TACLOBAN CITY BEFORE.....the history
Tacloban developed from a small fishing village, a barrio of Basey, Samar. The word Tacloban evolved from "Taklub", a basket-like contraption for catching fish. It became a major trading town in the late 18th century. The city is well-known for its role in World War II, being a major base for the US forces and the first town liberated by Douglas MacArthur's forces from the Japanese Imperial Forces. For a time, it served as the capital of the Philippines while Manila was under Japanese control.
The city is also known for being the hometown of the flamboyant former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, whose Romualdez family still commands a large political following in the area.
For several decades, Tacloban was a barrio of Basey, Samar. At the time, the place was known as Kankabatok - meaning belonging to Kabatok, because its most prominent inhabitant was named Kabatok. The change of name came about in this manner: Kankabatok was a favorite haunt for fishermen. They would use a bamboo tray called "taklub" to catch crabs or shrimps. When asked where they were going the fishermen would answer, "to tarakluban", which meant the place where they used "taklub" to catch crabs. Later, the name was shortened to Tacloban.
It is not definitely known when Tacloban became a municipality because records supporting this fact were destroyed during a typhoon. It is commonly believed that Tacloban was officially proclaimed a municipality in 1770. Others however maintain that it was in 1669 during which time there was a rain of ashes. It was the Augustinian mission followed by the Franciscans who sparked the people's interest in religious activities. Within a year's time the first church was built with two lofty belfries under the untiring effort of Fray Aniceto Corral.
Carigara was the capital of Leyte at the time. With Don Hipolito Gonzales' incumbency as alcalde mayor of the province, a popular clamor for the transfer of the seat of the province came up. Thus, on October 5, 1774 after the construction of the Casa Real and the prison, the transfer of the seat of the provincial government was officially approved. In the year 1824 however, Don Pedro Antonio became alcalde mayor and restored Carigara as the p rovincial capital on march 31, 1824. This enhanced bitter disputes. It was finally Don Ceferino Fernandez, alcalde mayor in 1827 who succeeded in pacifying the controversy.
The final approval for making Tacloban the capital of the province of Leyte cam on February 16, 1830. The decisive reasons for choosing it as capital were:
- 1) it had the ideal location of the port area,
- 2) the place was well-sheltered and adequate.
During the Philippine-American war on January 17, 1899, General Vicente Lukban (for whom a street is named in the San Fernando district) came to Tacloban to talk about the problems of the people. The provincial government was evacuated to Palo while General Mojica and his men prepared to fight the Americans. On January 31, 1900 General Kohe arrived with an American team to negotiate a cease-fire and surrender of the province. He was firmly refused. On the following day armies stormed the trenches and by 2:00 PM, the province was in American hands. General Mojica and his men fled to the interior towns and it took a long time for the Americans to cajole every town until every revolucianario had surrendered. Mojica and Lukban eventually yielded to American sovereignty. Captain Leon Rojas, Sr. surrendered last. He led his men in a colorful pageant of surrender by riding on a white horse to the spot where the Americans formally received them. When peace finally, Rojas was designated chief of Police of Tacloban. A company of American soldiers was placed under his command.
In February 1901, the first American military governor of Leyte, Col. Murray, assumed office. He had only one aim in mind: gain the friendship of the people by getting their confidence. In a gesture of sincerity, he opened Tacloban to world trade. Civic-spirited citizens cooperated and organized a committee for peace. Don Gabriel Galza, the founder, became its first president. Their first undertaking was to petition Governor Murray for the release of prisoners who were in Tanauan. The governor received the petition favorably and thus peace and order in the whole province was completely restored.
With American military rule over, Taclobanons who were trained in the art of self-government took over the reins of the administration. Catalino Tarcela became the first provincial governor. There were others who were responsible for the progress and development of Tacloban. Among them were Lodovico Salazar, known to all as Capitan Lodo, the first public teacher of the town (a street is named after him). Lodovico Basilio, known as Capitan Bigong, and Capitan Martin Hidalgo. Of the womenfolk, Doña Eulalia Rubillos, wife of Governor Vicente Diaz is remembered for having served the first Filipino flag that fluttered in the Leyte sky when the revolutionary government was established.
