A Brief History of Nagtipunan

It was during the first half of the 18th century, after the conduct of archeological and historical investigations over the racial origin of the Ilongots, now the Bugkalots, tribes that Pinappagan (now Maddela, the mother town of Nagtipunan), a former barrio of Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya was found to be inhabited by suspicious and head hunting tribe of Bugkalots and the aboriginal nomadic Dumagats. By tribal agreements, the Dumagats occupied the eastern banks of the Cagayan River and the rest of the vast territory by the Bugkalot. This has been the ancestral hunting grounds of the Bugkalots both for wildlife and human needs. The latter is a sign of manhood and as an offering of the groom to his bride prior to wedding rites. The Bugkalots have their own way of writing and reading. They lived in the pockets of villages with organized but simple government.

Bestowed with water bodies teeming with aquatic life, vast virgin forest lands, picturesque sports and other natural resources, the place attracted a group of sturdy daring and adventurous people from the Ilocos Region, Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela who dared the swift currents of the Cagayan river upstream searching for greener pasture. Unlike the Dumagats and Bugkalots, these land seekers are civilized. They possess skills in farming, handicraft, carpentry and other industrial activities. The conflict of culture and interest between the settlers and the Bugkalots complicated the situation. Head hunting and various customs and traditions of the early inhabitants became a deterrent to the economic and social activities of the immigrants.


The ilocano migrants, driven by the force of purpose, determination and persistence amidst hardships, failures and discouragement, succeeded in winning the friendship of the natives in their new-found-land. With the ilocano traits of friendliness, a peace pact was made. Intermarriage among them followed, strengthening their relationship until the conflict of culture and purpose vanished especially when the Christian Missionaries (New Tribes Mission) arrived in the territory in the late 1950’s. Under the Madiboy Tribal Peace Pact of 1967, head hunting had totally stopped and integration among Bugkalots and lowlanders begun.


Owing to the renowned abundance of natural resources in the place; other groups of people namely: Gaddang, Pangasinenses, and Ifugaos immigrated to this land. The last group of settlers were the Tagalogs, Bicolanos, Pampanguenos and other business minded people bringing along with them their trade and industry. Unmindful of the fact that these different immigrants have various ethnic origin with diverse customs, traditions and beliefs, intermarriages among them took place that resulted to a closer and more harmonious relationships among settlers. Unity and active participation towards a common goal was realized. Soon the rich rolling plains became a productive and prosperous abode of the immigrants and the original settlers. Hence, the Ilocano word “Nagtipunan” that means assembly, aptly describes the place where a conglomeration of immigrants with different ethnic origins meet and live in peace and harmony and where social justice prevails.

Nagtipunan also connotes convergence because the place where the municipality is located served as the Convergence Point of several major tributaries of the Cagayan River in the Provinces of Quirino, Aurora and Nueva Vizcaya. With the unwavering support of the masses, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Quirino unanimously endorsed the creation of the NAGTIPUNAN, which became a separate and distinct local government unit upon the passage and approval of Batas Pambansa Bilang 345 on February 25, 1983 and after the plebiscite on September 24, 1983 ratifying its creation. The officialdom of Quirino Province favorably endorsed the former District Forester ANDRES C. BLANDO as the First Chief Executive of the municipality together with the other municipal officials on November 14, 1983; HON. ANDRES C. BLANDO served as Mayor until June 30, 1998, broken only on November 1987 during outbreak of the EDSA Revolution when all government chief executives were ousted from office and HON. LOLITA M. LAPITANwas appointed Officer-In-Charge of the Municipality. HON. EDUARD M. SALVADOR was elected Mayor during the May 1998 election, but served only for one term. HON. ROSARIO K. CAMMA and majority of his running mates won the 2001 political exercise and served for 3 consecutive terms. HON. NIEVEROSE C. MENESES, the former Municipal Administrator and daughter of Hon. Camma won the May 2010 mayoralty race, thus presently serving as the Local Chief Executive in the municipality.

BRIEF HISTORICAL OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SAGUDAY

Among the most memorable event in the chronicle of Saguday is June 21, 1959, the founding of this town as a regular municipality of then Province of Nueva Vizcaya by virtue of House Bill No. 2541, authored by Hon. Leonardo B. Perez, then Congressman of the Lone District of Nueva Vizcaya which pursuant to the provisions of Article VI, Section 20 (1) of the Philippine Constitution, became a law without the signature of His Excellency President Carlos P. Garcia, entitled Republic Act No. 2519.  Pursuant to Section 1 of this law, the seven barrios composing the Municipality of Saguday are as follows:  La Paz, Saguday  (now Rizal and Magsaysay), Salvacion,  Sto. Tomas which were separated from the Municipality of Diffun; while Dibul, Mangandingay and Tres Reyes were separated from the Municipality of Aglipay.

