MUNICIPALITY OF FAIRE (CAGAYAN), Historical Data of Part 3

Year	(1) Mayor (2) Treas.	Vice-Mayor	Justice of the Peace	Municipal Councilors	Municipal Secretary	Chief of Police
1948 to 1951	(1) Pedro A. Carodan (2) Rosendo S. Gabriel	Mauricio Danao	Monico Beltran	A. Batugal P. Binuya M. Guitang R. Ruiz S. Abedes M. Suyo	Andres Garma	Tomas Bayaoa
1952 to 1954	(1) Felix E. Pacquing (2) Rosendo S. Gabriel	Rosendo Ruiz	Monico Beltran	Nic. Mateo A. Singson T. Bayubay V. Salvador N. Nicolas J. Aguinaldo	Pedro Gonzalo Evilla	Tomas Bayaoa

The present site of the poblacion was formerly the barrio of Kabarungan. It was arranged that the inhabitants, who were then Kalingas, gave way for the Ilocano immigrants from Ilocos Norte. This site is now situated east of the Chico River in a valley north of Tabang and south of the barrio of San Manuel.

The following are the structures and buildings:

1. The original church was made of mixed materials of wood, bricks, and cogon.

2. The original school building was made of mixed materials of wood and cogon. It was a three headed [?] building located at the heart of the poblacion. There were many pupils, but there was only one teacher. The "bilangos" who were, then, the brightest and in the highest grades were the assistant teachers.

3. The "urno," which was for the purpose of baking bricks, is already ruined and is still found in Centro Sur.

4. The Tabacalera Almacen is still found in Centro Norte. It was constructed in the year 1895 by the Spaniards under the workmanship of the late Esteban Dalafu.

5. The house of the founder was made of bricks, molave, ipil and narra materials. The building was the biggest in the whole Itawes region. It was located in the heart of the poblacion at the corner of a street extending southward from the corner and extending from the corner westward. It was in the form of a letter "L." It had five doors under it extending southward, and another five doors extending westward. The upper story was used for social affairs like dances and zarzuelas.

6. The founder, Capitan Manuel, quarelled with his brother-in-law, Capitan Ubaldo Pagulayan of Tabang, about the cost of Ubaldo's tobacco, which Manuel squandered in Manila. The case was brought before the court. It was decided that Manuel should refund the cost of the tobacco. Manuel did not have the money, so it was agreed that ½ of his big house would go to Ubaldo. So, from the corner extending to the south was given to Ubaldo. He transferred that part of the house to Tabang. When Ubaldo died, the heirs sold the house to Capitan Gines Pimentel. He transferred the house to the Centro of Faire. That house was burned by the Japanese on December 13, 1944.

1. The pompous celebration of the christening of the poblacion on January 16, 1891.

2. The pompous picnic held at the San Manuel-Sta. Felicitas bank of the Chico River on July 11, 1895. (Please see page 12 – The Barrio of San Manuel)

3. The great flood that occurred in 1896 when many people were drowned.

4. The great flood that occurred in 1893 when many people from other towns were drowned and drifted to Faire.

1. The strongest flood in 1913 when many people were drowned.

2. The strong baguio on October 2-3, 1924 when only nine houses were able to survive the blast. The town was terribly lacking houses, then.

3. The arrival of the American negro soldiers in 1898.

4. The arrival of the American white soldiers in 1900.

1. The first arrival of the Japanese soldiers on January 2, 1942. The people were terribly afraid.

2. The second arrival of the Japanese soldiers on February 5, 1943 to come and organize the Japanese government.

3. The celebration of Philippine independence in October 1943.

4. The guerrilla activity which caused the death of three Japanese soldiers at Niug, Faire on November 26, 1944.

5. The capture of all Centro residents to kneel in front of the Central School Building to confess what really happened to the Japanese soldiers on November 29 and 30, 1944.

6. The imprisonment of all male inhabitants of the Centro on Nov. 29, 1944 in one room only. They were packed like sardines. One man nearly died due to the heat.

7. The imprisonment of co-leaders, neighborhood presidents, officials of the neighborhood associations, teachers, municipal officials, and a priest in one room to undergo rigorous investigations about the deaths of the three soldiers. The priest, Father Marcelino Jocson, nearly met his doom when he did not come immediately after he was ordered to the room. The men were not allowed to eat dinner, supper, breakfast, and dinner again. Many collapsed when they were released at 3 the following day.

8. During the investigation on November 30, 1944, the people knelt again in front of the schoolhouse. The interpreter stood with the captain on the porch and began this investigation:
Interpreter - Oro oro cibirian no see sordiero?
People - No see. (All answered.)
Interpreter - For hangred cibirian no see? Yo ter rie.
People - No see. (All answered.)
Interpreter - Oro oro ter rie. No go.