On May 24, 1942, Tacloban awakened to see Japanese imperial forces in its midst. The town offered no active resistance to their oppressive occupation. For little more than two years, it suffered from hunger, terror and brutalities of the invaders. Despite the ugliness of war, the people never forgot to pay homage to their Patron saint, Sr. Santo Niño, by celebrating the town fiesta. One such big commemoration was on the fiesta of 1843, on June 30 where an industrial and agricultural fair was held in the old Leyte park. Here, hate and sorrows of war were forgotten so that it became one of the most remembered carnivals the town ever held. The mayor at that time was Vicente Quintero.
Leyte was the first in the itinerary of MacArthur's return route to the Philippines. Thus, on October 20, 1944, while the waters of Leyte Gulf were calm and clear, six battleships hit the beaches at Cataisan Point and nearby areas. Before twilight, the Tacloban airstrip which was the objective of the day was recaptured by the first division. The entire Cataisan Peninsula was soon under the command of Major General Verne D. Mudge at 3:00 PM of October 21. This day, Tacloban was liberated from the enemy. In a rousing welcome, Filipino civilians line the streets greeting the liberators. Chewing gun, cigarettes, chocolates and wide American smiles flowed freely - all symbolic of friendship and freedom.
On October 22, 1944, Tacloban City was safely back in American hands. On October 23, 1944, General MacArthur announced the establishment of the Philippine Civil Government on the steps of the provincial capitol. He installed Sergio Osmeña Sr. as the president in the presence of Lt. General Walter Krueger, Lt. Gen. Richard Sutherland and Col. Ruperto Kangleon with a guard of honor consisting of First Lt. John Gregory and 30 dirty and tired but
efficient-looking soldiers. After the liberation, Tacloban's first appointed mayor was Paulo Jaor. The inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines saw Epifanio Aguirre as mayor of Tacloban.
On June 20, 1952 by virtue of Republic Act no 760, Tacloban City was born. Dr. Ildefonso Cinco, last mayor of the Municipality of Tacloban became the first city mayor.
Tacloban City has grown from a small fishing barrio of Basey to a bustling, growing center of commerce and industry, into probably the first most important city in Eastern Visayas.
The city is also known for being the hometown of the flamboyant former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, whose Romualdez family still commands a large political following in the area.
For several decades, Tacloban was a barrio of Basey, Samar. At the time, the place was known as Kankabatok - meaning belonging to Kabatok, because its most prominent inhabitant was named Kabatok. The change of name came about in this manner: Kankabatok was a favorite haunt for fishermen. They would use a bamboo tray called "taklub" to catch crabs or shrimps. When asked where they were going the fishermen would answer, "to tarakluban", which meant the place where they used "taklub" to catch crabs. Later, the name was shortened to Tacloban.
It is not definitely known when Tacloban became a municipality because records supporting this fact were destroyed during a typhoon. It is commonly believed that Tacloban was officially proclaimed a municipality in 1770. Others however maintain that it was in 1669 during which time there was a rain of ashes. It was the Augustinian mission followed by the Franciscans who sparked the people's interest in religious activities. Within a year's time the first church was built with two lofty belfries under the untiring effort of Fray Aniceto Corral.
Carigara was the capital of Leyte at the time. With Don Hipolito Gonzales' incumbency as alcalde mayor of the province, a popular clamor for the transfer of the seat of the province came up. Thus, on October 5, 1774 after the construction of the Casa Real and the prison, the transfer of the seat of the provincial government was officially approved. In the year 1824 however, Don Pedro Antonio became alcalde mayor and restored Carigara as the p rovincial capital on march 31, 1824. This enhanced bitter disputes. It was finally Don Ceferino Fernandez, alcalde mayor in 1827 who succeeded in pacifying the controversy.
