MUNICIPALITY OF INFANTA, Quezon, Historical Data of Part 1
PART I
PART I | PART II
[p. 1]
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF INFANTA
QUEZON PROVINCE
I. H i s t o r y :
The original name of this town, Infanta, was "Binangonan del Ampon," chosen on the following basis:
"When the founders of this town were selecting the place where to establish the poblacion, they found a wooden image of a saint on the bank of a certain river, the 'Agos River.' They believed that the image was carried by the flood from distant places. When it was stranded in the place, it stood firm until the flood subsided. So, they believed that it must have been the God-sent image to protect the people from harm. They created a poblacion site nearby and erected a church to shelter the image, and idolized it as their patron saint. 'Ang santo ay bumangon upang ampunin ang mga tao.' (The saint arose to protect the people.)"
The founding of Infanta dated as far back as 1745. When the early Spanish conquistadores came to this place, they found the name of the town, "Binangonan del Ampon." The Spanish captain at that time decided to change the name Binangonan to Infanta in honor of the youngest child of the Spanish Governor of Tayabas Province, of which Binangonan or Infanta was one of its big poblacions.
At one time, Binangonan del Ampon was made a part of Rizal Province and it used to be called then as "Binangonan Malayo" (Farther Binangonan) because, at that time, there was already a town in Rizal called Binangonan. (This was called at that time Binangonan Malapit [Nearer Binangonan])
When the Spanish Governor of Tayabas, the former name of Quezon Province, reorganized the different municipalities of the province, he created the district of Infanta, and Binangonan was called "Binangonan del Ampon Distrito de Infanta." When the Americans came to the Philippines, and a company of them reached this place under Colonel Refall, they adopted "Infanta" as the name of the poblacion, which has, since then, been the name of the town.
II. What peculiarities are there in its history, people, topography, customs, and industry?
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b. People: The people of Infanta are very hospitable. They welcome every stranger regardless of race or socio-economic status. Even the poorest ones will share with the visitors the last food they stored. Many of them are easy-going and quite homely. Some are quite adventurous, although their number is quite insignificant. Only three of the natives of this place had gone to America. Many of them are contented with simple living. In far away barrios, children of the well-to-do as well as those of the average have already been awakened to pursue professional careers such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, nurses, teachers; but few of them pursue agriculture.
c. Topography: Infanta is gifted by nature in having the swiftest river in the province. Agos River, according to the findings of the engineers who studied the current of this river, said that its forces can supply electric lights all over the poblacion and its nearby barrios. There are high mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre, but the greater portion of this town is lowland which is level. It has a long shoreline running from north to south of eastern coast, which offers the people living along the coast plenty of sea products.
d. Industry: Agriculture, lumbering, fishing, charcoal-making, wine-making, and gathering almacega are the leading industries of this place. This town ranks first in the production of almacega (raisin) and wine in the whole Quezon Province. However, it is second only to Calauag in the manufacture of charcoal.
[p. 3]
III. LITERACY AND EDUCATION
|
Grade I Grade II Grade III |
6% 4.3% 6% |
Grade IV Grade V Grade VI |
5% 16% 5.8% |
b. What is the percentage of literacy in the locality?
Percentage of literacy in the locality: 85%.
c. What do the people like to read?
|
1. Bulaklak 2. Liwayway 3. Comics |
4. Mabuhay 5. Manila Times and other newspapers 6. Books on Agriculture & and Poultry Raising |
1. Intermediate pupils
2. High School students
3. Teachers
4. Educated parents
1. Community-Centered Schools.
2. Civico-Educational Lecdtures.
3. Having Public Library both in the Poblacion & Barrios.
4. The teach-one-each-one-method in a family having illiterates.
5. The teach-some-coach-some-method.
IV. VOCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
|
1. Farming 2. Fishing 3. Lumbering |
4. Tailoring 5. Domestic Trade 6. Weaving | 7. Gathering wild products |
1. Planting rice twice a year.
2. Planting secondary crops.
3. Planting rice, corn, vegetables in caingin.
4. Planting bananas and other cover crops under the coconut groves.
5. Selecting seeds.
[p. 4]
1. Catching fish by the use of nets.
2. Catching fish by using light at night (hook & line).
3. Making fish ponds.
1. Improper seed selection.
2. Improper use of seeds not suited to the locality, especially palay.
3. Improper preparation of the soil.
4. Farmers not using fertilizers.
5. Lack of incentive on the part of the farmer to produce more crops.
6. Neglecting the farm after planting.
1. Illegal fishing as dynamite fishing.
2. Poisoning by using bayati, tuba, tubli, etc.
How can they be corrected and improve?
(a) Farming:
1. Proper seed selection.
2. Using the approved variety of palay as binuhangin and mangas.
3. Application of fertilizer, either commercial or decayed organic matter.
4. Adopt the threshing method like that in Rizal and Laguna, and in the Ilocos Region.
6. Irrigation.
1. Carabao manure
2. Cow manure
3. Horse manure
4. Chicken manure
5. Decayed organic matter
1. Vacant lots in the poblacion owned by the municipality.
2. In rural areas, those lots not planted to rice or coconuts.
3. Private vacant lots in the poblacion.
[p. 5]
|
1. Buri 2. Rattan 3. Tikiw 4. Nito 5. Lukmoy |
6. Nipa
10. Bamboo
7. Banban 8. Anahaw 9. Piña (fiber) |
11. Calagimay 12. Sabutan |
1. Poultry and swine raising
2. Fish culture
3. Weaving
4. Commercial scale gardening
5. Deep sea fishing
6. Mushroom growing
1. Have a home poultry project.
2. Have at least two fattening pigs or 1 boar & 1 sow.
3. Have a home industry.
4. Have a home garden.
1. Doctor of Veterinary Science
2. Experienced poultry man
3. Services of the personnel of the Bureau of Agriculture to experiment on the application of fertilizers and to improve the present breed of chickens and pigs.
