MUNICIPALITY OF VINTAR, Historical Data

BUREAU OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
DIVISION OF ILOCOS NORTE
VINTAR DISTRICT

HISTORICAL DATA OF THE MUNICIPALITY
OF VINTAR
Vintar, Ilocos Norte

Vintar is a small yet peaceful town situated in the heart of Ilocos Norte, not transgressed by national highways and not abused by speeding buses. It is situated about eight kilometers northeast of Laoag.

Although it is not so rich when it comes to monetary and material income, it is not being behind other municipalities in its even strides in marching with time when it comes to progress along these lines. Its lands, most of which are favored by being irrigated, yield varying products that answer all the needs of the average farmer. Besides that, tax derived from these lands is one of the major, if not the greatest amount, that fills the municipal coffers. Its rivers, turbulent in times of rain but benevolent when it irrigates the lands and when it favors fishermen with [a] good catch, have always been promising and productive natural resources of the town. Its mountains, where graze the wild animals, where thrive trees intended for building materials and other bi-products, are other sources of wealth for the people of Vintar. That is why, it is not something unusual when statistics reveal Vintar to be [a] progressive town.

How Vintar got its name is something draped with historical essence and significance and also tinted with the romanticism of English Literature. It is romanticism of English Literature because it has a setting closely related to the mountains, hills, and valleys loved best by writers of yore.

Vintar was once named "Baguinsusu" after a mountain nearby, so shaped like that of a proud and virginal woman's breast. This mountain is south of the Laoag-Vintar

A bleak and lamentable day, but apparently turned to be a blessing in disguise, came to pass to the village of Baguinsusu. Lamentable because its cherished virginity from the foreign foe had been defiled. A blessing in disguise because of the coming of the aliens or Spaniards ushered in a promising, bright dawn that uplifted the village to civilization.

In 1574, a missionary from Sarrat reached the valley of [the] Vintar River while hunting on the hills between these two localities. The Vintareños were not hostile to the Spanish priest who reached the village. They accepted the Christian faith preached by the disciple of God. All the natives received one of the sacred sacraments on that day... [the] sacrament which is baptism. The chief called out "Intar," an Ilocano word which means "order." And meritorious of the word, the people fell in [an] orderly way and formed themselves into a "V" shape. Observant and wise, the priest gave a new name to the village, "Vintar" — from the word "intar," meaning "order," and prefixing the "V" formation... a letter that closely resembles the human heart... a heart so kind, sympathetic, understanding, and easily touched with concords of pity, love, and self-respect.

The people, up to the present, are living up to the noble expectations of their forefathers and the esteem of the nation of the Filipino race. You and anybody will always feel at home in Vintar. The people are 'at all fours' in any cooperative endeavor, ready to extend a helping hand, comfort the bewailing, and be happy with the rejoicing. They are outstanding in any aspect that the

The village has been transferred from its original place of birth to the present poblacion, an area situated four kilometers southwest of the Vintar Dam. It is not bedecked with mansions as those found in a city. Yet, it is not also jampacked with barongbarongs that add to the filth of the slums. In short, it is an ideal municipality with several people from all walks of life, decent houses, productive fields around it, streets wide enough, churches, public buildings worthy of commanding the respect of all the citizens and visitors. In plain language, Vintar is an ever-progressing town.

In order the facilitate the indoctrination of the people to Christianity, in 1801, Agustin Leaño encouraged the construction of the Catholic church. The floor and walls were made of bricks and tiles and the roof was made of bamboo. Don Pedro Regalado, grandparent of Editor Vicente Albano Pacis of the Philippine Herald, procured the necessary bricks for the construction of the church and convent.

In 1903, the insular government annexed Vintar to the municipality of Bacarra because of the fact that it was found out that the financial conditions of Vintar were not sound. Nevertheless, through the untiring and unselfish leadership of Don Federico Nagtalon, Andres Acacio, Florentino and Fernando Camaquin, Manuel Agcaoili and other prominent men in the town, the people improved their agriculture, fishing blacksmithing, weaving, and other industries. Thus, a better income for Vintar hit a new high. The most fruitful result of this campaign for a more self-sufficient livelihood is the independence from Bacarra granted in 1907.