9. All male citizens again were assembled in a room. This time, it was going to be "exhibition killing." The machine guns were already set to do the massacre. Luckily, all of a sudden, American airplanes flew very rapidly and very low in front of the schoolhouse. The Japs ran for their dear lives. Many airplanes did the same. Then the Japs, after the airplanes had left, ordered all civilians to go home and they also left. That was a salvation.

10. On December 13, 1944, the Japanese soldiers came to the Centro very early at dawn. They captured nearly all prominent families whom they intended to punish for having guerrilla relatives. Among them were the Lazos, the Uys, the Reynantes, the Beltrans, the Jocsons, the Agustins, the Sayos, and the Joses. They got them with them to burn big houses. Houses that were burned belonged to the following persons: (1) Gines Pimentel, (2) Marceliana Manauis, (3) Ariston Beltran, (4) Mariano Cardona, (5) Daniel Segundo, (6) Ulpiano Esquibil, (7) Leonor Veridiano, (8) Jorge Agcaoili, (9) Tomas Bayaca. The town was all panicked with the burning of these big houses. That was the last we saw of the Japanese soldiers.

11. All men and ladies captured, except Capitana Marta, Doña Irene, Mrs. Guzman, and Mrs. Jocson were brought to Dungao for final investigation and execution. They hiked with the Japs.

12. During the Japanese government, schools were opened only in the poblacion. The following were the school teachers and officials:

(1) Mr. Laureno Guzman, Principal
(2) Miss Gloria Lazo, Teacher
(3) Miss Lilia Beltran, Teacher
(4) Miss Marcita Veridiano, Teacher
(5) Miss Pilar Cenon, Teacher
(6) Mrs. Irene C. Templo, Teacher
(7) Mrs. Adoracion T. Magat, Teacher
(8) Miss Presina Singson, Teacher
(9) Miss Aniceta Baquiran, Teacher

In general, the people in the poblacion practice the same pattern of life as was practiced by their ancestors. Practices and family life, domestic and social, as practiced long before are still practiced today.

a. A partera is always needed to attend to the child and the mother.

b. The mother has to have "dalagan" with 7 or 9 days of confinement, eating good food, bathing with warm water, and tempering herself with cool water after the period of 7 or 9 days, which will enable the mother to participate again in household work.

a. Anticipated sponsors are always given the chance to be the god- (father or mother).

b. Sponsors give gifts called "papet-pet" to the baby.

c. Male babies are either sponsored alone by male sponsors or with a lady partner; female babies are either sponsored by female persons or with a male companion.

a. Parental contract.

b. "Service system" of courting. The boy serves the family of the girl before being accepted. Good services mean acceptance, poor service means the vice-versa.

c. Personal contact leads to personal engagement.

a. Church marriages, Catholic or Aglipayan.

b. Civil marriages, solemnized by the judge.

c. Concubinage system, not solemnized at all.

d. Couple must go up the ladder together under rice showers which means "more children."

e. During dinner, the couple head the table with

1896-1900: None
1941-1945:

1. Reconstruction of the Intermediate Building by the War Damage Commission.
2. Reconstruction of the porch of the Primary School.
3. Reconstruction of the porch of the H.E. Building.
4. Construction of an annex room and office in the Primary School.
5. Construction of barrio roads.
6. Construction of a P.T.A. school building.
7. Reconstruction of the market plaza blown down by a strong baguio in 1947.

the sponsors at their sides, males to male and females to female. The groom must first raise his spoon followed by the bride, and then the rest follow and the dinner commences. As the dinner is going on, the "dinner gala" plate is passed around the diners. They drop any amount that they can spare for the couple.

f. The couple, after the dinner, resumes their place at the table before a telon or curtain facing the hall or sala.

g. After dinner, they have the "in-nicamen" in which the old folks give up the girl during the "dal-dallot" and "gala" ceremonies. During these ceremonies, basi is served to the dancers who drop some amount on the plates in front of the couple. Before commencing these ceremonies, the couple first dances the "mascota," and all relatives of each of them drop their "gala money" on the plate of whichever side they wish to help

During the "dal-dallot" ceremony, soft-hearted ladies cry due to the sentimental words contained in the verses when the girl is turned over to the grooom for safekeeping, care, and love.

In addition to those contained on page 23, the following is believed and practiced:

d. At the end of the 3^rd day, the "soul" comes to visit the family to bid "goodbye." So, because of this, the family always prepares "cigars, buyo, or wine" on the table for the "soul" to consume.

In addition to those mentioned on page 24, the following are added:

d. There are "more" or "comedias," zarzuelas, or programs to entertain the visitors.

e. There is always a "procession" of the patron saint.

f. There are dances after the program to entertain the young men and ladies from other towns.