The final approval for making Tacloban the capital of the province of Leyte cam on February 16, 1830. The decisive reasons for choosing it as capital were:
- 1) it had the ideal location of the port area,
- 2) the place was well-sheltered and adequate.
During the Philippine-American war on January 17, 1899, General Vicente Lukban (for whom a street is named in the San Fernando district) came to Tacloban to talk about the problems of the people. The provincial government was evacuated to Palo while General Mojica and his men prepared to fight the Americans. On January 31, 1900 General Kohe arrived with an American team to negotiate a cease-fire and surrender of the province. He was firmly refused. On the following day armies stormed the trenches and by 2:00 PM, the province was in American hands. General Mojica and his men fled to the interior towns and it took a long time for the Americans to cajole every town until every revolucianario had surrendered. Mojica and Lukban eventually yielded to American sovereignty. Captain Leon Rojas, Sr. surrendered last. He led his men in a colorful pageant of surrender by riding on a white horse to the spot where the Americans formally received them. When peace finally, Rojas was designated chief of Police of Tacloban. A company of American soldiers was placed under his command.
In February 1901, the first American military governor of Leyte, Col. Murray, assumed office. He had only one aim in mind: gain the friendship of the people by getting their confidence. In a gesture of sincerity, he opened Tacloban to world trade. Civic-spirited citizens cooperated and organized a committee for peace. Don Gabriel Galza, the founder, became its first president. Their first undertaking was to petition Governor Murray for the release of prisoners who were in Tanauan. The governor received the petition favorably and thus peace and order in the whole province was completely restored.
With American military rule over, Taclobanons who were trained in the art of self-government took over the reins of the administration. Catalino Tarcela became the first provincial governor. There were others who were responsible for the progress and development of Tacloban. Among them were Lodovico Salazar, known to all as Capitan Lodo, the first public teacher of the town (a street is named after him). Lodovico Basilio, known as Capitan Bigong, and Capitan Martin Hidalgo. Of the womenfolk, Doña Eulalia Rubillos, wife of Governor Vicente Diaz is remembered for having served the first Filipino flag that fluttered in the Leyte sky when the revolutionary government was established.
On May 24, 1942, Tacloban awakened to see Japanese imperial forces in its midst. The town offered no active resistance to their oppressive occupation. For little more than two years, it suffered from hunger, terror and brutalities of the invaders. Despite the ugliness of war, the people never forgot to pay homage to their Patron saint, Sr. Santo Niño, by celebrating the town fiesta. One such big commemoration was on the fiesta of 1843, on June 30 where an industrial and agricultural fair was held in the old Leyte park. Here, hate and sorrows of war were forgotten so that it became one of the most remembered carnivals the town ever held. The mayor at that time was Vicente Quintero.
Leyte was the first in the itinerary of MacArthur's return route to the Philippines. Thus, on October 20, 1944, while the waters of Leyte Gulf were calm and clear, six battleships hit the beaches at Cataisan Point and nearby areas. Before twilight, the Tacloban airstrip which was the objective of the day was recaptured by the first division. The entire Cataisan Peninsula was soon under the command of Major General Verne D. Mudge at 3:00 PM of October 21. This day, Tacloban was liberated from the enemy. In a rousing welcome, Filipino civilians line the streets greeting the liberators. Chewing gun, cigarettes, chocolates and wide American smiles flowed freely - all symbolic of friendship and freedom.
On October 22, 1944, Tacloban City was safely back in American hands. On October 23, 1944, General MacArthur announced the establishment of the Philippine Civil Government on the steps of the provincial capitol. He installed Sergio Osmeña Sr. as the president in the presence of Lt. General Walter Krueger, Lt. Gen. Richard Sutherland and Col. Ruperto Kangleon with a guard of honor consisting of First Lt. John Gregory and 30 dirty and tired but
efficient-looking soldiers. After the liberation, Tacloban's first appointed mayor was Paulo Jaor. The inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines saw Epifanio Aguirre as mayor of Tacloban.
