Document 545

 It turns out there is a document such as this, the basis of the town's celebration of SingKapital. A facsimile of the document is provided by Dr. Clarita DG. Jimenez. (This document is not yet on display at the Museum.)

------------------------

Document 545

President Aguinaldo Disbands the Regular Army of the Republic and Establishes Guerrilla Warfare Against the Americans

(Bayambang, November 12, 1899)

On November 12, 1899, President Aguinaldo and other Filipino military leaders, worried by the irresistible avalanche of American victories in the battlefields, held an emergency meeting at Bayambang. In this meeting it was decided to disband the regular army and continue the resistance to American invasion by means of guerrilla warfare. Accordingly, President Aguinaldo issued the following decree:

In accordance with the present politico-military status in this, the center of Luzon, and using the powers I possess, in accordance with my council of government, I decree the following:

1. The politico-military command of the center of Luzon is hereby established, comprising of Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Sambales, and Pangasinan.

2. The superior commander in question will have full and extraordinary powers to issue orders by proclamation, impose contributions of war and to adopt all such measures as may seem for the good service of the country.

3. The troops which will operate in all the described districts will maneuver in flying columns and in guerrilla bands; these will be under the orders of the aforesaid superior commander, to whose orders all the other leaders and generals will be subject, reporting to him and receiving from him orders and instructions of the government; nevertheless, all orders received direct from the government will be obeyed and advice of the same will be given to the superior commander aforesaid.

4. Sr. Pantaleon Garcia, General of Division, is appointed politico-military commander of the center of Luzon, and he will assume in addition, the judicial powers which belong to me as Captain-general.

Given at Bayambang, November 12, 1899.

Signed EMILIO AGUINALDO

President

Report of Arthur MacArthur, Lieutenant General Commanding Division a Division of the Philippines (Washington D.C., 1900) p.1.

Bayambang: What's in a Name?

What's in a Name?

(A quick look into the town name's etymology)

 

Where exactly did the name Bayambang come from? The answer depends on who or which reference is consulted.

 

Old residents and reference materials routinely claim that the name of the Bayambang town in the province of Pangasinan came from the colibangbang o culibangbang tree which used to thrive in the area.

 

Research has shown that this name refers to a certain species of Bauhinia, B. acuminata or B. malabarica, or what is called alibangbang parang in Tagalog. What causes some confusion is that there are other species of Bauhinia that are referred to as alibangbang in Tagalog and other languages and are also called culibangbang in Pangasinan: for instance, B. purpurea and B. variegata. (Note that Bauhinia species have been reportedly renamed Piliostigma.)

 

For the sake of clarity and precision, B. acuminata or B. malabarica is the one being referred to as culibangbang by Bayambangueños, as it is the one being traditionally used as panselar or pangsigang (souring agent), specifically its flowers and shoots, which taste sour. What distinguishes it from the other culibangbang species is its simple white little flower, red stalks, and a leaf shape that is rounder and less butterfly-shaped than that of B. purpurea. In contrast, the latter has a pink, orchid-like flower and reportedly inedible shoots, and is of foreign origin and believed to have been planted in the '70s or earlier for ornamental purposes then later spread throughout the town.

 

The problem with the term "culibangbang," however, is that it doesn't quite exactly account for the word "bayambang," as local observers point out. Culibangbang is indeed anomalous because it is an Ilocano word meaning butterfly, and butterfly in Pangasinan is kumpapey. The Ilocano people were not in Pangasinan until they came migrating en masse during the Spanish regime. Moreover, the word bayambang in fact existed as an old term per se, referring either to three different plants and to something else.

 

First of all, bayambang, it turns out, used to be the Tagalog name for an entirely another plant, Amaranthus spinosus (Linn.) or uray or kulitis, and then another, Celosia or Deeringia polysperma, an ornamental amaranth species. Notably, "bayangbang" is also a Tagalog term for the sword fern or Nephrolepis hirsutula.

