Lumbangan, Nasugbu, Batangas: Historical Data Part I

Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines.

This report has been made possible through the concerted efforts exerted by the teachers in Lumbangan Elementary School. The history and name of the barrio was reported by Mr. Nicolas Oriondoand Miss Osmunda Villaluna. The historical report of Lumbangan was prepared by Mrs. Juliana V. Benson as chairman and with Misses Maria Soledad Roxas and Sofronia P. Cueto as members. The Folkways were reported by Miss Josefa R. Bayaborda and the Puzzles, Riddles and Proverbs were reported by Miss Felicitas S. Oliva and Miss Miguela S. Andino. The historical data are gathered and reported by Miss Ignacia S. Reyes as chairman and Misses Josefa R. Bayaborda, Socorro S. Samaniego and Purificacion S. Vasquez as members.

Any credit which this report may be accorded must, therefore, be in favor of these persons who unselfishly and willingly worked together to make this report possible.

GERARDO TOLENTINO
Principal

a. Past popular name of the barrio – Lumbangan. Derived from an old belief that this place was formerly abundant in lumbang trees.

b. Present popular name of the barrio – Central. This name has come about because of the establishment of the Central Azucarera Don Pedro in thish place. Because people from the neighboring towns of Tuy, Balayan, Calaca, Lemery, Taal, Lian and Calatagan transact business with the Central, this new name has become more popular to the people of these towns and to the truck conductors whose trucks pass this way from Batangas, Manila and other towns to Nasugbu.

c. Names of sitios included within the territorial jurisdiction of this barrio –

a. Calamundingan b. Pandan c. Bangcal

d. Ulila e. Cogonan

a. Barcelon and
b. Atienza families

1. Lumbangan Proper

According to the latest surveys, Lumbangan has an area of about 100 hectares and a population of 1,884. The owner of the sugar central which was constructed on this barrio in October, 1950, is a Spanish citizen and those who occupy high positions

are mostly Spaniards. A large percentage of the inhabitants are Tagalogs. During the milling season, the population is temporarily swelled because extra laborers come to work in the Central. They come from the neighboring towns and provinces in the north, especially Pangasinan. These people live in a place popularly known as “Pangsinan,” derivative of the province [where] they came from.

The original plant of the present Central Azucarera Don Pedro was built in 1927. The present Central, which is much larger and more modern than the original one, was built in 1950.

To improve the home and community life of the employees, the company built the Barrio Obrero. This is composed of a mixed group of people. The houses are mostly owned by the company. Those built by the Central are uniformly planned and painted. Those along the road are owned by the residents who are either employed in the factory or are independent laborers or merchants. An apartment house was recently built to house the official personnel. The residential compound is occupied by the department heads and those occupying high positions in the factory. Almost all the houses are built of strong materials. The sanitary condition in the whole compound can be rated above average. The school site is within this section. Employees and laborers of the Central are given free light, water and medical aid. When the nature of one’s trip is official, free transportation is also extended. Playground sites are also provided.

2. Calamundingan –

This sitio is on the eastern side of Lumbangan proper. The people here are mostly farmers, carpenters, merchants, peddlers and workers in the Central. The people own their houses and raise vegetables and chickens. Houses are temporary and semi-permanent

materials. Next to Lumbangan Proper and the Barrio Obrero, this place is the best developed and progressive.

3. Pandan, Bangcal, Ulila, and Cogonan –

The sitios of Pandan, Bangcal, Ulila and Cogonan are composed of farming groups. Bangcal and Pandan are composed of 32 families and Cogonan and Ulila have 27 families to date. The original family in the group is the Valeriano Dimafelix family. The people living there are mostly farmers. They do not own the land that they till, they care tenants and laborers of the Central Don Pedro. Many of the families live in temporary houses of bamboo, nipa, and cogon.

The sitio of Cogonan, which was the original site of the first sugar central built in this section of Nasugbu, is now depopulated. Most of the persons living in this sitio have transferred to the new site of the Central.

The name “Lumbangan” may literally pass into history and the new name “Central” may in the coming future take its place. The popularity of this new name has grown so fast that the place is known to most people from other places by its new name “Central” than its original name Lumbangan. This name is becoming more and more sparingly used and only by those old residents of the place and only whenever reference to the place is officially made. But to those people who transact business with the sugar central and to those who are new in this place, the name Central is more popularly known and more commonly used. There is a very bright future for this barrio. The time may come when this flourishing barrio may be converted into a new town of Batangas.

The following dates, although new, may prove important to the history of the barrio, hence its incorporation into this report:

a. Opening of the first school – June, 1923

b. Establishment of the present Central – 1925-1927

c. Construction of the Central Hospital – 1952

d. Construction of the Laboratory Building - 1925

a. During the Spanish Occupation – None worth mentioning, for during that time, this place was nothing but a thickly forested section of the town of Nasugbu.

b. During the American Occupation to World War II – Reports are conflicting as to the real date when this barrio came out to be one. But some records bear the date of 1903 as the beginning when some people began to settle in this place. During this period, much improvement had taken in this place. Worth mentioning are the establishment of a public school in this place, the increase of dwelling houses due to its being along the provincial highway from Batangas and Manila to Nasugbu, and most important is the establishment of the sugar central. The sugar central has drawn people from neighboring towns to this place, making it a veritable small town. More and more houses are being built scattered along the provincial road and around the Central compound, mostly by the Central owners for the employees and some by workers in the mill who have decided to make this place their permanent residence. People who live in this barrio now are of a mixed group; composed of Tagalogs,

Pangasinenses, Pampangos, Bicolanos and some Visayans.

c. During and after World War II –

This place was liberated the same time as the town of Nasugbu. Although the place was occupied by the Japanese, not much damage was done to the place despite the fact that a garrison was located in it. This may be because the residence were able to deal properly with the Japanese soldiers. The only damage done to the Central came from the American planes of liberation when the powerhouse caught fire when bullets from the plains set fire to it. The estimate of this damage can be found somewhere in this report under the caption Central Azucarera Don Pedro. It is said that when the American forces of liberation occupied Nasugbu on January 12, 1945, only 7 Japanese soldiers we're left in the garrison at the Central. These soldiers we're left to blow up the Central the arrival of the Americans. They did not, however, find time to execute their mission due to the timely report made by the guerrillas from this place to the American authorities in Nasugbu. A platoon of American soldiers was dispatched to this place and all the 7 Japanese soldiers were killed as they fled.

No record could be found about the existence of this barrio during the period from 1896 to 1900. No life nor property was damaged between the periods of 1941 and 1945 except what has already been described elsewhere in this report.

Notes and references: