MUNICIPALITY OF INDANG, CAVITE, Historical Data of Part 1

PART I

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About these Historical Data

The transcription of this page was done using AI technology.

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HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE TOWN OF INDANG

PART I—HISTORY

1. Present Official Name of the Town.

2. Former Name or names and their meaning or derivation

3. Date of establishment

4. Names and Social Status of the founders

5. Names of persons who held leading positions in the community, with the status of their tenure, if possible.

(In the Spanish time, the leading officials were: gobernadorcillo, capitan municipal, teniente absolute, cura parroco, jueces de sementaria y de policia, maestro municipal. In the American time: president and vice–president, mayor and vice–mayor, justice of the peace, councillors, municipal treasurer, municipal secretary, chief of police.)

6. Data on historical sites, structures, buildings, old ruins, etc.

7. Important facts, incidents or events that took place:

1. During the Spanish occupation
2. During the American Occupation to the World War II
3. During and After World War II

(Dates, places, personalities, etc. Political, educational, economic, religious, and other events and developments are to be recorded under this head.)

8(a) Destruction of lives, properties, institutions during wars, especially in 1896–1900 and in 1941–1945)

8(b) Measures and accomplishments toward rehabilitation and reconstruction following World War II

PART II— FOLKWAYS

9. Traditions, customs, and practices in domestic and social life; birth, baptism, courtship, marriage, death, burial, visits, festivals, punishments, etc.

10. Myths, legends, beliefs, interpretations, superstitions, origin of the world, land, mountains, caves, seas, lakes, rivers, plants, trees, animals; sun, moon, stars, eclipses, earthquakes, lightning, and thunder; clouds, rain, wind, storms; changes of climate, other natural phenomena; first man and woman, birth of twins or more; sickness, witchcraft; magic; divination; etc.

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[There appears to be a missing page before this one, and the list below continues from that missing page.]

11. Popular songs, games and amusements
12. Puzzles and riddles
13. Proverbs and sayings
14. Methods of measuring time, special calendar
15. Other folktales:

(Materials on those topics may preferably be written in the local language and should be accompanied with English translation, either literally or free, whichever is more effective in conveying the idea embodied therein.)

PART III—OTHER INFORMATION

16. Information on books and documents treating of the Philippines and the names of their owners.
17. The names of Filipino authors born or residing in the community, the titles and subjects of their works, whether printed or in manuscript form, and the names of the persons possessing them.

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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF INDANG

The general belief is that Indang became a town several hundred years ago. It was named after a big tree “Indan” which grew in the place. Nobody knows when and by whom it was made a town as there is no record to show it.

At first, Indang was composed only of the poblacion. However, some people lived outside the place in some scattered “Pulo”. Afterwards, the barrios of Gahitan, Palocpoc, and Anuling were created.

Sometimes in 1874 the people of the three barrios above led by their prominent men asked the Spanish officials to make their barrios into a town because they were so far from the poblacion that they received very little or no protection at all. After studying the request, the Spanish officials including the priest approved it. The three mentioned barrios were made into a separate municipality called Mendez–Nuñez on December 31, 1875 in an executive order signed by Governor General Malcampo.

The first Capitan Municipal of Indang was Juan Dimabiling. Then Alejandro Ocampo, known as “Capitan Andoy” became the Capitan Municipal he ordered the people to live in places nearer the poblacion so that they could be better protected. Under his leadership, roads were built to connect each place to the poblacion. In this way twelve different barrios were created: Alulod, Bancod, Banaba Cerca, Buna Cerca, Daine, Guyam, Karasutchi, Calumpang Cerca, Kayquit, Lumampong, Mahabang Kahoy, and Tambo. At the head of each barrio was a “Tiniente del Barrio”. With the changes in the Capitan Municipales of the poblacion and with the increase in population, the town was made bigger. More barrios were added such as, Limbon, Tambong Balabag, Buna Lejos, Calumpang Lejos, Kaytambog, Lumampong Balabag, Tambong Munting Kulit. Likewise, several sitios came about like Kaytapos– sitio of Bancod, Pulo– sitio of Kaytambog, Harasan– sitio of Guyam, Guyam Pilipit–sitio of Guyam, Balagbag–sitio of Mahabang Kahoy. Thus the different barrios as they are now were formed.

Indang now is a large highland town with a total population of 16,559 according to the latest census. It has a total of 6,438 hectares of agricultural land, about 3,203 hectares of which were cultivated, the rest planted to crops such as coconuts and fruit–bearing trees. Agriculture and farming are the leading industries. Copra, fruits, corn, and upland rice are the most important products of the locality. Sinamay weaving is still an important occupation of the women in the barrio of Banaba while the native saddles are made in Daine and Kayquit. Ropes made of “yunot” or “cabo Negro” taken from the base of “Irok” trees are produced in the barrios of Alulod and Bancod. The

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town itself is a trading center, it being the center of communication and transportation of the upland town.

