Don Francisco Dinglasan was the third child and eldest son of Rafael Dinglasan and Martina Luna, born on December 3, 1874, in Sto. Niño, Pueblo de Batangas (now Batangas City). At three days old, he was baptized in the Immaculate Conception Parish (now the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) in Batangas City on December 5, 1874. His godfather was Father Anastasio de la Cruz, the parish coadjutor. His paternal grandparents were Mariano Dinglasan and Antonia Atienza, while his maternal grandparents were Fermin Luna and Florentina Mercado.
Don Rafael Dinglasan, Francisco’s father, passed away when Francisco was just ten years old. His mother, Martina Luna, a tejedora (weaver), raised him and his siblings—Rafaela, Valeria, Francisco, Roman, and Gregoria.
At the age of twenty-two, Francisco witnessed the eruption of the Philippine Revolution, which soon reached Batangas. Filled with the same fervor that stirred the Batangueños to revolt against Spanish colonial rule, Francisco was among the many young men who joined the revolution. He was recruited by General Ananias Diokno, a fellow Batangueño. On August 31, 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo dispatched the Tagalog Expeditionary Force to liberate the province of Capiz. General Diokno led the 200-man force, which included volunteers from Batangas, as well as from Bicol, Masbate, and Romblon.
This force would later become the nascent Philippine Navy. Francisco Dinglasan was promoted to Captain and served as quartermaster, responsible for procuring and distributing essential food supplies and war materials for the group.
On November 16, 1898, the Tagalog Expeditionary Force landed in Barrio Hibong, Nabas, Aklan. Upon learning of their successful landing, the Spanish Captain stationed nearby fled to Capiz (now Roxas City) on November 19, 1898, fearing the approach of General Diokno’s troops. Diokno proceeded to Ibajay, where he engaged in a skirmish with the remaining Spanish forces. Afterward, he continued to Kalibo and stayed there for a time.
When the Philippine-American War broke out, Captain Dinglasan was still in Panay Island, defending Capiz alongside General Diokno. In early 1900, the Partido Federal de Capiz, led by Simplicio Jugo Vidal (who would later become the first governor of Capiz), brokered the surrender of Colonel Eleuterio Marasigan, one of Diokno’s officers. These forces, consisting of 175 men under the command of 19 chiefs and officers—including Colonel Marasigan, Lieutenant Colonel Timoteo Marcella, and Captains Francisco Dinglasan and Flaviano Reyes—surrendered on February 14, 1900, at Hacienda Esperanza, Barrio Binuntocan, Pontevedra, Capiz.
After the surrender, Don Francisco remained in Capiz, where he met and fell in love with Vicenta Arcenas, a member of the wealthy and influential Arcenas family of Capiz. They were married, and together they had several children, including José “Bebe” Dinglasan, who would become the last governor of undivided Capiz (1956-1959), Carmen “Nena” Dinglasan-Consing, the first female congresswoman of Western Visayas, and Judge Rafael Dinglasan, who topped the bar exam in 1925.
During the agricultural boom in Capiz, Don Francisco became heavily involved in trading agricultural products and livestock, not only in Capiz but also in Romblon. Through his hard work and dedication, the Dinglasan family accumulated a significant fortune.
Don Francisco Dinglasan passed away at the age of 52, on September 17, 1927, at his home at 12 Washington Street, Capiz. He was buried on September 21 at Banica Roman Catholic Cemetery.
In honor of his contributions, Punta Tabuc Elementary School in Roxas City was later renamed Don Francisco Dinglasan Memorial School.