 

Secondly, in Pangasinan, the word bayambang is a native word that refers to a place that is madanom (Pangasinan word for matubig or waterlogged), which exactly describes some flood-prone barangays of the town today lying along Agno River. In fact, one barangay is named Paragos ("literally, a place where water flows," but actually means "irrigation"), while another is Managos ("flowing"). This probably explains why a barangay in Infanta, a town in western Pangasinan, is named Bayambang as well.

 

Another claim is that there are awarans (ancient narratives) that mention "balangabang" as the precursor to the name Bayambang, balangabang being the true indigenous term for the native species of culibangbang or alibangbang. This claim, of course, is not far-fetched at all, as it is more commonsensical and thus far more plausible.

 

The official website of the Pangasinan provincial government has a slightly different version, though: "The name of the town, according to the legend, came from the name of a plant called 'balangbang.'"  To locals, however, "balangbang" is the native term for "hip," although it could also be a variant of balangabang.

 

What complicates this origin story further is another theory that Bayambang might have come from bayangbayang, an old native term for scarecrow.

 

In the absence of solid documentary evidence, it is hard to establish with definitive certainty where the town's name came from, but balangabang, balangbang, and bayangbayang are a lot more plausible than culibangbang, but the mere existence of the term bayambang itself should be of foremost consideration, given that it is the same exact word as the name of the town.

 

(References: Oscar Ora (bayambang as meaning a place where water flows or gets stagnant), Joseph Anthony Quinto, citing UPLB expert opinion re. culibanbang, members of the Bayambang Culture Mapping Project Facebook page)

 

 

History of Carlos P. Romuo Bridge (Wawa Bridge)

According to Brgy. Wawa resident Baltazar Junio, "the Wawa bridge (later renamed after UN Secretary General and Foreign Affairs Secretary Carlos P. Romulo) used to be a wooden bridge when it was built in 1945." This year of construction was corroborated by DPWH officials in their public statement.

Junio continues: "The wooden bridge was destroyed by the great flood of 1972."

"Then in the late '70s, the new concrete bridge that we have now was constructed, and was completed and inaugurated in 1983." Another Wawa resident claims that she saw the construction work was already ongoing by 1976.

Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Yolanda Sotelo estimated that the date of project completion is 1982 since she covered the event as provincial government reporter, with Romulo, no less, in attendance, so this is another corroboration of fact, although there is a one year difference with Junio's recollection.

I myself visited my uncle's place in Wawa every barrio fiesta since 1976, and even experienced crossing the river by boat, and I didn't see a concrete-and-steel bridge rise until much later. Other residents (my high school classmates Benjoe R. Agbuya and Melvin Garay) attest to the year 1983 since they were bodily present to witness the inauguration rite, so it must be the most accurate year.

From the unpublished account of local historian, Dr. Clarita Jimenez, the "inauguration of the Wawa Timber Bridge was on February 15, 1970, and it was said to be the longest timber bridge in the Philippines consisting of 38 spans measuring 1,160 feet." In this account, she must be referring to the wooden bridge before it was swept away by the 1972 flood mentioned by Junio. So it is possible that another wooden bridge must have been reconstructed after 1945, and every time a major typhoon caused a major flooding of Agno River and a major damage to the bridge. Other old-timers like her (e.g., Joey Ferrer) swear that they had not seen any wooden bridge when they crossed the river by boat in their younger days.

DPWH adds that "2012 is the date of rehab (re-decking). July 28, 2022 is the date of inspection after the earthquake," in which no damage was found.

Junio concludes, rightly, I think: "The ill-fated bridge is now almost 40 years old."

Onofre Guevara, Labor Secretary

Atty. Onofre Guevara, Labor Secretary

Onofre Posadas Guevara was born on March 25, 1914 to Vivencio Guevara and Leonarda dela Cruz Posadas of Poblacion area.

According to relatives and acquaintances, Guevara had a very outspoken and straightforward personality. He was a good orator in English and Spanish. He initially joined the seminary in nearby Binmaley town, but switched professions to become a lawyer.

He reached the height of his career when he served as Undersecretary of Labor and Secretary of Labor during the presidency of Diosdado Macapagal.

