Bayambang: A Hotbed
of Revolutionaries, A Refuge of Heroes
(Suggested content: A dignified presentation of this timeline using printed material encased in glass panels.)
1. 1660: Andres Malong first brought his fight here, particularly in the barrio of Manambong.
(Suggested artifact:
diorama or painting)
Bayambang, then known as Malunguey, figures in accounts of the Andres Malong revolt of the 1660s. Malunguey was where Malong of Binalatongan (now San Carlos City) first campaigned, but the local resistance was immediately quelled by the Spanish authorities.
2. Juan dela Cruz Palaris also first led his revolt here.
(Suggested artifact:
diorama or painting)
1763: "the biggest victory in the revolt against Spain in Pangasinan took place in the Battle of Bayambang led by Juan dela Cruz Palaris. In retaliation, the Spaniards razed the whole village. The burning of the entire village is considered the darkest hour of Bayambang."
3. 1880s?: Rizal visited here on his way to his muse, Leonor Rivera, who resided in Camiling.
(Suggested artifact: illustration)
Local lore often told about Rizal visiting the house of Don Gavino de Guzman in Poblacion to take some rest. He reportedly went to the parish church and even played botayong (cara y cruz) with locals out front.
4. June? 1898: Luna's Department of War was transferred to Bayambang
(Suggested artifact:
diorama or painting)
Luna's Department of War was transferred to Bayambang in June? of 1898.
5. August 1899: Jose Palma wrote the lyrics of the national anthem.
(Suggested artifact:
lyrics of national anthem)
"In a barrio in Bayambang, Jose Palma, a staff member of the revolutionary government’s newspaper "La Independencia," writes a poem that becomes the lyrics for the melody of the “La Marcha Nacional Filipina” composed by Julian Felipe. This poem is translated later to Filipino and given the title "Lupang Hinirang," which is now the Philippine national anthem. (The said barrio is now part of Bautista town.)"
6. November 12, 1899: Gen. Aguinaldo declared Bayambang as the country's fifth capital.
(Suggested artifact:
miniature statue of Aguinaldo and Municipio)
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's bronze sculpture by National Artist Napoleon Abueva stands in front of the Bayambang Municipal Hall. It is a sole marker that reminds us that Bayambang became the fifth capital of the First Philippine Republic after Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo encamped here on November 12, 1899, bringing with him the entire fledgling Philippine government. Among Aguinaldo's legacy are: the Philippine Constitution, a national army, a government organizational structure (with executive, legislative, and judiciary branches), a unifying flag, and a national anthem.
The Philippine
national anthem, "Lupang Hinirang," was written by Jose Palma
reportedly inside a train coach in Bautista when it was still a sitio of
the town. The Aguinaldo monument is one of the few ones in the country outside
the general's home province of Cavite. In Bayambang, our fledgling government
disintegrated as it fled the pursuing elements of the American Army and
declared an all-out war against the foreign invaders using non-conventional
(guerrilla) means. This is the reason why Bayambang town today commemorates
November 12 as "SingKapital" Day so as not to forget that day in
history when our heroes bravely took a stand for self-determination and spilled
copious blood for it, and that is why we enjoy our freedom today.
7. November 12, 1899: Estacion na Tren was once the publishing house of "La Independencia."
(Suggested artifact:
recreation/facsimile/replica of "La Independencia" and "Babasaey
Ombaley"; old photos or replica of Estacion)
According to historian Jaime B. Veneracion, when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo's revolutionary government fled to Bayambang on November 12, 1898, “the Bayambang railroad station served as the publishing house of the newspaper La Independencia, whose editor was Antonio Luna and among whose staff included Rosa Sevilla, Cecilio Apostol and Jose Palma.” Thus the train station was not just the first-ever transportation system that offered fast, straight travel to Manila, it was also a witness to Filipinos' fight for independence.
8. November 12, 1899: Emilio Aguinaldo's daughter, Flora Victoria, was buried in Bayambang church.
(Suggested artifact:
Photos of Aguinaldo and family)
Did you know that Gen. Aguinaldo's newborn daughter was buried in Bayambang church on Nov. 12, 1899?
From the diary of Dr. Santiago Barcelona: "While Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and company were on their way to Bayambang, his daughter died of undisclosed cause, and when they reached the town, she was buried at the local church."
The daughter was named Flora Victoria, and as one observer noted, her death would signify the imminent "flowering of victory" of the Philippine Revolution, although it was temporarily cut short by the American invasion, which as we all know lasted until July 4, 1946.