On June 20, 1952 by virtue of Republic Act no 760, Tacloban City was born. Dr. Ildefonso Cinco, last mayor of the Municipality of Tacloban became the first city mayor.
Tacloban City has grown from a small fishing barrio of Basey to a bustling, growing center of commerce and industry, into probably the first most important city in Eastern Visayas.
TACLOBAN FESTIVALS
Pintados Kasadyaan Festival
History
In 1668, the Spaniards came to the Visayas and found in the islands heavily tattooed men and women, whom they called Pintados. These people had a culture of their own, commemorating victories by holding festivals and honoring their gods after a bountiful harvest.
In 1668, the Spaniards came to the Visayas and found in the islands heavily tattooed men and women, whom they called Pintados. These people had a culture of their own, commemorating victories by holding festivals and honoring their gods after a bountiful harvest.
It was in 1888 that missionaries from Spain brought the Child Jesus image known as "El Capitan" to the island. It had a rich and colorful background that draw out the devotion and worship of the Leyte natives to the Santo Niño.
Then in 1986, the Pintados Foundation, Inc. was founded by civic-minded businessmen and entrepreneurs based in Tacloban City. They began organizing religious cultural activities for the city fiesta in honor of Señor Santo Niño. This marked the advent of the Pintados Festival, which was first celebrated June 29th of the year 1987. Today, it is called the Leyte Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival and is called as the "Festival of Festivals."
The name “pintados” is derived from what the native warriors, whose bodies were adorned with tattoos, were called. In those times, and even in some places today, tattoos were a mark of courage and beauty. Since tattoo-making was not yet as precise as it is today, they were rather painful and one risked the chance of contracting an infection. Therefore, a man who faced the dangers of tattooing and lived was considered to be both strong and brave. But even before the tattoo process itself, one would have to earn them after fighting heroically in wars.
Tattoos (pintados) served as a status symbol; much like a general’s badge would today. It was the mark of courage, rank and strength. The bravest warriors were heavily adorned in tattoos which covered every inch of their bodies, head to foot. Indeed, these men were in fact such an unusual sight that western missionaries considered them frightening and uncivilized upon their first glimpses of these warriors. But as time passed, they learned to see the tattoos as a part of the life of native peoples and even as a sign of beauty for them. With the passing of time, as the story is with all things, the old made way for the new. The traditions of tattooing (pintados) and worshiping earth spirits were replaced as modernization came. But these traditions are still remembered with the celebration of the Pintados festival.
This Pintados festival helps us to see the worth and beauty of the traditions of the country’s ancestors. It gives us the opportunity to feel a rare first-hand experience, the experience of culture.
Sangyaw is a popular native festival held every 29th of June in Tacloban city. Sangyaw, which means “to announce or herald a news” in the local dialect, has assumed a popular following after its creation by then former First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1976. The current festivities became an annual event until 1986 when the late Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency and abolished Sangyaw. It was only in 2008 when Mayor Alfred Romualdez, a nephew of the former first lady, finally revived the Sangyaw festival and was readily accepted with by the reinvigorated Taclobanon community in the city and other parts of the region.
The name “pintados” is derived from what the native warriors, whose bodies were adorned with tattoos, were called. In those times, and even in some places today, tattoos were a mark of courage and beauty. Since tattoo-making was not yet as precise as it is today, they were rather painful and one risked the chance of contracting an infection. Therefore, a man who faced the dangers of tattooing and lived was considered to be both strong and brave. But even before the tattoo process itself, one would have to earn them after fighting heroically in wars.
Tattoos (pintados) served as a status symbol; much like a general’s badge would today. It was the mark of courage, rank and strength. The bravest warriors were heavily adorned in tattoos which covered every inch of their bodies, head to foot. Indeed, these men were in fact such an unusual sight that western missionaries considered them frightening and uncivilized upon their first glimpses of these warriors. But as time passed, they learned to see the tattoos as a part of the life of native peoples and even as a sign of beauty for them. With the passing of time, as the story is with all things, the old made way for the new. The traditions of tattooing (pintados) and worshiping earth spirits were replaced as modernization came. But these traditions are still remembered with the celebration of the Pintados festival.
