MUNICIPALITY OF BURGOS (ILOCOS NORTE), Historical Data Part I
PART I
PART I | PART II
[Cover Page]
Memorandum No. 34, s. 1952
Bureau of Public Schools
DIVISION OF ILOCOS NORTE
BANGUI DISTRICT
Burgos Elementary School
April 17, 1953
Principal
APPROVED:
District Supervisor
[p. 1]
HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE TOWN
Part One: History
1. Present Official Name of the Town - - - BURGOS
2. Former Name or Names and Their Meanings and Derivation:
The former name of the town was Nagpartian, a word in Ilocano which means a place where they slaughtered. There is a certain story about how it was so-called.
Long, long ago, when the Spanish priests reigned supreme in localities, there lived one friar who was very tyrannical. Time and again, he required high taxes and duties from the laymen, so came the time the people couln't endure [anymore]. They decided to kill him. The friar was able to escape to the northern part of the town. They chased him there so that place is now called "Nagsurot," an Ilocano word meaning "a place where they followed." The witty priest found a route to the southwestern part of the town, thinking perhaps that no layman was there to ambush him. Too bad, he was caught. This place got its name "Nagsabaran," which means the place where they ambushed. The brought the cruel friar to the town where they slaughtered him like a beast. Such was how the town got its name "Nagpartian," or [the] place where they slaughtered.
There is another belief as to why it was called Nagpartian. During the early Spanisht times, sea pirates or tirongs were prevalent in the northern coasts of the Philippines. They desired to penetrate to the interior parts of the place on their vintas by going
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up streams or rivers. When they were at Capurpurawan, they landed to secure some provisions. This was not a far place from Nagpartian, so they reached it. Mopping [mapping?] the whole place, they found out that there was no river nor good road to the sea. So, they called it "Naparitan," meaning a forbidden place — but they mispronounced it to Nagpartian.
3. Date of Establishment:
4. Names and Social Status of Founders:
5. Names of Persons who Held Official Positions in the Community with the Dates of Their Tenures, if possible:
During the Spanish regime, the leading officials were the Governadorcillo [or Gobernadorcillo], Capitan Municipal, Teniente Absoluto, Cura Parroco, Jueces de Sementera y de la Policia, and Maestro Municipal.
Among those persons who occupied those positions were the following in succession, but their tenures of office could not exactly be given.
[p. 3]
| Gobernadorcillo | Cura Parroco | Jueces de Sementera |
|
1. Jorge Dumagat 2. Julian Ravelo 3. Toribio Campañano 4. Telesforo Garalde 5. Telesforo Calapini 6. Julian Garalde 7. Modesto Vila 8. Romualdo Garalde 9. Marcial Garcia 10. Alvaro Garcia |
1. Alejandro Josue 2. Evaristo 3. Mariano Madarang 4. Juan Jaramillo 5. Sinforoso Bonoan 6. Antonio de la Cuesta |
1. Marcos Garpirio 2. Telesforo Garalde 3. Justo Fayloga 4. Brixio Campañano |
There were two maestros municipal that deserve mention before the coming of the Americans to this place: Mariano de la Cruz and Candido Cardona.
Titles of the leading officials during the American regime changed to: Presidente and Vice-Presidente, Mayor and Vice-Mayor, Justice of the Peace, Councilors, Municipal Treasurer, Municipal Secretary and Chief of Police.
