67. ILAGAN @ 332ND & THE BONIFACIO FREEDOM PARK

ILAGAN @ 332^ND & THE BONIFACIO FREEDOM PARK

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

30 May 2018

The City of Ilagan in Isabela, celebrating its 332^nd patronal fiesta, inaugurated another landmark right in the middle of the crossroad going to the poblasyon and the national highway heading for the north to Aparri and the south to Manila. Mayor Evelyn “Mudz” Catolico-Diaz spearheaded the ceremonies together with Vice Mayor Vedasto D. Villanueva, the City Council, department heads, chiefs of line agencies, CSOs and other groups. Rev. Fr. Amadeo Vinasoy offered a prayer after the ribbon-cutting ceremony and blessed the whole Bonifacio Freedom Park grounds including the Giant Botaka, Bonifacio Monument and analogous structures, Tourist Information and Assistance Office, Pasalubong Center and Stage.

When the Spaniards arrived in the Irraya region in the late 1600s, Bolo, the forerunner of Ilagan, was already a settlement headed by Manoto and Sino. On April 21, 1619, San Miguel Arcangel de Bolo (formerly Barangay Naguilian-Baculod and now Barangays Naguilian Norte and Naguilian Sur) was made an ecclesiastical mission by the Dominicans under the patronage of Saint Michael the Archangel. Fray Pedro de Santo Tomas was the cura parroco together with Frays Diego Beneto and Francisco de Santo Domingo as helpers and Don Hernandez de Paz as encomendero. The name Bolo probably was derived from the word “bulu” which referred to a kind of reed or cane. After the Irraya rebellion of 1621, Bolo town became extinct.

Another community within what is now the City of Ilagan, which existed even before the founding of the Christian Bolo was Talama. In 1604, Nuestra Señora dela Asuncion de Talama was founded by the Dominicans. It was a settlement between the town centers of Tumauini and Ilagan, now known as Barangay Bangag. In 1608, Talama was refounded as Abbuatan. The name Abbuatan (or Abuatan) could have come from the word “affud” which means “the trunks that remain after the trees have been cut or burned” or from the word “abbuag” which means “to tear up a plant by its roots” referring to the overflow of the Cagayan River during typhoons uprooting trees and carrying them elsewhere. The historian, Fray Diego Aduarte, stated that Abbuatan was “the richest and the most prosperous Indians in all that region”. Like Bolo, Abbuatan ceased to exist in the Irraya rebellion of 1621.

In 1678, Bolo was recreated by the Dominican missionary Fray Pedro Jimenez and the resurrected pueblo was renamed to Ilagan.  Unlike the old Bolo which was situated in the western side of the Cagayan River, Ilagan was on the eastern side (now the present site). The name Ilagan was an inversion of “nagali”, an Ibanag word for “moved” probably referred to the transfer of the town site from the old barrio of Naguilian-Baculod to the present site due to security and economic reasons. The version of Fray Julian Malumbres was that the name was derived from the word “laga”, an Ibanag term for “smallpox”, which broke out perhaps at the time of the town’s founding.

By virtue of a Royal Decree, Ilagan became the capital of the newly created province of Isabela on May 1, 1856. In 1867; however, the capital was transferred to Tumauini only to be moved back in 1876. At present, Ilagan is still the capital of the province.

Ilagan has attempted to gain cityhood status at least five times in its history: First, during the Spanish colonization period, Ilagan applied to gain cityhood status from the Spanish Government but was unsuccessful and Ilagan could have been the second city of the Philippines after Nueva Segovia, now Lal-Lo, Cagayan. Second was during the administration of then Mayor Paguirigan, but was shelved during the American occupation. Third was on February 2, 1998, during the administration of Mayor Mercedes P. Uy, when Congress passed Republic Act No. 8474 which sought to convert Ilagan into a city but the plebiscite held on March 14, 1999 turned down its bid for cityhood. The fourth attempt was during the administration of Mayor Delfinito C. Albano which did not push through when the mayor was gunned down on June 27, 2006 in Quezon City. In 2012, the fifth and last try for cityhood materialized during the administration of Mayor Josemarie L. Diaz, together with the leaders of Ilagan, 1^st District Representative Rodolfo B.  Albano, Vice Governor (1^st District Representative) Rodolfo T. Albano III and former Department of Justice Secretary (now DOLE Secretary) Silvestre H. Bello III. On May 22, 2012, by virtue of Republic Act 10169, Ilagan became a component city, the third in the province of Isabela and the fourth in Cagayan Valley. The law was signed by His Excellency President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III and the plebiscite was held on August 11, 2012 with a majority of votes voting, "yes".