Prior to being Undersecretary of Labor, he was also president of the Malacañang Press Corps under the term of then President Manuel Roxas.

Guevara took up law in Manuel L. Quezon University. He became a court interpreter when he first started practicing law. He was a labor lawyer, thus ushering a long-time friendship with Cipriano Cid, founder of Philippine Association of Free Labor Unions or PAFLU. When Mr. Cid died, Guevara then took over the reins of one of the most formidable labor unions at that time.

He attempted to join politics by running for a seat as district representative/assemblyman, but he was defeated. He died of a heart attack a few months after his last attempt.

(Informants: his only surviving daughter, Susan Guevara; Andrea F. Payumo; Noel Guevara; photos courtesy of Noel Guevara and Susan Guevara; Joey Ferrer)

Editorial - October 2022 - Museo: Para Saan Ba?

EDITORIAL (October 2022)

 

Museo: Para Saan Ba?

Nakakain ba ang kasaysayan, sining, at kultura? Para saan ba ang isang museo, lalo na't may mataas na inflation rate sa ngayon? Ang mga tanong na ito malamang ang naglalaro sa isipan ng karamihan sa ginawang pagbubukas ng Bayambang Museum: Home of Innovation noong Oktubre 11, 2022. 

Una sa lahat, ang proyektong ito ay noong taong 2016 pa naisip ng pamunuan ng LGU -- naantala lamang ang pagsasakatuparan.

Pangalawa, maraming gamit ang pasilidad na ito.

1. Fosters identity. Isinusulong nito ang pagkakakilanlan natin sa ating sarili bilang isang bayan, kabilang na ang kuwento ng ating pinagmulan, na nanganganib makalimutan ng mga kabataan kapag tuluyang kakalimutan. Kapag wala tayong sariling kuwento bilang isang bayan, wala tayong panghahawakang pagkakaiba sa iba pang bayan.

2. Preserves local culture and traditions.  Pinipreserba nito hindi lang ang ating kasaysayan, kundi pati na rin ang ating mga unique cultural markers o yamang kultural na tatak Bayambang. Ang mga tatak na ito na natatangi sa Bayambang ay unti-unting nadiskubre matapos ang isang masusing cultural inventory, ang matagumpay at award-winning na Bayambang Culture Mapping Project.

3. Instills pride of place. Kapag may kaalaman tayo ukol sa mga bagay na natatangi at dapat nating ipagmalaki, magkakaroon tayong lahat ng pagpapahalaga sa pagiging mga Bayambangueño. Isasapuso natin ang bagay na ito at pagyayamanin. 

4. Serves as show window to visitors. Ang museo ay hindi lamang para sa ating sarili, kundi pati na rin sa mga hindi taga-Bayambang. Magsisilbi itong isang bahay kung saan maaari nating ipakilala at ipagmalaki sa mga bisita kung ano at sino tayo.

5. Supports education and research. Dahil naglalaman ito ng mga mahahalagang materyal tulad ng mga aklat at artifacts, ang museo ay isa ring lugar para sa lahat ng interesadong magsaliksik ukol sa ating kasaysayan, kultura, at sining, mapag-taga-Bayambang man o bisita sa ating lugar, at ang relasyon nito sa kasaysayan, kultura, at sining ng ibang lugar.

6. Provokes thought and inspires creativity. Dahil ang isang museo ay isang tahanan ng makabuluhan at malayang pagpapahayag, ang pagbisita rito ay nakakahikayat sa lahat na magkaroon ng bukas at mapagpalayang kaisipan at pagkamalikhain sa anumang paraan na kapakipakinabang sa lahat. 

7. Serves as income-generating tourist attraction. Ang pasilidad na ito ay ginastusan ng malaki at nangangailangan ng sapat na pondo upang mapanatiling maayos at kapanapanabik puntahan, kaya't mainam na ito'y maging self-sufficient sa pamamagitan ng income-generating activities gaya ng coffeshop operation at sale ng souvenirs.