This Pintados festival helps us to see the worth and beauty of the traditions of the country’s ancestors. It gives us the opportunity to feel a rare first-hand experience, the experience of culture.
SANGYAW FESTIVAL
Sangyaw is a popular native festival held every 29th of June in Tacloban city. Sangyaw, which means “to announce or herald a news” in the local dialect, has assumed a popular following after its creation by then former First Lady Imelda Marcos in 1976. The current festivities became an annual event until 1986 when the late Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency and abolished Sangyaw. It was only in 2008 when Mayor Alfred Romualdez, a nephew of the former first lady, finally revived the Sangyaw festival and was readily accepted with by the reinvigorated Taclobanon community in the city and other parts of the region.
Sangyaw is religious in origin and traces its roots to a purely Taclobanon Christian beginning. Sangyaw Festival showcases the rich cultural and religious heritage of the natives of Tacloban and the province it belongs to. Warriors painted in colorful costumes, women performing elaborate rituals and the incorporation of Christianity are just some of the events featured in the event. The main attraction, however, is the devotion to the Sto. Niño, patron of Tacloban City. Local city contingents consisting of representatives from the different city schools and barangays will usually have a woman carrying the Sto. Niño statue who’ll dance in a trance, symbolic of the native Catholic ritual thanking the Sto. Niño for the blessings and luck it has brought to this lovely bayside city in Eastern Visayas. Historically, the Sangyaw is based on popular belief that the statue of Sto. Nino miraculously survived a shipwreck around 1880's. This was after the original icon, brought by the Spaniards in 1888, have to be brought back to Manila for reconstruction and refitting. On its way back to Tacloban, the steamer "Luzon" which was its carrier caught in a disastrous fire and sank. The alcalde or mayor of Tacloban that time, Hermano Mayor Arcadio Zialcita, felt the grief and sadness of the loss of a patron. Sometime in May of 1889, however, a letter from Military Governor Jose Gil de Avalle of Mindoro received by the Governor of Leyte to the effect that the Barrio Lieutenant of Barrio Semirara in Mindoro sighted a box labelled “Santo Niño, Patron han Tacloban.” Immediately volunteers were dispatched and finally recovered he image to reach the shores of Tacloban in June 30, 1889. The "salubong" or meeting place when the image was received with much celebration is around present-day Balyuan tower, near the Sto. Nino parish.
The Sto. Nino church in Tacloban has thousands of devotees all throughout the year. It is said that an intercession prayer to the Sto. Nino reaps miracles. Many such wonder miracles have been attributed to the Sto. Nino by the locals such as healing, good health, wealth, family, and guidance.
Today, the Sangyaw Festival is a cocelebration of that popular belief by adjoining with other localities from all over the Philippines to showcase their rich cultural heritage thru dances and religious pageantry. Many contingents join in hoping to bring home the bragging rights for the Php500,000.00 prize and a trophy, Second prize of Php300,000.00 and trophy and a third prize of Php200,000.00 and a trophy. Other prizes are for Best in Street Dancing, Best In Choreography, Best In Music, Best In Costume and Best In School and Community Showcase.
Mayor Alfred Romualdez and his wife, City First Councilor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez, has been actively promoting the Sangyaw festival. Within a year of the festival’s revival, it has gained significant attention in the tourism industry and international recognition of a festival deeply rooted in Taclobanon tradition. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is a staunch advocate who urged Department of Tourism (DOT) to promote the Sangyaw Festival of Tacloban City in overseas market to bring more tourists to the city in particular and the country in general. “The Sangyaw Festival is so impressive that it could be in the list of must-see attractions in the country”, he was quoted as saying.
