The Guinayangan Republic

The barangay of Hinabaan, which is approximately nine kilometer north of downtown Guinayangan, acquired its name from the river traversing the place from the shoreline of Ragay Gulf. At the mouth of the Viñas River in the east, running in an almost endless course westward passing the heights of the sitio of Sta.Cruz, Yaganak, Bungahan and culminate somewhere in the Pitogo mountain.

The first inhabitants of Hinabaan were the Negritos who lived by hunting and fishing along the rivers and swamps that were abundant in wildlife. In later years, hunters from nearby barrios begun to migrate and settled there to hurt specially during the dry season. With the Negritos as guides, they trailed their games upstream following the course of the river but never succeeded in reaching its source.

The name Hinabaan was attributed by the hunters to the length of the river. From the word “mahaba”, meaning long, then “hinabaan”, which means extended or made it longer.

The exact date of establishment of Hinabaan could hardly be traced as the official records in the town were destroyed by the war. But according to reliable information and some resource persons, it was established during the Spanish Regime. Its territorial jurisdiction included the sitios of Katsanan (now belongs to Brgy. Salacan) and Sta.Cruz (now an independent barangay). In the earliest time, its jurisdiction even reached the whole area of Brgy.Salacan, Brgy.Sisi, Brgy. Calimpac and the sitio of Gaboc..

The early pioneers of Hinabaan were mostly Visayans, were Pedro Molines, Simeon Matta, Simeon Rocela, the Tupas and Puesta families. They were industrious people. They cultivated the land, planted them with coconuts and other crops. Sometimes bandits armed with bolos, spears and bow and arrows would plague them. They organized themselves into small army and repulsed the marauders. Their lands were handed to their children but most of the lands have been sold to other immigrants.

Although Hinabaan is one of the oldest barrio in Guinayangan, its progress was slow, particularly due to its small population and nearness to the poblacion. Most of the people used to live in the town and just visit their land. There were no important facts and events from the Spanish time to the Japanese occupation which are worth mentioning.

Then came the liberation period. The landing force of the victorious United States Army, followed by scouts, engineers and bulldozers, marched gallantly toward Guinayangan. Unaware of the guerillas hidden behind the bushes with eyes moist of tears, half smiling, wondering, then grinning with joy and who emerged from their hideouts and met victors. Chesterfield and Camel cigarettes were tossed to them which they smoked voraciously, and with the smoke drowned their senses to the last aroma of the cigarette and sighed, “Oh, this is America!”.

Rehabilitation began. People from the mountains went to town and helped the US Army disembarked their ammunitions and supplies at Guinayangan. The road was cleared and once more it was a scene of incoming and outgoing vehicles. Medicines were given to the people who were half-starved and anemic due to malaria. A detachment of Philippine-American Scouts were stationed at Hinabaan Bridge and the people now once more returned to their homes, thanking for what was left for them by war. The tilled their lands, built new homes and lived normally is peace. This reconstruction took place during the incumbency of Mayor Timoteo Ramos, The PCAU appointee.

The rehabilitation was further enhanced by the Philippine War Damage Commission that has paid the damage of war. The people then had the cash to start with.














Compiled by:
Miss Consuelo Reformado

Excerpt from the manuscript: 
Collection And Compilation Of Historical Data And Cultural Life Of The
Municipality Of Guinayangan Including Its Barrios And Sitios, 
Province of Quezon, Philippines
Philippine (Republic) Bureau Of Public Schools
Division Of Quezon

The barangay of Gapas is considered by many as one of the most prosperous barangay of the Municipality of Guinayangan. Its prosperity came from the facts that the barrio is traversed by provincial road and by the sufficient supply of water from the four tributaries, namely Gapas, Pututan, Dalin, and Mabiga Rivers. This highway gives the inhabitants a chance to transport their products easily, to move easier and to inform faster.

These various rivers help the people a great deal as source of water, source of foods, and an asset for irrigation. They are supposed to among the important veins of the big Aloneros River. These tributaries encouraged the brave pioneers to explore the wilderness of Gapas once where there was no road. Among the prominent early settlers were Isidro and Gabriel Paraon and Monico Zarcilla. These settlers waded from the Aloneros River passed through these tributaries and entered what is now called Gapas. They lived in the place until other immigrants followed them.

In 1900, the territorial jurisdiction of Gapas included Batis Maligaya, San Antonio, and Balinarin. During that time, the settlers depend upon the forest products as a source of livelihood. They exported plenty of first class logs and lumbers like molave, tindalo, narra and apitong. Upon the shortage of these products, the people settled down to farming.

Monica Zarcilla explored and settled the land around Dalin River, while Gabriel Paron lived by the Mabiga River, named so for wild plants that grew along the river called “biga” and Teodoro Paraon occupied the place of what is now called Gapas.

This barrio got its name from the Tagalog word “gapas”, meaning scythe, because the river crossing the land curves in the form of scythe. The aborigines of the place, the Aetas, called it Gapas and this name remains to date.

Continuous exodus of immigrants to the place increased its population, until finally it was organized into an independent barrio or barangay. The following were the prominent barrio lieutenants who have led the place to progress: They are Juan Villafuerte, Eleuterio Zarcilla, Agaton Patnubay, Juan Butardo, Teodoro Paraon, Nicolas Requiron, Eusebio Boncayo, Santiago Argamosa, Brigido Requiron, Vitaliano Clemente

During the time of Vitaliano Clemente, the educational and economic development was implemented for that place. A model school, shop, and home economics center was built upon the voluntary contribution of the barrio folks.

The rapid progress and the increased in population resulted to the organization of independent barangays, such as Danlagan Batis, San Antonio and Balinarin.




