Etymology

Don Vicente Nepomuceno, one of the most distinguished sons of Camalaniugan, a Jurist, parliamentarian and a Historian, wrote in his book ”HISTORIA NAC CAGAYAN” that long before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, particularly to the north of Cagayan Province, there existed a settlement founded and headed by a native chieftain named GUIYAB. This is a located along the east banks of the Cagayan River, or what is now called ”poblacion”.From this settlement came to origin the town of Camalaniugan.

Datu Guiyab and his followers first established their settlement along the banks of what is now called the Babuyan Creek. This is located at barangay Dammang, a Barangay of Camalaniugan situated across the Cagayan River on the west, which is now known as Barangays Felipe Tuzon and Joaquin dela Cruz Datu Guiyab and his followers were often raided by the “Kalingas”, a fierce and war-like tribe that settled in the mountain region further west. Due to these Kalinga depredations, Datu Guiyab decided to transfer his settlement across the Cagayan River. Together with his people, he crossed the Cagayan River eastward and landed in a place where a plant they called ”MALANIUG” grew in abundance. He founded the place very ideal for settlement so they decided to stay in the place permanently. Under his leadership, this settlement became prosperous and progressive. Datu Guiyab and his people named this settlement “CAMALANIUGAN” adopted from “MALANIUG” the name of the plant which was found growing in all the areas they occupied.

Malaniug, from which Camalaniugan derived its name, is a palm tree that can be easily mistaken for a coconut, while its trunk is a cross between that of the coconut and that of the palmera plant. Its fruit looks somewhat like an unhusked coconut, but smaller. A mature malaniug nut is no bigger than an infant’s fist.

The nut is protected by a thin, brown shell which, when cracked open, reveals a white flesh similar to that of the “macapuno”. Those who have tasted it say it is delicious but they caution that it is not something you should have your fill of. Too much of it can cause headache, dizziness and diarrhea. They added the prefix “CA” and the suffix “AN” to “MALANIUG” forming an Ybanag word “CAMALANIUGAN”, which means in English “a place where” “malaniug” tree is in abundance”. The people called themselves “YBANAG”, a word derived from “BANAG” an Ybanag word which means “River”. “Ybanag” means people living near the river.

Datu Guiyab then became very rich and powerful. He became the chieftain of all the tribes living in the nearby areas. It is said that even his “Salakot” his mortar for pounding his “buyo” (bettlenut) were made of gold.

When the first Spanish Colonizer, Juan de Salcedo, grandson of Legazpi, landed on the shores of Cagayan, he found the settlement of Datu Guiyab already a flourishing community. It has a system of government and culture of its own. The people were engaged in agriculture and fishing.

In 1995, Fathers Ceria and Castellano, converted Datu Guiyab and his followers to Christianity. They organized the settlement into a pueblo, and adopted the name CAMALANIUGAN as used by the natives in calling their settlement.

Camalaniugan was established as a pueblo and its Ecclesiastical administration was accepted by the Dominicans on June 15, 1596. San Jacinto de Polonia whose feast day falls on August 17 was chosen as the town’s Patron Saint. Father Gaspar Zarete was installed as the first Paris Priest.

On the same year, the construction of the first Catholic Church was started. When the church was finally finished by forced labor, it was furnished by forced labor, it was furnished with bells, one of which is the Sancta Maria forged in 1995. It is reputed to be the oldest Catholic Church bell in the country. The other church bell installed are: San Jacinto (1792); Nuestra Sra.De Nieva Y Santa Barbara (1822); and San Tiago Apostol (1870).

Camalaniugan at that time was comprised of a vast area extending eastward up to the Pacific Coast which then included the towns of Buguey, Sta. Teresita, Gonzaga and Sta.Ana. In 1915, Buguey became a separate town and seceded from Camalaniugan. So, the early natives of Buguey were the Ybanags from Camalaniugan. Following the footstep of Buguey, Gonzaga also opted for townhood in 1971, and subsequently followed by Sta.Ana and Sta. Teresita. Hence, Camalaniugan was reduced to its present area today which is even smaller than the seceded municipalities.

Creation

In the olden days, the natives of Camalaniugan, led first by Bucaranay, then by Guiyab, were pagans who worship spirits and the elements of nature. In 1581 the Spanish colonizers reached Cagayan and lost no time in converting the natives to Christianity. It was in 1595 when they succeeded in winning over Guiab and his people to the Catholic fold. Soon afterwards the Friars organized the settlement into a Pueblo (town).

On June 15, 1596, the ecclesiastical administration of Camalaniugan was accepted by the Dominicans, and San Jacinto de Polonia, whose Feast Day falls on August 17, was chosen as the town’s patron saint.

