Local History of Zambales (PDF)

CHAPTER 5 TOPIC 5: LOCAL HISTORY OF ZAMBALES INTRODUCTION Zambales as the second largest province in Central Luzon, which covers an area of 361, 103 hectares, shares common boundaries with Pangasinan on the North, Tarlac and Pampanga on the East and Bataan on the South. The entire stretch of the P...

CHAPTER 5 TOPIC 5: LOCAL HISTORY OF ZAMBALES INTRODUCTION Zambales as the second largest province in Central Luzon, which covers an area of 361, 103 hectares, shares common boundaries with Pangasinan on the North, Tarlac and Pampanga on the East and Bataan on the South. The entire stretch of the Province on the west is rimmed by the crystal clear water of vast China Sea. The topography of the province is generally irregular, with the coastal plains and valleys stretching from Lingayen Gulf down south towards Subic Bay along the western coast and further towards a 175 kms. stretch of shoreline. HISTORICAL SKETCH According to Buzeta, another Spanish historian, it was Juan de Salcedo who discovered Zambales. This intrepid soldier [he says], after having conquered Manila and the surrounding provinces, resolved to explore the northern part of Luzon. He organized at his own expense an expedition, and General Legaspi gave him forty-five soldiers, with whom he left Manila May 20, 1572. After a journey of three days he arrived at Bolinao, where he found a Chinese vessel whose crew had made captives of a chief and several other natives. Salcedo, retook these captives from the Chinese and gave them their liberty. The Indians, who were not accustomed to such generosity, were so touched by this act that they became voluntary vassals of the Spaniards. It seems that nothing further was done toward settling or evangelizing the region for twelve years, although the chronicler goes on to say that three years after the discovery of Bolinao a sergeant of Salcedo’s traversed the Bolinao region, receiving everywhere the homage of the natives, and a Franciscan missionary, Sebastian Baeza, preached the gospel there. But in 1584 the Augustinians established themselves at the extreme ends of the mountain range, Bolinao and Mariveles. One of them, the friar Esteban Martin, was the first to learn the Zambal dialect. The Augustinians were succeeded by the Recollets, who, during the period from 1607 to 1680, founded missions at Agno, Balincaguin, Bolinao, Cabangan, Iba, Masinloc, and Santa Cruz. Then in 1680, more than a hundred years after Salcedo landed at Bolinao, the Dominicans undertook the active evangelization of the district. The name of the province is derived from its earliest inhabitants, the Zambals, whom the Spanish found worshipping spirits called Anitos. They were referred to as "Sambali," from the Malay word samba, meaning "to worship." The term was later Hisparicized to "Zambal." When Juan de Salcedo came to explore the area in 1572, he landed at Cape Bolinao, then a part of Zambales. The earliest towns established in 1607, 1611, and 1612 were Masinloc, Iba, and Sta. Cruz, respectively. Masinloc was the first capital of the province. At various points in history, the capital shifted from each of the three towns earlier named. Iba, however, in view of its strategic location, finally became the permanent seat of the provincial government As founded in the 16th century, it was composed of the area extending from Cape Bolinao in the north to Subic on the south. Due to their inaccessibility from the capital, seven towns in the northern portion of Zambales - from Bolinao to Infanta and including Alaminos - were later ceded to Pangasinan, forming that province's western part. Zambales is the home province of the seventh president of the Philippine Republic, Ramon Magsaysay, who was born in Iba and later moved to Castillejos, where His residence remains as a Museum these days. Zambales has a natural beauty, it has been touched by civilization yet has maintained its rustic ambiance and beauty. The Zambales coastline is most famous for its sandy beaches and deep blue sea teeming with coral reefs. Zambales is perfectly suited for visitors seeking an authentic view of the Philippines without going too far from the national capital, Manila. It is located at the North Western part of Luzon, the center is Iba located 204 kilometers or approximately a three hour drive from Manila. The province has a vast area of lowlands along the coast where the town centers are located. The northern part is less developed. Mountain ranges line the East. Many containing large deposits of minerals, such as Chromate, Nickel, Copper and Gold, these Mountains also contain several Volcanos, the best know of which is Mt. Pinatubo, which erupted in 1991. Fantastic views of the Mountain and it's lake filled crater can be seen from the air by light aircraft who's flights can originate in Clark, Pampanga or in Iba, Zambales. Zambales has 13 Municipalities, (North to South) Sta. Cruz, Candaleria, Palauig, Masinloc, Iba, Botolan, Cabangan, San Felipe, San Narciso, San Antonio, San Marcelino, Castillejos, Subic and one city, Olongapo. The provincial capital was first Masinloc and later Sta. Cruz, as both had natural harbors, then moved to Iba, due to it's central geographic location, which remains the Capital today. The earliest established Towns were Masinloc 1607, Sta. Cruz 1611 and Iba 1612. The name Zambales or the Hispanized term for Zambal, is derived from the spoken dialect and the ethnic