CITY OF PASAY, RIZAL, Historical Data of Part 5

Sta. Clara or Bahay Pare (Poblacion) - - - - The poblacion is usually at the center of the town, and Sta. Cruz or Bahay Pare was known as such by virtue of its location and also due to the fact that the various priests who managed the religious affairs of the town used to stay in this place.

As authentic records where exact dates of important events can be traced are unavailable, we can simply attach our presumptions on the fact that the first Catholic church, which according to the information gathered from the versions of several octogenarians and centenarians whom we have interviewed was constructed of bamboo and nipa, and the date of its construction, according to information was way back in 1811. The patroness Sta. Clara de Montefalco was really owned by Mrs. Angela Vergel Cruz, from whom her daughter, the late Capitana Honoria Orda de Santiago, inherited the same.

Like the barrio of San Isidro, Sta. Clara has likewise produced its conspicuous bard declaimers in the family of Santillans. They were considered as good and famous as the Manapats.

Of the many sons born in this district, the one to possess the honor of being the first to assume the seat of the local chief executive of the town was Justo de Jesus. He was appointed to the said post in 1818.

For the information of everyone, the following is the list of all the sons of this district who were entrusted to occupy

the high seat of the local government:

Year

1818 1822 1824 1827 1829 1837 1839 1840 1843 1850 1855 1863 1876-77 1880-81 1899-00 1900-05 1906-06 1910-12 1912-19 1942-45

Justo de Jesus Bernardo de Jesus Froilan Fernando Dionisio Fernando Protacio de Jesus Froilan Fernando Santiago Raymundo Genaro Cabrera Santiago Raymundo Francisco del Rosario Santiago Raymundo Manuel Fernando Macario Vergel Cruz Macario Vergel Cruz Pascual Villanueva Pascual Villanueva Gregorio Villanueva Eugenio Villareal Pascual Villanueva Enrique Manaloto

Alcalde Alcalde Alcalde Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Gobernadorcillo Cap. Municipal Pres. Municipal Pres. Municipal Pres. Municipal Pres. Municipal District Chief

It is an honor on the part of the late Municipal President Pascual Villanueva to be remembered as the dean of all the chief executives of this town. He had behind him 14 years of service to the local government. This is an achievement which no other town executive of Pasay up to the present date has accomplished. He and his brother are remembered by having streets named after them.

The other town executives who are similarly honored are Villareal, F. Rosario, and F. Fernando.

Speaking of patriotism, we can cite Miguel de la Cruz, a son of this barrio. This gentleman was studying in the Ateneo de Manila when the revolution of 1896 broke out. He died heroically in the bloodiest encounter of his men and the Spanish forces in Wawang Napindan, near the barrio of Tipas, Tagiig, on January 2, 1897. He fought until the very last man under his command fell in the battlefield. He was requested to surrender by the officer in charge of the

enemy force, but he chose to die fighting.

Submitted by:

One of the farthest but biggest barrios of Pasay town prior to its becoming an independent municipality in 1864 was athe barrio of Malibay, which was named as such because the Spanish official

who inquired about the name of the place heard the word "Ma - libay," meaning "there is plenty of female deer." As a matter of fact, during these early days of Spanish occupation, the said place was famous for hunting deer which abounded in the hilly rice fields lying between Makati, Tagiig, Parañaque, and Pasay. Since Pasay became and independent town from Malate, the people of the barrio of Malibay asked the government to grant them the authority to choose their local officials, and their petition was duly entertained by declaring it "Pueblo de Malibay, Arrabal de Manila," with the seat of administration in Malibay proper and the church in Maricaban under the parish priest of Parañaque.

The town of Malibay then consisted of the following barrios viz., San Juan or Malibay proper, Maricaban, Mabong and Pildera, and Perdera. Among the most famous municipal captains, otherwise known as "capitanes," were Captain Clemente Jose and Capitan Potenciano Santos, in whose honor the two principal streets of the town were named C. Jose and P. Santos.

When the revolution against Spain broke out in the latter part of August 1896, Rafael Cruz was recently elected as Capitan Municipal to succeed Capitan Santiago Garcia, who was then secretly maneuvering the Katipunan forces with Teodoro Tolentino, his brother-in-law, as the so-called "Pangulo" or head of the government. The Municipal Captain of Pasay town was then Mr. Mauro Reyes, father of the former City Councilor Artemio Reyes. The Spaniard and Filipino "guardia civiles" were extremely cruel to the people who were delinquent with their taxes and reluctant to help the

authorities in suppressing the outbreak by arresting revolutionary suspects. Rather than be arrested and punished by the Spanish soldiers and guardia civiles, the people of Malibay, as a whole, evacuated the town and fled to the fields until they reached Zapote and Aniban, Bacoor, Cavite, where Filipino forces were entrenched to resist the enemies.

In the two revolutions against Spain during 1896-98, the Filipinos distinguished themselves as fighters in the Battle of Zapote Bridge, Bacoor, and in the hand-to-hand fighting that took place at the boundary line of Bacoor and Imus, where thousands of officers and men from both sides died horribly from bayonet and bolo wounds. The Malibay Unit was headed by Colonel Teodoro Tolentino, assisted by his gallant captain, Bonifacio Vizcarra, with a woman volunteer corps headed by one Marcela, who was killed in action. They formed part of the brigade under the command of General Pio del Pilar. One of the Malibay gunmen who was killed in action at Zapote Bridge was Gabriel Cruz. The Malibay soldiers were fierce fighters, including boys of only 14 to 16 years who fought side by side with their fathers and brothers.

