Bayambang Municipal Plaza

Bayambang Municipal Plaza

 

Bayambang's present-day Municipal Plaza is said to have been constructed in 1952 from a plot of land donated by the family of then Dr. Ramon de Castro, the town's first doctor and the father of Atty. Numeriano de Castro Sr., the town's mayor in 1951-1952. (Remember that the original church and convent of Malungguey must have been transferred in 1741 from its original location to a more elevated place called Bayambang, the present town, after the recurrence of flood.) 

 

The current plaza occupies about 1.5 hectares of square lot in the heart of the town, its four directions laid out adjacent to the Presidencia (now called Municipal Hall or Municipio), parish church, public market, and row of residences of the most prominent members of town, as prescribed in the Leyes de Indias (Laws of the Indies) during the Spanish colonial period.

 

It is now surrounded by an iron grille fence, but in the latter part of the 1930s, the original plaza was a vast uninterrupted expanse of open space extending to the lot occupied by the old accessoria that includes Royal Mall today right along the Agno River. It was in those years that the public bandstand was erected, and was fashioned to look like a giant crown. A gazebo or pavilion-like structure in the middle of what is now the Public Auditorium, the bandstand was constructed under the administration of Atty. Gerundio Umengan, Sr., then Presidente (the old term for Mayor) of Bayambang from 1937 to 1940. The roofless structure was designed in 1934 by the renowned architect Juan Arellano in the Art Deco style. Surrounding the gazebo are coconut-like concrete structures that once served as posts of big white globular lights which illuminate the plaza at night.

 

Two symmetrical mini-stages lie on the opposite sides of the main stage -- now apparently renovated, redesigned, and expanded for several times -- and serve as additional bandstands. They have been a witness to the yearly competitive exchange of showy performances, from evening till the break of dawn, by two rival orchestras during the town fiesta such as the local Asiong Mamaril Orchestra, Palaganas Orchestra, and Caranto Brothers Orchestra, down to Don Podring Orchestra of Basista town.

 

These twin stages and the coconut lamp posts are both Art Deco in design, giving the public auditorium an aesthetic unity suggesting that the entire plaza was designed by the same architect. 

 

Throughout the years, the crown-shaped bandstand has been a mute witness to the crowning of local lasses who got voted, kuwartaan-style (based on the amount of solicitations for charitable purposes), as beauty queens. It had been the holding area for the reigning beauties and their families, as well as the crowning guests. But alas, repurposing took its toll with the bandstand as its victim, for at present, it has been relegated to the main gate of the auditorium to make way for a more spacious dancing hall, not to mention that it was lowered in height, making it far less imposing. On the other hand, the auditorium, now paved with circular and floral-patterned mosaic tiles, has since then become the venue of many a glittering Grand Ball, Balikbayan Night, and Grand Alumni Homecoming at every culmination of the annual town fiesta.

 

Associated stories. Bayambangueños of a certain age, however, also associate the town plaza with the fiesta-time peryaan, Ferris wheel and other fun rides, sirko (circus), and the caravan (roving merchants). (See separate article.)

 

It has also been the site of the memorable Paskuhan sa Bayambang, for several years housing the animated Christmas display made by the Rosario family (originally for the COD in Cubao, Quezon City) as well as the Ghibli (Japanese anime film studio)-inspired Paskuhan 2023. Built around a new theme per year -- original Christmas story in December 2016, Filipiniana in 2017, Rebolusyon Laban sa Kahirapan in 2018, and Disneyland in 2019, it created a new bank of happy memories for locals and visitors alike. (See separate article.)

 

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Fronting the plaza is, of course, the statue of Dr. Jose Rizal, which makes it the most prominent structure just like in other town plazas in the country. According to old-timers, it was originally located at the then vacant lot now occupied by the Royal Mall and adjoining lots across the street. Incidentally, the town’s main road fronting the plaza is also aptly named Rizal Ave., forming the busiest part of the Bayambang-Camiling highway.  

