The Guinayangan Republic

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