Municipality of Bagac, Bataan

Bagac General Information

Bagac is the largest municipality in Bataan in terms of land area, with approximately 23,120 hectares (231.2 km²) representing 16.84% of the total land mass of the province. The humble town is located in the southwestern part of Bataan facing the West Philippine Sea. It is bounded in the north by Morong, in the south by Mariveles, in the east by Pilar and Orion, Limay in south-east and city of Balanga in north-east. It was established as a regular town by the Spaniards in 1873, with St. Catherine of Alexandria as its patron saint. 

Etymology

A few years after the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines some of them traveled along the seacoast looking for a place to live in. They had with them an Aeta as guide. Travelling without a fixed direction, they happened to pass by the place which is hidden between two sharp points extending to the sea. In their conversation, the Aeta uttered the word “lumbak” which meant lying between two hills. As they were crossing the place, they sighted a flock of herons flying overhead. When the Spaniards inquired about the white herons from their guide, the Aeta answered “tagak.” From these two syllables, “Bak,” from the word lumbak and “Gak” from the word tagak, was derived the name Bagac. Since then it remained and still is the official name of the town.

Background

Bagac had been in existence for a long time as a distant barrio of Mariveles, formerly a corregimiento (district) under the territorial jurisdiction of the Province of Cavite. After Morong was established as a town in 1607, Bagac became one of its barrios since the latter’s population and income cannot support a municipality. During this period, Bagac comprised of the sitios of Saysain, Banawang, Tiis, Sinapsap, Kabayo, Salmon, Paysawan and Parang na Mahaba. Later on, immigrants from different parts of the archipelago arrived in Bagac and developed its idle lands.

Mariveles and Morong, together with the barrio of Bagac became part of the newly-recognized province Bataan in 1754. Bagac finally became a regular town in 1873.

Bagac’s name was simply derived from the Visayan word “Bagak” and/or “Bagakay.” When translated to Tagalog, “Bagak” literally means “Kawayan.” “Bagakay“ means ‘kawayanan.” Bamboo tree is Bagak’s English transcription.

It is a established fact that men from the southern islands of the Visayas and Mindanao constituted the biggest number of early settlers in Luzon during the pre-Spanish time. The Visayans, specifically the Warays, also travelled north to be part of the booming barter trade in Manila. A big number of these seafarers possibly ended up in the western part of Bataan after missing the North and South Channels leading into Manila Bay. They were the ones who gave Bagac its name based on the great number of bamboo trees growing along its shores and at the foot of Mount Bataan and Mount Mariveles.

“Longos-Kawayan,” a reef jotting out of Biaan (Mariveles) used to be the unloading point and/or stockyard of bamboos cut from the Bagac forest area. The name alone fortifies the actual derivation of the name of Bagac town.

It could also be concluded that these Visayan seafarers were the ones who gave the names of Kinawan, Binuangan, Paysawan. Caibobo, Salamang, Pasinay and Saysain. These names are definitely not common Tagalog words.

Fr. Rodrigo Aganduru y Moriz de San Miguel, an early missionary from Villadolid (Spain) and recognized as the founder of Morong and Bagac, surely found these seafarers already settled in the two distant villages. He merely adapted ‘Bagak’ as the name of the thinly-populated barrio as given to him by the natives. In the case of Morong, it can only be surmised that its name originated from him (Fr. Aganduru because of its Spanish derivation.

The bamboo and other hardwood trees at the foot of Mount Bataan and Mount Mariveles suffered great devastation when the Cadwallder-Gibson Lumber Company started its operation in Paysawan from 1915 to 1928. Another conflagration of the same intensity hit the Bagac and Morong areas during World War II.

Still, the bamboo trees survived the terrible defoliation. Nowadays we still see numerous patches of bamboo groves along the plains and mountainous areas of Bagac and Morong to remind the people of their great history.

Fast Facts

Today, the town is accessible via by land through the Governor Joaquin J. Linao Highway. It is composed of 14 barangays, namely: Bagumbayan, Banawang, Binuangan, Binukawan, Ibaba, Ibis, Pagasa, Parang, Paysawan, Quinawan, San Antonio, Saysain, Tabing-ilog and Atilano Ricardo. These barangays are classified as either town center barangays, coastal and upland barangays.