In an effort to wipe the pagan beliefs and practices of the natives, the friars fought fire with fire, so to speak, as they encouraged the practice of folk religion through the celebration of the patron saint’s feast day, or fiesta. Originally, a rite of thanksgiving for blessings received, the fiesta became a cherished tradition and in many ways even a way of life.

Preaching was not all the friars did in the name of the cross. They also introduced new methods of weaving, health care and farming and taught the natives how to read and write and to play number of musical instruments.

They imposed things and obligated able bodied men to donate their services towards the completion of the church and rectory in what is now Barangay Sapping.

Socio-economic and Political Development

Long before the Spaniards set foot on Philippine soil on northern Cagayan in particular, there existed along the banks of the Cagayan River a small community of natives, headed by a chieftain named Bucaranay. By the time the Spaniards reached Cagayan, the leadership of the settlement had been taken by another chieftain named Guiab. Datu Guiyab’s settlement was originally located at Dammang, west of the river. Disturbed by the Kalingas of the Cordilleras, Guiab and his people moved to the other side of the river, finally settling in a place where malaniug trees grew in abundance. They called the place Camalaniugan meaning, “where Malaniug trees abounds” The people were Ybanags, meaning “people of the river”.

When Juan de Salcedo, grandson of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, landed on the shore of Cagayan in 1580s, he found in Camalaniugan a flourishing community of farmers and fishermen led by Guiab, with their own culture and system of government. At that time, Camalaniugan encompassed a large area that included what we now known as Buguey, Gonzaga, Sta. Ana and Sta. Teresita.

At that time Aparri was not yet in existence, and the mouth of the sea was called “Minanga nac Camalaniugan” not of Aparri, Tallungan was then the entry point to Camalaniugan from the sea.

In 1583 the region we now known Cagayan Valley was organized into a single province and named Cagayan and was divided into two provinces, Cagayan and Nueva Vizcaya in 1839 and further subdivided into three Cagayan, Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya in 1856. The existing settlements were organized into pueblo or town. Established as a municipality and as parish on June 1956, Camalaniugan was one of the first towns in Cagayan to be so organized. The reason for this was its proximity Nueva Segovia, now Lallo, then the seat of Government in the province. Capitan Pablo de Carreon a native of Vizcaya, Spain is said to have founded Camalaniugan.

During the Spanish regime the highest town official was the Gobernadorcillo, also called president or “alcalde municipal”. The symbol of his authority and power was the wooden walking cane (baston) adorned with gold. After his term of office he was addressed as Capitan.

Following is a list of town mayors during the Spanish and American times. Where available, their significant achievements and the inclusive dates and their incumbency are mentioned:

Spanish Regime:

  • Esteban Asiddao
  • Vicente Guibani
  • Tomas Telan
  • Salvador Aneso
  • Lorenzo Ponce
  • Pedro Barisa
  • Jose Siriban
  • Tomas Cabaddu
  • Jose Siriban
  • Regino Cervantes
  • Hermenegildo Iringan
  • Diego Emalon
  • Getulio Limun
  • Domingo Littaua
  • Built a pier on the banks of Cagayan River for incoming and outgoing virays and barangays (boats). The pier was destroyed by a big flood on 1906.                                        
  • Manuel Littaua
  • Gave name to the streets of the town
  • Tomas Littaua

American Regime:

  • Francisco Dumaual
  • Antonio Iringan
  • Eusebio Limun
  • Theodoro Estaris
  • Pedro Carag, 1908-1911
  • During his term, the Municipal Council passed  a resolution asking the provincial government to build permanent school houses (under the Gabaldon Bill) in Centro and Alilinu was built in 1914 on land donated by Antonio Castillo.
  • Lucio Bejer, 1911-1912
  • His term was cut short by Don Gregorio Urbi who protested his election and won.
  • Gregorio Urbi, 1912-1913
  • Built a public market and “quiosco” near the public cemetery.
  • Tomas Crisostomo,1905-1908 and 1913-1916(2 terms)
  • During his second term he built: the Gabaldon Central School; “edificio municipal” (town hall); a public market; and a new road linking the carretera (National Road) to the river bank, passing by the municipal road. He was also responsible for the cleaning and repair of defective culverts and roads.
  • Donated three pieces of property to the Government land in which were built the Camalaniugan Central School, the Gabaldon School in Centro Norte (now gone) and the “officio municipal” in Centro Sur, including the open-air auditorium.
  • He awakened the people’ sense of community and “bayanihan” spirit enough to get them to volunteer their services and to donate money and good for town projects.
  • Domingo Siriban, 1926
  • Repaired street and upgrade all major roads.
  • Repair and /or upgraded culverts.
  • Constructed the road linking Camalaniugan to Buguey.
  • Built a public market in Barangay Bulala.
  • Simaco Torres,1930
  • Built a concrete public market as well as an abattoir.
  • Florentino Paragua, 1934
  • Reymundo Jurado, 1946

Built the Camalaniugan High School in Dugo.

