enrolled at Camp Henry T. Allen General Service
School, Baguio City for a brief training. His classmates were Marcelo Addura,
Justiniano Montano, Arsenio Bonifacio, Tomas Cabili and others. After his
graduation, he became a reserved officer with rank of Major. He first
became a Mobilization Officer in Bontoc. Then he was sent to Laoag, Ilocos
Norte as a Cadre Commander for the trainees for two years, this was in
1939-1940.
During the elections in 1941, he returned to politics. This time, he
launched his candidacy for the First District (Bontoc, Kalinga-Apayao). He
was elected Congressman for the first district. When the war broke out, he
was in Manila. Since he was an army man he was called to Bataan at the
beginning of the Second World War, but he was not able to reach Bataan
because the Japanese forces were then already swarming the region. He
was marooned in Manila. In Malacaang, he met Congressman Ramon P.
Mitra who came from Baguio, who gave him the information, that the road
was passable but there were no vehicles then, so they started hiking
together with some people for the Mountain Province, until they reached
Baguio and he proceeded to Mainit, Bontoc where his family evacuated. He
stayed there hunting wild pigs until the liberation.
Since politics ran in his blood, he tried his luck for the third time and
was re-elected Congressman, a second term in the first district. As a

politician, he was always lucky. It is believed that he too was a lucky citizen
of heaven. He was a die hard Nacionalista and prided to be one.
In 1951 to 1953, he was appointed a liaison officer of the Mountain
Province to Malacaang.
George Tait touched many lives through his humility, simplicity,
generosity, and his kindness. He was a gentle soul, a gentleman, and a selfmade man. Never in his life did he take advantage of his position to a mass
wealth and to enrich himself and his family. He died a poor man, like the
Lord who did not even have a stone to lay his head. He died in the Bontoc
Hospital and the remains was brought to the house of Omag Aclipen, a niece
who offered her house, just so his kinsman could be free to keep vigil with
him. He died on December 22, and was buried on Christmas day 1972.
Due to circumstances, which only the Lord knows, there was nothing
left for him to be remembered in Bontoc. Nothing for his children of the Tait
family in Bontoc. It is a tragedy which human beings find difficult to
understand. There were no noisy gongs to make noise in their behalf. This
is how the world goes.
Fortunately during the early 1970s, his deeds were never truly
forgotten as written in a Souvenir Program of the Commission on National
Integration on the occasion of its 16th Anniversary in Olongapo City where his
son-in-law, Fred Sumbad was Commissioner of the National Integration
Office in Zambales; miles from his hometown.
The only consolation that the children have is his having been listed by
the National Historical Institute, Manila, as one of the local heroes but most
of all is my belief that he is now enjoying his eternal reward with our
Heavenly Father.
This makes me nostalgic of the past and sentimental as I picked up
some of the beautiful things written about my great grandfather.