There is no official record existing as to how and when the place was established. The only record available is a church memorandum which indicated that Guinayangan was a small settlement founded by mostly Visayans from Masbate during the Spanish colonial days, more than 200 years ago. These Visayans were ship builders and established a settlement or a village somewhere near the mouth of the Hiwasayan river.

There were at that time abundant supply of lumber of the first group for ship building. These early settlers prospered rapidly and attracted the moro pirates who raided them and captured many to slaves.

When these early settlers heard another settlement north of them between the area of Katimo and Kinatakutan along the seacoast of now Tagkawayan, (under the leadership of the Mattas and Tupazes also from Masbate) these founders of the Hiwasayan settlement joined the small but brave warriors and founded a new settlement named Guinayangan at the present site of this poblacion.

This combination became so formidable that any attack made by the moros were repealed so that since then the moro piracy came to an end. At this period about 200 years ago, Catholic missionaries belonging to the Franciscans Order have reached this place and founded the town of Guinayangan. The town was about to be named San Luis Gonzaga perhaps, because it was June 21 when they landed on this settlement. But for an incident when a solicitous Spaniards asked the setters what kind of weapon they used in repealing the moro pirates, the settlers responded that it was bow and arrow fitted with a steel known to the moros as gayang, “guina-yangan ang palaso”, meaning “the arrow was fitted with a gayang”. The priest who came at that moment misunderstood the question of the Spaniard. Believed that the question was what the name of the settlement, and because the natives kept reapeting the word guinayangan…., believing that they were still asked the name of their weapon. And for historical purpose, it came to pass the settlement became known to the colonizers as Guinayangan. From this date the local government that was established fell under the Ecclesiastical province of San Luis.

The founded settlement flourished due to the agreeable leadership of the Spanish colonizers and priests. The barangay system was adopted under the head man known as Capitan. Among the first Capitanes were from the Matta and Tupaz families.

There was an existing cooperation between the natives and the colonizers until some Spanish soldiers and Spanish subjects inter married the natives. Among them were the Garcias, the Camposes and the Perillos.

The progress of the settlement was also due to the geographical advantage. Being a seaport, it was also a logging and lumbering center. It was due to those assets that the governadorcillo of the ecclesiastical province of San Luis proclaimed the settlement and independent municipality “municipio independiente” and the “capitanes” were appointed from time to time. Among the capitanes marked subrasalientes were from the old families of the Matta and Tupaz, conspicuously were Capitan Marcos Tupaz (1825), the capitan credited for making new settlement,in what is now called Aloneros. Capitan Vicente Matta (1832), a pioneering captain who established the progressive fishing and logging village in what is now called Kinatakutan. Capitan Benigno Molines (1841), the forerunner in establishing a logging center along the banks of what is now called the Piris River.

The succeeding administration has been headed by the descendants of these two eldest families until the Philippines were finally ceded by Spain to the United States by the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898.
Being a seaport, Guinayangan became important to the occupation forces of the United States as a supply center. Firstly because it is a good military base which supported the principal fighting forces at Atimonan and secondly is the absence of well-organized revolutionary forces. The Japanese Army found the same condition during the World War II

Military government had been set up by the American Expeditionary Forces  from 1902 to 1904 when the civil government was established. In 1904 the first municipal election was held and elected Mr. Victoriano L.Evangelista as the first Municipal President. The American Regime was divided into two phases, the Government of the Philippine Islands and the Commonwealth of the Philippines. The following were the elected President and Municipal Mayors: Victoriano L.Evangelista (1904-1906), Jesus Lagdameo (1906-1908), Jose Tolentino (1908-1909), Feliciano Roldan(1909-1911), Silvestre Reformado (1911-1915), Jose San Juan (1915-1919), Rodrigo Garcia Matta (1919-1922), Jose San Juan (1922-1925), Faustino Araña (1925-1931), Vicente Tolentino (1931-1937), Antonio Marquez (1937-1941), Lazaro Tayag (1941-)

As soon as the military government of the Philippines had been , public schools were opened, land reforms had been promulgated, commerce and industries had been organized and social reforms were made. The living condition of the people was improved, the feudal system was entirely abolished and the people easily adopted the democratic ways of living. The improvement in the community as well as in any part of the country advanced rapidly. Thru the public school system, illiteracy gradually diminished. Health and sanitation had improved immensely thru the establishment of the Health Service and criminal delinquency had been minimized.