site of the early Malay inhabitants of the place. It is alleged that the term was given currency on account of the fact that the Spanish conquistadors found these people highly superstitious who worship the spirits of their departed ancestors. Now, the closer equivalent of the word worship is Sambal in the dialect hence the term Zambales. The Zambales believed to have originally come from the Celebes, pushed the aborigines, the kinky- haired, dwarfish Negritoes or Aetas, to the hinterlands and established Villages which were to became the nuclei of such municipalities as Sta. Cruz, Candelaria, Masinloc, Palauig, Iba, Botolan, Cabangan, and San Felipe, most of them in the northern portion of the province. They can be found likewise in Infanta, Baleng- Kageng (now Mabini), Alaminos, Agno, Burgos, Bani, Anda and Bolinao, all within the Province of Pangasinan. These eight towns were originally part of Zambales and it was in view of the physical difficulties in administration that they were ceded to Pangasinan. While the Northern part of Zambales has long been occupied, the great plains in the South for sometime remained covered by impenetrable forests, thereby allowing the migration of two distinct groups much later. The Tagalogs formed the fishing Villages at the southernmost tip of the province which later became Subic and Olongapo. The Ilocanos, on the other hand, started the settlements that subsequently grew into what are now agricultural towns of Castillejos, San Marcelino, San Antonio, and the agro-fishing towns of San Felipe, Cabangan, and the Southern part of Botolan. These great people from the Ilocos Region in exodus, known for their visions and courage, their industry and tenacity, were to carve out flourishing communities from were nurtured the sons and daughters who enormously contributed to the socio-economic, political and cultural life of the people all over the country, let alone the province of Zambales, since then. GEOGRAPHY Zambales is a province in the Philippines situated in the Central Luzon region occupying the central section of Luzon. Its capital is the Municipality of Iba. Boarded by the South China Sea on the West, with 173 Kilometers of coastline and the Zambales Mountains on the East, with a land area of 3,700 square kilometers, Zambales is the second largest among the six provinces of Central Luzon. It has a population density of 170 people per square kilometer, one of the lowest in the country. The province is noted for its fishing and agriculture and especially for it's mangoes, which are listed in the Guinness Book of records as"the sweetest Mangos in the World" which are abundant from January to May. MAP Zambales is bordered, clockwise from the North, by Pangasinan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, and the South China Sea. Zambales has 13 municipalities. The total number of barangays in the province is 230. The City of Olongapo is commonly grouped with the province, although it is administratively independent due to its distinction as a highly urbanized city. The Zambales range of mountains, of which the southern half is known as the Cordillera de Cabusilan and which is second in importance to the Caraballos system of northern Luzon, forms the entire eastern boundary of Zambales and separates it from the Provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Pampanga. A number of peaks rise along this chain, of which Mount Pinatubo, 6,040 feet in height, is the highest. All of the rivers of Zambales rise on the western slope of these mountains and carry turbulent floods through the narrow plains. Still unbridged, they are an important factor in preventing communication and traffic between towns, and hence in retarding the development of the province. Another important factor in this connection is the lack of safe anchorages. The Zambales coast is a stormy one, and vessels frequently come to grief on its reefs. At only one point, Subig Bay, can larger vessels find anchorage safe from the typhoons which sweep the coast. The soil of the well-watered plain is fertile and seems adapted to the cultivation of nearly all the products of the Archipelago. MT. PINATUBO ERUPTION Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano in the Zambales Mountains, located on the tripoint boundary of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga, all in Central Luzon on the northern island of Luzon. The ash plume height reaching more than 40 km (28 mi) high and ejecting more than 10 km3 of magma, classifying it as plinian/ultra plinian eruption style and VEI 6 in eruption size. In June 1991, following violent eruptions of Mount Pinatubo, one of 21 active volcanoes in the Philippines, more than 800 people were killed and the evacuation of more than 250,000 persons took place. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines' Luzon Volcanic Arc was the second- largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. During the eruption of 15 June 1991, heavy ash falls had caused widespread damage in the provinces adjacent to Mount Pinatubo, as they covered large tracts of land and caused the roofs of houses, buildings and public facilities to collapse. These provinces were Zambales, Pampanga and Tarlac. The Mount Pinatubo eruptions and their aftereffects, particularly lahars during rainy seasons, not only have taken the lives of many but also have wrought havoc to the infrastructure and to economic activities of Central Luzon. Damage to crops, infrastructure, and personal property totaled at least 10.1 billion pesos ($US 374 million) in 1991, and an additional 1.9 billion pesos ($US 69 million) in 1992. In addition, an estimated 454 million pesos ($US 17 million) of business was foregone in 1991, as was an additional 37 million pesos ($US 1.4 million) of business in 1992. Lahars continue to threaten lives and property in many towns in the provinces of Tarlac, Pampanga, and Zambales. There were 96 barangay and 30,115 families affected by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. AETA INHABITANTS OF ZAMBALES Zambales is home to different indigenous Filipino Aeta tribes. The tribes rely heavily on their environment for livelihood. They speak Tagalog, their dialect Sambal, and English. They have little to no access to education and healthcare. The Aeta Tribe is one of the indigenous communities in the Philippines, with a population concentrated mainly in the mountainous regions of Zambales. Like many other indigenous communities, the Zambales Aeta have faced various challenges related to land, resources, and cultural preservation The Aeta (Ayta /ˈaɪtə/ EYE-tə; Kapampangan: áitâ), or Agta, are an indigenous people who live in scattered, isolated mountainous parts of the island of Luzon, the Philippines. The Aeta of Zambales range in stature from 4 to 5 feet. These people are considered to be Negritos, whose skin ranges from dark to very dark brown, and possessing features such as a small stature and frame; hair of a curly to kinky texture and a higher frequency of naturally lighter colour (blondism) relative to the general population, small nose, and dark brown eyes. They are thought to be among the earliest inhabitants of the Philippines, preceding the Austronesian migration The people in Zambales practices weaving in terms of their products so as their clothes. The Aetas are skillful in weaving and plaiting. Women exclusively weave winnows and mats. Only men make armlets. They also produce raincoats made of palm leaves whose bases surround the neck of the wearer, and whose topmost part spreads like a fan all around the body. There are some arts in the Philippines that is not very known to the people in the Philippines but this is a great practice in Zambales in which they do scarification as a practice in their arts. A traditional form of visual art is body scarification. The Aetas intentionally wound the skin on their back, arms, breast, legs, hands, calves and abdomen, and then they irritate the wounds with fire, lime and other means to form scars. Scarification simply for purposes of ornamentation is not practiced to any great extent by the Negritos around Pinatubo. They burn themselves for curative purposes and are sometimes covered with scars, but not the kind of scars produced by incisions. Only occasionally is the latter scarification seen near Pinatubo. In regions where it is common the work is usually done at the age of 15 or 16, although it may be done at any age. The incisions are made with a knife or a very sharp piece of cane, and generally follow some regular design. Scarification is called “ta-bád,” and it has no other significance than adornment. The parts of the body usually marked are the breast, shoulders, and back, although scars are occasionally seen on the legs. PAYNAUEN DUYAN FESTIVAL AEThe Paynauen Duyan Festival is an annual festival in the Municipality of Iba, Zambales in the Philippines. The festival was first held in 2005. Paynauen ‘Duyan’ Festival is held every April 25 – May 1 in Iba, Zambales. It commemorates the provincial capital’s founding anniversary (founded in 1611) traces its origin from a Zambal word which means rest or pahingahan – the ancient name of Iba before the Spanish conquistadores founded the village on the shore of the Bancal River in 1611. The festival features photo competition and exhibit, sand sculpture competition, skate boarding, 2-cock derby, carabao race, beauty pageant, kite flying, banca race, street dancing / Duyan Parade, among other activities DINAMULAG FESTIVAL The Dinamulag Festival also known as the Zambales Mango Festival is an annual festival held in the province of Zambales in the Philippines to celebrate or encourage bountiful harvest of the province's mangoes. The festival was first held in 1999. Dinamulag Mango Festival comes from dinamulag, which is a word in Sambali that means “carabao”. It refers to the variety of the sweet fruit called carabao mango (Mangifera Indica) that is cultivated in Zambales. Organized by the Zambales Mango Producers Federation (ZAMPROFED) and provincial government in coordination with public and private institutions, the fest was conceptualized as thanksgiving celebration for the harvest of the fruit, promote Zambales mango, and boost tourism. Mangoes are a primary crop of the province of Zambales. Mangoes harvest in the town of Palauig are mostly exported to other provinces and Metro Manila. The festival is held to celebrate bountiful harvest of mangoes in the provinces. Mangoes cultivated in Zambales particularly the Dinamulag variety of Carabao mangoes were cited as the world's sweetest mangoes by Guinness World Records in 1995 and the country's sweetest mangoes by the Department of Agriculture in 2013. In 2015, other events unrelated to the province's mangoes such as sports events were introduced while the province's fruit remain the centerpiece of the festival.