This town is primarily an agricultural and also a fishing municipality. It sits on top of a vast potential “goldmine” that is rich in natural wonders and historical places. It has high tourism potentials complete with a showcase of pristine coastal and marine marvels. Heartbreaking coral reefs, white sand beaches, seaside resorts and rugged mountains beaming with rainforests, caves, waterfalls, and World War II historical markers are Bagac’s principal tourist attractions. Bagac, as far as history is concerned, is the second starting point of the 1942 Bataan Death March.

The town has a population of 25,568 as of 2010 Census with skilled workers in the field of masonry, carpentry and welding. They are also into garment manufacturing, gift, toys, housewares and lately, on processing of food products.

Demographics

Population Census of Bagac as per 2010

Income Classification:	3rd Class	Registered Voters (2010): 18,131
Urban/Rural:	Population : (as of May 1, 2010): 25,568
District:	2nd
Barangays (Number: 14)
Name	Code	Urban/Rural	Population
			(as of May 1, 2010)
Bagumbayan (Pob.)	30802001	Urban	1,766
Banawang	30802002	Rural	2,690
Binuangan	30802003	Rural	609
Binukawan	30802004	Rural	2,293
Ibaba	30802006	Urban	1,760
Ibis	30802007	Rural	1,407
Pag-asa (Wawa-Sibacan)	30802008	Urban	3,456
Parang	30802009	Rural	3,073
Paysawan	30802010	Rural	680
Quinawan	30802012	Rural	553
San Antonio	30802013	Rural	1,295
Saysain	30802014	Rural	2,539
Tabing-Ilog (Pob.)	30802015	Urban	1,223
Atilano L. Ricardo	30802016	Urban	2,224

Dialect

Tagalog is the major language constituting in Bagac. English is utilized mainly as the means of bargaining in business.

Local Attractions & Land Marks 

Town of Bagac is a tourism destination and rich in historical land marks, include the following:

Bagac Friendship Tower. 

The monument, symbolizing the renewed friendship between Japan and the Philippines after the events of World War II, was erected by Risshō Kōsei Kai, a Japanese Buddhist organization. The tower was inaugurated on April 8, 1975 and is located about 200 m (660 ft) from where the Bataan Death March started. The 27-metre (89 ft) high tower is composed of three pillars interconnected by several multi-layer rings. It located at the junction of the Gov. Linao National Road and the road to the Bagac town proper

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar 

Is a new tourist attraction and heritage park in town of Bagac. This is a private park and features a collection of 27 Spanish Colonial buildings and stone houses (bahay na bato in Tagalog), planned to resemble a settlement reminiscent of the period. These houses were carefully transplanted from different parts of the Philippines and rehabilitated to their former splendor. It also has restaurants, a beach and a pool. In Las Casas, there are also horse rides.

Montemar Beach Resort

This is an exclusive world-class destination in Bagac. People can easily access the Montemar cove by using rental boats. It  is nestled in a private cove, blessed with lush flora and fauna, white sand beaches and pristine waters of the South China Sea. The resort has Mediterranean inspired inns with 70 well-appointed rooms, two (2) swimming pools, a restaurant, conference building, tennis court, motorized bancas for island hopping and a fishing area. They offer a lot of activities for you and your family and friends. Montemar, where the mountains meet the sea.

Related Posts

Where to stay in Bagac


Source & References:

1. Municipality of Bagac.  Retrieved from bataandiary.blogspot.com, 15  February 2013
2. Bagac, Bataan. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org, 13  February 2013
3. Total Population by Province, City,  Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010". 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Retrieved 13 February 2013.

Last update: 2/16/2013

Read More

The Official Seal of Municipality of Abucay

The SEAL OF ABUCAY is the official symbol of the municipality. It is often used on important documents like communication letters, official transactions and records to guarantee its authenticity. The present seal was introduced and used after the Second World War.

