69. PALANAN, THE LAST STAND OF THE FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

PALANAN, THE LAST STAND OF THE FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

22 July 2018

Palanan is the last coastal town for this term to benefit the Provincial Government of Isabela’s BRO Farmers Congress. The whole Isabela team arrived by plane from Tuguegarao City via WCC Sky Pasada and the others from Cauayan City via Cyclone Airways. I made the standard operating procedure of paying courtesy to the mayor and handed over historical research materials of the province followed by the discussion of potential tourism sites and issues that may arise upon the opening of the Ilagan-Divilacan Road. Though, there is no road linking Divilacan and Palanan, the latter can be reached only in a two-hour boat trip traversing the shores of Northern Luzon southwards. The lady local chief executive, Hon. Elizabeth B. Ochoa, belongs to the illustrious Bernardo family of this 409 year old coastal town.

Palanan, the last stand of the first Philippine Republic, is the oldest Spanish Christian settlement in Isabela. In 1588, 430 years ago, Palanan which is situated in the mid-easternmost coastal side of Isabela, became a visita or temporary shelter of Casiguran (now a town of Aurora province) with 700 persons and 250 tributes. Home of the Dumagats (Negritos), Palanan, was originally a part of the alcaldia of La Laguna. On July 22, 1609, the visita of Palanan was approved as a pueblo through the initiative of Franciscan Fray Blas Palomino on the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. In 1625, Palanan was officially accepted as an ecclesiastical mission. In 1658, Palanan was administered by the Augustinian Recollects and in 1703, the coastal town was returned to the Franciscan fathers. In 1705, it was transferred to Nueva Ecija upon its creation as a province. In 1839, Palanan came under the jurisdiction of Nueva Vizcaya and in 1856 it finally became a part of Isabela de Luzon province.

The name “Palanan” originated from the inverted Aeta word “nanatap” which means “catch”. Bishop Patrick Harmon Shanley (1896-1970) wrote in his book, The Erlinda, that the name was either derived from the Tagal word “palanan” which means “preparation” or from the Ibanag word “palanakko” meaning “I fear that …”, denoting a feeling of apprehension.

Part of my official function as Provincial Tourism Officer is to visit and make ocular inspections on existing and proposed tourism sites of the province. After coordinating with the municipal mayor and the local tourism office, we proceeded to Dicotcotan Beach in barangay San Isidro on board a motorized banca via the Palanan River (Pinacanauan de Palanan River). After half an hour, we entered Palanan Bay between barangays Culasi and Maligaya. A long sandbar serves as a natural harbor and protects motorized boats and bancas docked in Culasi. We followed the coastline eastward for over thirty minutes until we reached a private resort in Dicotcotan Beach near Palanan Point - the world class Bilay Makadawi Resort. Barangay San Isidro, originally Dicotcotan, is one of the twelve barangays of Palanan. This village, facing the Philippine Sea, has a primary school and a small chapel dedicated to San Isidro Labrador and inhabited by soft spoken hospitable people.

The following day, we visited the famous Blue Lagoon, officially called Diminalno Lake which means “the water comes from a spring”. I rode a single motor lent by Municipal Tourism Officer (also PESO Manager) Myrose Baricaua-Alvarez. We were guided by another motorcycle driven by a staff of the MDRRMO and a guide from the local tourism office named John Paul. After half an hour, I turned right in a small village at Purok 4 in Barangay Villa Robles and the magnificent blue-colored lagoon revealed its superb view. Youngsters swam in this scenic natural cool water pool filled with fresh water fishes. As I roamed around the vicinity I saw a smaller blue lagoon and found out that all waterways leading to the lagoon has blue water flowing. I decided to have a sample of the water for study and research to know the reason why the water is bluish. There are many other natural wonders in Palanan from the Palanan Bay in the Philippine Sea to the steep mountains of the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. Worth mentioning are: White Sand Beach in Barangay Didaddungan, Culasi Beach in Barangay Culasi, Sad-Sad Falls in Barangay Maligaya, Blue Lagoon in Barangay San Jacinta, Kanataw (Canatao) Lake in Barangay Didian, Digoyo (Hanno) Lake in Barangay Didaddungan, Kanasamuyan Creek and Cave in Barangay Didaddungan among others. Touring around, I noticed numerous carabaos (water buffalo; Bubalus bubalis) along the riverbanks. The Municipal Planning Development Coordinator informed me that an estimate of 2,000 heads still exist from the original 1:1 ratio with the local residents numbering around 5,000. The decrease was due to massive wholesale to mainland Isabela.