Prominent families of Vintar are the Agbayanis, Agcaoilis, Leaños, Gapuzans, Acacios, Forondas, Reyeses,

Vintar is a fertile place for the growth of many national figures and leaders as, citing a few, General Calixto Duque, Aduedato Agbayani, and Vicente Albano Pacis. Its barrios could not be beaten in this aspect. There is Engineer Vidad of Saricao, Engineer Desiderio Agbayani of Salsalamagui, Engineer Tagala of Lubnac, and Attorney Gapuzan of Pallas to boast of.

The barrios of Vintar are far-flanked and distant. In the heart of the valleys and mountains dwell barrio people who compose mostly the farming class, the backbone of the Filipino people. They raise crops not only for themselves but to include also people from other towns like peddlers from San Nicolas who reach as far as Tungel, the farthest barrio of Vintar, to sell earthenware. The people of Pasuquin reach as far as Gubang, a Tinguian village, to sell salt. The medium of exchange is barter. The people of these barrios make palay, their money.

The barrios of Vintar have exotic names. Some of them connote something which is particulary legendary, original, native and fantastic. Others are humorous. Nevertheless, many are also pleasing to the ear.

Take Lipay, for example. Lipay means a round, big seed which children use as a plaything. It is supposed that people of Lipay, long ago, loved to play with "lipay."

Tamdagan is a budding municipality [barrio]. The people have high hopes to have their dreams of seeing their barrio become a town someday be realized. It (the barrio) is situated at a high place. It is a good vantage point, where a post

Some barrios with exotic and humorous names are: Alsem, meaning sour; Pait, meaning bitter; Cabayo, horses; Cabangaran, most soothing; Salsalamagui, where tamarinds were supposed to have been in abundance; Cabisuculan, once noted for shells; Parut, meaning 'to pull out'; and Lubnac, meaning filth or [a] muddy pool.

Ester is a barrio named after a beautiful lady similar to Mariang Makiling of Rizal's fantastic writings.

Concluding, the people and municipality of Vintar are counted as one when it comes to its unique prosperity who desires progress, virtuous characteristics, promising industries and love for others.

As far as history records are concerned, in the rule of the government of the Municipality of Vintar, the following chief executives had their terms of office was follows:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

Agustin Vinoya Agustin Leaño Norberto Pontanilla Miguel Mangoblog Victorio Agcaoili Gregorio Suguitan Simon Agcaoili Antonio Flores Agustin Leaño Bernabe Leaño Pedro Regalado Norberto Pontanilla Mariano Agcaoili Mariano A. Leaño Norberto Leaño Agustin Foronda Miguel Mangoblog Pedro Acacio Manuel Angelo Policarpio Borja Victor Leaño Agustin Leaño Manuel Luis Manuel Leaño

1709* 1800 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823

25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.

Jacinto Agcaoili Norberto Pontanilla Marcos Foronda Juan Bitanga Mariano Mindig Felipe Mateo Gavino del Rosario Agustin Acacio Celedonio Leaño Lorenzo Angelo Francisco Buenaventura Pedro Vinoya Norberto Pontanilla Doroteo Esteban Valentin Atanacio Manuel Vinoya Domingo Reyes Venancio Alcaraz Esteban Borja Agustin Leaño Placido Leaño Victorio Leaño Jose Buenaventura Venancio Alcaraz Venancio Idem Manuel Leaño Marciano Foronda Bartolome Pacis

1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1939 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852

53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80.

Carlos Acacio Severino Flores Ramon Albano Mariano Leaño Mateo Suguitan Guillermo Leaño Cenon Caluya Sabino Leaño Ambrosio Bitanga Eustaquio Acacio Agustin Leaño Agustin Gapuzan Ramon Espiritu Narciso Leaño Pio Agcaoili Rafael Albano Juan Foronda Martin Bitanga Simon Albano Florentino Camaguin Justo Racimo Tomasw Gapuzan Cornelio Pacis Guillermo Agbayani Calixto Agbayani Florentino Camaguin AMERICAN REGIME Cornelio Pacis Daniel Agcaoili

1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1867 1869 1871 1873 1875 1877 1879 1881 1884 1887 1888 1889 1891 1893 1895 1899 1901

81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105.

