José Juan Serapio

As the First Philippine Republic sought to establish provincial governments amidst the ongoing conflict with American forces, Serapio was appointed as the third Revolutionary Governor of Bulacan. He succeeded Brigadier General Isidoro Torres and served from 1900 until 1901. His tenure was marked by the difficult transition from the revolutionary government to the incoming American civil administration. Following his term, he was succeeded by Pablo Tecson, who became the first Bulacan governor to serve under the established American colonial rule.^[1]

Serapio is best remembered today for his contributions to the public education infrastructure of Santa Maria, Bulacan. In the mid-20th century, as the local population rapidly expanded, the residents of Barrio Catmon required a larger public school facility. Serapio, acting as a major local landowner, donated a one-hectare parcel of land to the government for the construction of a new semi-permanent, three-room school building.^[3]

The school, which originally began formal education in 1946 under the name Catmon Elementary School, was subsequently renamed Jose Juan Serapio Elementary School in his honor. Today, it remains a central educational institution in the municipality, commemorating his dual legacy as a revolutionary governor and a benefactor of local education.^[3]