166. KAYAPA

 

KAYAPA

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

27 January 2023

Fate gave me the rare chance to be invited as a guest speaker in a local government unit (LGU) on their fiesta and foundation day celebrations outside my province. Today is my first time to be offered to speak in an LGU occasion in the Province of Nueva Vizcaya. I only got the chance to pass by the old settlement of Kayapa whenever I visit the City of Pines via the Aritao Bambang-Ambuklao-Baguio Road. Kayapa seats in the southern portion of the Cordillera Mountain Range.

The municipal officials headed by Mayor Elizabeth Dipas Balasya, M.D. spearheaded the opening ceremonies. In my short talk, I commended the LGU for being the flower haven of the province and for contributing much to agriculture especially their organic vegetables. Furthermore, I mentioned that they are truly blessed by the Almighty for being located at the cradle of Mother Nature atop the Caraballo Mountain Range and that they should utilize their area for sustainable tourism. Moreover, I assured the local officials that DOT will provide technical assistance with regards to capacitating the stakeholders and frontliners in their jurisdiction. After my message, I immediately left for Isabela to catch up with the culminating night of the Bambanti Festival 2023 of Isabela wherein I was tasked to deliver the message of the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, Hon. Ma. Esperanza Christina Garcia Codilla Frasco.

The Kayapa festivity with the tagline: "Owag shi Kayapa" or “a Unified Victory Shout of the People,” is essentially a chance for the people of Kayapa to express gratitude to God Almighty for the benefits the municipality has received over the past year and to ask for additional blessings as the Local Government begins yet another year of transparent governance toward sustainable development in the context of its forefathers' belief and traditions.

The first military expedition against the Kayapa Igorots was in November 1591, when Pedro Sid and his soldiers went up by the river of Yguat (Awa or Pingkian river). His troops took possession of Pingkian in the name of Spain. But nothing came out of the declaration, for the Spaniards left the area soon thereafter, leaving the Kayapa Igorots as free as ever.

The next expedition against the Kayapa Igorots came 159 years later, the expedition namely of 1750, consisting of 500 soldiers from Cagayan and 35 soldiers from Nueva Vizcaya. The expedition first attacked the llongots in the east, then proceeded to the west to "the Igorots of Awa and Paniqui and engaged them in battle". The Spanish chronicler said, they wrecked "havoc on said pagans, killing, burning, and laying everything to waste."

From 1740 to 1753, under Fr. Manuel Almazan, Vicar of Bayombong, and of Don Agustin de la Puerta, commander of the fort of Aritao, military expeditions were launched against the Igorots of the west, the area that would later fall under the Comandancia Politico-Militar of Kayapa.

LGU records reveals that in 1754, Governor-General Don Pedro Manuel de Arandía Santisteban (1699–1759) sent Comandante Dovilla, who was based in Pangasinan, to establish a civil government and spread Christianity among the non-Christian Tribes. The mission first saw the Valley of Yapa (Yapa meaning bountiful) which was inhabited by the Allagots, the second descendants of the Bormangi and Owak, and the third descendants of the Kalanguya, Ibaloi, Ilo-o, and Karao tribes who settled in the fertile valley. When the comandante (commander) and his company arrived in the valley of Yapa, the villagers entertained them under a big tree called “Kalabao”, which stood in the middle of the valley. It was from these words “Kalabao” and “Yapa” where the present name “Kayapa” was coined.

The people of Kayapa were industrious, using the waters that flow from the mountains to plant cabbage, beans, potatoes and camote. These crops they sold to the lowland provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Pangasinan, and in return bought such products as blankets, wine from nipa, as well as dogs which they loved to eat.

Besides the agricultural products mentioned above, the Igorots of the Kayapa district used to make knives, spears and grubbing hoes out of broken iron and steel bought from lowlanders. They also made sleeping mats, knapsacks, screens or sieves for cleaning rice. All these the Igorots brought down to Pangasinan and Nueva Vizcaya, to barter for animals and clothes.

The Igorots of this district of Kayapa "also dedicate themselves in the extraction of gold from the Anbayuan river which carries considerable particles of this metal: an operation which they do with much patience."

For almost two centuries, Kayapa was a part of the province of Pangasinan and the Spanish Civil Government ran and controlled nearly all institutional establishments and several rancherias. The area of the Cordillera mountains proved difficult to control by the Spaniards. Formerly called La Montañosa meaning mountainous, the area was subdivided into six comandancias politico-militar including Kayapa in 1891 by Governor-General (1888-1891) Valeriano Weyler (1838-1930).

