151. CABATUAN, 110 YEARS AS A SETTLEMENT

 

CABATUAN, 110 YEARS AS A SETTLEMENT

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano, LPT

05 March 2022

 

One hundred ten years ago today, March 5, 2022, couple Juan Cadeliña and wife Maria Galutira arrived on a Tuesday in what is now the town center of the Municipality of Cabatuan, Isabela. They are the first registered Christian settlers from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte who braved Northern Luzon in search for new opportunities. To remember this day, the Histomiano Library of History in coordinated efforts with the Local Government Unit of Cabatuan and the Isabela Tourism Office unveiled in 2019 a historical marker of the first "munisipyo" of Cabatuan used when the barrio became independent from the mother-town Cauayan after 37 years since the first migration.

The marker reads: “THE 1ST SEAT OF THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF CABATUAN, ISABELA. 1 National Highway, Saranay, Cabatuan, Isabela, Philippines.

Cabatuan, Isabela was created as a regular municipality on November 5, 1949 by virtue of Executive Order No. 293 signed by President Elpidio Quirino in Malacañang. The new town commenced its operation on January 1, 1950 and the first seat of the municipal government was this residence owned by couple, Rafael Maniego Gozum and Marciana Borromeo Ramos-Gozum. The first batch of municipal officials stayed in this private Gozum residence, free of rent, from January 1, 1950 up to June of the same year.

The appointed municipal officials and employees who held office in this edifice were: Hon. Teodulfo D. Rumbaoa (Municipal Mayor), Hon. Nicolas T. Almirol (Municipal Vice Mayor), Hon. Federico P. Acio (Municipal Councilor), Hon. Sofronio N. Corpuz (Municipal Councilor), Hon. Luis B. Gomez (Municipal Councilor), Hon. Filomeno S. Miguel (Municipal Councilor), Hon. Damian S. Tomacruz (Municipal Councilor), Mr. Ramon A. Acosta (Municipal Secretary), Mr. Luis C. Monforte (Municipal Treasurer), Atty. Dominador C. Mina (Justice of the Peace), Mr. Norberto V. Abad (Chief of Police), Mr. Wilfrido T. Dayrit (Municipal Agronomist), Mrs. Maura A. Sales (Puericulture Center Nurse), Mr. Rafael M. Gozum (Principal Clerk), Mr. Rodolfo Cagabi (Internal Revenue Clerk), Mr. Benicio H. Bartolome (Land Tax Clerk), Mr. Ciriaco Aguinaldo (Market Collector), Mr. Antonio Padua (Sanitary Inspector).

This two-storey historic Gozum Ancestral House was built after World War II and was the home of Mr. & Mrs. Rafael M. Gozum, their children (Librada, Renato, Victor, Liliosa, Sylvia, Amelia Flor, Rafael Mateo Jr. & Milagros Andrea), grandchildren and great-grandchildren since 1946. The ground floor was renovated in the 1980s and the second floor repaired in 2018. This residence is a witness in the political, social, economic and infrastructure development of Cabatuan, known as the Land of the Golden Grains. The following municipal officials of Cabatuan, Isabela resided in this house: Hon. Feliciano A. Ramos (Barrio Lieutenant of old Barrio Cabatuan), Hon. Rafael M. Gozum (1st Elected Municipal Mayor), Hon. Marciana B. Ramos-Gozum (Municipal Councilor), Hon. Liliosa R. Gozum-Miano (Municipal Vice Mayor), Hon. Amelia Flor R. Gozum-Carreon (Sangguniang Bayan Member), Hon. Troy Alexander G. Miano (Sangguniang Bayan Member), Hon. Jasmin C. Lapuz-Miano (Sangguniang Bayan Member).

This marker was installed March 5, 2019 to commemorate the 107th Anniversary of the arrival of the first Christian settlers in this part of Isabela and to immortalize the contribution of this 73 year-old Gozum Ancestral House as cultural heritage of this town bearing the pride of the continuing progress and development for generations of Cabatuanenses to bear witness.”

The land where Cabatuan now nestles was once the abode and hunting grounds of the indigenous people Kalingas. Governor-General (1880-1883; 1897-1898) Fernando Primo de Rivera y Sobremonte issued a decree on January 15, 1881 allowing Ilocanos to migrate to Cagayan Valley to plant tobacco and retain the industry after the Tobacco Monopoly. Droves of Ilocanos came to Isabela but it was only during the administration of Cauayan, Isabela Municipal President (1907-1910), a former Katipunero, Bernardo Dacuycuy y Cadiz that the Cabatuan area would be conceptualized as an Ilocano settlement. Don Bandung, the popular moniker of Presidente Municipal Dacuycuy, instructed a certain Salvador Uao to survey the vast track of friar lands southwest of Cauayan near the Magat River. Seeing that the locality was suitable for settlement, Don Bandung invited his relatives and close friends in Ilocos Norte to migrate to southern Isabela.

The pioneering Ilocanos from the North started arriving in 1912, bringing with them their families, relatives and friends. Aside from the Cadeliñas, the following were the first settlers: Pedro Acob (with Dorotea Foronda, arrived June 1912), Francisco Alejo (with Sergia Pedro, arrived November 1913), Leocadio Acio (with Escolastica Padron, arrived February 1914), Bernardo C. Dacuycuy (with Maria Dacuycuy, arrived March 14, 1913), Agapito A. Pilar (with Cañuta A. Sales, arrived April 12, 1914), Cirilo A. Guerrero (with Genoveva Bagain, arrived May 2, 1914), Rafael Padron (with Guillerma Vea, arrived May 1914), Roman Rivera (with Anacleta Acoba, arrived June 1914), Felipe Aczon (with Aniceta Sales, arrived August 1914), Pablo C. Marcelo (with Margarita Juan, arrived August 1914), Mariano Acosta (with Marcelina Vea, arrived September 1914), Pedro Labasan (with Liberata Ramones, arrived November 1914), Donato Tejada (with Rafaela Basilio, arrived in 1914), and Apolinario Visaya (with Alejandra Rivera, arrived 1914).

Other pioneers from Bacarra who came in batches were: Teodoro Abad, Gregorio Abad, Juan Acedo, Vitaliano Acoba, Agapito R. Acosta, Sabas Basug, Maximiano C. Borromeo, Jose Castillo, Fructuso Cadeliña, Juan Constantino, Tito V. Diego, Arcadio Domingcil, Pantaleon Domingcil, Protacio R. Domingcil, Alvaro Galapon, Desiderio M. Guillermo, Ignacio Juan, Isidro Lazaro, Domingo Llamelo, Victor Llamelo, Teofilo Mercado, Feliciano A. Ramos, Martin Sales, Teodoro Tejada, Baltazar Vea, and Miguel C. Yanuaria.

After the Ilocos Norte migrants, several waves of settlers particularly locals from Ilocos Sur, Pangasinan and Central Luzon region came to Cabatuan. The Chinese also migrated to Isabela and opted to permanently reside in the locality and inter-married with young Ilocano maidens. The bulk of the Chinese migrants came from Amoy (now Xiamen), China in the 1930s. One of the pioneering Chinese, Tomas Uy, had a grandson who became the 9th municipal mayor of Cabatuan, Hon. Charlton L. Uy, who also celebrates his 45th birthday today, March 5.

Today, let the young Cabatuanenses know that five scores and ten years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this land by the great Magat, a new settlement conceived in search for greener pasture and to have a distinct land of their own which would eventually be known as the “The Land of the Golden Grains”.