8. Functions as instrument of nation-building. Ang kawalan ng kamalayan sa halaga ng isang pasilidad gaya ng isang museo at mga akda ukol sa lokal na kasaysayan, sining, at kultura ay nagdudulot ng mababang pagtingin sa sarili at sa tinubuang bayan. Ito ay nauuwi sa pagbabalewala sa sariling pamanang lahi (historical and cultural heritage) at sa common good o kapakanan ng sariling bayan at buong komunidad. Kaya’t malaki ang papel ng isang museo upang tumulong masolusyunan ito.

9. Addresses a deeper form of poverty. Ang Bayambang Museum: Home of Innovation at ang Culture Mapping Project na kaakibat at pinagbasehan nito ay bagkus naaayon sa ating kasalukuyang Rebolusyon Laban sa Kahirapan, sapagkat ang kakulangan ng pag-ibig sa sarili, at sa sariling bayan, ay isa ring uri ng pagdarahop, isa ring malaking bagay na nagdudulot ng kahirapan sa kamalayan. Malalim ang epekto ng pagdarahop na ito, at siguradong nakakaapekto ito sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay. 

Tama ang ekspresyon na "We shouldn't live in the past" (Di tayo dapat mamuhay sa nakaraan), ngunit di ito nangangahulugan na kailangang itapon o isantabi na lamang ang mga kuwento at aral nito, sapagkat ang nakaraan ang susi sa kasalukuyan at sa hinaharap. Kung marunong lang tayong minahin ang mga mayamang pamana mula pa sa ating mga ninuno, mapa-kuwento, bagay, o kaugalian man, tiyak na pagyayamanin nito ang ating buhay tungo sa kaunlaran, 'di lamang sa ekonomikal na aspeto kundi sa ating buong pagkatao.

 

Panangawes: Glossary of traditional wear, with emphasis on Pangasinan terms

At the time of contact with European colonialists, ancient Pangasinans in then Caboloan are said to have these as daily clothing: men wore G-string, while women wore not only the local equivalent of baro't saya, but also Chinese silks and cotton garments, based on a Boxer Codex illustration and according to Chinese records referring to Pangasinan as Feng-jia-shi-lan. Both nobility and commoners wore gold ornaments.

Through the centuries, Pangasinans have developed their own peculiar terms when dealing with cloth and clothing. Based on the 1971 Pangasinan-English dictionary by Richard Benton, solong -- a common term which means "to wear (mangisolong) or to put on clothing, etc. (isolong)" -- has a synonym, solot, which means "to wear clothes (mansolot)" in particular. Pales, which is bihis in Tagalog or "to change clothing (manpales)," another common term in any language, has a variant in palit, which means, not only "to have new clothes (manpalit)," but also "to buy clothes."

Laboy means to "use clothes, etc. for the first time," while a synonymous word is sokab, which has the more general meaning of "to use or wear something for the first time." These two terms, in particular, reflect an old practice of ritualizing the use of any object for the first time. For instance, someone in the household who is considered physically strong must be the one to use a newly bought or newly acquired object, to ensure that it will be durable. Another term for laboy is palili.

Potik is "to decorate cloth etc. with braided threads."

The language gets colorful with action words that involve cleaning or cutting. 

Pakpak is "to beat cotton or cloth with a rod," palang is "to cut or tear cloth (or paper) diagonally or in a curve," payag is "to shake cloth, mat, etc. to remove dust," while sarang is "to air clothing." Soysoy is an adjective to describe the "frayed condition of sleeves or collar, unhemmed pieces of cloth, etc." Salutsot refers to the "accidental pulling of thread on a cloth or a garment, causing small knots."

The following are the terms Pangasinenses have evolved and adopted through the years to refer to traditional wear in particular. Interestingly, there are also specialized terms to refer to attire in the event of death of a family member. 

Baliwan is "black clothing worn by a person in mourning; to wear such clothing (manbaliwan)." Dalungdong is "black headcloth worn by female relatives of deceased for one year (until bakas); to put a veil on the head (mandalungdong)." 

