Thank God, we are now a Hundred-Year-Old Town!
It is due to thank God for such wonderful blessing as He continuesly showers blessing on us.
Allow me to share with an article as sign of appreciation to our town.
“Where is Cabusao?”
This is usually what people replied to me when I told them that I came from Cabusao as they asked me of where I came from. I replied again that Cabusao is next to Libmanan. And because Libmanan is more prominent town, they just expressed a simple word of “Ah!” And unfortunate for me if the person I am talking to, does know neither where Libmanan is. It just means further details.
I want to begin my reflection on that simple situation. It maybe simple yet can transcend a deeper calling of promoting our town as something independent as it is now celebrating its centenary.
From the very start of my civic awareness, I dreampt of writing a history of my own town. But unfortunately, I could humbly say that I was not able to find ample time and resources to make such article. However, as I am searching on the web, I found this discussion that worthy of appraisal. In the Facebook page of PROUD AKO! PRO-CABUSAO AKO!, Mr. Yul Delfin posted his research concerning Cabusao’s Humble Beginning. I was filled with awe and gratefulness as I read his research. Such article is a big help to us, Cabusawenios, to know some fragments of historical facts regarding our town. We should remember that the history of our town is our history, too. With due respect to Mr. Delfin, this are some of the discussion in that facebook page:[1]
(Excerpt from the Book Philippines: A History of the Bikol Region written by Jaime T. Malanyaon)
In all history books, record regarding the origin of the name of this town could not be found. As this town was only a visita of Libmanan which is the cabecera, the site where it is located now is called Nabubuhan. Another visita is Barceloneta. The French physician J. Baptiste Mallet who travelled the Philiipines in the late 19th century noted that “Cabusao” at San Miguel Bay was the only port of importance in the province.
On 12 September 1757, Moro pirates near visita Calampinay (former name of Barceloneta, Cabusao) Libmanan, Camarines Sur. Then they proceeded to the mission of Lupi where they looted the church, the outlaying houses and killed many Christians.
It was not the last raid on Libmanan (this included Cabusao then.) This town was raided repeatedly in 1757, 1759, 1801 and 1810. The raiders usually made their way from the northern coast to Barra de Cabusao and through the points between the port of Pasacao and the mission of Ragay (Records of the Philippine National Archives, 1797-1952, fols. 111-112) as quoted by Fr. Mallari S.J.
Because of these constant raids of the Moros, Pedro de San Pablo Alcantara, town head of Libmanan petitioned the government for eight cannons, six muskets and sufficient gunpowder to improve the defenses in the northern coast especially Cabusao.
These cannons were intended to be mounted in the castillos and this accounts for the naming of Barrio Castillo of Cabusao.
Cabusao was founded as a sitio of Libmanan in 1730 while Narciso Aureus allegedly founded the town in 1911. The barrio of Barceloneta became a parish much earlier before Cabusao became a town. At Barceloneta, the first public school in this parish was established during the early American regime. Roman Malanyaon became its teacher, succeeded by Salustiano Reyes in 1910, then closed for lack of enrolment, then reopened in 1915, with Ramon Orosa as teacher.
This town has an important role in the economy of the province if a secondary fishing port is constructed here for the small fishermen in the San Miguel Bay area. The Camaligan fishing port is too far for these small fishermen to bring their catch for storage. While fishing remains the major industry of Cabusao, the rice production could be improved if the farmlands along the coast could be utilized inspite of the salty soil.
The Bicol Sanitarium is located in Barangay San Pedro. All leprous patients are treated here. A family of the leper Is well-taken care of. Only the sick members are kept in the hospital compound, those not affected live out of this compound. There is a public school for sick children of leprous parents. They are well taken care of and also a separate school for non-leprous children outside the compound.
References:
1. F. Mallari, op cit p. 42, 238.
2. Souvenir Program
3. Interviews with teachers and residents
The second part of his research is the following:[2]
MGA OSIPIN ASIN ISTORYA KAN KAPINUNAN KAN CABUSAO
Kun tano nginaranan nin Cabusao ining banwaan na ini dae nakukua sa mga istorya huli gayod ta ini saro sanang visita kan Libmanan na iyo an cabecera kadto. An lugar Nabubuhan sinasabi sana na iyo an presenteng namumugtakan kan poblasyon. Igwa pa man sarong visita na nasakop kan banwa - iyo an Barceloneta na kadto nginangaranan Calampinay. Segun sa mga istorya hale sa Archivo National kan Filipinas, an mga minasunod iyo an nakalagda: Sarong Pranses na si Doctor J. Baptiste Mallet nagbisita sa Cabusao kan dali ng makatapos an siglo 19 asin naaraman niya na an Cabusao iyo sana an importanteng pwerto sa probinsiya. Kan Septyembre 1775, si mga mababangis na piratang Moros nagdoon sa Calampinay (Barceloneta) Libmanan, Camarines Sur. Dangan nagpasiring sa mission sa Lupi na kun saen nagronot asin hinabonan si mga harong sagkod sa simbahan dangan maggadan kan si mga Kristiyano. Ini bakong katapusan kan pananakyada sa Libmanan huli ta sinalakat pa kan 1757, 1759, 1801 asin 1819. Si mga Moros ginagamit patongtongan (springboard) an Cabusao bago sinda mananalakay sa pwerto kan Pasacao asin banwaan na Ragay. (F. Mallari, Ibalon, op. cit. pp. 43, 238.) Huli kan dakulang pagraot kang mga pagsasadiri , si Pablo Alcantara kan Libmanan nagpetisyon sa gobyerno na tawan sinda nin 8 kanyon, 6 na badil (muskets) saka maninigong pulbura (gun powder) nganing magamit sa pagdepensa kan banwaan nag-orog na sa Cabusao. An mga kanyon ikakaag sa itaas kan kastillo. An ngaran kan Barrio Castillo sa Cabusao iyo siguro an