MUNICIPALITY OF SOLANA (CAGAYAN), History and Cultural Life of Part I

HISTORY
and
CULTURAL LIFE
of
• SOLANA •

By: Solana School Teachers
Solana, Cagayan

H I S T O R Y     A N D     C U L T U R A L     L I F E
O F
S O L A N A

---------

A Collection and Compilation of Historical Data
Regarding the Town of Solana
Including Its
Barrios and Sitios

-oOo-

This history of Solana has been prepared with the hope that the present and future generations may find it interesting to know about the origin of Solana and its barrios, and the people's part in the development of this community.

It is also hoped that this history may help readers realize and appreciate the role, little though it may be, that Solana has played during the different historical eras of our country from the Spanish regime to the present.

Lastly, in an effort to preserve customs, traditions, and folklore which are part of the inestimable heritage of our people, this history has been written. Inasmuch as beliefs, customs, traditions, practices, etcetera in the Centro and in the barrios are more or less identical, the editing committee deemed it practical and appropriate to slightly deviate from the outline as suggested in Memorandum No. 34, s. 1952. Thus, repetition was avoided by compiling the folkways under one general heading.

[SGD.] (Mrs.) Paula F. Borja [SGD.] (Mr.) Rafael Lasam [SGD.] (Miss) Encarnacion Salo [SGD.] (Mrs.) Teodora L. Marallag [SGD.] (Miss) Iderlina Cumagun

PART I - HISTORY	PAGES
History and Cultural Life of the Town History and Cultural Life of the Barrios	1
Andarayan Bangag Bantay Basi Bauan Cabaruan and Maguirig Calamagui Carilucud Cattaran Dassun and Its Sitios Gadu Iraga Lanna Lannig and Its Sitios Nangalisan and Lingu Padul Parog-parog Pataya	4 7 9 10 12 14 17 18 19 20 23 25 29 31 34 37 38 39
PART TWO - FOLKWAYS
Traditions, Customs, and Practices:
Conception Birth Baptism Courtship Marriage Studies Making Trips Visits Punishments Building a House Festivals Planting Harvesting Storing Crops Care of the Sick Death Burial	40 41 44 46 48 50 51 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 57 59 61
Myths, Legends, Beliefs, and Interpretations:
Origin of the World Sun Moon Stars Eclipses Earthquakes Lightning and Thunder Clouds Rain Storms Rainbows Comets	62 62 62 62 63 63 63 64 64 64 65 65

The present official name of the town is Solana.

Formerly, the municipality of Solana was a part of Tuguegarao. It was called "Marague" because of a lonely house built by Florencio Marague at the bank of the Cagayan River opposite the barrio of Annafunan, Tuguegarao.

The town was established on August 19, 1852. It was named "Solana" in honor of the Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, Don Antonio Urbiztondo, Marquez de Solana of Spain.

The founders of the town were Alonzo Ligot, Juan Bayona, Jose Bulauitan, Mariano Lasam, Vicente Maddela, Cayetano Miguel, Felipe Lorenzo, Antonio de Asis, and Tomas Pagulayan.

Cayetano Miguel and Felipe Lorenzo were both Ilocano traders. They helped in the establishment of the town and were the ones who masterminded the bringing of Ilocano immigrants from Ilocos Norte to Solana. These groups of migrants were each headed by Ligot, Teodoro Felix, Felipe Lorenzo, Cayetano Miguel, Castro, Perez, Castillo, Romaro, Sto. Tomas, Alcantara, Marzan, Rola, and Singson. Other groups of immigrants came from Pangasinan led by Pio Guaring, from Capiz led by Lacerna, and from Tuguegarao led by Vicente Carag and Gabriel Lasam, respectively.

Names of persons who held official positions in the community:

A. During the Spanish Time: I (Gobernadorcillo)

1. Mariano Lasam 2. Domingo Lasam 3. Agustin Lasam 4. Vicente Carag 5. Pedro Lasam 6. Antonio de Asis 7. Juan Taguba 8. Alonzo Ligot 9. Vicente Maddela

10. Juan Bayona 11. Jose Canilan 12. Octavio Bayona 13. Jacobo Caronan 14. Juan Bulauitan 15. Gabriel Lasam 16. Domingo Tangan 17. Jose de Asis

1. Jose Gauilan 2. Teodoro Aparri

3. Francisco Tomas

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Rev. Fr. Agustin Calvo Rev. Fr. Juan Flores Rev. Fr. Remigio Tamayac Rev. Fr. Nicomedes Delgado Rev. Fr. Casimiro Gonzales Rev. Fr. Exiquiel Pimelia Rev. Fr. Francisco Bueno Rev. Fr. Nicomedes Delgado Rev. Fr. Domingo Champus Rev. Fr. Cipriano Diaz Rev. Fr. Victorio Nijera Rev. Fr. Alvario Jaramillo Rev. Fr. Gregorio Ballesteros Rev. Fr. Potenciano Cuntapay Rev. Fr. Simeon Villalobos

