CITY OF MALOLOS—World record holder, topnotcher in the US Army’s Military Police training under the Provost Marshal General Office, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, for raking a 99.3% general average and as a police major veteran fighter during World War II, (WWII) ,Teodulo Natividad was awarded the United States Congressional Gold Medal during Sunday’s tribute to the veterans as part of this year’s Sining Kalinangan ng Bulacan (Singkaban) Festival and the 82nd anniversary of the establishment of the Bulacan Military Area (BMA).
Natividad, whose parents hail from Paombong and Hagonoy towns died of ailment on Jan. 9, 1997 at the age of 73. He was born on Feb. 17, 1924.
Natividad leads 47 other Bulacan veterans who were members of the BMA under Gen. Alejo Santos who were bestowed the most prestigious US Congressional Gold Medal Award. BMA was the military command in Bulacan established by Santos during the WWII on Sept. 14, 1943. A BMA Park is built in Bustos town, where Santos hails.
Bridges, streets and the Bulacan Provincial Police Hedquarters in the capital City of Malolos were named after him in his honor.
Keith Sekuterski, Assistant Director, Manila Regional Benefits Office of US Department of Veterans Affairs and Usec. Pablo M. Lorenzo, Undersecretary for Civil, Veteran, and Reserve Affairs and the representative of Department of National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro graced the awarding of medals to the resoective kins of the veterans.
Natividad served in BMA for 17 years from1943-1960 as Planning and Training Officer (S-3) of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry.
Natividad is the Father of Probation and the Father of Criminology in the Philippines. Among his other major contributions as a statesman and in police and military service to the country was as Commissioner, Constitutional Commission in 1986; Second Minister, Tanggulan ukol sa Pulisya, Batasang Pambansa member and Minister of State of Justice 1984-1986; Chairman, National Police Commission, 1978-1979 and 1984-1986; Administrator, Probation Administration of the Department of Justice 1977-1978; elected five times as Representative, First District of Bulacan—1961-1965; 1965-1969; 1969-1973; 1992-1995, at 1995-1998; Region III Assemblyman, 1978-1984 at 1984-1988; Chairman, Congress Committee on Good Government; Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Philippine College of Criminology, 1973-1997; Member of the Board of Central Bank; Vice President of Presidential Committee on Administration Performance (PCAPE, Malacanang) and Head of the Investigation and Legal Division, PCAPE in 1963, Head of Police Constabulary (PC) Crime Laboratory, Camp Crame, Quezon City Director in the National Association of Bank Auditors and Comptrollers (NABAC) on “Detection and Proof of Forgery,” and professor at PC Officers School, Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Natividad also earned a doctorate degree on Civil Laws in University of Santo Tomas; Master of Laws in University of Manila; MA in Police Science and Administration in Washington State University, Washington, USA; BS in Police Science and Administration in Washington State University, Washington, USA, Bachelor of Laws in Far Eastern University and Associate in Arts in the University of the Philippines.
He was also a topnotcher in Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Integrated Examination for Regular Officers; Civil Service Commission Pensionado Examination in Scientific Criminology; For the degree of Bachelor of Science in Police Science and Administration, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington; For the degree of Master of Arts in police Science and Administration, Washington State University, Pullman Washington; Officer Refresher Course, PC School, Camp Crame, Quezon City with a General Average of 99.8%.
He also had a Practical Training with the Federal Bureau Investigation (FB), in Washington DC; Special Student sa Scotland Yard Training Academy, Henson, London, England; Attorney-at-Law at kinilalang Dalubhasa sa Questioned Documents, Ballistics, Fingerprints at Lie Detector; Lisensiyadong Criminologist — Board of Criminology, Pebrero 11, 1988, Registration No. 0000004.
Natividad was the highest in rank among the Bulakenyo veterans who were given the US Congressional Gold Medal. Of the 48 recipeints of the award, only Cristina Ruiz Viesca, Lolita Guzman Abela, Artemio Corpuz Reyes, Remedios Santos Sulit-Roque, Gelacio Lorezo Dela Cruz and Pablo Santos Panganiban are alive.
Roque, now 101 years old and who was in her early 20’s wen she joined the BMA during WWII expressed her gratitude for being a Bulakenyo veteran who had served the country and the province of Bulacan.
“I, together with all of my comrades in war from the patriotic province of Bulacan, would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the American Government for their recognition,” she said in a response message in behalf of the awardees.