Biography.yourdictionary.com revealed that Andres Bonifacio was born in Tondo, Manila, on November 30, 1863. He grew up in the slums and knew from practical experience the actual conditions of the class struggle in his society. Orphaned early, he interrupted his primary schooling in order to earn a living as a craftsman and then as clerk-messenger and agent of foreign commercial firms in Manila. Absorbing the teachings of classic rationalism from the works of José Rizal, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables,Eugène Sue's The Wandering Jew, books on the French Revolution, and the lives of the presidents of the United States, Bonifacio acquired an understanding of the dynamics of the sociohistorical process. This led him to join the Liga Filipina, which Rizal organized in 1892 for the purpose of uniting and intensifying the nationalist movement for reforms. When the Liga was dissolved upon the arrest and banishment of Rizal, Bonifacio formed the Katipunan in 1892 and thus provided the rallying point for the people's agitation for freedom, independence, and equality. The Katipunan patterned its initiation rites after the Masonry, but its ideological principles derived from the French Revolution and can be judged radical in its materialistic-historical orientation. The Katipunan exalted work as the source of all value. It directed attention to the unjust class structure of the colonial system, the increased exploitation of the indigenous population, and consequently the need to affirm the collective strength of the working masses in order to destroy the iniquitous system. When the society was discovered on August 19, 1896, it had about 10,000 members. On August 23, Bonifacio and his followers assembled at Balintawak and agreed to begin the armed struggle. Two days later the first skirmish took place and a reign of terror by the Spaniards soon followed. Conflict split the rebels into the two groups of Magdiwang and Magdalo in Cavite, on Luzon. Bonifacio was invited to mediate, only to be rebuffed by the clannish middle class of Cavite. Judging Bonifacio's plans as divisive and harmful to unity, General Emilio Aguinaldo, the elected president of the provisional revolutionary government, ordered the arrest, trial, and execution for "treason and sedition" of Bonifacio and his brothers. On May 10, 1897, Bonifacio was executed. Bonifacio Day is celebrated every 30^th day of November, his birthdate, and not his death date like most of the heroes and martyrs of the globe.

At the entrance of the Bonifacio Freedom Park is a marker and the dedication reads: “The human mind forgets; the monument reminds. This landmark is a loving tribute to the founder and leader of the Katipunan, Gat Andres de Castro Bonifacio. As we stand before the statue of this great and noble man, we commemorate his admirable sacrifices in pursuing the cause of our freedom. Our emotions are stirred to harmonize with those of gallant men and women who fought and died with him. Their heroism remains indelibly written in our hearts and is, truly, an honor to be hold. The Bonifacio Freedom Park symbolizes in its fortitude not only the visionary whose name it bears, but also our unity and brotherhood as Ilagueño people in our strong resolve to uphold the same ideals that the Katipunan stood for. On these grounds majestically stand impressive icons that demonstrate our creativity, determination and resiliency. With pride we hail, “SULONG PA, ILAGAN!”

Councilor Jay Eveson C. Diaz, Ilagan City Council Chairman on Tourism, delivered the welcome message during the blessing and inauguration of the Bonifacio Freedom Park and he concluded that “Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan teaches us courage and patriotism and the Butaka reminds us of the greatness we can achieve by working together. May this convergence represent our common ground and our common aspiration for the City of Ilagan”.