1852-1864 1865-1871 1872-1878 1879 1879-1880 1881-1882 1882-1883 1883-1890 1890-1893 1894-1898 1898-1899 1899-1916 1916-1919 1919-1921 1921-1925

16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

Rev. Fr. Proceso T. Cortez Rev. Fr. Juan Malamug Rev. Fr. Timoteo Rigos Rev. Fr. Pablo Callueng Rev. Fr. Paulino Angngangan Rev. Fr. Felicisimo Herrera

1925-1929 1929 1929-1930 1930-1935 1935-1943 1943 to the present

1. Vicente Cumagun

2. Hermogenes Arrizabal

1. Antonio Mangabang

2. Gabriel Lasam

Years	President	Vice-President	Secretary	Treasurer	Chief of Police
1900-1903 1903-1905 1905-1907 1907-1909 1909-1916 1916-1919 1919-1923 1923-1926 1926-1929 1929-1938 1938-1939 1939-1941 1941-1942	Vicente Carag Gabriel Lasam Guillermo Lugot Miguel Carag Tomas Lasam Juan Lasam Manuel Perez Abelardo Caronan Jacinto Danga Francisco Caronan Pedro Battung Vicente Calimag Francisco Caronan	F. Tomas A. Maddela G. Avena J. Lasam N. Cepeda A. Romero P. Taguba S. Balisi R. Gumila L. Reyes V. Tomas A. Lasam A. Lasam B. Carag	G. Ligot G. Ligot G. Ligot G. Ligot G. Ligot G. Ligot M. de Asis M. de Asis M. de Asis M. de Asis R. Durian R. Durian F. Cumagun R. Durian	D. Tangan J. Carag V. Calimag N. Peñafiel P. Ifurung J. Cortez F. Battung G. Jaramillo G. Jaramillo G. Jaramillo G. Jaramillo G. Jaramillo G. Jaramillo G. Jaramillo	A. Maddela V. Carag 2nd J. Balisi J. Balisi J. Balisi C. Tallud G. Baliuag G. Baliuag J. Binarac A. Cabalza S. Macarubbo S. Macarubbo S. Macarubbo S. Macarubbo

1942- 1943-1944

Colonel Pedro Bulan Atty. Justo Caronan

S. Utlag S. Utlag

E. Battung N. Marallag

1945- 1945-

Rufino Cepeda Atty. Angel Hernando

1946- 1947-

Roberto Avena Justo Caronan

E. Lasam

P. Lingan P. Lingan

V. Carag 5th V. Carag 5th

1948-1951 1952- 1952-

Abelardo Lasam Aaurellano Carag Ceferino Bulauitan

A. de Asis C. Bulauitan P. Guaring

E. Lasam J. Caronan J. Caronan

P. Lingan P. Lingan P. Lingan

V. Carag 5th V. Carag 5th V. Carag 5th

1. Hermogenes Arrizabal 2. Vicente Tallud 3. Juan Lasam 4. Eugenio Gagutan

5. Dalmacio Guillermo 6. Silvino Cannu 7. Honorio Reyes 8. Nicasio Cabalza

The first site of the town was located near the mountains southwest of its present site. It is known as "Nangalisan" in Ilocano or "Nagalitan" in Ibanag. The brick floorings of the first chapel in that spot can hardly be located now because it is covered by soil and bushes. The town was transferred to its present site on account of a terrible epidemic and also for the purpose of having the town near the river, which was then the chief means of transportation.

During the Spanish occupation, the people were very peaceful and lived in contentment. Unlike in other places, there was not much corporal punishment inflicted on the people by the Spaniards. The peace and order enjoyed by the people was due to the influence and discipline imposed by the then "Jefe de Sementera y Policia," Mr. Vicente Cumagun.

During the Filipino-American War, the people did not offer any resistance to the Americans when they entered the town.

In World War II, Solana was an evacuation center. Aside from the local government of Solana, it being the temporary seats of two local governments of the neighboring towns of Tuguegarao, the capital, and Iguig, respectively. The Municipal Governments of Solana and Tuguegarao, respectively, operated in the barrio of Natappian, Solana; while that of Iguig, in the barrio of Dassun, another barrio of Solana.

During the Japanese Occupation, in the year 1941-1945, the town proper and some barrios were devastated by both the Japanese Army and the American Air Force. Many public and private buildings were either burned or destroyed. Many lives were lost. The Japanese soldiers burned houses in the town and in the barrio of Iraga. They killed many civilians.