In addition to those mentioned on page 24, the following are added:

c. Putting the culprit inside a dark room for sometime.

d. Holding the culprit incommunicado.

(Note: There is no difference between the poblacion and the barrios with regards to these. Please see and refer to 11 (1) a to f, (2) no to 1, and (3) a to e,pp. 24 to 25 herein.)

It is said that on or about Sunday, November 19, 1920, an old man at that went with many of his nephews and nieces and neighbors to a barrio of Alcala named "Afusing" to attend a cockpit day.

When they returned home after the cockpit day, they were benighted on the way. It was raining and the way was dark and slippery. Customarily, these people get some kind of intoxication before leaving Afusing. Being the oldest in the group, he led the way. His companions warned him to go slow because the way was slippery. Besides, it was dark and they were passing through a narrow passage. It was said that the old man got sour of the warning and he challenged them to watch him lead.

He ran and, in the course of his running, he slipped just at the narrowest part of the narrow passage. All of a sudden, he fell down into a deep precipice which, according to calculation, was more than 15 meters. Before he fell, he carried with him a basket (calapay) full of snails (bisokol). When he fell, there was a loud crash and all the snails fell out of his basket. The man lost consciousness because of the fall. His companions could not see where he fell. Luckily, his arms and legs caught up or got entangled with the branches of an "arosip" tree about 2 meters to the bottom of the 15-meter precipice. There, he hung like a scarecrow. His companions, worried and afraid of what became of him, hurriedly went to his rescue. Some of them went to report the matter to the kin of the old man at the foot of the hills. His sons and daughters came to the place with lanterns to help locate the old man.

When the rescue party recovered his body, he was unconscious. They revived him after applying hot "deppel" (hot compress). After he was revived, the people said, "Ay, wen gasat ni Ama Blas met ti agbalin nga "Banhanti." Itatta cuna ti meysa nga apocona. "Nagannen tayo detoy nga lugar ti-'TAPUAC NI BLAS,' " the old man being Blas Ganoy.

From that time on, whoever passes that way always recalls the fall of old Blas, "Tappuac ni Blas."

It is said that in the early 1930's, the people of Faire did not have yet good roads. The road from the Centro to Dungao was then under construction.

The road was still bad yet. It was said that trucks carrying gravel sometimes got people to ride when

Note: There is no difference between the songs, games, and amusements found in the barrios and in the poblacion. Please see and refer to p. 26 herein.

In addition to the puzzles and riddles found on pp. 26 to 30 herein, the following are incorporate:

b. Riddles:

In addition to No. 14 on pages 30 to 31, there following are offered for incorporation:

11.1 Matay ti agur-uray, agbiag ti paur-uray.
11.2 English - The waited lives, the waiter dies.

12.1 Uray no adayo no limpio.
12.2 Although far, not safe.

13.1 Uray adda-anca ti cucua, agsap-sapulca tapno adda pay nayon na.
13.2 English - The more you have, the more you crave.

14.1 Uray no asideg no riesgo.
14.2 English - Although it is near if it is dangerous.

In addition to No. 15 (1) to (7) p. 31, the following are incorporated:

(8) The Bristol Calendars were frequently used by the wiser old folks.

1. Judge Monico Beltran	"Memorias del "Tiempo Japones"
2. Mr. Rufino R. Templo	Literary - "Niug, The Strategic Start"
3. Mr. Rufino R. Templo	Folk Dance - "Ag-dam-damili"
4. Mr. Miguel B. Beltran	Sculptor - "The Bust of Dr. Jose Rizal" Sculptor - "The Bust of Bonifacio"

(SGD.) MIGUEL B. BELTRAN 70 Years Old

(SGD.) PATRICIO BALAQUI 80 Years Old

The members of the Committee on the Collection and Compilation of Historical Data Regarding the Barrios and Poblacion on the Municipality of Faire, Cagayan wish to express their profound gratitude to the persons responsible in giving reliable historical information, and to express their sincerest thanks for the cooperation tendered to them that made this work possible.

To Don Marcos Simeon goes our sincerest appreciation for his sound memories of dates, facts, and information regarding the founding of the town and its barrios, the different information regarding Nos. 10 to 16, and 27 to 33.

To Don Gines Abedes, Don Cayetano Manuel, Don Miguel B. Beltran, and Don Patricio Balaqui goes our sincere thanks and gratitude for having furnished to the committee supplemental corrective information which Mr. Marcos Simeon failed to recall in the course of our interview.

To the following employees, officials, and civic-spirited citizens goes our humble acknowledgement of their help and cooperation for having given some more information:

By the Committee:

T. e m p lo

A. r e o la

T. e m p lo

Transcribed from:

Historical Data Collected and Compiled Regarding the Barrios and Poblacion, Municipality of Faire, Cagayan, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.