Florentino Camaguin Andres Lazo Agustin Albano Antonio Albano Luis Albano Fernando Camaguin Federico Nagtalon Andres Acacio Nicomedes Agra Manuel Agcaoili Eustacio Racimo Vicente Albano Pedro Camaguin Macario Leaño Patricio Foronda Pedro Agbayani Juan Foronda JAPANESE OCCUPATION Roque Nagtalon Genaro Agbayani Juan Foronda MILITARY GOVERNMENT Elias Foronda Juan Foronda Pedro Alviar AFTER WORLD WAR II Elias Foronda Elias Foronda

1902 1904 1905 1906 1907 1910 1911 1912 1916 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1938 1941 1942 1942 1943 1944 1944 1946 1948 1851

A. Bubuisan, an old name known to the place where the old Vintar Dam was constructed, was the spot where the first community was established by an unknown chief with his tribes and subjects who were supposed to be descendants of the Indonesians. The name Bubuisan was derived from the word 'buis' or tax. This place was the center of all tribal groups within its jurisdiction. All tributes and taxes paid and collected were to be brought to Bubuisan for safekeeping by the chief.

Formerly, Bubuisan was called Baguinsuso. It was a name given by the chief because of the conical form of the mountain nearby. Baguisuso was the first village visited by the Spaniards coming from Sarrat. In the persons of a missionary priest and a soldier under Salcedo's army, Baguinsuso was explored and found to be hospitable and kind. It was at this

B. Visaya was the grave of soldiers mostly from Vintar who died in their last stand to check American invaders. The Filipinos were encamped at Visaya waiting for the zero hour. Sentinels, in close watch, were worried because no enemy came. The next morning, at early dawn, the insurgents were taken unaware by the Americans who were pouring in big numbers. The Filipinos were outflanked by the enemies coming from the east side of Baguinsuso Mountain. Aside from being outflanked, the defenders were also inferior in arms. However, Visaya was defended and our soldiers had displayed unparalleled bravery. Our soldiers, in the midst of the conflict, suffered heavy losses. Several of our men fell after one another. At the end of the fight, a hole was dug up to serve as a grave for more than a hundred casualties.

C. San Ramon Cemetery is at the western part of Vintar. It has been in full use even during the cholera epidemic of 18.. All graves were filled up due to the great number of deaths. To solve the problem, a new cemetery was established, and it is situated near the Sarrat Road. The lot just between the Central School and the Roman Catholic church was the first cemetery of the poblacion.

Just a few meters west of the San Roman Cemetery was established a big oven where bricks were made. These bricks were used in the construction of the church, convent, and tower, as well as other structures needed by the Spaniards.

From the present Presidencia to the south, there is a lot at the edge of the poblacion east of the road to Sarrat. Here was constructed a bungalow where the government collected and stored tobacco. Big quantities of tobacco were sold

A. The Catholic church, convent and tower are present symbols of free and enforced labor among our ancestors. The convent was utilized as [a] garrison during the revolutionary days by our forces and even during the Filipino-American War of 1898. The church tower served as a watch station in order to detect or foresee the arrival of the invading hordes.

The first Presidencia (Tribunal) was erected where the Rizal monument now stands. It was made of bricks, wood, and galvanized iron. The said building housed the former office of the gobernadorcillo, teniente mayor, ucom, vibo, and guardillas.

When the first building was destroyed, the office was transferred to a temporary building and remained there until the people of Vintar acquired the house of Capitan Municipal Ramon Espiritu. The municipal government bought the house and every male of legal age contributed ₱0.50 each to finance the deal.

B. The Central School was the first school building to be utilized for classes. It was a one-story bungalow made of bricks and galvanized iron. The former building was burned later. The government reconstructed it into a two-story building as it is now. It was also utilized as [a] garrison by the Japanese soldiers during their detachment services.

3. HISTORICAL OLD RUINS

The old Vintar Dam stands a ruin. The dike was destroyed by the flood of 1927. Of the total length of the dike, only one-third was left by the angry currents of the flood.

Transcribed from:

Historical Data of the Municipality of Vintar, Ilocos Norte, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections. The pagination in this transcription is as they appear in the original document.