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