The following persons who held leading positions were:
| Presidente | Vice-Presidente | Secretary |
|
1. Telesforo Garalde 2. Juan Ignacio 3. Basilio Macadaeg 4. Eulalio Fermin 5. Leon Garcia 6. Mariano Perucho 7. Macario Garcia 8. Marcial Calapini 9. Felix Garcia 10. Damaso Garcia |
1. Juan Ignacio 2. Basilio Macadaeg 3. Leon Garcia 4. Angel Bumagat 5. Macario Garcia 6. Felix Ignacio 7. Marcial Calapini 8. Quirino Garalde 9. Damaso Garcia 10. Santos Lagpacan |
1. Zacarias Espejo 2. Quirino Garalde 3. Asisclo Pante 4. Rodolfo Binemerito 5. Primo Garalde |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
| Municipal Treasurer | Chief of Police | Justice of the Peace |
|
1. Felipe Aguinaldo 2. Petronilo Magarro 3. Pablo Nagtalon |
1. Leon Madamba 2. Marcial Calapini 3. Damaso Garcia 4. Ignacio Dacuycuy 5. Primo Garalde 6. Santiago Garcia 7. Aldrico Ignacio |
1. Estanislao Samonte 2. Ramon de Luna 3. Maria J. Guerrero 4. Valeriano Andres |
[p. 4]
Japanese Regime
| Mayor | Vice-Mayor | Secretary |
| 1. Damaso Garcia | 1. Santos Lagpacan |
1. Macario Salango 2. Bernardo Albano |
| Treasurer | Chief of Police | |
|
1. Elpidio Velasco 2. Rodolfo Benemerito |
1. Santiago Garcia 2. Macario Salango |
Military Regime
| Mayor | Vice-Mayor | Secretary |
| 1. Josefino Macadaeg | 1. Felizardo Malavi |
1. Eliseo Ignacio 2. Gregorio Jamorabon |
| Treasurer | ||
| 1. Alfredo Miguel |
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
After World War II
| Mayor | Vice-Mayor | Secretary |
|
1. Quirino Garalde 2. Asisclo Pante 3. Santos Lagpacan |
1. Santos Lagpacan 2. Ramon Calapini 3. Felizardo Maravi 4. Casiano Bumagat 5. Antonio Garcia |
1. Gregorio Jamorabon 2. Priscilla F. Garaza 3. Jose Delgado 4. Felix Vila 5. Domingo de Luna 6. Ireneo Ibalio 7. Norberto Cacal 8. Benjamin Campañano |
| Municipal Treasurer | ||
|
1. Alfredo Miguel 2. Asisclo Pante 3. Demetrio Manjares 4. Pedro Blanco 5. Pedro Velasco 6. Juan Batuyong 7. Armin Cariaga 8. Francisco Albano 9. Procesio Prudencio 10. Petronilo Magarro |
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6. Data on Historical Sites, Structures, Buildings, Old Ruins, etc.
a. Historical Sites - There are no historical sites established by the Spanish and Americans in this town. The Japanese left structures called trenches built of concrete which were used for protecting them from enemies during an encounter. Two concrete trenches are situated just to the southeast of the Gabaldon school, because they used this building as their headquarters.
b. Buildings - The first permanent school building was built during the term of the American Civil Governor Gabaldon. The schools established then were called Gabaldon schools in his honor. The school still stands as it was. Years later, the need for more school buildings of three rooms were erected. During the Commonwealth form of government, a public dispensary buildling was erected to house patients who needed strict treatment.
c. Old Ruins - There is only one replica of old Spanish times in this town. It is the old ruins of the Catholic church situated right in the heart of the town.
7. Important Facts, Incidents or Events that Took Place.
8. Destruction during Wars
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a. During the Fil-American War of 1896-1900 [The Fil-Am War did not start until 1899, so this period should have dealt more with the revolution against Spanish sovereignty.] - The populace was maltreated by the Katipuneros, having suspected them to have looted the big boat wrecked at Bobon. In 1941-1945, during the course of World War II, the town was a victim of the atrocities of guerrilla men more than the Japanese. On November 13, 1944, a guerrilla unit raided the town, looted properties, burned all houses and the main Central School Building with its Home Economics Building, killed thirteen leading men and brought ladies to the mountains. One of them was killed, too, for having married a Japanese. On December 13, 1944, another set of civilians were killed by the guerrillas residing at Tanap. Aside from the school buildings that were burned, the Public Health Dispensary and municipal buildings were demolished by fire as a result of the guerrillas' atrocities. In summary, in this town, there was only one death victim of the Japanese cruelty and no fire destruction brought by them, whereas the guerrilla forces brought down lives as well as properties of civilians on a large scale.
b. Measures and Accomplishments toward Rehabilitation and Reconstruction following World War II:
The United States War Damage Commission paid nearly all burned houses of the town, including the municipal buildings, public health dispensary building and school buildings, that it enabled the people to reconstruct their abodes again. There are about seventy-five houses standing in the vicinity now. Luckily, beneficiaries of dead soldiers during the war and disabled veterans are receiving pensions
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so that this is another help towards the town's rehabilitation. The Parent Teachers Association has constructed an intermediate school building. The total number of teachers housed at present at the Central School, including the Principal, composed to only 5 before the war. [The preceding sentence was badly typed or composed such that its thought is lost.]
