MUNICIPALITY OF CAMALANIUGAN (CAGAYAN), Historical Data of Part 1

H I S T O R I C A L     D A T A

CAMALANIUGAN, CAGAYAN

Compilation by

(SGD.) COSME ULIBAS
Principal Teacher

May 3, 1953

Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
BUREAU OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Division of Cagayan

HISTORICAL DATA FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF CAMALANIUGAN

Part One: History

To understand the meaning and derivation of Camalaniugan, the name of the town, the following explanations are given:

A. Ca- as a prefix means "there is" or "there are." -calaniug-, the main word, means "a wild plant that looks like a coconut palm" which grew in abundance in the place when the first settlers found it.

-an as a suffix means "in the place" or "in this place" or "in that place."

B. During the period of its settlement, the wanderers found malaniug plants to be abundantly growing in the place. Using their usual way of talking, they (might have unconsciously) formed "Camalaniugan." We now say "Ca-Iloco-an" (there is Iloco in the place or in this place or in that place), "ca-tarao-an" (there is tarao in that place), "ca-baquir-an" (there is baquir in this place), "ca-turud-an" (there is turud in that place), "ca-ican-an" (there is ican in that place), "ca-nuañg-an" (there is nuañg in that place), "ca-paltat-an," a black fish (there is paltat in that place), etc.

Camalaniugan was, once upon a time, a very big and rich municipality. it formerly included all of Santa Ana, all of Gonzaga, and most of Buguey. Some of the big eastern barrios petitioned for their separation and independence from Camalaniugan. Buguey and Gonzaga became independent municipalities in 1917, thus taking away the richest parts of Camalaniugan. Among these big barrios are the following:

1. Baua (Santa Ana)
2. Casambalañgan (Gonzaga)
3. Casitan (Gonzaga)
4. Dalaya (Buguey)
5. Diura (Santa ana)
6. Maddalaro (Buguey)
7. Masi (Buguey)
8. Mission (Buguey and Gonzaga)
9. Palauig (Santa Ana Centro)
10. Pattao (Buguey)
11. Rumañgay (Gonzaga Centro)
12. San Vicente (Santa Ana)
13. Uañgag
14. Tapel (Gonzaga

The census of October 1 to 20, 1948 shows that Camalaniugan is geographically composed of the following barrios:

Barrios		N u m b e r		Rank	From Junction	Remarks
		Families	Persons
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.	Abagao Afunan Agusi Alilinu Baggao Bantay Balala Cabayu Calassitan Casili Catotoran Centro Cullit Dacalafugu Dammañg Dugo Fugo Fusinac Gañgo Jurisdiccio n Luec Minañga Paragat Taguñg Tuluttuging Ziminila	23 15 30 72 40 44 56 17 24 68 139 220 9 20 77 149 28 29 52 30 25 101 33 19 9 66 1295	118 81 161 343 234 220 298 95 137 315 875 1256 45 112 384 1001 146 150 296 152 137 540 143 123 42 336 7684	24 24 13 6 11 12 9 23 18 8 3 1 25 22 5 2 16 15 10 14 19 4 17 20 26 7	6 Km E 2 Km E 3 Km N 5 Km N 2 Km NW 3 Km S Junction 3 Km E 4 Km E 3 Km NE 7 Km NE 2 Km NE 9 Km SE 1 Km NW 2 Km W 1 Km S 2 Km E 4 Km SE 2 Km S 4 Km S 4 Km E 4 Km W 5 Km SW 8 Km E 2 Km E 4 Km E	Foot of Sierra Madre Along National Road Along National Road do 4 teachers Along National Road Foot of Sierra Madre Business Center Along National Road In the ricefields In the ricefields At Calamaniugan Ferry Government Center Foot of Sierra Madre Along National Road West Bank, Cagayan River 12 teachers, National Rd In the ricefields Foot of Sierra Madre Along National Road Along National Road Along National Road In the ricefields Foot of Sierra Madre In the ricefields In the ricefields do 4 teacher

According to the reports of the census enumerators, the number of families in the municipality is also the number of houses. This seems to be untrue. The fact that some houses are occupied by two or more families was sadly overlooked.

It was established by Datu Baccaranay, the leader, at about the middle of the sixteenth century.

Calamaniugan is one of the oldest towns in Cagayan. It was founded by Capitan Pablo de Carreon, a native of the province of Vixcaya, Spain, in (about) the year 1581. This was a little later than the founding of Lal-lo or Nueva Segovia, which was only fourteen years after Don Juan de Salcedo explored Northern Luzon in 1567. The last in the date when Capitan Pablo de Carreon captured and hanged the brave leader, Guiab, the chief of Calamaniugan who succeeded Baccaranay when he died.

It is believed that the original inhabitants came from the other side of the Cagayan River in a place now commonly called Naguilian or deserted town, or Dammañg, where Datu Bacaranay was the outstanding leader. This man was rich. The mortar where he pounded his buyu was made of gold and his household equipment was said to have been profusely decorated with gold. Old people [torn] say that his clothes were spotted with gold decorations.

