The Guinayangan Republic

Together with Maulawin, another sitio was cleared. It was Sisi. The Seguerras and the Esguerras pioneered the place because there was no place in Kalimpak for farming as it is planted to coconuts. This sitio got its name from the shell animals that abound the Maulawin and Sisi rivers, which is called in Tagalog “sisi” The people got the habit of eating those that when the supply from the rivers got scarce, the women got the habit of combing the seashore for them. The people usually eat those with grated coconuts. From those common shells and the habit of eating those sea animals, the new sitio got it name. Since then the place had been called Sisi.

The first barrio lieutenant was Pedro Esguerra. After his death, he was succeeded by Michael Esguerra and followed by Daniel Morado.

The place became prominent when the provincial road was opened to the public during the incumbency of Faustino Araña as Municipal President of Guinayangan. This is because the road traversed the barrio. The Eastern Tayabas Bus Co. got the franchise to operate and the barrio folks got easier time to move and transport their products.







Compiled by:
Miss Luz E. Salumbides

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 name Kalimpak was derived from the two Tagalog words “kalimbahan” and “pakpak”. The early settlers noticed some birds coming in and out of the barrio to the marshes for seashells. These birds have light-pink wings, “kalinbahing-pakpak” in Tagalog. Since the place has no name yet and because the people always gave the response when asked where they lived as,  “Sa aplayang may mga ibong kalimbahin ang pakpak” meaning, they lived in the marshes where there are birds with the light-pink wings. So frequently they say it , that the place was later called Kalimpak, the first syllables of the words “kalimbahin” and “pakpak”.


The early settlers began clearing the place in 1902. Gregorio Mercurio and his family made their dwelling there. They were followed latter by the Araña, Esguerra and Seguerra families. Kalimpak that time was a sitio of Hinabaan. It was through the initiative of Gregorio Mercurio, known as Cabesang Goyo that the place gained its independence from Hinabaan.

In the year 1905, a Spanish national named Don Francisco Garcia came to Guinayangan. He married the descendant of the Mattas, Paula Matta , daughter of a rich landholder of the “Municipio de Guinayangan”. After their marriage he decided to develop Kalimpak. With hired men he was able cleared the biggest part of the place. He planted coconuts and established barrio “visita” for the laborer’s religious activities. He was able to buy most of the parts planted such that he was able to have in the place a progressive “hacienda” planted to coconuts. He was able to have a wide tract of land in the barrio of Iba and Kinatakutan. In his old age, he decided to return to Spain, leaving his wife Doña Paula Matta de Garcia and his two sons Rodrigo and Faustino Garcia Matta to manage the vast hacienda.

The prosperous barrio began to wane and by ill fate, Don Rodrigo and Don Faustino have sold their properties to Don Emelio Rodriguez and to Don Amadeo Matute. The latter was able to purchase the hacienda In Kalimpak.

During that time, the place was not well populated because of its nearness to the poblacion. People usually live in the center of the town and go to Kalimpak only during the working hours. The place slowly became populated and progressive because it is traversed by the provincial road.

One of the great barrio lieutenants of this barangay is Elpidio Ladines, the overseer of the Garcia’s hacienda. The place being planted, the people moved inland, in what is now called Maulawin, source of Maulawin River.  Agaton Araña was the pioneer in this undeveloped place. It is so important because of the water supply of the of Guinayangan. Its scenic beauty makes the place a rendezvous for picnickers. Annually people go there during summer to get a look to the water reservoir.






 The plateau on the western side of Kalimpak and Sisi was during this time unexplored and undeveloped. The people moved to the place to make kaingin for palay and other farm products. The population increased rapidly that the people decided to build a “visita”, Catholic Chapel. They have chosen San Vicente Ferrer as the Patron Saint of the place. During Fridays people from the poblacion and adjoining barrios makes pilgrimage to the “visita”. The devotees especially the sick and disabled visited the place to pray. It did not last long as the sitio is to mountainous and the visits made diminished, finally terminated. The place was depopulated. Today, the ruins of the old “visits” could be traced.

During the Japanese Occupation, the place was again populated because the people of the poblacion evacuated to then sitio Kalimpak. It offered a good hiding place from the cruel Japanese. The people developed the place again and planted farm products such as vegetables, camotes, gabi, and palay. They bartered their products, with clothes, fish, soaps and sugar.

During the liberation period, the people returned to the poblacion but others preferred to stay in the place permanently. The Philippine Civil Affairs Unit of the United States Army has helped the people a lot. The reconstruction and rehabilitation of the people’s economy was furthered improved by the Philippine War Damage Commission.


Compiled by:
Mrs.Encarnacion R. Mapaye
Mrs. Primitiva A. Reformado
Ms. Luz E. Salumbides
Mr. Ruben Valencia
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

Balinarin is one of the 54 barangay of Municipality of Guinayangan. During its early years, this place was only a sitio of  barrio Gapas. The name was given by the Aetas who frequently roamed the place. The word “balinarin” is said to have been derived from the Tagalog word “balagbag”, which means crosswise. The mountain in that place traverse it, hence the name Balinarin.

