Jovenal Villanueva Somoza Hero and Martyr 1906-1944

Jovenal is the son of Don Alejandro Somoza and Doña Narcisa Visitacion- Villanueva from Bais and La-Liberated landed clan. Educated in Dumaguete and Manila's prestigious institution and finished his degree in Engineering, he joined the City Engineering Dept. under Mayor Jose Teves-Pastor, his first project is to put up Health Centre in Piapi,Daro and Taclobo. He later worked with the Provincial Engineering Dept.one of the biggest projects was schools in Siaton,Bais,Dumaguete,la liberated and Amlan. He made many proposals to the Bureau of Public Works and Highways of the United States of America for road construction.

 

     Before and during the Outbreak of World War II he became an assistant district engineer. Among his projects was to build a road from Bais to Kabankalan, bridges connecting Sta.Catalina to Bayawan. During the War he was dubbed as " Pied Piefer" He went to places and countryside to deliver the messages to the guerrilla about the different plan of the Resistance Group of Dumaguete. He became a volunteer for Civilian Clubs and Red Cross to distributing rice, can goods and other supplies. Eduardo J. Blanco and Jovenal made a detailed ground plan of the Dumaguete Sibulan Airfield and installations, together with other Dumaguetiños organized the Underground Movement. September 11,1944 in the afternoon.

 He was captured by the Japanese Imperial forces imprisoned in the Silliman University " Davao Cottage".One week later, the four were loaded in a banca and thrown to the sea near Piapi Beach.Gervacia Lezana Somoza the wife of Jovenal narrated this incident in1969. She describes it as the most tragic incident that would ever happen to any family especially upon her husband's dead body floating in Piapi beach and bathing with his blood. 

After the War Gov. Lorenzo G.Teves has given the family a posthumous award for Jovenal's for his heroism and the National Veteran's Federation Bayani ng Bayan Awardee. A street in Dumaguete somewhere in Piapi & Bantayan area is named after him the former Mango Ave now J.V.Somoza Ave