The autonomous government under the Jones Law was established during the term of Antonio Marquez who became the first Municipal Mayor followed by Vicente Tolentino and ended with Dr.Lazaro Tayag when the World War II broke out. The chains of good administration undedr the American period came to an end. The interruption due to the temporary occupation of the Philippines by Japan have turned out the following administrators of the local government sponsored by the Japanese Imperial Army: Hipolito Veloso (1942-), Victoriano Alejar (1942-1944)

The progress attained by the people of Guinayangan during the short period of American Occupation had been interrupted by the War. During the Japanese occupation personal liberties had been curtailed. Educational system had been changed. Western culture had been prohibited and substituted by the Japanese culture. In spite of all the Japanese imposition s on the revised educational system, the Japanese sponsored government did not succeed because the people of Guinayangan were not responsive. Many people have gone underground to organize resistance movement and even those who remained in town did not send their children to school but indirectly joined the guerilla organizations, In fact, many of those who had been suspected were killed by the Japanese even during the period where the Japanese Imperial Government recognized the puppet Philippine Republic.

Notable among the various guerilla organizations whose members were the people of Guinayangan were the Matta’s Unit and the Vera’s Party. Both these organizations have harassed the Japanese forces in many encounters and above all kept and maintained the spirit of resistance and encouraged the people to fight actively and passively for liberation.

A few days before Christmas in 1944, Guinayangan was raided by the Japanese soldiers stationed in Tagkawayan and killed not less than 20 persons in the poblacion without any cause. The innocent civilians were prominent members of the local society and others were government officials. Among them was Mr.Graciano Almario, a known businessman, Mr. Sotero Tampok and Mr. Antonio Juarez, both employees in the local government before the war and 18 others. Homes of merchants and well to do families were looted if not by the Japanese soldiers themselves, by other pro Japanese elements who turned bandits.
Those appointed by the Japanese Occupation Forces to lead the puppet government of Guinayangan were Dr.Hipolito Velasco followed by Mr. Victoriano Alejar.

Immediately upon the disorganization of the Japanese resistance the Guerilla found time to reorganize the local government but this did not last long for the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit (PCAU) of the United States Army took over as soon as they reached a certain municipality. The first officer to be appointed by the Guerilla Government of Guinayangan was Mr. Timoteo C. Ramos, a prominent school teacher. His appointment was later confirmed by the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit to continue during the military government until the Philippine Commonwealth Government is re organized. Those that have been appointed to lead the local government after liberation were the following: Timoteo C.Ramos (1945-1946), Vicente M.Salumbides, Vice Lazaro Tayag who was in sick leave (1946), Guillermo Garcia (1947-1948),
After the fall of Manila to the American Liberation Army, The Philippine Commonwealth Government under President Sergio Osmeña was reorganized and turned over at Leyte by General Douglas McArthur. Am month after, the seat of government was transferred to Manila.

The first act of the central government is the appoint those who were elected during the election of 1941 and Mr.Timoteo C.Ramos was replaced by Dr.Lazaro Tayag who in 1941 was elected Mayor of this municipality.

The task of the new government had been very difficult. To restore peace and order, the re-establishment of the school system, the reorganization of the health and public service and many others. The rehabilitation of the economic condition of the people is the paramount undertaking at his period due to the lawlessness and other evils brought about by the economic and moral dislocation.
By the year 1949 the improvement was magnitude which warranted the election and Gen.Natividad B.Matta was elected the Municipal Mayor followed by the election of Mr.Mariano Roldan in 1952.





Collected and Compiled by:
Mrs.Salome L.Ramirez
Mrs.Adela V.Escobar
Ms. Lourdes B.Caisido
Mr.Timoteo Ramos
 
With the help of:
Mr.Pedro C.Pujalte
Mr.Placido Isaac
Mr. Ladislao Molines


Division Of Quezon

It was in the year 1907 the Abrencillo family settled in this land covered with thick cogon and forest. This family cleared, cultivated and planted the place with rice, corn, sugarcane, and other crops. This little prosperity enjoyed by the immigrants attracted other settlers and the families of Enriquez, Silva, Ricamara, Perez, and Jovitas followed the Abrencillos. Other groups then followed until it has become a prosperous village.