 

Associated story. Aside from being routinely reserved the place of honor in all towns in the Philippines, “the greatest man the Malayan race has ever produced” had actually set foot on Bayambang, as attested to by elder residents. According to Pangasinan State University history professor, Dr. Joel T. Cayabyab, for example, “The town of Bayambang played a role in Rizal's life, particularly in his love life. It is well-known that Rizal’s first love (first crush) was Leonor Rivera. Our hero was captivated by her piano skills and innate intelligence. The two met when Rizal was studying at the University of Santo Tomas and stayed at the boarding house of his uncle, Antonio Rivera, Leonor’s father. According to eyewitness accounts, Rizal would visit Camiling, then part of the large town of Bayambang, riding the Ferrocarril de Manila train which traveled as far as Dagupan. Upon disembarking at the Bayambang train station (now still called Estacion), he would be fetched by a horse to take him to Camiling. Their bitter love story was well-known to Bayambang folk: When Rizal went to Europe, their long-distance relationship couldn't withstand the separation. Their telenovela-like love story ended when Leonor’s family decided to marry her off to Engr. Henry Kipping, [the one who led the construction] of the Ferrocarril de Manila." Leonor thought Rizal had forgotten her, but the truth was, Leonor’s mother, Silvestra, had been intercepting Rizal’s letters to Leonor all along. Leonor was so distraught when she found out that, as the story goes, she burned all the letters and stitched the ash in the helm of her wedding dress.

 

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To the left of the Rizal statue is the giant official seal of the local government together with the signage “BALON BAYAMBANG” (meaning New Bayambang) in bold colors which turn neon-colored when lighted up at night. This signage was installed upon the assumption of office of then Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao in 2016 and greets motorists driving along Rizal Avenue and especially those entering the Poblacion area from neighboring Bautista through Calvo Bridge. 

 

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Behind the yard hosting the statue is a tree-shaded and landscaped garden surrounded by a mini-train ride, a new converted feature of the plaza. Further behind is a new and modern playground, inaugurated in 2018, that offers local children a colorful slide, seesaws, a carousel ride, and a mini-Ferris wheel, among others. The original playground was located at the extreme left side of the plaza. It had two slides (one made of solid cement and another made of iron), some see-saws, and a monkey bar. 

 

Sometime in the 1990s, the playground was transferred to the opposite edge of the plaza (i.e., on the right side), and some civic-minded individuals from the Manganaan clan donated funds for the putting up of a concrete dinosaur (a Tyrannosaurus rex, in particular). Beside the playground is the Municipal Museum dubbed as Bayambang: Home of Innovation and opened in October 11, 2022, which occupies the spot that used to be the Senior Citizen’s Center. (See separate feature soon.) 

 

 Across the path at the left side of the museum are kulibangbang or balangabang trees planted upon the initiative of then Councilor Gerry de Vera, so locals will not forget where the name of the town came from based on the oral tale passed on from one generation to the next. On the far end of the right side of the plaza is a mini-fountain with a dolphin in the middle.

 

At night, the plaza transforms into an enchanting sight with various lighting fixtures. At the back of this fountain stands a statue of former President Ramon Magsaysay, erected during the term of Mayor Jaime P. Junio in honor of his historic visit to the town. A marker below indicates that the statue was donated sometime in 1984 (?) by Don and Doña Victor Palaganas, an ex-Councilor of Bayambang and a US Army veteran.

 

Associated story. As a backgrounder, in October of 1955, President Magsaysay caused a stampede in Mangabul when he brought there with him his entire Cabinet to meet out-of-town for the first time. Thousands of rural folk turned out and mobbed the "champion of the masses," causing some disturbance at the makeshift canopy made of coconut fronds, as they freely sought his attention to address their concerns. Eschewing protocol and formalities, he directly addressed those concerns one by one, including hospitalization for the sick, veterans’ backpay claims, a big land dispute, among other grievances, by handwriting instructions to officials on a piece of paper right then and there. Magsaysay is said to have donated a water pump as well for the barrio people.

 

Lining the rear end of the plaza is the two-level Bayambang Commercial Strip that the local government rents out to a row of mostly eateries and coffee shops catering to low-range to mid-range and upscale clientele.

 

Today, the Bayambang Municipal Plaza remains to be the heart of the town, a living space that is well-maintained and more or less serving the purpose for which it was originally intended: a central park of sorts, a promenade area, a free and democratic events place for all sorts of crowd-drawing activities (with permission from the local government), and a wide breathing space for everyone.  

 

(References: Dr. Clarita Jimenez, with updated information from Resty S. Odon; donation of land: Jonathan de Castro; architecture: Architect Gerard Lico; Magsaysay: “Stories About Magsaysay” by Dr. Augusto V. de Viana, September 6, 2012, nhcp.gov.ph; Rizal: Dr. Joel T. Cayabyab; orchestras: Diosdado Galang; Rizal monument: Leo B. Aquino Jr., Joey Ferrer)

photos: Wynn Bacolor Charles, St. Vincent Catholic School work immersion student in ESWMO-Bayambang; Balon Bayambang FB page

Corrections are most welcome.