President Manuel Roxas and the Real Owner of 7,169 Philippine Islands: The Untold History

This is the untold history of the newly created Republic of the Philippines under President Manuel Roxas and the real owners of the Philippines islands  - the Tallano family.


Here are some of my recent findings, not as a professional historian, but as a curious individual.

These findings are based on commercial and legal documents whose original purposes were for documentation as required by law and contracts.

Yet, such documents are a very important source of history.

After all, history is sourced from documents, not the other way around.

Now, let us proceed to the untold history of President Manuel Roxas and the real title of the real owners of the islands of the Philippines.

What is the Philippines' untold origin?

Here is what history books do not tell us. This origin is taken from a document. Remember, documents were not written for history. There were encoded and entered as transactions in the ordinary course of business on a day to day basis. Unlike history, documents do not make up angles or perspectives or interpretations.

One document, a certificate of land title, numbered OCT-01-4 which was created formally in 1764 (yes, it's that old), was preserved, and re-constituted, and re-created and re-registered whenever the land registration changed over the years, contains certain annotations at the back.

One such annotation is relevant to:

The new Republic of the Philippines and the Tallano clan.

This annotation was dated July 5, 1946 (one day after the creation of the Republic of the Philippines!!!) and numbered GLRO-079 S-4-7-1946

GLRO-079 S-4-7-1946

Letter of Declaration respecting Private Rights of Don Esteban Benitez Tallano, heir of late Prince Julian Macleod Tallano over the 7,169 Islands of the archipelago including the Freedom Islands, Turtle Islands and the Sabah Islands evidenced by OCT No. T-01-4 in consonance with the declaration of U.S. President Harry S. Truman with U.S. Congress Joint Resolution No. 93 of June 29, 1946 and the December 10, 1898 Treaty of Paris, that United States withdraws and surrenders all rights of possession including lands and supervision, jurisdiction, control of sovereignty and recognized the independence of the Philippines. Date of the Document:  June 7, 1946 (Sgd)  MANUEL A. ROXAS Philippine President

July 5, 1946

What does the above transactional annotation document in the land title OCT-01-4 tell us?

It tells us what history books have failed to capture.

1. The Republic of the Philippines was just created (July 4, 1946 is the independence date from the Americans)

2. One day after the creation of the Republic of the Philippines (i.e. July 5, 1946), no less than the highest officer of the new Republic, President Manuel Acuna Roxas signed an annotation at the back of the title OCT-01-4.

3. The annotation is a Letter of Declaration by no less than the President of the Republic of the Philippines Manuel Acuna Roxas.

4. According to Pres. Manuel Roxas, such Letter of Declaration was in consonance with 

- Declaration of US Congress Resolution No. 93 of June 29, 1946 and the

- Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898

5. That the Letter of Declaration respects:

- The private rights of Don Esteban Benitez Tallano (heir of Prince Julian MacCleod Tallano)

- Such private rights are evidenced by OCT 01-4.

- OCT 01-4 covers ownership over the 7,169 islands of the archipelago including

                    - Freedom Islands

                    - Turtle Islands

                    - Sabah Islands

6. The date of such Letter of Declaration was June 7, 1946

As you have noticed, the annotations and the history accounts dovetail in agreement.

This is what the history books failed to capture, but in reality was documented not by a historian, but by an officer who was doing his work in the ordinary course of business on day to day basis.

And this is a validation, once again, of the existence and the authenticity of Torrens Title OCT-01-4 issued in favor of

"Prince Lacan Acuña Tallano Tagean (formerly Tagean Clan), married with Princess Rowena Ma. Elizabeth Overbeck Macleod of Austria, the owner in Fee simple of certain lands, known as HACIENDA FILIPINA" (email me to get a scanned copy of the title issued by the register of deeds) History from original source documents! What a refreshing perspective. P.S. Can you imagine that? No less than President Manuel Acuna Roxas, President of the newly created Republic of the Philippines, in a very public Letter of Declaration dated June 7, 1946, and annotated on title OCT 01-4 public recognizes the ownership of the Tallano clan over the entire 7,169 Philippines islands and other islands including Sabah!!!! What else do you need as legal proof?