Living in a city, where time flies so fast to busy people, vehicle releasing carbon monoxide resulting to air pollution and irritating noise of horns from left to right. Stress is anywhere found in all its corner . Being sick and tired of this you would never thought of a place like PALAPAG!
I am Karen Kris Bello Getalado, a proud daughter of a two folks of Samar, particularly Northern Samar. After a decade, on April 2010, I had this chance to visit the beautiful place of Palapag. On my tour I have recorded some artifacts. Check it out!
The town of PALAPAG is one of the oldest towns in the island of Samar. Having been established as pueblo in the year 1585 by the Spaniards during the incumbency of the Spanish Governor, Don Santiago de Vera. Tinadyao, the leader of the first settlers composed of ten families who resided at Mapno, a coastal barangay, founded the town. The first wave of settlers came from the southernmost part of Samar now the town of Guiuan. Later, another wave of settlers led by Macatalo, Macapongco from Eastern Samar joined the first wave.
Being the oldest town, Palapag is the mother town of Laong whose parish was separated from Palapag in 1768 and became a Spanish pueblo in 1835; Gamay created by RA No. 90; Lapinig created in June 14, 1956 by RA 1428 and Mapanas became a new town in June 18, 1966 by RA 4762. Its vast and wide territory decreased when its four former barrios became separate municipalities.
The original surnames of the natives were Kahundit, Adlawan, Surahan, Quibalem, Udtujan, Tobes, Mamak, Saguria, Anud-anod, Orane, Dagamak, Penasbo, Sabarina, Maglinti, Dumahug, de Guia and Dumahugay. Some of the inhabitants had migrated to nearby places like Kahundit who founded the pueblo of “Lagwan” or “Lauan” now the town of Laong; the Anud-anods who resided Catubig; the Tobes and Quibalem families who migrated and founded the town of Bobon; The Adlawan, Capate, and de Guia families migrated and founded the town of Lavezares.
The Jesuit missionaries brought the seed of the Gospel to the island of Samar. The pioneering task of evangelization began on October 15, 1956. The first cabecera to assume the responsibility for the vast region was Catubig but since the missionaries felt that the place was too far and to deep in the interior, the mission center or “cabecera” was moved to Palapag sometime in 1605 and 1606. Thus, the Palapag mission center, which was called Resedencia de Cabo de Spiritu Santo, assumed the responsibility for the vast region of Northern and Eastern Samar. The Palapag mission covered the areas from Biri to Borongan.
On March 6, 1599, the first Spanish missionaries under the Compania de Jesus landed at the shore to Tabogon now Monbon. These missionaries built temporary chapels and Christianized the natives of the coastal villages namely Monbon and Mapno. In the last month of 1599 several typhoons hit the area and were badly battered by strong winds and tsunami waves. Because of these events, the missionaries decided and suggested to the inhabitants to look for a safer and better place to settle. Using native bancas the Spaniards and the natives sailed upstream of the Palapag River until they landed near the mouth of Banyadero brook called “Duruongan san Padi” – the place where Palapag proper is now located.
The natives called the place “PAPATAG” meaning plain. Later it was named “PALPAG” when it became a Spanish pueblo and again it was renamed as “PALAPAG”. In the early days of the settlement the natives under the direct leadership of the Spaniards built village huts and bigger church. The Jesuits during the construction of the church strictly enforced the order of “pintakasi”. This was completed during the time of Fr. Ignatius Alcina in 1663, although the missionaries held the first mass in the church in August 15, 1660 in honor of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion, the patroness.
The then Governor Diego Fajardo ordered the Visayans to be conscripted and sent to Cavite shipyards to replace the overworked Tagalogs and Pampangos in making galleons. The natives of Palapag refused to obey the order so the local priest made an appeal to rescind the order but was denied by the Spanish authorities. The prospected men of Palapag resented. These conditions triggered the Sumoroy rebellion.
Palapag became the historical site of the first organized rebellion against the Spaniards in 1649-1650 which encouraged another one in 1884-1886. The incident is know in Philippine history as The Sumoroy Revolt. Juan Agustin Sumoroy was th leader of the Samareno revolt. He was a kin to the royal home of the ibabao and related to the Oton’s of Iloilo, the Ibalon’s of Sorsogon, the Subanos and the Maguindanaos. The killing of the parish priest, Fr. Miguel Ponce Barberan, on June 1, 1649 with a bamboo javelin, by Sumoroy, sparked and started the Samareno rebellion, which spread to the islands of Leyte, Mindanao, Masbate and the Bicol region. Sumuroy and some of his associates surrendered to the Spanish government and were pardoned but were later executed for other subsequent crimes committed.
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The historic old church in Palapag was built in the 17th century, by Palapagnons and under the direction of Jesuit missionaries.  |
Palapag was known of its rock formations. One of it is the Rakitdakit Rock Formation.
These were my favorite shots.
[everything was perfect.. for me... since ako kumuha niyan.. heheh..:)]
Cabatuan, Palapag, Northern Samar
Those were only some of the beautiful spots that you can see in Palapag.
"YOU HAVE JUST WITNESSED THE BEAUTY OF PALAPAG, THE GATEWAY TO THE PACIFIC TOWNS OF NORTHERN SAMAR AND THE HOMETOWN OF NATIONAL HERO AGUSTIN SUMOROY. THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAN DISCOVER MORE BEAUTIFUL SPOTS AND FULL OF WONDERFUL GIFTS OF NATURE."
[ a piece of advice if may balak kayo to visit Palapag, don't forget to bring your cameras.. 'coz its super worth it.. at least my remembrance kayo.. heheh... i assure you would really love the place... puno ng history ang Palapag.. and the people are very hospitable..:)]
