Magalang-galang, Bauan, Batangas: Historical Data Part I

From 1895 to 1996, many people suffered from starvation due to the long dry season. They depended only upon root wild crops as “pakit,” “tugi,” “ubi,” etc. So many people died of starvation during those two years.

In 1897, a cholera epidemic broke out in this locality which lasted for almost a month. About 60 inhabitants died of cholera during this short period.

Men from 20-25 years old were forced to join the Filipino armed forces to fight against the Spaniards.

Education was in the native dialect, Tagalog, under Tagalog tutors.

According to bits of information, when the head of the Filipino armed forces assigned in Magalang-galang had surrendered to the Americans, all the people of this little barrio were called to the town and confined thereabout for about a month. That was in 1901. During that period, the American soldiers, with some captured Macabebes, came and went around this little barrio searching for more Filipino rebels and burning the houses. Only three houses were saved from fire because these were used by those Americans as their headquarters.

In 1904, a cholera epidemic broke out again for about 2 months. That was during August and September. About 20 persons, more or less, died of cholera during this time.

The Roman Catholic faith was the religion of all the people.

In 1911, the people of this barrio evacuated to the town due to the eruption of Taal Volcano.

In June 1911, only one male by the name of Cipriano Manalo of this ragged barrio accidentally entered the public school opened by the Americans in the town. This boy finished his grade seven in the same school in 1917. Despite his little education, he was very fortunate for he became a boy of Governor General Wood. Later on, he was appointed as action clerk in Malacañan in the office of the Governor General. He had been there in the same position until the outbreak of World War II. After the Liberation, he was appointed as action clerk in the US Embassy in Manila. He is still there at present and is aspiring as a government pensionado after one and one-half years more of satisfactory services.

In 1920, another boy, Demetrio Alcayde, entered the public school in Anilao and finished his fourth grade in the Mabini Elementary School in 1924. Due to financial difficulties, he went to Manila to look for a job after the fourth grade. Fortunately, he became an employee on the steamer “Luzon, Compania Maritama.” For his good services rendered to the company, he was then promoted to

“Maestro Amo” until the outbreak of the war. He was supposed to have a good life now had he not died during the Japanese Occupation.

In 1923, another boy, Daniel Alcayde, entered his first grade in Anilao Barrio School and finished his seventh grade in the Mabini Elementary School in 1930. Despite his meager education, he became a guard driver in the CGSD DEPOT in Batangas for almost two years with satisfactory services. He is now a professional driver and a successful businessman.

In 1927, only Angel Alcayde, the brother of Demetrio and Daniel, made his attempt to study in the public schools. He studied in Anilao Barrio School from grade one to grade three. He took his fourth grade in the Mabini Elem. School. He finished his Elem. Education in the same school in 1932.

He continued his studies in the Batangas High School and obtained his high school diploma in the same school in 1936.

Due to financial difficulties, he was forced to quit studying.

He had been a farmer for about three months in his own barrio and in Anilao, Mabini, Batangas.

He had been a cochero in Manila for almost three years.

He had been an action clerk in the Legislative Building under Assemblyman Eusebio Orense for the Second District of Batangas for almost three years.

He began studying the Normal course in the National Teachers College in April 1939, (summer classes) as a self-supporting student. He finished his ETC in the same institution on October 25, 1940.

He was appointed as a classroom teacher in P. Anahao School, Mabini, Batangas for the same position on July 7, 1940 until Dec. 12, 1940 when all schools in Mabini were temporarily closed due to the outbreak of war.

He had been a farmer and a fisherman sometimes during the Japanese Occupation.

He was reinstated as a temporary classroom teacher on April 5, 1945 and was assigned in Colvo Barrio School, Bauan, Batangas. Because of the little income he was receiving, he was forced to leave the position as a teacher and entered the position as Senior Guard in the CGSD in Batangas for one year. Then, on July 1, 1947, he was again

reinstated as a temporary classroom teacher and was again assigned in Colvo School. He is still in Colvo School as classroom teacher and at the same time a head-teacher at present.

According to information, no other children studied in the public school prior to 1911, and no other children followed the footsteps of the four boys mentioned above until after a school in Colvo, Bauan, Batangas was opened in [a] private building owned by Mr. Lucas Masongsong in 1937. During this year, only 15 Magalang-galang children entered the public school in English. Then, year after year until the beginning of World War II, the number of school children from the said barrio increased considerably.