TODAY!

A Camalaniugeño who has been away for a good number of years will be with the changes in his hometown. It’s still basically rural by any reckoning, and it will probably remain so or a long time yet, but there are changes of which any Camalaniugeño should feel proud. 

Though he’s sure to have fond memories for the long walks around town and the childhood games (Kick the Can, Hide and Seek, etc.) which he used to play on moonlight nights. He should be glad to know that his town now enjoys the benefit of electricity – amenities such as telivisions, refrigerators, video cassette recorders and yes, even air conditioning units.

There are as yet no residential telephones, but at least, one need not to go to Aparri to make long distance call anymore. There is in Barangay Sapping the Bureau of Tele-communications telephone facility that allows one to make calls to Manila as well as overseas.

Every household still have a deep wells in their backyard, but in addition, one can now connect to the town water system which supplies pipe water to    houses.

It’s good to know that we now have a fire department to call on in case of fire; that a police officer can hurry to where trouble might be, on board a patrol car rather than foot; and that there is a dump truck to collect the trash.

Not all the streets are paved, true, but a drainage system is in place, and the rice fields that use to beg for rains now enjoy year round irrigation. This means at least two crops a year for the farmer.

The Cagayan River, where he used to frolic in the summer and whose banks used to erode without control, is being save by an on-going multi-million erosion control project starting from Barangay Sapping. And yes the Horno has been restored.

The town is still a farming and fishing community, but other means of livelihood have cropped up like rice trading, fabrication of side cars for the pedicabs that serve as local “taxis” cottage industries such as making bibingka, longganisa, and would you believe, balut?

A visit to the public market in Barangay Bulala will give him a pretty good idea of how vibrant the town is, market places being great indicators of how well a place is   doing.

Another visit, this time to the newly refurbished Municipal Hall, will give him a sense of pride in his hometown, especially if he is told about the honors and awards his hometown has been reaping of late:

  • ROMY (Regional Outstanding Mayor of the Year) Award in Region 02 from the Department of Interior and Local Government,1993 and 1994
  • ROMY (Regional Outstanding Mayor of the Year) Award in Region 02 from the Department of Interior and Local Government,1995
  • Most Outstanding Municipal Government Unit award from the Commission on Population, 1994
  • Nominee for the DILG’s Galing Pook Award for its Walking Blood Bank Project

Despite these developments, the balikbayan should be happy to know that Camalaniugan has preserved the good old fashioned values that anchored him to his hometown then – and beckon him to come home, at least for a visit, now.

Inter-LGU and Inter-Government Bodies Existing

This allows for Inter-LGU cooperation to occur through Memoranda of Agreement for mutually beneficial purposes, with agreed contributions of staff, financial and capital resources in whatever manner that suits the LGU concerned. For the municipality of Camalaniugan, this inter-local cooperation is considered as significant mechanism in the realization of political and administrative decentralization and local autonomy.

Among the inter-LGU and inter-government bodies existing are: the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the Philippine Fisheries Code, the    Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, the Department of Health (DOH) for Executive Order 205 series of 2000 for the establishment of Inter-Local Health Zones and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) for the Urban Development and Housing Act.

Not to set aside the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which regularly assists LGUs to effectively and efficiently deliver  services to their constituents. The DILG formulates policies, plans, and programs to enhance local autonomy, focusing particularly on the administrative, technical, and fiscal capacities of LGUs. Also, there’s the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) responsible for national roads while local roads are under the responsibility of the Local Government Units, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) which coordinates with the respective Local Government Units (LGUs) through its Negosyo Center and other National Agencies with regular link to the LGUs.

Other Significant Local Institutional and Government Platforms and Programs Adopted / Innovations 

 The municipality of Camalaniugan being a consistent recipient of the DILG – Seal of Good Local Governance since 2016, the local government adopts the government platforms and programs in vertical consistencies of its land use policies. Part of it, is the functionality of the different local    special bodies and institutions such as: the  Local School Board for education, Local Health Board and a variety of other special purpose institutions.    These institutions provide services needed by the locality residents, such as land use planning, roads, utilities, public transit, economic development promotion, education, health services, and infotainment.

Other significant local institutional and government platforms include a route to better public services through the Local Public Transport Route    Plan (LPTRP), an open platform to build upon for new public infrastructure a short-hand for co-production of policy, and paving the way for new institutions that are fit for the digital age.