After the war against the United States of America, the municipal government of Malibay was reestablished, with Colonel Teodoro Tolentino as Municipal President. He managed to construct the Municipal Building in Maricaban near the church, and from 1901-1905, he held the said office successfully.

In 1905, Malibay was made again a barrio of Pasay by an executive order of the Governor-General and the former Municipal President Teodoro Tolentino was one of the candidates for Municipal President of Pasay, but was defeated. Mr. Gregorio Villanueva, who was suspended from office as a result of a criminal case arising from a land dispute.

Thereafter, in all the elections for municipal offices, the Barrio of Malibay had presented its share in the persons of Rafael Cruz, who was elected Vice-President in 1909; Ignacio Santos, as Councilor in the same year; and Carlos C. Cruz, as Councilor in 1912.

In 1919, Miguel R. Cornejo, former Captain of the Infantry of the Federalized National Guard, was elected Municipal President, and in 1922, he was succeeded in office by the late Carlos C. Cruz, who held the position for two consecutive terms until 1928, when Atty. Cornejo was again elected Municipal President of Pasay for the second time. Both were cousins and natives of the Barrio of Malibay and Barrio Maricaban.

One of the most important achievements of the Malibay people during the incumbency of former President Miguel R. Cornejo was the separation of the Barrio of Malibay from the Military Reservation of Fort Wm. McKinley and the sale of the lands to the respective occupants thereof at a price ranging from 30-50 centavos a square meter on a ten (10) year installment plan payable to the Bureau of Lands, Malibay Estate Division. It was also Mr. Cornejo who started the movement in 1907 to have the said estate from military control as public property of the United States of America. Through

his initiative and efforts, Malibay people, in their great majority, are now the owners of the lands on which they live with their children.

Submitted by:

During the Spanish regime in the Philippines, there was a small street in Pasay that had no name. Travelers walking along the street would often wonder what the name of the street was.

There was once an order to all Spanish soldiers to guard all street intersections so that enemies could not enter the city. One day, a man passed the street. He approached the soldier on guard and asked what the name of the street was.

The soldier did not seem to understand the man, who spoke in Tagalog, and thought that perhaps the man was bidding him (the soldier) good day. So he in turn replied, "Buenas dias."

The man continued on his way thinking his question was well-answered. "He found out that "buenas dias" was hard to pronounce and he shortened it to Buendia. Up to our time, and name Buendia stills tands."

Submitted by:

During the Spanish regime, there lived a good Spanish priest in a place which is now included in the street presently known as Decena. This priest was very kind and helpful. The people of the place loved him for his kindness. Whenever people paid him, he would say, "No thank you, you keep your money and use it when you may need it, it is my duty to help my brothers and sisters.

Father Decena did not only help his immediate neighbors but people from other parts of Pasay as well. People said that he was a great priest and could be compared to the three great priests.

When Father Decena died, the people thought it fitting to name the place after him.

Submitted by:

Dominga
Two Versions

I

Princess Pasay, the daughter of Rajah Soliman, married the Princess Maytubig. They had a daughter, later on baptized in the Catholic Church. Her Christian name was Dominga and therefore, she was nicknamed Ingga. She was also given the surname Custodio because her godfather was a wealthy Spaniard of that name.

Ingga's godfather resided in Singalong near the barrio known as Balite. It was in this Barrio Balite that Dominga also lived. Near the place was a river known as "Tripa de Gallina," running through that place where bancas and cascos used to bring merchandise from Paco and Sta. Ana. That landing place for the watercraft was named "Pasong Ingga," now Balite Street, and the main road where Dominga's house was built was called Dominga, a street which to our day is still existing.

Reported by:

During the Spanish time, there was an old woman and her daughter living in a small hut. The daughter, Ingga, was very religious. Very early in the morning, when she heard the church bells, she would put on her veil covering her beautiful face and, with a rosary in her hand, would walk slowly while praying. She wore nice, simple dresses. Everytime she went to and from the church, she left her footprints on the ground. Whenever people saw this, they would say, "Iyan ang paso ni Ingga," which meant those were the footprints of Ingga. Later on, the popular term Paso ni Ingga was changed to Dominga by the Spaniards and was given to the place where this young girl originally lived.

Reported by:

During the Spanish era, Pasay was covered with thick forest. Big trees like balite, guavas, mabolo, and other grew in that place.

But there were only a few nipa houses then, and so only a few people lived in that woody place. According to some old folks, they called the place "Gubatan," and even to the latter part of the Spanish regime, it was still so called.

The place was the hiding place of the outlaws because it was dark and full of big trees.

During the Spanish revolution, the Katipuneros fought hand in hand with the Spaniards to gain their liberty. Many men shed their blood here. The fighting was so heavy, and the Katipuneros should have lost, if not for the bravery one one Katipunero named Miguel de la Cruz. In the course of the fight then, the Katipuneros finally won under their able leader.

When Miguel de la Cruz died, the place where he won signal [?] victory was named after him.

Reported by:

Maricaban was, in the earlier days, known as Marihabon. There was once a fisherman living in the said vicinity. When he died, he left a new house which was occupied by another fisherman. One day, the fisherman found a casket or a box called "kaban" in the dialect. When he finally got the big box and opened it, he found a boy inside it.

The name of the place Maricaban was corrupted from the Tagalog phrase May-roong-kaban, meaning there is a box or casket.

Reported by:

Historical Data of the City of Pasay, Province of Rizal, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.