In 1916, there were already some qualified voters in this barrio numbering about 20 persons more or less. They began voting in the precinct located in the town. Later on, these voters having increased in number, joined the Bolo voters and voted in the precinct located in Bolo. Afterwards, they joined the voters of Santa Maria and voted in it. Later on, they were assigned in Manalupang School with Manalupang, San Diego, Locloc, and Colvo voters.

From December 12, 1941 to February 10, 1944, the people of Magalang-galang had stayed in their homes with Mabini evacuees living miserable lives. They had been always on the lookout for the coming of the Japanese soldiers who had been used to getting the people’s animals, food, jewelries and other belongings by force. The people lived eating only boiled cassava, camotes, squash, bananas, pakit, ubi, tugi and boiled corn known as “bualaw.”

From February 11, 1944, the people of Magalang-galang were scattered to the different places outside the barrio near and far. Some evacuated to Manalupang and Baguilawa. Some moved to Mahabang Parang of San Luis. Some hid in Colvo between high mountains and many went to Locloc of Bauan, to Balagtasin of San Luis and still many others went to places outside of the province as Baco, Puero Galera and Calapan, Mindoro Province.

The tense situation began one latter afternoon in February 1944 when a Japanese “-boat located along the shore of Magalang-galang was bombed by two American bomber planes and when a Filipino boat called “lantsa” confiscated and used by the Japanese soldiers for transporting food supplies to their headquarters was also bombed by two planes, resulting in the death of two Japanese soldiers who were buried by their companions.

A few days after, this barrio, especially the part along the seashore, was stormed with different kinds of bullets from the American Armed Forces because there were 7 Japanese headquarters scattered throughout the barrio. No Japanese had been killed here during this time for they had planned to hide and escape the night before. Some had escaped through the deep ravines from Magalang-galang to Colvo and beside that, some of them had very good air-raid shelters, strongly built foxholes and other well-fortified dug-outs by the walls of some deep ravines of Magalang-galang.

One Japanese Headquarters, a private house owned by one Mr. Juan Caringal, was totally burned by the American bomber planes.

No destruction of whatever kind could be traced during 1896-1900.

During 1941-1945

In the earlier part of March 1945, five men of Magalang-galang were forced by the Japanese soldiers to carry their ammunitions with them to their headquarters located at the southern side of Mailayin Mountain of Mabini, Batangas. When they reached the road opposite the Mabini Elementary School, four American soldiers flew by. They ran under one of the houses by the side of the road to hide. One of the five Filipino civilians by the name of Leovigildo Panganiban put down his load and tried to run to escape from the cruel Japs. Unfortunately, one of the Japanese soldiers saw him running. He was then shot and there met his death instantaneously by the side of the road.

When the planes had gone far away, those Japs with the remaining four captured Filipino civilians continued walking toward the headquarters by the side of the mountain nearby. When they reached there, the three Filipinos were killed one by one by hammering their heads with a big piece of wood and striking their stomachs with their sharp and pointed bayonets.

Fortunately, the last man by the name of Evaristo Anglo luckily succeeded in untying himself and ran as fast as he could through the thick forest in the midst of darkness. He was then very thankful to God the Almighty for he was able to return home alive despite his fear of bullets.

In the latest part of March, 1945, two Japanese soldiers were killed in this barrio. One was killed by some active civilians right in the foxhole made by

tortured victim Eulogio Magboo. The other one was found in the house of Leonardo Anglo. He was caught by the barrio lieutenant, Santiago Silang, with the help of some of his active, loyal neighbors. This Jap was brought by the civilians to a big tree by the side of one big ravine and was tied to that big tree and then killed.

Those five Filipino civilians who were used by the Japanese soldiers in carrying their guns and ammunitions to the foot of Mailayan Mountain, Mabini, Batangas who I have mentioned above are as follows:

1. Some physically fit men of this barrio of Magalang-galang worked as laborers in the Ammo Depot and in the OGSD in Batangas.

2. Some qualified men worked as guards in the Ammo Depot and OGSD also in Batangas.

3. Some affected heads of the families, as a result of the war, filed war damage claims to the Philippine War Damage Commission offices in Manila and were given their corresponding payments.

4. Colvo Barrio School was at once opened on April 5, 1945 to continue the education of children thereat despite the children’s difficulties in entering school due to so many Japs crossing this barrio from the different places in Mabini, Batangas to Mt. Maculot, Mt. Tigas and Mt. Batulaw.

5. The rationing of food under the management of the “Neighborhood Association.”

6. Bonus to teachers.

7. The reconstruction of wells.

8. Repairing of roads.