Other notable tourist attractions are the St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church, its belfry with three century old bells, the vestiges of the old Spanish period Catholic Church and most of all, the two Aguinaldo Monuments located near the banks of the Palanan River. The first monument was erected in 1962 during the term of Mayor Aladino R. Bernardo who initiated the fundraising for the Aguinaldo bust, commemorative marker, pedestal and grounds. With 114 acknowledged donors, the bronze plaque reads, “MARKER COMMEMORATING THE LAST STAND OF THE FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC UNDER GENERAL EMILIO AGUINALDO AND HIS SUBSEQUENT CAPTURE IN PALANAN BY GENERAL FREDERICK FUNSTON ON MARCH 23, 1901. ERECTED ON INDEPENDENCE DAY JUNE 12, 1962. PALANAN, ISABELA.” The grounds of the historical site undertook “general improvement during the local administration of Hon. Angel A. Bernardo from Congressional Initiative Funds sponsored by Hon. Rodolfo B. Albano, Majority Leader”.

The second monument was constructed in 2001 with the bust of the General being transferred from the old base to the new foundation. An official marker was issued by the National Historical Institute (NHI) to commemorate the treacherous capture and the new monument was inaugurated in the presence of the grandnephew of General Aguinaldo, former Prime Minister (1981-1986) Cesar Emilio Aguinaldo Virata. During this period, I was invited by the NHI and the Provincial Government of Isabela to lecture on the details of Aguinaldo’s flight from Malolos (Bulacan) until he reached Oscariz, Isabela (now part of Ramon town), crossed the Sierra Madre to Palanan and eventually captured. These series of activities including a week trek in the Aguinaldo trail from San Mariano town to Palanan marked the Centennial of the Capture of Aguinaldo in Palanan (March 23, 1901 – March 23, 2001). The NHI marker reads: “ANG PAGDAKIP KAY HENERAL EMILIO AGUINALDO. SA BAHAY NA NAKATAYO SA POOK NA ITO NADAKIP SI HENERAL EMILIO AGUINALDO NG ISANG PANGKAT NG ISKAWT MACABEBE KASAMA ANG DATING OPISYAL NG HUKBO NI AGUINALDO NA SINA HILARIO TAL PLACIDO AT LAZARO SEGOVIA AT APAT NA AMERIKANO SA PAMUMUNO NI BRIGADYER HENERAL FREDERICK FUNSTON NOONG HAPON NG MARSO 23, 1901. INILAGAY ANG PANANDANG PANGKASAYSAYAN NOONG IPAGDIWANG ANG IKA-100 TAON NG MAKASAYSAYANG PANGYAYARING ITO.”

Palanan is not only historically famous in the Philippines but also in the annals of the history of the United States of America during their first ever conquest for territories outside the American continent and their rise to imperialism. The infamous capture in Palanan became headlines in U.S. dailies which include The San Francisco Call (March 28, 1901 issue), San Francisco Chronicle (August 4, 1901 issue), New-York Tribune (March 29, 1901 issue), The Salt Lake Herald (April 4, 1901) and even the French Le Petit Journal/Parisien on its April 16, 1901 issue.

Yesterday, July 20, Palanan started to celebrate its 409^th founding anniversary and patronal fiesta. We joined the first of a three-day celebration commencing with a zumba at four in the morning followed by a Fun Run and a tree-planting activity at the proposed waste disposal facility in Barangay Dimalicu-licu. The BRO Farmers Congress started by seven and lasted past twelve followed by the “Kainang Bayan”. The day ended with a street party with live band. The second day was opened with a parade around the poblasyon, palaro ng lahi, ball games exhibition, procession and a dance showcase during the cultural and inter-agency night. The last and culminating day, July 22 - the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, began with a thanksgiving Mass followed by the drum and lyre exhibition and the Miss Ramp Model Palanan 2018 in the evening. For three consecutive nights, fireworks display was witnessed by the Palananons.   

Palanan, home of the Dumagats, the oldest Spanish Christian settlement in Isabela and the last stand of the first Philippine Republic, is endowed with rich and glorious past, abundance in natural resources and blessed with many natural wonders and scenery. It is sad to note that most Isabeleños have not been in Palanan and the coastal towns. Many Isabeleños have died without seeing the beauty of coastal Isabela. I strongly suggest that my provincemates should at least visit Palanan and is adjoining coastal settlements at least once in their lifetime.