The population increased and the people petitioned the Municipal Council of Guinayangan to make this place an independent Barrio. It was approved and it finally called “Maligaya”, Tagalog word for happy. It accounted for the fact that the people due to its prosperity enjoyed the living there with full of happiness. So thats why they called the place Maligaya. In 1919 due to its progress and increasing population, two parts demand for separation. These were Batis Maligaya and Bukal Maligaya.

The original families were the Abrencillos, Mendozas, Enriquez, Silas, Perez, Jovitas, Ricamaras and the Calmas. The founder of the place was Martin Abrencillo.
The following became the barrio lieutenants of the place: Martin Abrencillo, Jesus Abrencillo, Hilario Abrencillo, Daniel Mendoza, and Hilario Abrencillo.

There was no depopulated barrio nor historical sites or structures, building and old ruins. The destructions during the World War II was not so great. It has been slightly rehabilitated by the Philippine War Damage Commission.


Bukal Maligaya
This place is called Bukal Maligaya. Its name was derived from its original name Barrio Maligaya. The word Bukal was originated from the existence of a clear “bukal”, the Tagalog for spring, on that place. This is where the locals fetch fresh drinking water. There is a continuous flow of fresh water even during the summer time. The fact that the people had always lived in abundance of foods even during the Japanese Occupation, with undying spring or real “bukal”. It was for these reasons why the place was called Bukal Maligaya.

Bukal Maligaya was established in the year 1937 with the following families as the settlers: Martin Abrencillo, Sofronio Butardo, Jesus Abrencillo, and Hilario Abrencillo. The prominent “Teniente del Barrio” who have done much for its progress were Castro Perez and Guillermo Evita.

There was no sitio which has been depopulated or became extinct. There were no historical sites, structures, buildings, or old ruins. There were no remarkable events that took place, neither during the Spanish period nor the American Regime. Worthwhile remembering only was the slight destruction to property made during the Japanese Occupation. These destructions anyway have been easily rehabilitated and reconstructed by the help of the PCAU and the Philippine War Damage Commission and by the industry of the people.


 


 



Batis Maligaya
(*Danlagan Batis)
The former barrio of Maligaya became so progressive that in 1907 it separated into two entities namely Batis Maligaya and Bukal Maligaya. The development of the said barrio was due to the leadership and pioneering spirit of the early family that lived there, The Abrencillos. In one of the sitios is a big spring situated In the center of the place which become the favorite rendezvous of the residents. From the spring the people get their drinking water for irrigation, drinking spot of animals, and the very place where people wash their clothes. It is therefore their important natural resource and an asset because it never dries up even during summer. It is therefore from this spring or Batis in Tagalog word where they got its name Batis Maligaya.

The early settlers were the families of Enriquez, Silvas and Ricamaras. These families have not done more than what the Abrencillos have done for the improvement of the said place. The Barrio Lieutenants who served since the establishment of this place were Adriano Enriquez, Venancio Silva. Vicente Ricamara. There was no historical record available of the original barrio until after it has been subdivided.
The last world war did not affect the lives of the people as there were no destructions made to property and lives. This was attributed to the fact that the said place is far from the highway and is not accessible by good road or trails which keep the place unnoticed by the invading Japanese Imperial Army.

This independent Barangay was formerly a part and within the jurisdiction of Danlagan. This place was popularly known as Danlagan Batis, It was so called “Batis” because of the endless flow of water coming from the spring surrounding the barrio. “Batis”, therefore is a Tagalog word for spring and is being added to the word Danlagan.

Danlagan Batis was formerly and partly a sitio of Maligaya while its other part is within Danlagan. In 1924 an association was organized composed of laborers. This association was known as Laborers Association headed by Melecio Fernandez. It was organized to help them one another. With the strong cooperation of the members, and the belief that they could manage their own affairs, they petitioned proper authorities to subdivide Maligaya into to two entities. Thus Batis Maligaya the part comprising mostly the original Maligaya and Danlagan Batis boredering and a part of Danlagan was then called Danlagan Batis.

