The present town of Bayambang was originally known as Malunguey or Balunguey, its location being west of the current position of the town. According to historical accounts, the original settlement was near the Agno River, and the soil was conducive to farming. The very first mention of this settlement appeared in the Actas Capitulares of the Dominican Order in the year 1614 when it was included among the visitas of Binalatongan, which is what is known today as San Carlos City. A visita is a community which has a chapel and is visited once in a while by a priest to say mass, baptize or officiate weddings.
The visita of Malunguey later on became the nucleus of a new parish when it was accepted by the Provincial Chapter of 1619 as one of the vicariates of the Dominican Order, putting it under the patronage of Saint Vincent Ferrer. Its first vicar was Fr. Raimundo Vasquez.
It can be deduced that Malunguey at this time was already a town because a parish cannot be established first if a town was not yet organized because priests who were subsequently assigned to the parish were supported by state funds. Part of these funds would come from the taxes collected from the townspeople.
A few years later, a church and a convent made of wood were constructed. However, between 1649 and 1690, the religious administration of Malunguey was reverted to the vicar of Binalatongan. This was so probably because of the difficulty of securing new parish priests who could be assigned full time in the area.
In 1741, the church and the convent was transferred to a place called Bayambang because Malunguey was prone to flooding and parishioners from far-flung places were complaining that pagan Negritos were attacking them whenever they went to church to hear mass. It was said that the place called Bayambang was far better than Malunguey because it was located on a higher ground and was also near the Agno River. From thereon, the town of Bayambang was never transferred.
As for the origin of the word Malunguey or Balunguey, no document so far has been found to explain its meaning. Even in the Pangasinan language, no word exists that will point to its meaning. Even in the oral tradition of the town, the word Malunguey/Balunguey is unheard of.
On the other hand, there are many theories as to the origin of the word “bayambang.” According to oral tradition, it came from the word “balangbang” which means “waist.” The story goes that a Spaniard was asking a native what the name of the place was and since they were speaking different languages, the native thought that the Spaniard was asking for the local word for “waist” and so he answered “balangbang” and the latter understood it to be the name of the place. The problem with this version is that there is no relation between the concept of “waist” and “town." The second story states that the word ‘bayambang” came from “colibangbang,” a tree with butterfly-like leaves. It was believed that in the olden times, trees of this kind abounded in the southern portion of the town. It is said that its young leaves can be used to sour dishes. The problem with this story, however, is that the word “colibangbang” does not sound closely to “bayambang.” The third story claims that it came from the word “bayang bayang,” which pertains to the scarecrows used by farmers in driving away the anuyais and other birds that feast on ripening palay.
It is clear, however, that by 1614, Malunguey was already existing as a pre-Spanish settlement. This was made more evident when the Dominican Orders made it a visita of Binalatongan in the said year. As a visita, it was periodically visited by a priest assigned in Binalatongan. Second, by 1619, Malunguey was made into a parish by virtue of the Provincial Chapter of 1619, which accepted the casa of Malunguey into the Dominican Order. This action, in effect, led to the assigning of a separate parish priest who looked into the spiritual administration of the people of Malunguey.
Accounts by Dominican friars point to 1619 as the foundation year of the town of Malunguey which was the founding of the parish or when it became a separate vicariate. However, it is also clear that, by 1614, Malunguey was already recognized by Spanish friars as a pre-Spanish settlement. The fact that it was made a visita of Binalatongan confirms its status as an independent settlement even before the arrival of the colonizers. This means that even in the absence of documentary evidences, it can be gleaned that Malunguey was already a socio-political unit however rudimentary it was. The presence of a leader and a defined territory will further affirm the independence of the area. This ran counter to the claim of some Spaniards that the natives whom they encountered upon their arrival in the archipelago were “barbaric and uncivilized.” It can also be inferred that Malunguey must have contacts with other nearby settlements such as that of Telbang which was also identified by the friars themselves as already existing in 1614.
However, in the absence of documents that will point to the exact day of the town’s foundation, the NHCP’s policy of adopting the feast day of a town’s patron saint, Saint Vincent Ferrer on April 5, can be applied. Therefore Bayambang’s foundation date can be put into the books as April 5, 1614. Malunguey, which was the precursor of the present town of Bayambang, is thus one of the oldest towns in Pangasinan.
[This account is based on "A
RESEARCH AND STUDY COMMITTEE REPORT IN DETERMINING THE EXACT DATE OF THE
FOUNDATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF BAYAMBANG, PROVINCE OF PANGASINAN (2010)]
REFERENCES
A. Primary
1. Unpublished
Philippine National Archives. Ereccion de Pueblos Pangasinan. “Ano de 1879. Expediente sobre creacion de una parroquia de Alcala, Provincia de Pangasinan.” Legajo 96, Numero 33.
PNA. Ereccion de Pueblos.”Memoria de la Provincia de Pangasinan de 1883 por El Don Jose Ruiz de Castro.” Leg.79,No.43.
PNA. Ereccion de Pueblos. “Memoria de la Provincia de Pangasinan por el Sr. Don Carlos de Penaranda, ano de 1891.Lingayen,12 de Febrero.”Leg.79, No.42.
PNA. Ereccion de Pueblos.”Ano de 1892.Expediente sobre la traslacion de la cabecera de la Provincia de Pangasinan propuesta por el Jefe de la misma.” Leg.79, No.45.
University of Santo Tomas Archives. Seccion de Pangasinan Tomo 3. “Visita Episcopal Minusciosa, e inventarios de la Iglesias de Pangasinan, 1803.” Fols.249-334.
UST Archives. Seccion Pangasinan Tomo 3. “Padron de Pangasinan en 1804.” Doc.No.26.
UST Archives. Seccion de Pangasinan Tomo 4. “Peticion para que Camiling desmembrado de Bayambang, 1835.” Fols.221-226.
UST Archives. Seccion de Pangasinan Tomo 7. “Expedientes de ereccion de pueblos en Pangasinan.” Fols 83-105.
2. Published
__________. Estado General de los Religiosos y Religiosas Existentes en los Diversos Conventos, Colegios, Parroquias, Misiones y Demas Casas. Manila: Colegio de Santo Tomas, 1895.
Fernandez Cosgaya, Lorenzo, O.P. Diccionario Pangasinan-Espanol. Manila: Tip.Del Colegio de Santo Tomas,1865.
B. Secondary
Cortes, Rosario M. Pangasinan,1572-1800. Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1987.
Fernandez, Pablo, O.P. History of the Church in the Philippines, 1521-1898. Manila: Navotas Press, c.1979.
__________. “Dominican Towns in Pangasinan: An Overall View (1587-1898),” Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas, Vol.642-643, May-June, 1983, pp.335-349.
__________. “The Dominicans in Pangasinan,” Boletin Eclesiastico de Filipinas, Vol.60, Nos.654-655, May-June, 1984, pp.375-382.
Gonzalez, Jose Ma., O.P. Labor Evangelica y Civilizadora de los Religiosos Dominico en Pangasinan (1587-1898). Manila: UST Press, 1946.
Marin, Valentin,O.P. Ensayo de una sintesis de los trabajos realizados por las Corporaciones Religiosas de Filipinas. Manila: Imprenta de Universidad de Santo Tomas, 1901.
Ocio, Hilario M. O.P. Resena Biografico de los Religiosos de la Provincia del Santisimo Rosario de Filipinas. Manila: Colegio de Santo Tomas, 1895.
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