167. IMUGAN-SANTA FE-DALTON PASS

 

IMUGAN-SANTA FE-DALTON PASS

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

10 March 2023

Everytime I go home to my mother’s hometown in Cabatuan, Isabela, Dalton Pass was my point of reference hinting that I am halfway in my nine-hour journey. The Pass, previously known as Balete Pass, is a zigzag road and mountain pass that joins the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Nueva Vizcaya, in central Luzon. It is part of the Cagayan Valley Road segment of the Pan-Philippine Highway (Maharlika Highway) or AH 26. The Pass is the gateway of Nueva Vizcaya and the Cagayan Valley Region and is famous as the scene of the much bloody fighting in the Battle of Luzon during the final stages of World War II. Even if my eyes are closed while passing through the area, I know that I am in Santa Fe because of the sharp turns making the vehicle lean and sway.

For almost five decades, I have been traversing and passing through the town of Santa Fe and it is only now that I got the privilege to be invited as the guest of honor and speaker in the town’s fiesta and the 25th Kalanguya Festival. The annual festivity honors the hard-working and culturally rich indigenous Kalanguya people with the aim to conserve, preserve and protect the almost-forgotten Kalanguya cultural heritage because of modernization and technology.

The Santa Fe we now know and see is not the original site of the government center during the olden days. Even the name of the locality was not “Santa Fe” but “Imugan”, a Kalanguya settlement discovered during the mission of Ituy in 1754 under Comandante Dovilla who was sent by Governor-General (1754-1759) Pedro Manuel de Arandia Santisteban (1699-1759) to spread the Christian faith and to establish civil government to the non-Christian tribes which later became part of the jurisdiction of the Commandencia of Kayapa. Kalanguya is a cultural minority belonging to the Igorot tribe.

In 1917, the Municipal District of Imugan was established by American Governor-General (1913-1921) Francis Burton Harrison (1875-1957). On November 11, 1950, Executive Order No. 368 signed by President Elpidio Quirino abolished the Municipal District of Imugan and annexed the territory to Aritao town. On May 2, 1959, by virtue of Republic Act No. 2179, the Municipal District of Imugan was recreated and Section 3 of the law renamed the district to Santa Fe and transferred the town center at the present site. On July 1, 1964, by virtue of Executive Order No. 77 signed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos, the Municipal District of Santa Fe was converted into a regular municipality.

Municipal records state some inconsistencies with the list of early leaders and their terms which were earlier than the creation of the municipal district in 1917 to wit: the following served as municipal presidents: Don Licodan (Kalanguya chief, 1909-1910), Don Domiong Pindog (1911, 1930-1932), Don Molina Baniwas (1912-1914), Don Vicente Ligligan (1915-1917), Don Juan Anuma (1918-1919), Don Bassit Oliano (1920-1923), Don Vicente Petonio (1924-1926), Don Palnac Anuma (1933-1935) and Don Bernardo Mina (1936-1938).

The municipal mayors were: Hon. Bernardo Magabo (1939-1941), Hon. Francisco Whitney (1942-1944, 1960-1961 & 1966-1967), Hon. Pedro Ancheta (1945-1947), Hon. Tomas Mendoza (1947-1948), Hon. Policarpio Garcia (1948-1949), Hon. Tom Chengay (1962-1965 & 1968-1978), Hon. William Chengay (1979-1986, & 1988-1995), Hon. Antonio Andes (1986-1987), Hon. Porfirio Yasay (1987-1988), Hon. Dominga Flores (1988), Hon. Teodorico Padilla, Jr. (1995-2004 & 2010-2013), Hon. Florante Gerdan (2004-2010), Hon. Liwayway C. Camat (2013-2019 & 2022 to present) and Hon. Tidong Benito (2019-2022).

Santa Fe is historically infamous on two great battles which took place towards the end of the Second World War. The forces at war settled upon the strategic locations of Balete Pass in Tactac and Salacsac Pass in Malico. Santa Fe was the major theatre of combat and bottlenecks for both the retreating Japanese Imperial Army and the pursuing Allied Forces of American and Filipino fighters. The Battle of Balete Pass incurred the death of 685 and the wounding of 2,090, 25th Division soldiers between February 21 and May 31, 1945. The Japanese lost 7,750 at Balete Pass.

The Battle of Salacsac Pass, also known as the Battle of Villa Verde Trail, cost the American 32nd Division, 825 killed, and 2,160 wounded. The casualties among Filipino Commonwealth regulars, Constabulary and guerrillas were 285 killed and 1,134 wounded in battle. The Japanese lost 5,410.

Balete Pass has become a historical landmark for Filipinos, Americans, Japanese and even Chinese. Every time I guide someone or groups in this regional boundary, I always bring them atop the monuments and give them a good narration on the very bloody scenario of fierce fighting in the rugged terrain where the Sierra Madre and Caraballo Mountain Ranges conjoin.

On September 18, 1995, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 653, s-1993 (No. 33), the national government directed Local Government Units (LGU) to commemorate annually the anniversaries of significant events related to the Liberation of the Philippines during World War II which includes the Battle of Balete Pass every May 10 to 13 “to awaken in the people, particularly the youth, a renewed consciousness of the eternal values of democracy, freedom, peace, and love of country.”