During the Spanish time and in the early part of the American Colonialism, the place was inhabited by the Aetas, thus no important historical events could have been recounted. These primitive dwellers, however, had been very friendly to their Christians and civilized neighbors of the adjacent barangays and sitios of Gapas and Hinabaan respectively. They bartered their goods with the latter and rendered gratuitous services as a proof of goodwill.

The expansion of the municipality of Guinayangan increased its population accourdingly. People occupied the uncultivated areas. One of those places that invited the attention of the pioneers and the home seekers was Balinarin. During that time there was no good road leading to the municipality of Guinayangan. Transportations were by foot, horseback or by banca. Only trails connected the different barangays or barrios.

With its sister barrio of Gapas and Hinabaan as its boundaries, Balinarin was recognized by the Provincial Board of Tayabas (Quezon) in 1928 as a separate sitio. The first known families in that place were Florentino Butardo and Roman Zarcilla who were in-laws, the wife of the latter being the sister of the former. Butardo had five sons; Felix, Pedro, Manuel, Sixto and Julio who married girls from their neighboring sitios. They all settled in Balinarin.

In 1928, the population of Balinarin increased and the forest was cleared of vegetation. The people, however, imbued with the spirit of independence which is inherent to the Filipinos clamored for separation. Under the leadership of Florentino Butardo, the Balinarin people petitioned the Municipal Council of Guinayangan to declare Balinarin as separate political entities. The petition was indorsed to the Provincial Board with favorable result. The first barrio lieutenant appointed was Aniceto Salvador, a new comer in the place. The founders were dissatisfied with the appointment of Mr.Salvador, thus they refused to cooperate with him. The incumbent however was quick to understand the popular sentiment, so he resigned in 1930 and Roman Zarcilla took place. He held his post from 1930 to 1941 when he resigns because of old age. Juan Clemente was next appointed.

Again the people became discontented with his leadership, so after just one unsung service, he resigned. Pastor Butardo stepped into his shoes, also by appointment. He held his post for only a month when the World War II broke out resulting in the invasion of the Japanese into the whole Philippine Archipelago. Balinarin had to share this common destiny of fate. There was a reign of terror. The people, by the undefined law of necessity, had to devise, conceive and think all ways and means to save their lives from the tyranny of the invaders. Pastor Butardo, impelled by the instinct of self-preservation, without official resignation as it was impossible to do so, moved with his family to another municipality. Balinarin was left without a head. The Japanese government which derived its life from the people’s finances by nameless exactions and extortion by force greatly deteriorated the already impoverished people. Whenever the Japanese made a demand for food or services from the people of Balinarin, they sent order through the barrio lieutenant of Hinabaan. At that time, barrio Gapas wanted to annex Balinarin. Consequently the barrio leaders of Gapas wanted particularly Santiago Argamosa and Lauro Aprado tried to talk the matter over with the older folks of Balinarin. But the people of Balinarin did not agree to what they believed a humiliation on their part.

In 1934, they agreed to annex Balinarin to Hinabaan but the agreement did not materialized because most of the people of the barrio protested. At that time the mayor of Guinayangan was Victoriano Alejar which was native of Brgy. Aloneros. The barrio people recommended Petronilo Calusin who was a close friend of Mayor Alejar to be appointed to the position. After several months, Mr.Calusin left Balinarin and went to Mauban, Tayabas, thus leaving the barrio without a head. In 1944, Aniceto Salvador was again appointed barrio lieutenant. He held his post from 1944 to 1951 when he resigned. After that Perfecto Espinola was appointed to take his place.

The identity crisis of the barrio continued when the Vice Mayor Mangubat, with a duty to council the area, wants to annexed again to Hinabaan. The opinion of the people was divided into two. Some wanted that part of the sitio near Hinabaan be added to it, and the part near Gapas be added to Gapas. The people could not come to a final agreement thus Mr. Mangubat abandoned the proposition.

Before the war, Balinarin has twenty nine families. There was no school then. The children have to go to Gapas one and a half kilometers. When the World War II arrived, the road led to Guinayangan from Calauag passing by Balinarin had been neglected. Transportation was greatly hampered. After the liberation of the country in the early part of 1945, the road was reconstructed. With that the place flourished again. The community program of the Bureau of Public Schools may be one of those responsible for the economic and social improvement of the barrio. During that time, relief from the Philippine Red Cross in the form of food and clothing has been distributed to the barrio people. 











Compiled by: 
Mrs. Flores C. Cerilla

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

This barangay was formerly a part of the big land of Hinabaan. It was established and organized just after the liberation. The exodus of the people to this fertile place increased the population and they now petitioned the Municipal Council headed by the Mayor Natividad Matta for their independence.

It was made an independent barrio in the year 1948. The first barrio lieutenant was Juliano Amparo, succeeded by Francisco Espeleta, Pablo Amparo, Mariano Pajarillo and Domingo Sollosa. Some years after its foundation, a barrio school was erected through the support of the Parents Teachers Association and with the benevolence of the late Julio Ramos, who donated the school site. The educational development of the place was then improved.

The economic development of the place although quite slow was sturdy and is improving yearly. This improvement in agriculture was occasionally retarded only by the typhoons.













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