Part Two - Folkways
The domestic and social life of this town is not free from certain traditions, customs, and practices like those of other places.
In case of birth, if the mother has difficulty delivering, the husband is summoned to pass three times over the abdomen of the wife. After birth, the child is laid down over and upside down [on a] winnowing basket. Usually, they give the child the honey juice so that the child will be bold when he gets old. The mother and child will be under confinement on an inclined bed with a stove of fire nearby, for nine days, 13 days, 15 days, 17 days, 21 days, and the case may be dependent upon the number of births the mother has [previously] given, the first child having the longest confinement and vice-versa. Baptism during the olden days in this town took place on the third day from birth, but nowadays, it depends upon the readiness of the family to celebrate the occasion. Usually, the child is sponsored by pairs ranging up to any number whom the parents wish.
Courtship way back during [the times of] our great grandfathers' times was done by the bridegroom's parents. They selected the bride for their son and [the bride and groom] would only see each other when arrangements were through. The dowry was ready in the form of land
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animals, carts, jewelry, and a sum of money which they called parawad. The marriage then took place with merriment. From the church, the newlyweds marched to the house, usually under one umbrella, accompanied by the band. The celebration took place first in the bridegroom's house, then the bride would have her turn, too. In order to acquire money the sponsors and relatives of both parties, the newlyweds danced the fandango at the center of the sala with one plate each for placing the money. The relatives of the man placed their "bitos" on the man's plate, and the relatives of the woman placed theirs on the lady's plate. After the dance, the old folks handed in all the amounts to the couple. Nowadays, the method of courtship [has] changed, the man being the one to select for himself the woman he likes best for his better half. Dowry or no dowry, they can just marry as long as it is the arrangement of both parties. However, there are still cases when the dowry is called for.
There is a certain belief connected with marriage. The dropping of a bride's veil during the ceremony brings bad luck to the couple. When the couple gets up the stairs, the one who is behind will live shorter. They are usually handed a lighted candle each and the one whose candle will be extinguished first will have the shorter span of life.
In cases of death, it is a practice to place the death in the middle of the house, the body following the direction of the floor. Under the dead person is placed a basin of water. At the yard near the stairs is a bonfire. At the time the body is brought down for burial, no one is allowed to look through the window. There is always one member
[p. 9]
of the family, that is, the nearest kin to the dead, who takes the responsibility of observing the "anito." She or he has to stay in one corner of the house on a mat with a pillow and stick there. Whenever she goes out for necessity's sake, she takes hold of a knife and the stick then is accompanied by someone. She is not allowed to sway her hands and open her mouth without biting a part of her veil which has to stay on her head for nine days. Mourning depends upon the closeness age of the dead to the mourners [another badly composed sentence]. If the dead is a child, the length of mourning by the mother is for a month. But if he is of age, the mourning usually takes nine months to a full year, more so if he is the husband or wife. Every night from the death to the ninth night, prayers are said in the house for the dead. Different games and amusements are made waiting for the refreshments prepared in the form of "lenichion," etc., if there is any. On [the] ninth night, the "unras" is held where cakes are offered on a table. The pamisa takes place the following day.
The greatest festival of the town is when it celebrates its town fiesta either to take place on April 25th or June 12th, the feast of its patron saint, St. John the Baptist. To feature the festival, a moro-moro play is staged at the public theatre intermissioned by local dramas and zarzuelas prepared by civic organizations and schools. Other festivals are the Santa Cruz de Mayo, Defontorum (after harvest season), Corpus Christi, and many other days of obligation sponsored by the churches.
This town is rich with songs, games and
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