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Governadorcillos of Indang

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REPORT ON THE NAMES OF THE CURA PARROCO OF INDANG

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DATA ON HISTORICAL SITES, STRUCTURES, BUILDINGS, OLD RUINS, ETC.

1. Limbon, a Historical place.

Limbon is a small barrio on the eastern extremity of the town of Indang, along the provincial road to Silang, Cavite. This barrio became well known and important in the Philippine history, because it was here that the Great Plebian Andres Bonifacio was captured, which led to his trial by court martial in Maragondon and execution in Mt. Buntis, a Sitio of Maragondon, Cavite.

In March, 1897, in an assembly held in San Francisco de Malabon, where an election was held to elect the officers of the Revolutionary Government and General Aguinaldo was elected president, the election of Bonifacio as Director of the Department of Interior was questioned by the leaders present. They argued that he was not fit to hold that position because he was not a lawyer. This angered Bonifacio and he bolted the assembly. He took with him his followers to continue the fight against Spain, but independent of the Aguinaldo Government. Aguinaldo did not like this dissension and ordered General Pawa, a Chinese General fighting under Aguinaldo, to capture Bonifacio.

When Bonifacio reached Indang, Cavite and heard that the Indang Catholic Church was being used as Spanish refuge, he called Don Severino de las Alas, who was then the head of the town and ordered him to burn the said church. Don Severino did not obey the order, believing that the church is the house of God. This angered Bonifacio and further widened the split between the two revolutionary leaders, Don Severino being a follower of Aguinaldo. He then took his followers eastward toward Silang.

It was while resting in the barrio of Limbon, Indang, Cavite, in a stone fortification, built by the Spaniards, that his encounter with General Pawa occurred. During the fight, Bonifacio was wounded and he and his brother

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were captured. From here, they were taken to Maragondon, where they were court martialed and eventually shot at Mt. Buntis. The old stone fortifications where Bonifacio made his last stand, was already destroyed but the old mango tree inside the old fort where Bonifacio rested, is still living, a grim reminder of the tragic end of the Great Plebeian.

2. THE INDANG CATHOLIC CHURCH is one of the very few remaining churches built during the Spanish time. It is one of the very few that has withstood the ravages of wars and nature. With the exception of a few minor repairs, the church still retains its original paintings and architecture.

During the revolution, after the break between Aguinaldo and Bonifacio, and while Bonifacio was in Indang, Cavite, he ordered Don Severino de las Alas to burn the said church. This angered Bonifacio, who then was about to burn the church himself, but for the hostile attitude of the town people. Then he found out that the town people were determined to protect their church, he left eastward to Silang, and thus the church was saved.

During the Japanese Occupation, when the outlaws under General Patricio Erni and Colonel Nemesio Inigo, threatened to enter and ransack the town, many of the people stayed and slept in the said church. The outlaws were not able to push on their plan, many attributed the failure to the miraculous work of the town Patron Saints, San Gregorio and the Seven Archangels.

Even the plan of the Japanese Army, who built walls around the town Plaza, to massacre the town people, was not carried out, again due to the miraculous Patron Saints.

3. THE TOWN PLAZA, where stands the monument to the National Hero, was nearly made the graveyard of the town people. During the later part of the Japanese Occupation, when the Japanese were resorting to the killing of civilians, the town people were made to construct a fence around the town plaza, made of coconut leaves and bamboos, and were made to dig ditches inside, This

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According to reliable information, was to be the place where the Japanese planned to collect all of the town people and to be killed en masse, and buried in the pits dug, before they retreat. Again, many attributed the failure to carry out the plan, to the town’s Patron Saints, San Gregorio and Seven Archangels. It was said that the Japanese often saw seven small boys who caused them lots of trouble, that they decided to go away without carrying their cruel plan. Many believe that it is the will of God and the Patron Saints that the town and its people were saved.