V. CITIZENSHIP - CIVIC:
Yes, we have succeeded in organizing the purok in every barrio in this municipality.
(a) Campaigning for the eradication of illiteracy through adult education classes.
(b) Maintaining reading centers.
(c) Teaching the proper value of cooperation.
(d) Teaching the proper importance of good citizenship.
(e) Studying ways and means of improving the health conditions in the locality.
(f) Proper waste disposal.
(g) Proper drainage.
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1. Proper guidance by the purok leaders.
2. Rendering an interesting program with some purok members participating.
3. Holding community assemblies, especially in connection with historical events.
4. Make every member of the group feel that it is his duty to attend every community assembly; that failure of every one of the members to attend said assembly means the downfall of the whole group.
1. Relating the commendable achievements of some civic-spirited citizens to encourage the members of the group to do the same.
2. Reading of the biographies of national heroes.
3. Directly cleaning public places, such as town plazas, markets, streets, etc.
4. Demonstrating worthwhile activities for the improvement of the community and encouraging every member of the group to do similar activities.
1. Infanta Civic League
2. Infanta Puericulture Center
3. Veterans of the Philippine Revolution
4. Parents-Teachers Associations
2. Vice-Mayor - Mr. Lazaro A. Atendido
3. Councilors:
(b) Mr. Felix Marasigan
(c) Mr. Jose Pobleta
(d) Mr. Quintin Miras
(e) Mrs. Nicetas Escarra
5. Mun. Secretary - Mr. Antero P. Aumentado
6. Chief of Police - Mr. Saturnino Atendido
7. Justice of the Peace - Atty. Alfredo Icasiano
8. Pres, 6th San. Division - Mr. Pablo Utulo
[p. 7]
VI. LEISURE ACTIVITIES:
a. How do people spend their leisure time? Which should be encouraged? Discouraged?
Ways of spending leisure time:
(a) Attending picnics and excursions
(b) Going to parties
(c) Going to dances
(d) Reading newspapers and magazines
(e) Reading books
(f) Playing games such as volleyball, basketball, softball, ping-pong, etc.
(g) Attending plays and literary-musical programs
(h) Attending meetings of civic organizations
(a) Cockfighting
(b) Gossiping
(c) Gambling, such as cara-y-cruz, jueteng, card games, etc.
(d) Drinking
(a) Reading Centers
(b) Public Library
(c) Playgrounds for Athletics
(a) By inviting them to attend and see athletic meets in the barrio schools and unit meet in the central school.
(b) By including "The Importance of Athletics in Civico-Educational Lectures."
(c) By making the people feel that Athletics is one of the ways by which a well-rounded individual may be produced.
(d) By showing to the people, free of charge, films that depict modern Athletics.
(e) By giving privileges to the best athletes of the community, such as being free from scholarship, and by giving clothing allowances, extra food from the funds of the local PTA.
|
(a) Bono or Wrestling (b) Sikio (c) Bimbiw (d) Patentero |
(e) Bowling (f) Tennis (g) Sungka (h) Piko (i) Blind-folded | (k) Sipa |
[p. 8]
|
j. Huego de Anillo k. Huego de Pato l. Palo Sebo |
m. Pig catching relay n. Banca race |
All may be revived.
e. What social problems have been created by improper ways of using leisure time? Suggest ways to solve them.
a. Creation of sectionalism among people of different communities and of the same community.
b. Encouraging idleness on the part of the individual who may be highly absorbed in these games, thereby forgetting his or her duties in the family.
c. Games may result to gambling if the players will be allowed to bet, hence the betting, the aim for which the games are played.
These problems may be solved by educating the players and spectators in such a way that sportsmanship and civic-consciousness should be uppermost in their minds before, during, and after the games.
VII. TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL:
[p. 9]
Legend of Binonoan, continued
Young and old engaged in the game. When the moon came, the capitan gathered all the people and asked them to suggest names which were symbolic of the gathering. A good number suggested that, as the activity that predominated was wrestling, then the place could rightly be called "BINONOAN" or the wrestling place; and since then, the place has borne that name.
Legends:
1. Legend of the First Banana
2. Legend of the Coconuts
3. Legend of the First Monkey
4. Why the Crow is Black
1. "Pag maaga ang lusong, maaga rin ang ahon."
2. "Masisi na sa agap, huwag lamang sa kuyad."
3. "Masisi ka man at huli, wala nang mangyayari."
4. "Ang panaho'y samantalahin, sapagka't ginto ang kahambing."
5. "Ang kapalaran ko'y di man hanapin, dudulog, lalapit kung talagang akin."
6. "Ngayon ay tutukain, ngayon ay kakahigin."
7. "Ang katamaran ay kapatid ng kagutuman."
8. "Ang katamaran ay ina ng kahirapan."
9. Ang kamalian ng mahirap ay napupuna ng lahat."
10. "Kasama sa gayak, di kasama sa lakad."
11. "Buhay-alamang, pag lukso'y patay."
12. "Ang tao na walang pilak, parang ibong walang pakpak."
13. "Pag may tag-araw ay may tag-ulan."
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