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Paranaque (now a city), Rizal in October 19l8.58 At this point of time, Major Quisumbing was named as its camp commander. Thus, he had to supervise the construction of all necessary buildings and facilities to be utilized as offices, sleeping quarters for both officers and enlisted men, storage rooms, firing range, etc. with the help of the Corps of Engineers and to procure all the necessary equipment, supplies and materials for training purposes in the shortest possible time.59 An American general who lived in this camp as a guest did not interfere but respected the decisions of the camp commander on its management.60 One of the Filipinos who enlisted in this camp on October 10, 1918 for the Philippine National Guard was Zosimo T. Montemayor who was promoted to the rank of corporal a month later. He took part in a three-month training from November 1918 to February 1919 when he was discharged from the service as discussed below.61
The primary mission of the Philippine National Guard specifically the Corps of Engineers in the limelight was to prepare its encampment along the common boundary of United States and Mexico.62 According to his grandfather, some members of the contingent assigned overseas in this encampment spoke and understood fluent Spanish for obvious reasons.63 Its departure for the United States did not materialize due to the surrender of the German military forces. Hence, the armistice between the Allies and Central Powers was finally signed by Germany on November ll, 1918, thus ending this World War.64
With the war having ended, the American President (Woodrow Wilson) on November 18, 1918 signed a proclamation placing the Philippine National Guard under Federal service for one month training beginning November 20, 1918. In view of this Proclamation, the Philippine National Guard immediately assembled at Camp Tomas Claudio for this training on the latter date. Thus, the officers and men of this contingent were integrated into the U.S. Army.65
On this last date, Maj. Gen. Francis B. Harrison assumed command of the First Division, Philippine National Guard, until he was succeeded by Brig. Gen. Frederick H. Day on December 2nd. Both division commanders had Col. Peter E. Marqunat as chief of staff from this last date to December 19, 19l8.66
The War Department on November 29, 1918 informed the Governor General (F.B. Harrison) by cablegram on the strength of the Philippine National Guard minus one major general, one regiment cavalry, one aero squadron, artillery and trains.
With regard to the training mentioned above, the troops were equipped with Russian rifles and outmoded equipment. Despite numerous handicaps such as linguistic differences, inadequacy of arms and deficiencies in uniform and equipment, progress in the training was remarkably achieved. Although this Division was mustered out on December 19, l918, the training was extended for two months. With the training finally completed, this force was then disbanded.67
His Civilian Status and Foreign Trips
With the disbandment of the Philippine National Guard after a three month training at Camp Tomas Claudio under Federal service in February 1919, Emilio resigned from his commission as major, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, at the convenience of his government on account of his Filipino citizenship.68 He took advantage of Col. Stroke’s offer as stated above since he had the opportunity and time to travel abroad. He visited all countries except Egypt because, according to him, there was not much to learn from that country. (ANY REASON WHY? DO WE WANT TO ADD THIS REASON OF LOLO’s?)
In his trip to India, he spent several months seeing different places: Simia, the summer capital; Agra, the site of Taj Mahal; Hydrabal Sind and Delhi. He studied and made copies of plans of its irrigation system. One Indian design of dams that he copied was later applied to the construction of the Angat River system.
His next trip brought him to three Southeast Asian countries. In Siam he was impressed by its wide irrigation canals so that he and the engineer prince had to travel by motorboat. In Java he observed the irrigation canals and sugar plantations whose “POJ” variety of sugar was smuggled out of the island by an American and was planted in the Philippines. He noted that the Dutch had developed sugar canes grown in all kinds of soil conditions, thus producing yields twice as those of his country. Accordingly, rice production was more advanced than the Philippines.
He came home with a failing eyesight due to his copying of plans late at night. Unfortunately all pictures, plans, and publications from the English engineers were totally destroyed during the liberation of Manila in 1945.69
In the 1920’s, Emilio was appointed the chairman of a three-man Board of Examiners for civil engineering with two Americans as associates.70 In the early 1930’s he resigned from his position as chief of Irrigation and Water Control Division under the Bureau of Public Works.71 The main reason of his resignation was the low salary of six thousand pesos per annum which was not sufficient to support a family of six children, excluding his income derived from extra teaching at the University of Santo Tomas.72
The National Research Council of the Philippine Islands (shortened to National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) in later years) was a creation of Act No. 4120 passed by the Philippine Legislature on December 8, 1933 and organized by the Department of Agriculture and Commerce on March 23, l934.73 With its creation, 150 prominent individuals recognized in their different fields of expertise such as mathematics, physics, biological sciences, engineering, agriculture, medicine, etc.
were to be appointed as charter members by the Governor General (Frank Murphy)
on the advice and consent of the Senate.74 However, only 114 of the authorized members were appointed by the said Governor General. One of these charter members was Emilio A. Quisumbing, a member of hydraulic engineering section, engineering division.75 He wrote a technical report published by the National Council of the Philippine Islands.76
His Private Practice
As a private practitioner, he designed small irrigation dams, one of which was built at Villa Escudero named after the owners’ surname in San Pablo, Laguna (now a city).77 His office whose exact location in Manila is not mentioned in the source was in the same room occupied by Tomas Arguelles, his uncle, and Fernando Ocampo, architect and designer of the Manila City Hall and Quiapo Church which were destroyed during the siege of Manila in 1944.
He was then offered the directorship of the Bureau of Public Works after the resignation of Jose Paez but declined the offer because of the low salary of seven thousand pesos per annum. This position eventually went to A.D. Williams receiving a higher salary of twelve thousand pesos per annum.