This Barrio (Barangay) was established in 1925. The original families were the Enriquez and the Escobios. The following names are the people who became the head leader or Teniente del Barrio. Adriano Enriquez, Pedro Escobio, Venancio Silva, Clemente Rejener, Moises Villasin, Crispin Verdera, Vicente Ricamara and Florentino Manalo.

The fact that this sitio was formerly a part of Maligaya and Danlagan accounts for the absence of depopulated or extinct sitios.
During the Spanish Regime, the place being a thick forest became the sanctuary and refuge of bandits and highwaymen.

During the American Regime, the place improved well and the agriculture advanced.
During the war especially under the occupation of the Japanese Imperial Army, there were great destruction to property. Looting and stealing are so rampant, and confiscation made by the Japanese soldiers have existed in the absence of a strong government.

The place was partly rehabilitated by the PCAU and the Philippine War Damage Commission. A private Chinese capitalist from Lucena by the name of Lu Kang constructed a private road from Danlagan to San Antonio crossing Danlagan Batis and Batis Maligaya for logging ang lumbering purposes. This road greatly helped the people. It has made the transportation of goods and people easy.






Compiled by:
Mr. Bonifacio Dimarocot
Ms. Leonida Nepomuceno
Ms. Josefina 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

The towering trees standing upright  brimmed the shimmering shores of the expansive Ragay Gulf. These were the trees ideal for the shipbuilding process. The search was over. After many days  of sailing thru the gentle currents of Burial Pass, then the slow waves of Ragay Gulf, the north westerly winds carried the Visayan families or clans from Masbate to northern tip of the Gulf. The year was 1820, almost three centuries after the brave Lapu-lapu of Mactan Island in Cebu killed the Portuguese intruder for Spain, Ferdinand Magellan.

A village was established somewhere near the mouth of the Hiwasayan River where quality timber suitable for building ships abound. The early settlers, mostly Visayans from Masbate, were shipbuilders of high skill. The prospered and became intermitent raid targets of the moro pirates who captured and enslaved some of them. The remaining settlers became apprehensive so that they sought help from another settlement farther north between Catimo and Kinatakutan barrios (now fall within the authority of Tagkawayan town) under the leadership of the two families also from Masbate, the Tupas and Matta clans. The Hiwasayan founders agreed to form an alliance with the small but brave warriors. The  allied settlers founded a new coastal village near the tip of Ragay Gulf , which is the present site of the poblacion. The combined forcess with their improved weapons, the bow and arrow fitted at the tip with a steel known to the moro pirates as gayang, so overwhelmed all subsequent attacks of the moros that ferocious raids came to an end.

The fearless resistance to rapacious raid of the infidel reached the ears of the colonial powers. The Ecclesiastical province of Sa Luis readily sent some friendly Spanish Catholic missionaries, who belonged to the Franciscan Order. When the Spaniards arrived at the coastal settlement, one solicitous  Spaniards asked the settlers what kind of weapons they used in repelling the pirates, they answered aloud "Ginayangan ang palaso!" Meaning the arrow was fitted with a gayang or steel. The Spanish priest who came with the missionary group heard the excitement while the boisterous natives kept repeating the word "Gi-nayangan ang palaso!". Since then the coastal settlement was officially known as GUINAYANGAN.

As a seaport, logging and lumbering center, the settlement progressed. The Governor (Governadorcillo) of the ecclesistical province of San Luis proclaimed Guinayangan as an independent municipality ( municipio independiente) with the headman known as captain (capitan) as in the barangay system. The captain was appointed from time to time. Usually the appointed captains were from the old families of the town and the captains marked "sobrasalientes" were from the old families of Tupas, Matta, Molines.

Marcos Tupas was responsible for the establishment of a village in a place now called Aloneros. Vicente Matta established a fishing and logging village now called Kinatakutan. While Benigno Molines founded a  logging village along the banks of Piris River.

The succeding headmen were scions of these families until the Philippine was ceded by Spain to the United States of America in December 10, 1898 under the Treaty of Paris.