4. THE INDANG RURAL HIGH SCHOOL, the pioneer Intermediate School in the province of Cavite. Sometime in 1908, and under two American teachers, the first American school in this town was established. It was housed in a small building and the pupils were many grown-ups. The pupils were reclassified according to age and abilities. The group found to be more advanced in abilities and age, were taken to the place now the site of the Indang Rural High School. During the early days, it was named Indang Intermediate School. Later the number of teachers was increased and an American Principal was appointed. Some time later, however, Filipino teachers were added to replace those Americans who went away until the faculty was composed entirely of Filipino teachers. Many prominent men of Cavite studied in this School. In 1910, when more lands were acquired through the generous donations of Don Severino de las Alas and Mr. Francisco Ocampo, the former purely academic Intermediate school was converted into an agricultural school and named Indang Farm School. All the intermediate grades of Indang were accommodated in this school. In 1925, the first year agricultural high school was added and the grade V class was transferred to the Indang Elementary School. In the succeeding years, the second, third and finally the fourth year high school was added to make it the Indang Rural High School, which is its name at present. Mr. Simeon Madiangonay, the last principal of the Indang Farm School was

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appointed also the first principal of the Indang Rural High School. Agricultural course for boys and Home Economics for girls are given. At first the school was maintained jointly by the Provincial and National Government, but at present it is exclusively maintained by the National Government.

During the Japanese Occupation, it was named the Provincial Agricultural High School and also at one time made a training center of the Japanese Imperial Army. During the Japanese Occupation many of the work animals as well as the foreign breeds for breeding purposes were stolen by the outlaws. Most of the shop and farm tools and implements were looted.

After the liberation, the school was re–opened and the name Indang Rural High School was restored. The breeding stocks of foreign animals were acquired like the Berkshire Boars, Holstein Bull and White–leghorn and Hampshire chickens. The mechanized farming was introduced with a modern tractor and other modern farm implements.

The establishment of the school is a blessing to the upland region of Cavite, in which agriculture is the chief means of livelihood. It has now an area of approximately 29 hectares, devoted to farming in which future farmers are trained in Horticulture and animal husbandry with modern mechanized methods of farming.

Aside from modern farming and modern housekeeping taught there the school has many scenic views, which attract not only the students but also the town people and outsiders as well. At the outskirt of the town, leading to the School, is a panoramic zigzag road, passing over a beautiful stream crossed by a wide wooden bridge. This stream has a beautiful waterfall from a man–made dam. But the real pride of the School and

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the town of Indang is the School’s swimming pool, with fresh, cool and clear water from a little spring nearby. The swimming pool, unlike other swimming pools, is continuously supplied with fresh water, so that the water is running not stagnant. Around the pool are beautiful scenery, like the terraces, fountain, small pools with giant water lilies, kiosk and rest houses that lend to the beautification of the place. There is also a diving board where more skilled swimmers may enjoy fancy diving and the others may enjoy the show. It is a very good refuge during the hot months, where picnickers may pass an enjoyable whole day of fun and frolics.

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DESTRUCTION OF LIVES, PROPERTIES AND INSTITUTIONS
DURING WAR IN 1941–1945

The town of Indang (the poblacion) had its share in the destruction of lives, properties and institutions during the Japanese occupation. It contributed to no less than thirty lives of citizens who served in the Army and Navy. Several persons alleged to be bandits were executed by the Japanese at the Municipal cemetery. One was killed while escaping from concentration, and one starved into death at the public Dispensary. During the Japanese occupation in the town, many people had been killed, because they had been suspected as guerrilla. The Japanese tortured and killed whoever they suspected as guerrilla. Due to the lack of proper nourishment, the health of the people became so poor that they became easily susceptible to diseases such as malaria, dysentery, beri–beri and tropic ulcers. Because of poor medical attendance due to scarcity of medicine the death rate became exceedingly high.

When the Japanese landed in the Philippines, the town people evacuated to the barrios and the town became practically an evacuated town for about three months. Chickens and hogs were slaughtered without replacements. Robberies, brigandage and kidnapping became rampant. Commandeering foodstuffs and valuable articles and forceful soliciting of monetary contributions by the outlaws who posed as patriots became common. Foodstuffs allocated for the town were smuggled out and sold at black market prices by unmerciful retailers and businessmen who took advantage of the situations.

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Wearing apparel was hard to get. The people were inactive in the pursuit of livelihood. No private or public improvements or constructions were made.

The Municipal Government functioned under the Japanese–sponsored government and later under the puppet Philippine Republic. All stains of democracy and of American influence were being wiped out. Classes in schools were conducted but under a revised curriculum patterned under Japanese influence. All organizations of western traits were forbidden. There were no Parent–Teachers Association organization, Athletic Meet; Boy Scouts organization and other civic organizations. Religious ceremonies became less pompous and social activities limited and less elaborate. Transportation and communication were very poor and slow. Water and postal services were later stopped.

During the three years of Japanese occupation, lives were cheap; liberties curtailed; women’s rights were violated, property rights were violated and institutions of general welfare suffered.

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