Panes is a "piece of black cloth pinned on clothing of relatives of the deceased, worn as a sign of mourning for one year, until the bakas or death anniversary; to wear such a piece of cloth (manpanes)." Balanget is crown, especially of flowers placed on head of dead person; to wear a crown (manbalanget) or to crown (balangetan).

Abaca (pinukpok) - local fabric made from Manila hemp (Musa textilis) fibers

Abanico - foldable fan

Abaray - Pangasinan for alampay; sablay; indigenous loose garment worn hanging from the shoulder during formal occasions

Agua de ojetes - underskirt or camison

Alfiler - brooch

Americana - suit, often all-black or all-white (called duck suit)

Aysing - general Pangasinan term for a girl's dress

Balanget - Pangasinan for crown, especially of flowers placed on head of dead person; to wear a crown (man-) or to crown (man-)

Balanggot - wide-brimmed hat in many languages (Tagalog, etc.); buntal hat (made of buri leaves)?

Balintawak – "a traditional dress composed of a shortened skirt, with puffy butterfly short sleeves, plaid textile, and low-cut bodice and at times plenty of ornate embroidery; worn during picnics and other jaunts into the countryside, epitomizing Filipina gaiety, light-heartedness and a sense of rural roots, signaling song, dance, and festivity"; may also refer to the panuelo-turned-seguet worn folded and hung on the shoulder, ever ready to wipe a sweaty face

Balintawak - blouse with butterfly sleeves that reach the elbow or 2 inches above the elbow

Baro - refers to the camisa or plain bodice for women

Baro - blouse with bell-shaped sleeves that vary in length, from wrist- to elbow-length

Barong, Barong Tagalog - formal shirt for men made of jusi and other often sheer and heavily embroidered fabrics

Baston - from Spanish for cane; also, men's trousers with tapered hem

Bastikol – a Pangasinan version of hat made for men, which was paired with an abiang (anahaw) frond rain gear called kalapiaw

Belo, velo - veil

Calzoncillo, Karsonsillo - men's earlier version of boxer shorts which were all-white

Camisa, Baro - blouse; top for women used as inner wear

Camisa de chino – a cotton shirt with round collar and buttons (Chinese style); 

often white or light in color; may be short- or long-sleeved

Camiseta de china - undershirt with-Chinese style collar

Camison, Kamison - chemise

Carcho - footwear

Carson, Karson - general term for underwear for both men and women and children

Chinelas, Tsinelas, Sinelas - slippers or slip-ons

Cocho - beaded slippers

Criolla - hoop earrings

Fantoche - hair or veil pins

Inagua - slip, sapad, binabaye

Jusi - from Chinese husi, fine, sheer, silk-like fabric made from plant fibers

Kalapiaw - a Pangasinan improvised rain gear made from abiang (anahaw) frond

Kamiseta, Camiseta, Sando - sleeveless shirt used as undershirt and house wear or bed wear

Kawes - general Pangasinan term for clothing for both men and women

Kayo - Pangasinan piece of cloth

Kola, De cola – "skirt tail" or "with skirt tail" in Spanish

Kimono - women's inner shirt for baro't saya

Kimona - a sheer, embroidered or unembroidered, sleeveless blouse cut in poncho style

Kolibemben – Pangasinan for alampay, panuelo, shawl; as scarf: baksa among the Visayans; babarahin in Tagalog; kandungga or panyolon in Waray

Lamping, Lampin - cloth diaper for the newborn

Latop - a general term to refer to any clothing worn on top of another as protection against cold weather

Manggas - sleeves

Maria Clara - "a formal dress composed of baro for top, sobrefalda or overskirt, and baksa or scarf, and often with petticoat, the dress accented by jewelry and other accessories"

Maria Clara - balintawak blouse with alampay placed around the shoulders like a shawl, the alampay a square piece of cloth folded into a triangle

Maskota skirt - siesgo skirt; A-line cut or bias-cut skirt

Milionario – white or black Americana suit and pants for men

Palda - Tagalog and Pangasinan for skirt; saya; sapey

Pándoñg - Pangasinan for mantilla, veil, velo, belo

Pantalon - trousers, pants

Panuelo, Pañuelo, Baksa - kerchief or fichu; a piece of large square cloth worn as shawl or covering of shoulders and breasts; folded in half into a triangle; often with intricate embroidery