During the colonial days, the friendly approach of the Spanish priests and soldiers was synergistically compatible with the splendid trait of hostpitaly of the Filipinos. Some warm friendship led to racial intermarriages. Among those that intermarried the natives of Guinayangan were the families of Garcia, Campos and Perillo.

Military Governmen was set up by the American Expeditionary Forces from 1902 to 1904. Being a strategic seaport, Guinayangan became a military supply base which supported the principal fighting forces in Atimonan of this province. The municipality was devoid of a well-organized Filipino Revolutionary forces. In 1904, a civil government was founded and the first municipal election was hels. The elected officers were called municipal presidents.Thet were: Victoriano Lagdameo, Placido Isaac, Jesus V. Lagdameo, Jose Tolentino, Feliciano Roldan, Silvestre Reformado, Jose San Juan, Rodrigo Garcia Matta, Jose San Juan, Faustino Araña, Antonio Marquez, Vicente Tolentino, Hipolito Veloso, Victoriano Alejar    

During the term of Antonio Marquez, the municipal presidents were subsequently called the municipal mayors. Lazaro Tayag was the municipal mayors. Lazaro Tayag was the municipal mayor when World War II broke out. The term of office of Lazaro Tayag was cut off as the invading Japanese Imperial Army appointed the following as local government administrators.

Is is also of note that the first private school in this town was founded in 1940 by Mrs.Victoriana Reyes Garcia, former Guinayangan Elementary School teacher. The private school was recognized and known as Guinayangan Academy. From rented rooms to rented buildings, the Academy rapidly flourished and it finally found a place whereit is now situated.

On February 27, 1945, six months before Japanese Surrender, the Commonwealth of the Philippines under the President Segio Osmeña was established in Manila. The provincial, municipal and city government were restored. In Guinayangan, the local government officers were appointed. Those yearly appointees were Timoteo Ramos  1945-1946, Vicente Salumbides 1946-1947, Guillermo Garcia Sr. 1947-1948.

On April 23, 1946, the Commonwealth of the Philippines held its last election and on May 28, 1946 President Manuel Roxas and Vice President Elpidio Quirino , as winners of the election, took their oath of office. After less than two months, in the morning of July 4,1946 the Republic of the Philippines was inaugurated at the Luneta, Manila.
The first local election under the Republic was held in November 8,1947 when Natividad B.Matta was elected. The subsequent local elections of 1951, 1955, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971 and 1988 was handily won by the most loved mayor of the town, Mariano Roldan. After the People Power Revolution of February 1986, local officials were appointed by the Revolutionary Government of President Corazon C. Aquino. Nestor Salumbides was appointed Officer-In-Charge. In 1988 local election, the jobless Mariano Roldan again won as municipal mayor but he died a few months after he assumed office and Vice Mayor Ignacio Macalintal took office as municipal mayor.

In 1941, Barrio Tagkawayan and in1948 Barrio Buenavista became independent municipalities. Guinayangan, then was a second class municipality.

Being already peaceful from the aggressive moros, the triumvirate brought their families in the place settled by Simeon Molines, which was the eastern side of Ragay Gulf (where Poblacion is now located), and started living together in the pursuit of livelihood.

In the year 1832 delegations were made with the Gobernadorcillo and immediately thereafter, on the Sumulong River, the Gobernadorcillo orally proclaimed and ofiicially declared this place as a town "GUINAYANGAN", covering the area from Sumulong River on the North; Guinahalinan river on the South; the Bundoc ng Kadig on the West and the center of Bundoc Peninsula on the West, where Ragay Gulf being on the center of the established town. The exact area then were not made known, it being the policy of the Spanish Government to just give the boundaries.

As the population grows migrants came, thereby various group and dialects were introduced in this town, but the Moro were the only group who wanted the place destroyed yet by the joint efforts of the natives, the triumvirate and the migrants, the town finally became peaceful after this period, and thereafter religious sects became apparent.

The Roman Catholic introduced by the Spaniards flourished in the minds of the people, although minor religious were also introduced. During the pioneering period, however, various reforms were made on their search for progress. Under the Spanish government, few barrios were recognized. It was only on the latter part of the 1900 that wide recognition of the barrios were made. During the first and second World War, Guinayangan stand to the satisfaction of the neighbonng town.

from quezon.gov.ph