4. FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER

FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

18 November 2016 

I grew up in the Metropolis witnessing the demolition of make shift houses of squatters, now civilly called “informal settlers”. Court orders evict settlers squatting on private properties and sometimes on government owned lands. President Rodrigo Duterte once stated, 18 days after assuming office, that shanties of squatters would not be demolished until the government finds a suitable relocation site.

During the Spanish era, the same scenarios happened when natives settling in packs in the mountains were gathered to be settled in one place to form a town. When time came that the pueblo’s population decreased, the remaining inhabitants were relocated to adjacent towns. A number of other reasons can be read in old missionary correspondence to their superiors why settlements were dissolved or joined with other settlements.

In my two day stint in Batangas, I was able to secure a book at the Museo ni Apolinario Mabini entitled “Ang Kasaysayang Lokal ng Tanauan” by Dr. Imelda J. Dumaual published in 2005. While browsing the pages, I encountered a map of Batangas showcasing the transfer of town sites within the shores of Taal Lake during the Spanish colonial years. Tanauan poblasyon moved twice, same with the old pueblo of Taal. Bauan was relocated trice in 1662, 1671 and 1692, while the old town of Lipa, now a city, was transferred four times.

Nine pueblos in the province of Isabela were not spared from this political and religious relocation. Cabagan town, founded in 1622 and formerly known as Maquila, transferred its town site in 1646 from the junction of the Cagayan and Pinacanauan Rivers of Tuguegarao to upstream at the mouth of the Cagayan and Pinacanauan Rivers of Cabagan, now the poblasyon of San Pablo town.  In 1877, Cabagan was transferred to a new place, the present site. On the other hand, the government center of San Pablo town, formerly Cabagan Viejo, was transferred to Barrio Auitan in 1944 then to Barrio Minanga. In 1959, the poblasyon was restored to its original site, now the present site.

Tumauini town, founded in 1751, transferred the seat of government three times from Talana to Calamagui then to Maggayu and to its present site in 1752.

The capital-city of Ilagan, founded in 1619 and formerly Bolo, transferred in 1678 from what are now Barangays Naguilian Norte and Naguilian Sur to the other side of the Cagayan River now the present site.  

Cauayan, founded in 1739, was transferred in 1768 from Calanusian to its present site in the left bank of the Cagayan River.

The neighboring pueblo of Angadanan, founded in 1745, transferred in 1776 from its original site at the Angaranan Creek east of Bayombong at the slopes of Mount Palali in what is now Nueva Vizcaya province to Dudungan, now the town center of Alicia. In 1896, a second transfer of the town center was made to Camacauan, now the present poblacion.

Echague, founded in 1752 and originally named as Camarag, transferred the town center in 1776 from its present site to the banks of the Ganano River in what is now Barangay Camarag of San Isidro town (but according to Fray Ocio, the actual relocation took place in 1785). In 1863, Camarag was moved for the second time from the Ganano site back to the old site along the banks of the Cagayan River.

Reina Mercedes, founded in 1886 and formerly known as Calanusian, transferred its townsite in 1950 from the banks of the Magat River to the newly constructed national highway in what is now Barangay Tallungan.

Aurora town, established in 1927 and originally named as Dalig, twice transferred its townsite from Dalig (now a barangay of Burgos town) to Kalabasa in 1936 and to Bolinao in 1938. 

Gone are the days when towns are forcibly relocated. Today, only the munisipyo or city hall edifice is moved outside the cramped poblasyon to a more spacious area which is open to expansion and for additional structures.  The capitol building of Isabela in the City of Ilagan was not exempted. It was moved from one place to another, from Barrio Bagumbayan to Barrio Osmeña in 1945 then to Barrio Alibagu in 1992.