Panyo - from Spanish paño, kerchief

Pasador - an early version of women's menstruation napkin or sanitary napkin made of katsa (from Spanish calcha) or muslin fabric

Paselkag - Pangasinan term for terno with stiffened sleeves

Paypay - fan; used not just an accessory, but as an instrument to send coded messages (from flirtation to rejection); may be called abanico if made with buri

Patadyong – "a woven skirt usually having a plaid pattern in colors of green, yellow, red and orange. Unlike the saya which is made out of silk, the patadyong looks humble and is usually made of cotton."

Peineta, Paineta - comb hair; "a large decorative comb usually worn under a mantilla, or lace head covering; the hair ornament, worn by women, consists of a convex body and a set of teeth that affix it to hair worn in a bun"

Piña - prized rough fabric made from pineapple fibers

Pinapin - early female underwear in Pangasinan equivalent to petticoat

Putot - Pangasinan for sanwal (knee-length drawstring shorts) worn by men as they worked in the farm

Sambra - Pangasinan long-sleeved shirt that is worn together with putot; usually made of cotton

Sanwal, Sangwal - Pangasinan knee-length drawstring shorts worn by men as housewear; made of think fabric; like puruntong shorts; cf.: salawal?

Sapatos - from the Spanish zapatos, shoes

Sapuey, Sapey - Pangasinan for saya, ankle-length or knee-length skirt; may be folded halfway when worn in the farm or while wading in water, with the hem inserted at the hip

Saya - Tagalog for long skirt, below the knee or ankle-length or longer

Sayang de cola, Palda de cola - skirt with train; any skirt with a tail that flows on the floor

Serpentina – "a Filipiniana or Maria Clara version in early 1900s which has a skirt that was narrowed at the top but generously wide at the bottom and lined with a stiff cloth made of abaca, with the bottom part of the skirt separate from the top"

Serpentina - a skirt with a tail that flows on the floor and the extension of which can be hung or inserted from the waist

Siesgo or Maskota skirt - A-line cut or bias-cut skirt

Sinelas, Chinelas, Tsinelas - slippers or slip-ons

Sobrefalda - overskirt; see Tapis

Suecos – Pangasinan for bakya; wooden clogs

Sueget – in Pangasinan, what the panuelo evolved into with the introduction of the camisole; “made of starchy and stiff material akin to that of the baro, worn more as a fashion accent than a cover”

Takuko - in Pangasinan, an extra-wide-brimmed woven hat worn by women when it rained

Tamborin, Estampita, Escapulario - neck ornaments that double as religious (Catholic) objects

Taparida - sapin in Tagalog; a piece of cloth placed on the back when the back is damp, to avoid catching cold or getting sick

Tapis – filter; apron-like rectangular piece of clothing worn for modesty on top of the saya or skirt, in the absence of panties/lingerie

Terno – "from the Spanish word for 'matching,' one-piece gown in the same material for the bodice and the skirt that is straight or flared and cut down to a floor-length hemline"

Traje de boda - wedding dress

Traje de mestiza - modernized (1900s) version of the Maria Clara with updated modifications, including a train; also called baro't saya

Velo - see belo

Yabyab - Pangasinan wide-brimmed woven hat made of buri

Zapatilla - shoes called step-in

***

References:

Prof. Januario Cuchapin

"Lingayen: Memories of Times Past" (2021) by Arabella Ventenilla Arcinue

A Quick History of the Filipiniana, Also Known as the 'Maria Clara' Gown | Tatler Asia

https://philippinefolklifemuseum.org/

Melchor Orpilla

Santiago Villafania

Rosario Cortez's Pangasinan history book

Joey Ferrer

Fr. Lorenzo Fernandez Cosgaya's Pangasinan-Spanish Dictionary

Richard Benton's Pangasinan-English Dictionary, 1971

Carmencita Pacis