The seal’s design is self-explanatory. Some of the famous landmarks of Abucay were used appropriately in the seal: The Nine Stars simply symbolize the nine barangays comprising Abucay;

The replica of the church and the date 1689 on the upper left quadrant connote the date when the construction of the Saint Dominic Church was completed;

The imitation of the municipal building and the date 1669 imply that the first municipio or presidencia of Abucay was erected in 1669;

The replication of the image of Tomas Pinpin, an Abucay native, and the date 1610 convey the year when the first Filipino printer published his first book “Librong Pag-aaralan ng mga Tagalog sa Wikang Castila” which he co-authored with Fr. Blancas de San Jose; and

The historic and gallant stand of Filipino and American soldiers against the Japanese Army in the Mabatang Defense Line which occurred on January 9-15, l942*.


* Wrong Date:  January 9-15, 1942 is a wrong date. The US War Records Department clearly placed the date of the actual activation of the Abucay-Morong Defense Line on January 6. At the same time,the same defense line was abandoned on January 24. Meanwhile, the Battle of Hacienda ended on January 27. See BATTLE OF ABUCAY DATELINE for related details.)

Source: bataandiary.blogspot.com

Last update: 2/14/2013

Read More

Abucay - "The King of Birds"

During my childhood time,  I already heard the root name of Abucay was derived from legend two Tagalog words Abu and kinaykay. Abu means ash, and kinaykay means “digging” or “raking.” Put together, abu-kinaykay means “gathering ash using a rake.”

But here's the another legend has that Abucay was named after the herons and egresses birds that were abundant in the locality from the ancient period and up to the present time.

The legend dates back from the 13th century when ten datus left Borneo in search for freedom. After days of sailing north, they reached and settled in Panay.  It was here where they heard tales of progressive trading centers in Luzon. This motivated Datu Puti, Datu Balensusa, and Datu Dumangsil and their families to sail northward to be part of such progress. They disembarked in Lemery, Batangas and found other Muslims already inhabiting the area. The three datus spread out to neighboring regions (Laguna, Bicol peninsula and Manila). They were most surprised to see Manila (then called Malilu) already a busy barter center. They also learned that as early as 1225 A.D., Chinese and Japanese traders were already making trips by junks to Mindoro and Manila to barter their products (porcelain wares, silk, umbrellas, jewelry and musk) in exchange for honey, shells, cotton, mats, pearls, fruits and other native products.

     

Datu Dumalugdog, Lubay, Paduhinog and Dumangsol also sailed from Panay to Luzon after learning from Datu Puti, who returned to Panay for a visit, that Luzon was indeed a progressive island and big enough to accommodate more settlers.

The four remaining datus left Panay and sailed northward. Upon reaching the mouth of Manila Bay, Dumalugdog and Paduhinog simply followed the sea map prepared by Datu Puti. They reached Manila without a hitch. They reunited with Datu Balensusa and Datu Dumangsil in a trading post in old Intramuros.

Datu Dumangsol and Datu Lubay, meanwhile, were fascinated by the beauty of the Corregidor Island and took the west route. Sailing northward, the two families simply followed the plight of the thousand migratory birds that were on their way back to China and Japan after spending winter in the tropics.

The datus and their families finally disembarked in an area where thousands of white herons and egresses were feeding and wading along the shore.    

     

Datu Dumangsol and Lubay immediately named the place where they landed as “Abu Bukay,” in honor of the herons and egresses which were abundant in that place. Abu and Bukay are Muslim words which mean “king of birds.” They considered the herons, not the eagles, as the real “king of birds” due to their size, white feathers and capability to fly long distances. . “Abu Bukay” later on became Abukay for easy pronunciation.

   

In a short time, Abucay settlers began trading with Manila and neighboring provinces. When the Spanish missionaries set foot in Abucay, they renamed the place as Santo Domingo. In 1646, it was called by its original name, Abukay. The place was finally recognized as a town in 1588.

   

With this new information, putting up an image of a heron or an egress atop a concrete monument in every entry gate in Abucay will make more sense than installing an image of a man gathering ash with a rake.

Another version of legend of Abucay

Source: bataandiary.blogspot.com

Last update: 2/14/2013

Read More