Baccaranay had to bring his followers to the eastern side of the Cagayan River in order to save them from the yearly visits of Kalingas from their Rio Chico regions, who would come down to celebrate their periodic feast of killing persons. This Baccaranay was succeeded by Datu Guiab, who was found leading the natives when the Spaniards arrived. The natives did not like the foreigners, so most of them went to Abulug. The Spaniards, too, could not live without the natives, so they also left to come back some years after. This time, the Spaniards sent an expedition to Abulug to bring the natives back to Camalaniugan.

The first inhabitants of Camalaniugan must have been the Ibanags or the people living along the river, which is banaag in the native language.

The first Ilocanos were brought to Camalaniugan by Don Esteban Telan in or around the year 1857 from Magsingal, province of Ilocos Sur. These became the members of this barangay and were assigned to Dugo, which became District No. 12. Don Vicente Nepomuceno's History of Cagayan mentions that the first Ilocanos of Camalaniugan were as follows:

1. Jose Invierno
2. Agapito Mecate
3. Marcelino Concordia
5. Maximo Doce
6. Pascual Dominado
7. Dimas Veniciano
8. Francisco Veniciano
9. Agapito Pascua
10. Julian Pascua
11. Gregorio Ugalino
12. Eusebio Carag
13. Francisco Umbrero

It is said that Dugo must have been inhabited by Kalingas before the Ilocanos came. The suspicion is evidenced by the fact that the first Ilocanos found old Kalinga household utensils and shells.

Governor Primo de Rivera sent some more Ilocanos to Camalaniugan to seek for new and more lands during his administration. The thrift, industry, and true perseverance of the newcomers and those who arrived earlier were the enviable assets of the Ilocanos, who are now more numerous and more economically stable than the natives.

The first missionary, in 1595, was Father Antonio de Soria, who was followed by Father Gaspar Zarfate and who became the first parish priest of this town. Camalaniugan was considered a Christian town on June 15, 1596, with San Jacinto de Polonia as the town patron saint. The church and the convent were the third to have been built in Cagayan, and followed those of Daan a Ili of Abulug. There was a sundial in the churchyard.

The present Barrio Minañga of Aparri was the minañga (opening of the Cagayan River) of Camalaniugan. Aparri's Tuluñgan was also a part of this town, while Aparri's poblacion was still in the depths of the fishy Babuyan Channel. Camalaniugeños used to make their salt in these two places.

There are two prominent languages: the Ilocano language and the Ibanag language. The Ilocanos are scattered in the barrios while the Ibanags are found in the Centro and in the adjacent areas. The two languages are spoken and understood by almost all the inhabitants, and the National Language is becoming more popular among the people, especially the younger generations.

1. Esteban Asiddao
2. Pedro Barisa
3. Vicente Guibani
4. Getulion Limun (before 1896)
5. Herminigildo Iriñgan (before 1896)
6. Domingo Littaua
7. Manuel Littauan (referred to as the most terrible)
8. Francisco Dumaual
9. Tomas Littaua
10. Diego Emalon

1. Domingo Littaua. He was elected in an election conducted by Colonel Daniel Tirona of General Emilio Aguinaldo's Revolutionary Government. He built a pier at the Cagayan River's bank, but it was destroyed by a high flood in 1906.

2. Manuel Littaua. He was also a treasurer of Camalaniugan during the administration of Don Domingo Littaua. He was elected president under Military Governor Colonel Hood, the first American provincial governor of Cagayan. He gave names to the streets in the poblacion.

3. Antonio Iriñgan, 18__ to 1902.

1. Vicente Estaris

1. Rev. Fr. Julian Balincion - 1876-1881
2. Rev. Fr. Marcelino Cascos - 1881-1885
3. Rev. Fr. Santiago Capdevilla - 1885-1890
4. Rev. Fr. Eladio Esteves - 1890-1894
5. Rev. Fr. Buenaventura Matia - 1894-1898
6. Rev. Fr. Isidro Fernandez - 1898-1902
7. Rev. Fr. Trinidad Ranjo - 1902-1908
(The above 7 items were furnished by Mr. Primitivo Siccuan.)
8. Rev. Fr. Pedro Sandavilla (may be the same as No. 3)
9. Rev. Fr. Hilarion Esteves (may be the same as No. 4)
10. Rev. Fr. Marcelino Cases(may be the sameas No. 2)
11. Rev. Fr. Pedro Esteves
12. Rev. Fr. Primo Calseda
(The above items were furnished by Don Vicente Pascual, Don Tomas Calagui, and Don Raymundo [torn])
13. Rev. Fr. Trinidad Ranjo (see also No. 7)
14. Rev. Fr. Eulogio Alcid
15. Rev. Fr. Andres Catral
16. Rev. Fr. Braulio Prieto [torn]

17. Rev. Fr. Francisco Boada - 1936-1937
18. Rev. Fr. Pablo Calueñg - 1937-1943
19. Rev. Fr. Catalino Bañgayan - 1943-1945
20. Rev. Fr. Jesus Gaffud - 1947-1947
21. Rev. Fr. Telesforo Cordova - 1947-1950 22. Rev. Fr. Jose Ingara - 1950
23. Rev. Fr. Gumersindo Dayrit - 1950-

1. Alberto Macapallac
2. Domingo Bañganay

(No data could be obtained.)