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

BUREAU OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Division of Cagayan
District of Iguig

HISTORICAL DATA REGARDING THE TOWN OF IGUIG AND ITS BARRIOS

Iguig is a very small town of the province of Cagayan. It is bounded to the north by the town of Amulung, to the east by the town of Baggao and Peñablanca, to the south by Tuguegarao, and to the west by the Cagayan River. It is traversed by living streams, namely: Garing, Abbag, Malabbag, and Macaluway. The centro is situated on hills in the form of a letter "M."

This town was founded by the Rev. Fr. Ambrocio de la Madre de Dios on December 26, 1607. The church and convent were built by Rev. Fr. Pedro de San Pedro from 1765 to 1787 with the help of the natives. The bricks used for the construction were locally manufactured right in the nearby sitios of Salamagui, Ajat, and Nattanzan. The ruins of these kilns can still be seen in these places.

No available records could be found regarding the origin of the naming of this town, but the legend that follows explains how the town got its name.

"Ig was a Kalinga chief who, with his tribe, occupied the thick forest on top of the hill where the church and the convent now stand. He and his people were very friendly. When the Spanish priesed asked for the name of the place, the natives could not tell any for no name had been given yet. What they knew of was that it was the place [torn] The priests thought of giving honor to the chief by naming [torn] Ig and, because it was the only one available, they called it Iguig [torn] the town got its name.

Iguig is the only municipality on this side of the province that has no barrios across the Cagayan River. Its important barrios are Aquiliquilao, Baculud, Capitan, Ugac, Sta. Barbara, Malabbac, Gammad, and Bayo. Besides these barrios, there are sitios such as Sta. Rosa, Minanga, Campo, Salamagui, Dumpao, Santiago, Pattao, Tumbali, Redondo, and Atulut. These sitios are so small that they do not hold so much importance in the municipality.

According to some of the living old men and women, the following were the founders of the municipality: Honofre Rey, Felipe Abad, and Francisco Bautista. They went to the Ilocos Provinces to convert people to come and settle here. As a result, many people with their families from Laoag, Vigan, San Nicolas, Pasuquin, Badoc, Bangui, and other towns came. Their descendants are now inhabiting Capitan, Baculud, Salamagui, Dumpao, Santiago, Sta. Barbara, Aquiliquilao, and Garab.

The Spanish friars were powerful in those days. The appointed the gobernadorcillos and other officials at their will. These gobernadorcillos served the functions of mayors nowadays. The following were the gobernadorcillos:

1. Mr. Honofre Rey - 2 terms
2. Mr. Felipe Abad - 2 terms
3. Mr. Francisco Bautista - 3 terms
4. Mr. Deogracias Rey - 1 term
5. Mr. Manuel Canapi - 1 term
6. Mr. Anselmo Rey, Sr. - 1 term
7. Mr. Manuel Magalad - 2 terms
8. Mr. Blas Rey - 2 terms

The other officials could not be recalled, so no record can

According to Mr. Modesto Arcalas and Mr. Francisco Peñafiel, the oldest men who gave the information, the following were the town officials during the American regime beginning in 1901, in their order of administration. The first two presidents served 1 year each; the third 2 years; and the rest 3 years.

1.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Police Sergeant

Mr. Blas Rey Mr. Santiago Bautista Mr. Justo Cordoba Mr. Luis Rey The President Mr. Francisco Peñafiel

2.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Police Sergeant

Mr. Antonio Canapi Mr. Jacinto Maramag Mr. Apolonio Pamittan Mr. Mariano Castillejos The President Mr. Francisco Peñafiel

3.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Police Sergeant

Mr. Francisco Bautista Mr. Apolonio Pamittan Mr. Justo Cordoba Mr. Luis Rey Mr. Tomas Villafuerte Mr. Francisco Peñafiel

4.

a. President b. Vice-President c-d. Secretary & Judge e. Treasurer f. Police Sergeant

Mr. Agustin Peñaflor Mr. Luis Canapi Mr. Antonio Canapi Mr. Primitivo Villanueva Mr. Santiago Callueng

5.

a. President b. Vice-President c-d. Secretary & Judge e. Treasurer f. Chief of Police

Mr. Luis Canapi Mr. Pedro Cordoba Mr. Antonio Canapi A certain Mr. Perez of Tuguegarao Mr. Ignacio Pamittan

6.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police

Mr. Santiago Cordoba Mr. Norberto Peñafiel Mr. Marcelo Cepeda Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Jose Montilla Mr. Ignacio Pamittan

7.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police

Mr. Anastacio Balinan Mr. Jacinto Mallillin Mr. Marcelo Cepeda Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Jose Montilla Mr. Ignacio Pamittan

g. Councilors

Mr. Querubin Segador Mr. Manuel Ruma Mr. Mateo Guerrero Mr. Macario Salvador Mr. Mateo Callueng Mr. Filomeno Ruma