 Compiled by:
Mr. Pedro Fernandez

Excerpt from the manuscript: 
Collection And Compilation Of Historical Data And Cultural Life Of The
Municipality Of Guinayangan Including Its Barrios And Sitios, 
Province of Quezon, Philippines
Philippine (Republic) Bureau Of Public Schools
Division Of Quezon

Aloneros is one of the most progressive barangay of the municipality of Guinayangan. This can be attributed to the fact that Aloneros was once a port, a commercial center and its being along the railroad line. This barangay have had a nice past and glorious history.

The aboriginal inhabitants were the Aetas. This people called the place ALON, a Tagalog word for waves. They once believed that the waves formed what is now the place. Other settlers have changed the name and called it Aloneros, carrying still the old name "ALON".

Sturdy families from the far Visayan Islands have landed in the place riding in their "vintas". Prominent among these immigrants were the Rofuli Brothers, Domingo, Salvador and Juan with their respective families. They settled in the place, cleared and planted crops. This took place in the latter part of the Spanish regime.

The next immigrants were the Villafuertes, Juan and Pablo and their families. They were more industrious and ambitious that they have occupied the greater part of the site of the present barangay than the early settlers. They did not stay long in lumbering business but instead tilled the soil and developed the present site of Aloneros. It was also during this time that the rich ship builder, Victoriano Lagdameo of the settlement of Guinayangan came over the place in search of first group of lumbers for ship building. The people cooperated with him and the cutting of trees hastened the clearing of the place.

The next early settlers were the family of Mariano Mercado. This family jointly worked with the residents to develope the site. Then came other families frim the far off Pampanga, Proceso Datio was prominent among them. They studied the possibility of fishing in this place. He was successful that it became an important industry in the place.

The well known Barrio Lieutenants (Brgy. Captain) who had done much for the progress and developement of Aloneros were Mariano Mercado and Felipe Villafuerte, the descendants of the Villafuerte Families. Lumbering, fishing and commerce began to flourish, because the railroad line was it this time being constructed.

Aloneros finally came to prominence when the place became the terminal of the Southern Manila Railroad Company. This now became the port of entry for the Bicol provinces and other Visayan Islands. The once drowsy place became now, sawmills, big stores, amusement centers, big cockpits, etc, grew like mushrooms. The population increased and schools were opened. It became the most important port in the Southern Luzon. Inter-island ships connected with the Manila Rail Road Company carried the passengers and cargoes to the Bicol provinces, Leyte and Samar.

Thee prosperity of Aloneros finally diminished when the railroad line connecting it with Pasacao was constructed. It ceased to be an important port because it wa not the terminal of the railroad anymore. It was in the year 1936-1937 that the line finally connected Manila with the Bicol provinces. The temporary boom of Aloneros subsided.

The World War II broke out and Aloneros did not escape the wrath of this configiration. The retreating USAFFE army destroyed the big Aloneros bridge of the railroad lines because the Japanese soldiers have already landed at Legaspi. Aloneros was finally secluded from the other places. A car load of rifles were abandoned by the aray upon ordered of retreat to Manila. The civilian population took advantage of getting the arms which they have made use during the underground movement and which also caused their death in the hands of the Japaneses.

During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese army stationed a big detachment in Aloneros. This was due to the past history of Aloneros was the fishing center of numerous Japanese fishermen. To the surprised of the people. the leader of the Japanese community turned out to be a reserved officer of the Japanese Imperial Army. Aloneros therfore became the nerve-center of the occupation forces stationed at Guinayangan, Tagkawayan and San Narciso.

Under this circumstances, the inhabitants were forced to cooperate with the occupation troops. Others who did not had to leave the place. The others who were left behind bore the burden of following orders. The Japanese Imperial Force stationed in Aloneros proclaimed the place an independent municipality from Guinayangan to facilitate the easy administration. Prominent among the appointed Municipal officials were Nicanor Pilagio, as the Mayor, Cerilo Almadin, as the Vice-mayor, Nicanor Victor, as the Municipal Treasurer. The administration was forced to obey the orders of the Japanese Forces for food supply, but the officials managed to sooth the invading forces noth to the detriment of the people, thus the officials had the confident of the mass.

Liberation came and the puppet municipal government established by the Japanese was dissolved. The barrio bacame a part and parcel of the municipality of Tagkawayan. Later Aloneros by legal procedures became a part of Guinayangan again. Today it is being represented in the Municipal Council by two councilors voted by the people of the whole municipality.

Aloneros have plenty of historical events of national importance. Like the discovery of the Spanish colonizers of the place and the establishment of settlement in what is now Aloneros. During the American regime, temporarily Aloneros became the terminal of railroad line and important port. The establishment of a puppet municipal government during the Japanese Occupation, making it independent from Guinayangan. And the rapid reconstruction of Aloneros after the war was attributed to the cooperation of the people, to the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit of the American Forces, and to the Philippine War Damage Commission that have reconstruted the railroad line including the railroad station.

The ruins of the past of Aloneros are still noticeable in the parts of its teritory. Like the various wharves constructed when Aloneros was still the terminal of the railroad and a port. The ruins of big Villar Sawmill, which had contributed much to the progress of the place. The old Chinese Commercial Building which shows the financial progress made by these foreigners. The triangular rails of the Manila Railroad Company showing how the trains approach the old station and for the refueling purposes. The ruins of the big Public Market constructed when Aloneros was still a port. And the big water reservoir built for the big inhabitants of the place before.




Compiled by: 
Mrs. Luisa Soria

Excerpt from the manuscript: 
Collection And Compilation Of Historical Data And Cultural Life Of The
Municipality Of Guinayangan Including Its Barrios And Sitios, 
Province of Quezon, Philippines
Philippine (Republic) Bureau Of Public Schools
Division Of Quezon