Teresita is a relatively young town compared to the neighboring municipalities. Concerted efforts and representations made by prominent citizens headed by the Hon. Ireneo Aquino resulted into the issuance in E.O. No. 454 by the President Carlos P. Garcia in December 29, 1961 creating the Municipality of Sta. Said municipality was then named after its Patron Saint, St. Therese of the Child Jesus. I
t is composed of several barangays severed from the three neighboring municipalities. From the Municipality of Taal, Barangay Sambat, Sinipian, Bihis, Calayaan, Irukan and Cutang Cawayan were incorporated into the new municipality. Likewise, Barangay Calumala, Tambo, Saimsim and Burol were taken from the Municipality of San Nicolas. From the Municipality of San Luis, Barangay Pacifico and Sampa were separated to complete what is now the Municipality of Sta. In 1961, the Honorable Ireneo Aquino was appointed Mayor of the new municipality. He was tasked to organize the municipal bureaucracy. In June 1962, Mayor Norberto C. Segunial was appointed and took place the administration of the Municipality until December 1962. His administration saw the organization of the Municipal Police Force. On January 1963, the Honorable Miguel A. Villano became the first elected Mayor of Sta. It was during his term that the municipal hall was erected. Municipal and Barangay roads were constructed. School buildings were established. On 1971, Barangay Antipolo, which was part and parcel of Barangay Sinipian became a separate barangay as well Cuta East who separated from the barangay Cutang Cawayan. In January 1972 saw the advent of the term of Mayor Norberto C. Segunial. It was during his term that service oriented projects were implemented. Waterworks systems were established. Health centers and more schools were constructed. A massive electrification program benefited the entire municipality. A new local tax code was formulated and promulgated. It was also during his term when Brgy. Poblacion was divided into 3 Poblacion barangays- Brgy. Pob. Zone 1, Brgy. Zone II, and Brgy. Zone III respectively pursuant to P.D. 86 and 86A. On May 1986, the Honorable Bayani H. Andal was appointed Municipal Mayor. He sought to improve mobility within the Municipality by improving existing roads. During the 1988 Local Election, he was elected as the Municipal Mayor and served as the “blueprint” in the systematic implementation of development plans, programs and activities. There was a change in the Municipal Administration with the advent of the May 9, 1988 elections wherein neophyte but an energetic and development oriented Local Chief executive in the person of Hon. Atty. Adorlito B. Ginete came into the picture. It was during the 1st year of his term when several reforms and modifications were introduced like the formulation of the Comprehensive Development land use Plan of the local government unit until 2013. On May 2, 2007, Hon. Anna Marie Ilagan Mendoza, who was the Vice Mayor for three (3) consecutive terms won the election for mayoralty and assumed office as the Local Chief Executive. Guided by the Mission and Vision of the Municipality when the active and full support as well as the cooperation of the Sangguniang bayan, local and national officials and employees, barangay offficials, non-government organizations, the private sector and the whole citizenry, the goals and objectives towards a socio-economic and progressive local government unit is not remote. Massive progress and valuable transformations was realized by the term of Hon. Marie V. Segunial, an ordinary housewife and businesswoman with an extraordinary determination and high hopes for the development of Sta. Teresita and its people. True to her promise to the people of Sta. Teresita, the incumbent Vice-Mayor, as she won in the Mayoralty race on the May 2010 election, gave the town the much needed change through her mission: PROGRESS THROUGH TRANSPARENCY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. She was determined to improve the once unknown town and make a new identity. As a “new genre” politician she accepted the challenge of creating new ways of development and compassionate progressive changes. As the Local Chief Executive of the smallest and the youngest fifth class Municipality in the Province of Batangas, Mayor Ma. Aurea V. Segunial was able to identify the gaps and saw the town’s development potential in her first 100 days of office. Thus, she began her journey of seeking projects from the national government. In the face of an IRA dependent town, she actively and practically managed to initiate simultaneous big ticket projects in all Barangays without exceptions, with the construction of numerous farm- to- market road, canals, waterworks systems, multipurpose halls, health centers, school buildings, new municipal building and various livelihood programs. These various infrastructure and livelihood programs aims to create opportunities for local producers and investors, improve the quality of work force, provide training avenues and increase the “marketability” of the town as a whole. With the rising numbers of poverty-striken residents, she fought for additional recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program to help them send their children to school and still maintain the health and moral standards of their lives. She continued her out-reach programs through continuous medical and dental missions, and national government-funded supplemental feeding for undernourished children. Thus the sudden improvement of the Municipality under the leadership of Hon. Mayor Aurea V. Segunial was recognized by the Department of Interior and Local Government when she received the Seal of Good Housekeeping Award by the late DILG Secretary, Jesse Robredo. Today, on her second term of office, she continues her mission of bringing efficient and effective governance to uplift the standard of living of the residents of Sta. In “Making Valuable Service” she is taking the opportunity of revolutionizing Sta. Teresita to its full potential, making it a town that offers great opportunities as it continues to grow.