8.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Santiago Cordoba Mr. Felix Canapi Mr. Marcelo Cepeda Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Jose Montilla Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mr. Vicente Barias Mr. Manuel Ruma Mr. Juan Orosco Mr. Federico de la Cruz Mr. Filomeno Ruma Mr. Mariano de la Cruz

9.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Felix Canapi Mr. Juan Orosco Mr. Jose Montilla Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Felipe Sagguilig Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mr. Mariano Gannaban

Mr. Manuel Ruma Mr. Marcelo Eleydo Mr. Vicente Barias Mr. Gabriel Pedralvez

10.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Lorenzo Magalad Mr. Tomas Rey Mr. Cecilio Caren Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Facundo Cumagun Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mr. Agustin Maddammu Mr. Jacinto Rey Mr. Cerafin Barcelon Mr. Francisco Barizo Mr. Severo Ballinan Mr. Tomas Pelovello

11.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Lorenzo Magalad Mr. Pedro Cordoba Mr. Cecilio Garen Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Facundo Cumagun Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mr. Cerafin Barcelon Mr. Agustin Maddammu Mr. Ceferino Tuliao Mr. Jacinto Rey

Mr. Bertoldo Ramos Mr. Jose Tuliao

12.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Cecilio Garen Mr. Pedro Cordoba Mr. Lorenzo Magalad Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Facundo Cumagun Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mr. Agustin Maddammu Mr. Jose Tuliao Mr. Jacinto Rey Mr. Jose Callueng Mr. Severo Ballinan Mr. Cerafin Barcelon

13.

a. President b. Vice-President c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Lorenzo Magalad Mr. Francisco Peñafiel Mr. Cecilio Garen Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Elias Canapi Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mr. Agustin Maddamu Mr. Jose Tuliao Mr. Jacinto Rey Mr. Jose Callueng Mr. Severo Ballinan Mr. Cerafin Barcelon

When the Commonwealth Government was organized in 1935, the title president was changed to mayor. The following were the mayors and other officials of the town:

14.

a. Mayor b. Vice-Mayor c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Jose Cabedo Mr. Rutillo Mallillin Mr. Jose Castro Mr. Modesto Arcalas Mr. Nicasio Arranz Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mr. Fructuoso Yadan Mr. Honesto Pedralvez Mr. Fernando Batulan Mr. Jose Callueng Mr. Cerafin Barcelon Mr. Ventura Rey

15.

a. Mayor b. Vice-Mayor c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Jose Cabedo Mr. Damaso Canapi Mr. Anastacio Barias Mr. Arturo Rosales & Mr. Perfecto Lingan Mr. Nicasio Arranz Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mrs. Maria D. Reboredo Miss Carmen Magalad Mr. Fernando Batulan

Mr. Ventura Rey Mr. Andres Tuliao Mr. Fructuoso Yadan

16.

a. Mayor b. Vice-Mayor c. Secretary d. Treasurer e. Judge f. Chief of Police g. Councilors

Mr. Anastacio Barias Mr. Anacleto Garcellano Mr. Felino Cabedo Mr. Perfecto Lingan Mr. Nicasio Arranz Mr. Ignacio Pamittan Mr. Juan Rumbaua Mr. Fernando Batulan Mr. Andres Tuliao Mr. Nicolas Orosco Mr. Teodoro Barias Mrs. Maria D. Reboredo

During the Japanese occupation in 1942-1944, the regular municipal officials refused to take allegiance and fled to the refugee government at Tuao, this province. The Japanese commander at Tuguegarao appointed the following officials:

Mayor Secretary Treasurer Judge Chief of Police

Mr. Jose Castro Mr. Lorenzo Magalad succeeded by Mr. Honesto Pedralvez Mr. Eduardo Muñoz Mr. Remigio Butacan Mr. Felipe Bareo

In 1945, after the liberation of the Philippines by the Americans, the following officials were appointed:

Mayor Treasurer Secretary Judge Chief of Police Councilors

Mr. Rutillo Mallillin Mr. Perfecto Lingan succeeded by Mr. Leonardo Guiab Mr. Emilio Sedano Mr. Santiago Peñaflor Mr. Nicasio Arranz Mr. Juan Rumbaua Mr. Fernando Batulan Mr. Andres Tuliao Mr. Nicolas Orosco Mrs. Maria D. Reboredo

In 1946, there were elections under the Republic of the Philippines. The following became the officials:

Mayor Vice-Mayor Secretary Treasurer Judge Chief of Police Councilors

Mr. Graciano Battung Mr. Basilio Rey Mr. Anacleto Garcellano - 1 month Mr. Leoncio Empedrad - 3 months Mr. Vicente Callueng - rest of the term Mr. Mariano Oñate Mr. Higinio Montilla Mr. Telesforo Cordoba Mr. Macario Banatao Mr. Fernando Batulan Mr. Remigio Narag Mr. Julio Garcia Mr. Andres Tuliao Mr. Luis Sedano

Transcribed from:

Historical Data Regarding the Town of Iguig and Its Barrios, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.