With the erection of the comandancia politico-militar the Spaniards established two missions in the district of Kayapa. One mission was in the capital of the district, namely Kayapa proper, with St. Michael the Archangel for patron saint. Upon assuming office as missionary of Kayapa in 1894, Fr. Ran built a chapel and convent, which he finished in 1898. Fr. Jose Celaya. O.P., succeeded him in the remaining months of 1898, before the army of the Revolution came to the north. The chapel and convent were burned during the Revolution, two months after they were finished.

The second mission in the district of Kayapa was in Awa or Pingkian, with Sta. Cruz or Holy Cross for patron. It was attended to, likewise, by Jose Celaya, O.P. Incidentally, Fr. Celaya changed the name of Pingkian to Sta. Cruz, but "in 1919 the original name, Pingkian, was restored in a resolution by the provincial board, introduced by Third Member Emilio Tolentino. He gave as strong reason that the word Pingkian explains the fact that the confluence of the two rivers, Awa and Cabanglasan, clashes violently in in this place." It might be interesting to note that today the patron saint of the Church of Kayapa proper is no longer St. Michael the Archangel, but Sta. Cruz, the former patron of the church of Pingkian.

As per records, the following served as capitan mayor: Don Dayag Sabbengeg (1893), Don Pacquias Ngulob (1897) and Don Gawe Balico (1900).

A decree was proclaimed by the Governor General concentrating the Igorots under the rule of Spanish friars who ruled through tyranny, cruelty, hard labor and severe punishments that led those who resented flee to the mountains and joined the revolutionary forces under the leadership of General Emilio Aguinaldo, who fought back the Spaniards in the year 1900.

When civil government was established by the Americans, they re-organized numerous municipalities in the country. From 1901-1904, Kayapa became a part of Tayug, Pangasinan. On January 1, 1913, by virtue of the Executive Order No. 9, the municipality of Kayapa again became a part of Benguet, Mountain province. On January 29, 1915, Governor-General Francis Burton Harrison signed and issued Executive Order No. 9, transferring all territories of the former Spanish Commandancia of Kayapa, except the area which lies within the Benguet watershed of the Agno River, from the sub-Province of Benguet to the Province of Nueva Vizcaya.

The following served as municipal district presidents of Kayapa: Don Bugnay Pantaleon (1901-1904), Don Culangan Bunglay (1905 & 1907), Don Pacquias Tacon (1906), Don Punasan Dontogan (1908-1910), Don Balico Caasi (1911-1913), Baldasan (1913-1917 & 1919-1921), Don Dang-is Pasuyao (1914-1915), Don Culamo Tidang (1915-1919), Don Diclas Don Fernando Anuma (1921-1923), Don Pagad-o Basatan (1923-1928), Don Lacquias Matias (1928-1931), Don Cuyangan Gabbat (1931-1934), and Don Codiaman Alicay (1934-1936).

In 1938, the term “president” was changed to “mayor” and the following served as municipal district mayors of Kayapa: Hon. Egme Lamsis (1937-1940), Hon. Manuel Sabino (1940-1941), Hon. Emilio Tolentino (1942-1943) and Hon. Jose Bugnay. While the municipal district of Pingkian were as follows: Hon. Saquiapao Willie (1943-1947) and Hon. Silang Balasya (1947-1950).

On November 11, 1950, President Elpidio Quirino signed Executive Order No. 368, reorganizing the territory of the ten municipalities of the Province of Nueva Vizcaya and abolishing the existing five municipal districts, thus, creating the Municipality of Kayapa. The Municipal Districts of Kayapa and Pingkian were merged into a new town bearing the name of the former. On December 5, 1950, Hon. Castillo M. Tidang was elected the first mayor and served from 1950-1958 & 1964-1976. The following served as municipal mayors: Hon. Gregorio Odiong (1958-1959), Hon. Joel Senot (1960-1963), Hon. Melecio B. Jocson (1976-1977), Hon. Haris Ponoc (1977-1978), Hon. Castillo B. Tidang, Jr. (1979-1986 & 1988-1998), Hon. Fabian S. Ngaloy (1986-1987), Hon. Rodolfo Pudiquet (1987-1988), Hon. Simeon B. Fernandez (1998), Hon. Tony A. Dupiano (1998-2004 & 2004-2007), Hon. Valdez A. Duntogan (2004), Hon. John D. Balasya (2007-2016), Hon. Paul D. Ligmayo (2016-2019), and Hon. Elizabeth D. Balasya (2019 to present).

In Article 9 of Rev. Fr. Pedro V. Salgado’s book, Cagayan Valley and Eastern Cordillera (1581-1898), the historical development old Kayapa was extensively narrated showcasing the rich background of the municipality and its people. As I looked around and talked with the local residents before the start of the opening program for the Agri-Tourism Trade Fair at the town center in Barangay Pampang, I can strongly sense that Kayapa will flourish when it comes to tourism because of the beauty of nature surrounding the town, the richness of its culture and arts and the hospitality of its people. Mabuhay KAYAPA!