rason tano ta nginaranan ining Castillo. Kan 1730, iyo an pagpundar kan sitiong Cabusao asin pinagtutubudan na si Narciso Aureus iyo an nagpundar kan banwaan kan 1911, alagad ta an Barceloneta naging parokya enot pa sa Cabusao. Si enot na eskwela publika pag-abot kan si mga Americano pinamamayohan ni Roman C. Malanyaon asin si nagsunod iyo si Salustiano Reyes kan 1910, dangan napintuan ini huli ta kulang si mga eskwela, kundi inabrehan giraray kan 1905 na an maestro iyo si Ramon Orosa. Ining banwaan importante sa ekonomiya kang probinsya kun gibuhon na sub-port kan Camaligan huli ta an mga saradit na parasira magkakaigwang depikultad huli sa karayoan kan Batilya San Miguel na iyo an siraan kan mga saradit na parasira. Minsan an mayorya kan mga tawo parasira, an mahiwas na omahan sa harani kan dagat pwedeng omahon kun dakul na paraoma, alagad magigibo ini kun makua an banhing paroy na maninigong itanom sa maaskad na dagat kaini. Saro pang industriya iyo an paggibong patis, pagbenepisyo kan sira (badi), paggibong nipa, asing iba pa. Oya digdi an Bicol Sanitarium sa barangay San Pedro. An gabos na leproso hanggang Samar digdi pinagbobolong. An gabos na pamilya kan leproso oya pinapaestar, si my helang iyo an binobolong sa ospital, an mayo, may harong sinda na separado. May eskwelahan publika, si aki na may helang igwang eskwelahan sa laog kan compound asin sa mayong helang may harong man na eskwelahan para sainda.
ginuno sa librong: Istorya Kan Kabikolan na sinurat ni Jaime T. Malanyaon
Cabusao is now a hundred-year-old town yet its name is still not known to many. Though, maybe years of existence is not the basis of independence yet time should imprint in the history its significance in the life of its people. The responsibility on local development is not really of town per se because it cannot move alone. It is the people who should act. Towns and places are being known through its people. I appreciate and recognize that Cabusao is wellspring of many successful and prominent people that the town could boast of. But I think, one of the lacking act is the town’s appreciation on them. If only the town could know how to look for them and recognize them as its native sons and daughters, Cabusao would be known through their personal progress. Personal appraisal on them is an equal act of communal recognition. This is not really to boast of their greatness but to recognize their humble beginning that is catered by their humble town. Then, the gratefulness of its people would be proclaimed to the world. From there, another chain of recognition to Cabusao as a town would be imprinted to the history of the town and its people.
It is not necessary that one citizen has contributed an extravagant act for him to be worthy of recognition. Personally, I am proud to those Cabusawenio who are courageously finding their fate in other places such as abroad. Those Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) are also significant on our development as a town. They are worthy or recognition. They are also the living heroes of the town. Somehow, they are Overseas Cabusawenio Workers (OCW). To you, I am raising my salute.
We should also be proud to those teachers who give their life to educate the people of Cabusao wherein we are harvesting now the fruit of learning through our status today. You are all worthy of recognition, too. You are all worthy to be called as outstanding citizen of Cabusao. You are all Outstanding Teachers of the Town. The history of education in Cabusao has rich beginning that entails of courageous dedication to continue. Every school has its wonderful story to share. Thanks for the teachers who did not allow themselves to be destructed by tribulation. Thus, I personally thank you for giving us the strenght to make our future better.
Cabusao is also a town of significant leaders who contributed a lot in bringing Cabusao in its current status. Whatever the status quo of Cabusao, we should be thankful because to run a town is not easy. To see our town now, we can also see the movement of development. We should not be always pessimistic on leaders and on town itself. What we need to do is to share also our part in building a better place not just for us but for the generation to come. We should help our leaders instead of being against them. One of the factor that makes one town be fallen is being divided. After election, we should forget political division. We should destroy political barrier within us. We should be one. It is always true that in unity, we stand; in division, we fall. Allow me to thank also those leaders that despite the great challenge and bigger responsibility, they put their dedication and service with courage to face whatever they will experience in leading a town. I salute those leaders from the past to the present administration.
I am also wishing that there is still living citizen in our town whose age is already hundred. He/ She in himself/herself is already a history. He/She would be a living witness of what the town gone through. He/she, if there’s any, is worthy of recognition as she endure the challenge of being a citizen of Cabusao as far as his/her age. I wish that there is still living as such person in Cabusao.
I know you have known many Cabusawenios that are worthy of recognition. You can tell a name and let us thank them of being an inspiration to our fellow Cabusawenios. You can add a comment on this blog. Let this be a simple act of recognition to them.
I thank you PEOPLE OF CABUSAO as the GREATEST EXPRESSIONS OF CABUSAO CENTENARY.
Let us be proud and tell the world that “WE ARE PEOPLE OF CABUSAO, WE ARE CABUSAWENIOS!”
Once again, we should remember that the history of our town is our history, too. In the same hand, as the time is passing by, we, as people, are the makers of our town’s history.
St. Bernardine of Siena, Pray for us...
St. Paschal Baylon, Pray for us...
[1] Yul Delfin, “Cabusao’s Humble Beginning” from Facebook page of Proud Ako! Pro-Cabusao Ako! http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=115387933030&topic=13949
[2] Ibid.
