Regino Díaz Relova (August 2, 1874 – June 18, 1961) was a Filipino revolutionary who fought during the Philippine Revolution in Los Baños, Bay, Calauan and his hometown Pila, Laguna during the Philippine–American War.
Don Regino Reloba de San Antonio, who changed his surname to Relova after a decree by Spanish Governor General Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa on November 21, 1849, was Capitán Municipal of Pila in 1855–1856.
Alejandro is considered to be the first Relova in Pila as he could have moved from Pasig to the present site owned by Don Felizardo de Rivera at the time of its complete transfer from Pagalangan on May 20, 1804.
[1] Feliciano, who felt the Filipinos were not yet ready, tried to prevent son Regino Diaz Relova from actively taking part in it.
Then Feliciano brought his son to their relative Kapitan Penalosa in Lucban and were advised, after week's stay, to seek an audience with Marquéz de Solier, the Gobernador Provincial in Santa Cruz, Laguna so as not to be placed under suspicion of being Katipuneros.
They were incarcerated as a certain Quisumbing from Los Baños tagged them as insurrectos who fed the revolutionaries and added that bullets were being made in the house of Juan Bartolomé.
The younger Relova's arms were tied behind his back to a long piece of bamboo that he could neither sit nor stand inside the small cell.
A Spanish official by the name of Lt. Dagoberto del Río, who was acquainted with the Relova family as he often attended Pila's parties and even courted a girl there, released them.
Cailles’ six military columns included the third column commanded by Relova that covers Pila, Bay, Calauan and Los Baños; General Severino Taino in San Pedro, Biñan, Santa Rosa, Cabuyao and Calamba; Lt. Canuto Aritao in Lumbang, Longos, San Antonio, Paete, Pakil and Pangil; Major Roman Dimayuga/Lt.
As he persuaded Relova to reconsider his leave of absence on September 20, 1900, Cailles said the Pila-born officer is “one of the strong arms in defending sacred interests—believes him a worthy patriot and citizen animated by love of country, incapable of abandoning its people to desolation and misfortune.” This was possibly the most glowing tribute that the general ever made to any of this subordinates.
After General Emilio Aguinaldo ordered the shift from conventional to guerrilla warfare on November 13, 1899, the Cailles forces conducted ambuscades, sabotage and other activities against the Americans.
On September 27, 1900, Cailles ordered Relova to arrange troops and make an attack on a convoy that frequently goes from Santa Cruz to Pila and retreat to Buhanginan.
In February 1901, Cailles transferred the towns of Los Banos and Bay from Col. Julio Herrera to Relova's command after an “anomalous condition’ of the city governments in these areas, including Alaminos that led him to believe that these have fallen to the invaders’ hands.
On April 4, 1901, Cailles told Relova that “Prudence and clemency cannot be extended to those who far from withdrawing from the enemy, remain at their side, assisting them by any means in their work, for which reason, you in use of powers conferred upon you concerning political order, can direct the capture and delivery before me of the acting priest of that town and of the citizen,_____________, being traitors, citizens fatal to the country, unless they respond to a friendly call which you will make them, in order that they may return to the ground of legality.” .
He also added that Relova's favorite food were tinolang manok, puchero, sinigang na baboy and sinabawang kibal.
Relova became blind in his later years due to a horseriding accident in Barangay San Francisco in Victoria, Laguna, where his farm was located.