124. EVOLUTION OF THE BARANGAYS OF CABATUAN

EVOLUTION OF THE BARANGAYS OF CABATUAN

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

05 November 2020

 

On March 5, 1912, the pioneering Ilocanos from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte started arriving in what is now the town center of Cabatuan particularly in what are now Barangays Del Pilar and San Andres. The locality was the hunting grounds of the indigenous Kalingas from nearby Cordillera. Cabatuan was the name used to refer to the locality because of the abundance of “bato” or stones in the area particularly along the great Magat River. Another version states that the place was known as “Ambatuan” by the native Kalingas, a term which also referred to the stones of the great river. However, in old maps and documents during the early part of the American Occupation, the name “Cabatuan” appears together with the name “Sili” which was enclosed in a parenthesis, revealing that the whole locality across the banks of the mighty Magat now encompassing Barangays Sili, Calabaza & Saranay in Aurora town, was once referred to as “Cabatuan”. In 1914, Cabatuan officially became a barrio of the old pueblo of Cauayan.

During the same period, another group of Bacarreños settled upstream the Magat and named their village as “Villa Visaya”. In the 1940s, Villa Visaya expanded and another community was born and was named as “Diamantina”.

In the 1920s, the two barrios of Sarrateña and San Lucas were formed by Ilocanos from Laoag and Sarrat in Ilocos Norte. The great flood of 1936 by the Magat submerged the San Lucas territory prompting its residents to merge with the neighboring barrio. In 1946, the barrio was renamed to “Luzon”.

Also in the 1920s, pioneering Ilocanos from Ilocos Sur, migrated to southern Isabela and settled along the banks of the Magat and in 1932 the new settlement was christened as “Culing”.
The 1920s was also the period when a hamlet grew near the old barrio of Marasat, now part of San Mateo town. The pioneering Ilocanos, however, deserted the locality when the Magat and Macañao rivers swelled. The mirants from Nueva Ecija replaced the Ilocanos and occupied the territory known as “Tandul Viejo”. No records are on hand if there was a barrio named “Tandul Nuevo” since normally these two terms and names compliments in other.

In 1924, Ilocanos from Laoag settled along the Macañao River near Sarrateña and formed a neighborhood named “Canan”.
Around 1928, the settlements of Caggong and the adjacent Del Pilar were formed. However, the population of the latter decreased and Caggong incorporated Del Pilar to its territory. In 1942, near Barrio Caggong, the Barrio of Buenavista was born.

In 1938, Pangasinenses from Tayug settled near the Macañao River and formed a community christened as “Katayugan”. In 1941, it became a barrio and renamed to “Namnama”.
The settlement of Macalaoat was considered as a barrio before World War II erupted and its Ilocano residents came from Barrio Macalauat in old Angadanan town.

After the Second World War, Barrio Cabatuan became populated and expanded its residential areas inland. Cabatuan was divided into districts and eventually one of the districts boomed and was named as “Magdalena”.

Upon the creation of Cabatuan on November 5, 1949, eleven barrios were extracted from the mother-town of Cauayan. They were: Cabatuan, Buenavista, Caggong, Canan, Culing, Diamantina, Luzon, Macalaoat, Magdalena, Namnama and Villa Visaya. The three sitios were: Nueva Era, Sampaloc and Saranay. Barrio Tandul Viejo, on the other hand, was dismembered from San Mateo town and joined the newly minted municipality of Cabatuan.

In 1951, a major re-organization was made creating the new barrios of: Calaocan (from Culing), Centro East (from the old Barrio of Cabatuan-poblacion), Centro West (from the old Barrio of Cabatuan-poblacion), La Paz (from Canan and Namnama), Nueva Era 1 (from Culing), Nueva Era 2 (from Culing), Sampaloc and Saranay. Barrio Buenavista, on the other hand, was joined with Barrio Caggong while Barrio Villa Visaya was also incorporated with Barrio Diamantina.

In 1956, two additional barrios were formed. Barrio Del Pilar was created from Magdalena while Barrio Del Corpuz was extracted from Nueva Era 1.

In 1964, Barrio Centro West was renamed to “T. Abad” honoring one of the founders of Cabatuan, Señor Teodoro Abad while Barrio Centro East was simply called “Centro”. Also the same year, Barrio Caggong was re-christened to “Rang-ay” while Barrio Tandul Viejo was simply called “Tandul”. Barrio Nueva Era 1 was renamed to “Culing West” while the remaining fraction of old Culing was called “Culing East”. Barrio Nueva Era 2 was plainly called “Nueva Era”.

In 1969, Barrios Culing East, Culing West and Del Corpuz were chopped to accommodate a new barrio and named Culing Centro.

The continuous re-organization of the barangay administrative and political set-up divided Barrio Macalaoat and in 1972, the Barrios of Magsaysay and Paraiso were created. The territory of Barrio Magsaysay was derived from the western portion while Barrio Paraiso got its land area at the eastern side of Macalaoat. Also in the same year, Barrio T. Abad was again renamed to “San Andres” to honor Cabatuan’s patron, Saint Andrew the Apostle.

Today, the Municipality of Cabatuan has 22 barangays, namely: Calaocan, Canan, Centro, Culing East, Culing Centro, Culing West, Del Corpuz, Del Pilar, Diamantina, La Paz, Luzon, Macalaoat, Magdalena, Magsaysay, Namnama, Nueva Era, Paraiso, Rang-ay, Sampaloc, San Andres, Saranay and Tandul.