The bust of a World War II veteran and a former governor of the former Kalinga – Apayao was unveiled during the province’s 27th commemoration of the separation of Kalinga from Apayao on Monday, February 14 at the Kalinga Provincial Police Office headquarters at Camp Duyan.

The late Captain Juan M. Duyan was feted by Cordillera police led by PBGen. Ronald Lee and PBGen. Steve Ludan along with the late former governor’s son, Juan Victor, Jr., wife Iluminada and several of their family members.

Duyan distinguished himself when he led F and K companies of the 11th Infantry Division of United States Army in the “Battle of Toul Pocket in Bataan. Trapped with no food, few ammunitions and with no entrenching tools, they dug foxholes with bayonets and sharpened bamboos and later launched a series of counterattacks to beat their enemies.

For his gallantry, Duyan received the Silver Star, the Purple Heart Military Medal for the US Army as well as the Gold Cross Medal from the Philippine Army. He also survived the Bataan Death March.

While at the Capas Concentration Camp, Duyan was able to escape and organized the Luzon Guerillas and affiliated it with the US Armed Forces in the Philippines – Northern Luzon Unit where he was assigned as the Commanding Officer of the K and 3rd Battalion, 11th Infantry Division. Said divisions fought the Hukbalahap insurgents in Central Luzon.

After the war, Duyan became the Commanding Officer of the 12th Philippine Constabulary serving the whole of the old Mountain Province from 1949 to 1952. In 1957, he became the Captain of the Philippine Constabulary in Bontoc, Mt. Province.

Duyan served as congressman for Mountain Province for two terms – from 1957 to 1961 and then 1964 to 1966.

He later served as the first congressman of then Kalinga-Apayao (1966-1967) and then became the first elected Governor of Kalinga-Apayao in 1968 after the old Mountain Province was subdivided into four political units.

Duyan was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino World War II Veterans in the US In October 19, 2019.

The headquarters of the KPPO was named after Duyan as a tribute.

During his term as governor, Duyan pushed for massive road program of the province, initiated the subdivision of the 136 hectares lot owned by the provincial government which he apportioned to the different government agencies of Kalinga including the KPPO.

Born on January 27, 1917, Duyan died on March 1968 from bleeding peptic ulcer. He was only 51.