(Dr. Barcelona was one of two doctors – the other being Dr. Simeon Villa – who joined Aguinaldo in his flight to Palanan, Isabela, in November 1899.)
9. Even 'Goyo' went here.
(Suggested artifact:
stills from Jerrod Tarog's short film)
Gen. Gregorio del Pilar -- fondly referred to as 'Goyo' -- purposely went to Bayambang to fulfill a mission: to find Gen. Antonio Luna and his men. This is the reason why the Malolos-based Salinlahi heritage tour group makes a stop in Bayambang every December as part of retracing the path that Goyo took leading to his martyrdom at Tirad Pass in Concepcion (renamed Gregorio del Pilar), Ilocos Sur.
10. 1943: Bayambang was Col. Edwin Ramsey's ECLGA headquarters.
(Suggested artifact:
the Ramsey book I donated to Library; old ELCGA photos)
Former enemies became allies during World War II. Noted American military official Col. Edwin Ramsey set foot in Bayambang to organize Filipino guerrillas against a common nemesis: the Japanese Imperial Army. In the country's bitter struggle against Japanese imperialism, Bayambang had been Lt. Edwin P. Ramsey's East Central Luzon Guerrilla Area (ECLGA) headquarters for sometime. ECLGA encompassed Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Zambales and La Union. Ramsey's aide de camp was our very own Major Claro J. Camacho of Barangay Nalsian.
According to local lore, Col. Ramsey evaded capture by the Japanese by hiding inside a taltagan (giant wooden mortar) in the barrio of Inirangan.
11. October 1955: Pres. Magsaysay causes a commotion in Mangabul.
(Suggested artifact:
old photos of Magsaysay's visit to Mangabul)
Did you know that the charismatic and popular Pres. Ramon Magsaysay once caused a stampede in the Mangabul Lake area of Bayambang? The following is an account of Dr. Augusto V. de Viana as posted on the National Historical Commission of the Philippines website on September 6, 2012 in an article titled, "Stories About Magsaysay":
...
"Upon winning the gubernatorial race in Pangasinan, I was to take my oath of office before the President, but instead of me going to Malacañang, he came to Pangasinan to induct me. ... He brought with him his entire Cabinet, to meet out-of-town for the first time, at Mangabul in Bayambang town where people stampeded to get near him, tearing down the makeshift canopies of coconut leaves on bamboo posts that served as the venue. ... Thousands turned out to mob the President in a pandemonium of sorts - no hakot as others would have done to ensure a big crowd of reluctant participants as in the case of the much-heralded EDSA celebrations. ... At Mangabul, Magsaysay was approached freely by the rural folk to seek assistance, redress grievances and a whole gamut of requests which he granted then and there, including hospitalization for the sick, veterans' backpay claims and what have you. ... He wrote instructions to government officials on scratch paper and upon the back of the man next to him or on the hood of a parked vehicle. No formalities were observed as long as he acted on a request with dispatch. ... At the same time, Magsaysay put an end to a land dispute involving the tenant farmers of a big landowner by affirming the farmers' claim in the periphery of Mangabul springs. ... In short Magsaysay had no need for elaborate preparations, protocol, motorcades, bodyguards and fanfare to announce or decorate his presidency because he was at home with the people."
Magsaysay is said to donate a water pump for the barrio people.
This little incident is the reason why a statue of Magsaysay can now be seen at the Municipal Plaza.
12. August 28, 2017: Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao continues the tradition of waging revolutions in Bayambang.
(Suggested artifact:
commemorative photos, BPRP)
Sadly, Bayambang's being a hotbed of revolutions against foreign invaders did not equate to freedom from the oppression of poverty. It is with this in mind that Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao launched his own revolution, with the 10-year Rebolusyon Laban sa Kahirapan as his battlecry through the Bayambang Poverty Reduction Action Plan 2018-2028.
Armed with formidable experience in the global corporate world and his visionary and transformational style of leadership, Mayor Quiambao developed a multi-pronged approach in facing a complicated enemy head-on, based on his vision of Bayambang as a smart town with five major attributes: (1) observant of best practices in local governance, (2) caring deeply for its citizens while steeped in its rich historical and cultural heritage, (3) has a robust economy backed up by strong infrastructure, (4) unafraid of modern agricultural strategies, and (5) resilient in times of calamity and observant of green practices.
References:
1. Rosario Cortez, Pangasinan, 1572-1800, p. 150
2. unpublished coffee-table book by Dr. Clarita DG. Jimenez et al.; http://www.watawat.net/the_palaris_revolt.htm
9. https://filipiknow.net/facts-about-general-gregorio-del-pilar/
10. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/col-edwin-ramseys-war
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