Originally, Saguday was a barrio of the Municipality of Santiago, Isabela,  however,  upon the final settlement of the boundary dispute between Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya,  Saguday became a regular barrio of Diffun by virtue of an Executive Order No. 386,  issued by then His Excellency President Elpidio Quirino.

The naming of Saguday has no legendary story or folktale.  It was named by Mr. Jose Cardenas of San Jose, Nueva Ecija, the grandfather of former Mayor Leandro G. Cardenas who came to visit his kins in Saguday. The word Saguday is an Ilocano term which connotes that one possesses good traits and blessed with clean mind,  heart and soul.

The first settlers of Saguday were spearheaded by the adventurous and hardworking Ilocanos composed of the families of Corpuz, Cortez, Cabiles, Guzman and Bacani who hailed from the Province of Pangasinan,  the Pagbilao and Olonan family from Ilocos Region, and the families of Cardenas, and Tomas from the Province of Nueva Ecija,  who all came to exploit the vast virgin lands and forest of this very promising valley.

In August 16, 1959, the founding set   of Local Officials to govern the Local   Government   Unit appointed by then President of the Republic of the Philippines His Excellency Carlos P. Garcia have assumed office, with late Hon. Luis C. Lucas, Sr. as the Municipal Mayor,  while the late Hon. Nicanor Pagbilao as the Municipal Vice Mayor.

Saguday was born as a sixth class municipality composing of seven (7) barrios,  however,  in the year 1980 and 1981,  two (2) additional barangays were created.  Barangay Cardenas was created in 1980 pursuant to Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 02, series of 1980, while Barangay Gamis was founded in 1981, pursuant to Resolution No. 05, Series of 1981.  At present, Saguday is still a 5^th Class Municipality due to its limited income which is attributed to scarce resources.

Upon the creation of the Municipality of Saguday, the urban core was divided into two barrios :  District I  now Barangay Magsaysay has been the seat of the Municipal Government from then up to present, and District II now Barangay Rizal.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF MADDELA

HISTORY OF MADDELA
(Compiled and Updated by: Glory S. Almoite, Rosalinda C. Edu, Filomena B. Molina, Nenita B. Domingo,
Edwin S. Besas, Maryflor D. Ylanan, Lynette C. Lazaro)

Before the advent of migration and long before the approach of development planning for urban settlement or resettlement, Maddela was inhabited by natives who lived among the fingers of the Sierra Madre Mountains and in the hinterlands of the Mamparang Ranges.

The natives were the Ilongots (or Bugcalots) and the Dumagats, with the strain, culture and character of the small valleys in the foot of Sierra Madre, fished along the mighty Cagayan River and hunted in the wild forests.

Of the two tribes, the Ilongots showed more sophistication. They occupied the western upland portion of the territory and also upstream of the Cagayan River up to Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya. They lived in villages with organized but simple governments headed by a director of non-Christian.

The Dumagats occupied the eastern portion of Cagayan River, and along the Ngilinan and Manglad streams, up the forestlands and unto the downslides overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Unlike the Ilongots, the Dumagats were nomadic with no describable neighborhood. They lived in the makeshift huts of forest/anahaw leaves ( there were no cogon in those early days). They feasted on half-roasted wild pigs caught in booby traps or by means of the bow and arrow and spear, and ate root crops for their carbohydrates.

In 1919, a group of 20 Ilocanos headed by Forester Vicente Velasco arrived and put up settlements along the Cagayan River. Gradually, they moved into the valley of Pinappagan, now Maddela. Being the most adventurous and enterprising, the Ilocanos penetrated fast into vast rolling untouched fields and planted crops like palay, tobacco, corn and peanut.

They paddled canoes made from trunks of trees, cruised upstream the Cagayan River and fishes a lot for their sustenance of protein.For the Ilocanos with the trait of being friendly, respectful and hospitable, winning the confidence of the non-Christian tribes was not a problem. Easily, they forged friendly relation with the natives who, as the years drooled, learned the basics of agriculture, the art of neighborhood community living. In some instances, such closeness, unit and cooperation resulted intermarriages.

The period 1922-1925 marked the start of permanent settlement and a military government headed by Lt. Quintin Alcantara who initiated the opening of a road connecting Pinappagan and Panang.Three years later, Pinappagan was made a municipal District attached to the town of Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya. Then Nueva Vizcaya Governor Juan Manzano appointed Eusebio Martin as first President of the District with a three year term of office.

Villa Hermosa, Dumabato, Sto. Niño, Dipintin, Abbag and San Pedro were the first barrios that composed the municipal district. Martin was re-elected district president. Rafael Daguio, Federico Ramos and Rodrigo Pascual who served as such up to the outbreak of World War II succeeded him.

During the Japanese occupation, Marcos Pimentel and Fernando Castillo were named alternately as municipal district mayors.
 