On June 13, 1944, eleven American planes bombed and machine-gunned by mistake the American Signal Corps in Andarayan. About 150 lives were lost; plenty of animals were killed; and many houses were destroyed and burned. Most of the people who were killed were evacuees.

In 1946 and 1947, public buildings were rehabilitated with the help of the American government. Many civilians, too, received payments for their war damage claims and were able to rebuild their homes.

In 1948, Bolomen (Civilian Laborers), an organization during the liberation period, received pay from the American Army through the help of Dr. Pedro Lasam. From the financial help contributed by these laborers, the Rizal Monument in front of the Municipal Building was put up.

1. It is believed that if a woman conceiving longs for guava, lemon, eggplants, and things that are round and long, the child will be a boy; if she longs for flowers or things that are pink, and if she looks beautiful during conception, the child will be a girl.

2. The one conceiving should have ginger, garlic, or salt with her and she must loosen her hair when she takes a walk, especially at night, so that she will not be disturbed by the devil on her way.

3. She must not wait for her husband for their meals so that she will not have hardship in delivering.

4. She must not look at the chickens, not pigs that are slaughtered so that the child will not develop "Fit."

5. She must not be selfish nor must she cover food to hide it from other persons so that she will deliver easily.

6. The pregnant woman must not sit at the door or stairs so that delivery will not be delayed.

7. If a woman is conceiving, no other persons must get anything from inside the husband's pocket because this will mean a surgical operation in delivery.

8. When sleeping, the woman must put ginger, salt, and garlic at the windows so that the devil will not disturb her.

9. When a pregnant woman's neckline is black, she is supposed to have a baby boy.

10. If a pregnant woman is fond of vinegar and shrimps, her child will have deformities in his toes, fingers, and ears.

11. A pregnant woman laughing at the defects of other people will find the same defects in her child.

12. If she steps with her right foot first, her child will be a boy. If she steps with her left foot first, then her child will be a girl.

13. When visiting a woman on the family way, never hesitate to go up the stairs so that she will not have a hard time during her delivery.

14. Do not let the pregnant woman look at the eclipse, otherwise the woman or the child may die. To counteract this, a widow must shampoo her hair with rice straw ashes.

15. In the barrio of Dassun, a woman who is pregnant has several precautions to observe:

(1) She must step over the bundle of wood or bamboo to avoid the misplacement of the fetus.

(2) When there is an eclipse of the moon, a pregnant woman must take a bath and her hair must be washed by a widower.

(3) She is prohibited to see dying persons and animals.

(4) When her labor pains begin, she must at once kick the cornerstone of the house or a dog unnoticed, to relieve her pain in giving birth.

1. When a woman is laboring, she must kick the corner post of the house so that she will deliver easily.

2. When a woman is about to deliver, she must refrain from telling it to anyone so that her delivery will not be delayed.

3. When a child is born, nobody must see the placenta, otherwise that person can become blind.

4. When a cord is about to be cut, it must be kept in a certain place in a house; it must not be thrown away so that when the child grows up, he will not marry someone from a far away place.

5. When a child is born, burn pieces of cloth near the baby so that the evil spirits that go hear him will go away, and so that the navel will get dry easily.

6. The woman must lie on an inclined bed, and near her bed must be a stove with fuel from guava trees that will be burned the whole day. This will help make the woman resume her body constituence.

7. She must drink warm water with some medicinal leaves and roots or herbs to make her strong.

8. A nursing mother, on the first meal after delivery, must not turn her eyes on the baby so that the baby will not form the habit of crying when the mother eats.

9. There must be a whip or a pair of scissors or anything sharp when the mother leaves her child. This will keep the baby safe from devils.

10. The first pillow of the newly-born baby must be a book so that he will be bright in his studies.

11. When a child is born with the cord around his sholders, he will be a future soldier or general.

12. If the child is born with a bag, he will be a lucky child for the family.

13. If a child is born in April or when there is no moon he will be a nervous child.

14. If a child is born on moonlit nights, he will be a very lucky child.

15. When the first child of a couple is a boy, the couple will be very lucky.

16. When the line from the navel to the genital organ is not straight, the couple with the baby must shampoo through a coconut shell that has money in it and then they must be wiped with a white chicken swayed to and fro so that nothing serious will happen to the family.

17. The child must be put on a winnower and swayed to and fro so that he will not be easily scared.

18. The first time a child is laid on its bed after delivery, the midwife pinches him so that he will be a humble child.

19. Do not let a newly-born baby wear new clothes because he will always demand for new clothes when he grows up.

Transcribed from:

History and Cultural Life of Solana, Cagayan, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.