On May 10, 2016, by virtue of Republic Act No. 10796, the locality was declared as “Balete Pass National Shrine”. The bill in Congress was authored by Deputy Speaker and Nueva Vizcaya Lone District Representative Carlos M. Padilla (1944-2023).

In 2005, the National Historical Institute (NHI) installed a historical marker that reads: LABANAN SA PASONG BALETE. PINANGYARIHAN NG LABANAN SA PAGITAN NG MGA AMERIKANO AT MGA HAPON UPANG MAKONTROL ANG CAGAYAN VALLEY, 21 PEBRERO HANGGANG MAYO 1945. SINALAKAY NG MAGKAKASAMANG PUWERSA NG IKA-25 DIBISYON NG ESTADOS UNIDOS, MGA GERILYANG PILIPINO NA KASAPI NG LUZON GUERILLA FORCES (LGAF) SA ILALIM NI KOLONEL ROBERT LAPHAM, AT MGA TSINO AT NAITABOY ANG PANGKAT NG SHOBU NG MGA HAPON NA PINAMUNUAN NI HENERAL TOMOYUKI YAMASHITA. UMURONG ANG NALALABING HUKBONG HAPON SA PASONG BALETE AT NAGTUNGO SA GITNANG CORDILLERA. DUMATING ANG UNANG PATRULYA NG MGA AMERIKANO SA PASONG BALETE, 9 MAYO 1945. IDINEKLARANG BUKAS SA ALLIED FORCES, 13 MAYO 1945. PINANGALANANG PASONG DALTON BILANG PARANGAL KAY BRIGADYER HENERAL JAMES L. DALTON II NA NAPATAY NG ISANG SNIPER NOON 16 MAYO 1945 HABANG NAGSASAGAWA NG IBAYONG PAGSISIYASAT SA PASONG BALETE MAKARAAN ANG LABANAN.

In my regular travels by the pass made me research on the details of the name “Dalton”. Records reveals that on September 12, 1945, by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 679, the name “Balete Pass” is changed to “Dalton Pass.” in memory of Brigadier General James Leo Dalton (1910-1945). Dalton graduated from West Point in 1933 and earned the Silver Star during the strategically significant Guadalcanal Campaign (1942-1943) in which he commanded the 161st Infantry Regiment as a colonel. Dalton later commanded the 161st during the New Georgia Campaign in 1943 and Battle of Luzon in 1945 before being promoted and reassigned as assistant commander of the 25th Infantry Division. He was killed by a Japanese sniper during the Battle of Balete Pass on May 16, 1945. Recently, however, there are proposals in Congress to revert the name back to its original form.

The Municipality of Santa Fe is a growing tourism hub not only in Nueva Vizcaya but in the whole of Cagayan Valley. Dalton Pass was developed and promoted as a tourist spot since the tenure of Governor (1992-2004) Rodolfo Q. Agbayani and was nurtured and improved further by the succeeding governors; Hon. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma (2004-2013), Hon. Ruth R. Padilla (2013-2016), Hon. Carlos M. Padilla (2016-2023) and Hon. Jose V. Gambito (since 2023). As an added attraction to the iconic landmark, especially for the adventuresome, a zipline had been erected and some huts and basic facilities were also built for the comfort and convenience of the visiting general public. Recently, the historic Villa Verde Trail (Nueva Vizcaya-Pangasinan Road) particularly in Imugan and Malico is swarmed with local and foreign tourists as they enjoy the cool breeze, picturesque and instagramable landscape and mother nature particularly the pine trees and the Imugan Falls.

Santa Fe’s Kalanguya Festival, on the other hand, features beautiful floats, songs, dances, chants and other rituals, traditional arts and crafts flexing the proud Kalanguya culture. One of the more shocking and interesting displays are live sacrifices of animals known as padit, a grand canao (socio-religious celebration) ritual featuring the traditional butchering of pigs, native chickens and two carabaos. These are then boiled and served to all attendees. Tapey (native wine) is also served to guests while the bah-liw was chanted by tribal elders. Officials, guests and the locals dance the tayaw, to the beat of gangha or gangsa (gongs). Indigenous sports such as bultong (wrestling), tug-of-war, bamboo pole climbing, wood chopping, gayang (spear throwing), hanggol (arm wrestling) and dapapnikillum (pig catching) plus tapey drinking and group chanting of the bah-liw are also featured. Within the festival venue are 16 booths (16 barangays of Santa Fe) selling jams and jellies made from bignay or wild berries, santol and guava; farm produce such as sayote, yakun, gabi, camote and other vegetables; Ifugao handicrafts such as woodcarvings and rattan baskets; tiger grass soft brooms; and exotic and beautiful handwoven fabrics used as g-strings by men and tapis by women.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Office 02 has committed in public, during my speech, to provide all the necessary technical support for the tourism industry and the common people of Santa Fe and forged a collaboration with the LGU headed by Mayor Liwayway Dela Cruz Caramat. DOT has already laid-down a solo tourism circuit which would be dubbed as “Gateway to a Great Get-Away”.