In 1950, Pinappagan was renamed Maddela and became a regular town with Jose Ancheta as first mayor. He was re-elected mayor but died before the end of his second term. Vice mayor Gregorio Baroma took over to serve the unfinished term of Ancheta from 1953-1955.

In the first regular election for local officials in 1956, Dionisio Sarandi was elected mayor. Also elected were vice mayor and six municipal councilors. He was re-elected, but in 1962, he filed a leave of absence and Jose Medina took over as mayor.

It was during the term of Sarandi that the barrios of Cofcaville, San Salvador, Sto. Tomas, Divisoria Norte, Divisoria Sur, Cabaruan, Anak, Ponggo, San Dionisio I, San Dionisio II, Balligui, Ysmael, Pedlisan and Villa Hermoza Norte were created.

By the time Maddela started reaching out to neighboring towns of Isabela, particularly San Agustin and Jones and early bubble in commerce and trade was experienced. With the creation of additional new barrios, agricultural expansion gained initial headway. Maddela has a total of 32 barangays

BRIEF HISTORY OF MUNICIPALITY OF DIFFUN

Diffun was created as a legal and corporate entity on July 2, 1950 during the incumbency of Congressman Leon C. Cabarroguis and Governor Manolo Maddela of Nueva Vizcaya.

Diffun was former sitio of Barrio San Isidro, Santiago, Isabela since 1926.  Later, before the outbreak of World War 11, Sitio Buntotan was established to become the  barrio site of Diffun. During the survey of Santiago, Isabela ( 1924-1932)  Provincial Governor of Nueva Vizcaya discovered that Diffun is a part  of Nueva Vizcaya.  In the year 1948,  Congressman Leon C. Cabarroguis presented a bill in Congress, Bill No. 1593 which authorizes the President of the Philippines to define the boundaries of Nueva Vizcaya, with bearing and  distance, as maybe prepared by the Bureau of Lands and secured from the most authoritative and latest maps of the Bureau of Coast and Geodetic Survey.  House Bill No. 1593 was made into law pursuant to Republic Act No. 236 which the Provincial Board of Isabela contested its validity.  To settle the boundary dispute between Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya,  Malacañang created a Fact Finding Committee under Administrative Order No. 69, S-1948.  The Fact Finding Committee found out that Diffun legally  belong to the Province of Nueva Vizcaya thus Administrative Order No. 121 was proclaimed uplifting the provisions of RA No. 236. Later, President Elpidio Quirino of the Republic of the Philippines signed Executive Order No. 157 as amended by Executive Order No. 161  implementing  the provisions of the RA No. 236, followed by the issuance of Executive Order No. 466,S-1950 creating the Municipality of DIFFUN.

During the early days an Spanish mestizo named Don Liberato Bayaua acquired the plains and hills of Diffun as his hacienda by virtue of a Titulo Enformasion de Possessoria.  They established and put up a cattle ranch then the Sitio Bontotan.  One of the guardia civiles of his ranch suffered celebral malaria and died after a few days.  The quack doctor termed the cause of death of the guardia civil as Siphon but the two Ilocanos mispronounced it  Di-pon and from that time on the place was known in its present name DIFFUN.

BRIEF HISTORY OF MUNICIPALITY OF CABARROGUIS

Prior to the advent of settlement, Cabarroguis is a vast forested area and form parts of the municipalities of Saguday, Diffun and Aglipay. It is originally occupied by the Aetas and later displaced by the Ilongot tribe because the Aetas are known of their nomadic characters. Many years later, permanent settlement were made by different civilized ethnic groups like Ilocanos, 

Tagalog and others in search of good fortune in this virgin land. As the population and settlement increases, regular barrios were created. These are the barrios of Zamora, Banuar, Burgos, Del Pilar, Dibibi, Eden, Villamor and five (5) more sitios of Villapena, Villarose, Tucod, Calaocan and Dingasan at the municipality of Aglipay: barrios of San Marcos, Gundaway and portion of Mangandingay at the municipality of Diffun and the other part of Mangandingay at the municipality of Saguday. The above stated barrios of different municipalities became the territorial jurisdiction of Cabarroguis by virtue of Republic Act No. 5554 enacted by the Philippine Congress authored by then Honorable Senator Leonardo Perez on June 21, 1969. The newly created municipality of CAbarroguis was named in honor of the late Congressman of Nueva Vizcaya, Honorable Leon Cabarroguis.

Cabarroguis operated as a regular municipality after the 1971 local polls wherein Honorable Anastacio dela Pena become the first Local Chief Executive.. Barangay Mangandingay also became the temporary seat of the municipal government, Years later, when Honorable Diomedes Dumayas was appointed as the town’s executive, the seat of the Local Government officially transferred to Barangay Zamora where a 12 hectares lot was donated.