By
Myra Yoro Madayag
Contributor
Katipunan from the root word “tipon” means merging
or joining of two or more species. Katipunan formed from a two legend Sitios of
Cangitingitan and Ganonggong. As I have the privilege to do a research for my
personal curiosity and by the special request of Mr. Danny Agsalog, son of Mr.
Vitaliano Agsalog, it gave me the determination and the urge to discover for myself
and to get a fact-finding research to establish a record for history about the
merging of Katipunan which is also my place of birth.
I
left Katipunan and moved to La Union after dropping from my second year in
Sinait National High School to look after my blind grandfather and my
grandmother who were suffering from breast cancer. And during my 15 years in
Sinait, I never heard from anybody and I didn’t dare ask my parents why and how
our place was named Katipunan.
Through
chatting with Mr. Amado Yoro via Facebook, a son of Tapao, Sinait, Ilocos Sur,
now a resident of Ewa, Hawaii, a writer himself, it came into my knowledge
about his best friend, Mr. Danny Agsalog. Here I came up with a beautiful chance
and perhaps a nice coincidence that Mr. Danny Agsalog, who once sponsored
Timpuyog Journal for the feature story of his boss—Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. I
came back to my birthplace and to find the people who can unfold the history.
I
found an old man named Mariano Villegas (born February 10, 1933) and made a
record of his statement as I have my cellphone, ball pen and a bond paper ready
in my purse. But I preferred recording his voice than to write while he was
talking for me to be more convenient.
According
to Mariano Villegas, the merging of the two sitios happened during the terms of
Mayor George Cabacungan in the 1960s. Sitio Ganonggong was part of Barangay
Sabangan and Sitio Cangitingitan was part of Barangay Cabangtalan. There were
two people involved in the merging of the two sitios whose names were Bernardo
Villegas and Jose Ramos. The two agreed to propose the making of one barangay
by joining the two sitios wherein there was only one road under construction
leading to the town proper. After the official joining of the two sitios, there
was a feast to celebrate the birth of Barangay Katipunan. And it is now
traditionally celebrated every year during the second week of May.
Bernardo
Villegas was voted as the first Teniente del Barrio (Barangay Chairperson) by
election thru raising of hands. Vitaliano Agsalog was duly elected after the
term of Bernardo Villegas which he did not finish because that was the time he
moved to Hawaii. Jaime Yacap being the second officer of the barangay succeeded
to finish the term of Vitaliano. Vitaliano, according to Mariano Villegas, was
an active barangay chairperson and he had a strong commitment in administering
his people successfully. At the end of the interview, I asked the 80-year-old
man who was the person that played a vital role behind the resolution of
joining the two sitios that gave birth to the Barangay Katipunan and when it was
officially registered but he wasn't able to give the answer. He said he
couldn't recall anymore and suggested that I instead ask somebody to gain more
details. I knew I needed more credible and more accurate information. He
suggested to look for Lydia Villegas, the daughter of Bernardo Villegas, who is
presently working at the Municipality of Sinait. I shook hands with the old man.
After I bade goodbye, I immediately went to the municipal hall, to the library,
to the Municipal Planning Office, to the Mayor’s Office, to the Sangguniang
Bayan’s office, but I did not see Lydia. Somebody in the corridor told me she
went to Vigan City for a field work. But thanks to my cousin Analyn Yoro-Laino
and to Vigie Villegas, they provided a printed copy of the profile history of
the Barangay Katipunan.
According
to history, Katipunan is a barangay of the Philippine municipality of Sinait in
the province Ilocos Sur in Ilocos Region which is part of the Luzon group of
islands. Katipunan is one of the barangays which is in the outlying area of
Municipality of Sinait. Sinait with a population of about 24,896 and its 44
barangays belong to the partly urban areas in the Philippines. While some of
the barangays developed modern urban structures, some others, especially those
seated in the outlying areas, remained rural. By the end of 2007, Katipunan had
962 residents. Other barangays of Sinait are: Aguing, Baliw, Ballaigui
(Poblacion), Baracbac, Barikir, Battog, Binacud, Cabangtalan, Cabarambanan,
Cabulalaan, Cadanglaan, Calanutian, Calingayan, Curtin, Dadalaquiten Norte,
Dadalaquiten Sur, Dean Leopoldo Yabes (Pug-os), Duyayyat, Jordan, Macabiag (Poblacion),
Magsaysay, Marnay, Masadag, Nagbalioartian, Nagcullooban, Nagongburan, Namnama
(Poblacion), Pacis, Paratong, Purag, Quibit-quibit, Quimmallogong, Rang-ay
(Poblacion), Ricudo, Sabañgan (Marcos), Sallacapo, Santa Cruz, Sapriana, Tapao,
Teppeng, Tubigay, Ubbog, Zapat.
Brief description of Barangay
Katipunan
A
long time ago, the place was not yet named Katipunan. It was established after
World War II. It was established by ex-Barangay Captain of Katipunan Vitaliano
Agsalog who is now residing in Hawaii. Katipunan is located at the western part
of the town proper. It is bounded by Barangay Ballauigi and Macabiag at the
east, at the north is Barangay Cabangtalan, at the south is Barangay Sabangan and
at the west is the West Philippine Sea. The place is surrounded by both land
and water because it has agricultural land and the south-western part is the
sea where some people derive their source of living. It is where at this place
we can find Mt. Centinela wherein it became the cemetery during the Spanish
times. The place also has a housing project that was built by the former First
Lady Imelda Marcos, which is found at the south-western part of the place. It
has a distance of 1 1/2 kilometer from the poblacion and it has a total land
area of 129.6301 hectares with a population of 1,024 as of 2010.
How
the place was named Katipunan? Well, it was divided into two sitios which is
Sitio Cangitingitan and Sitio Ganonggong and it was in the 1960's that the
place was changed into one barangay and so they called it Barangay Katipunan
until the present time because the two sitios were put together as one. Indeed,
the ex-Barangay Chairperson Vitaliano Agsalog has played a vital role in the
merging of the two sitios Cangitingitan and Ganonggong as Danny Agsalog put it
by saying, "My father keeps telling me that he worked very hard in getting
the petitioned signed; doing the census list of all the voters of both villages
so it will not be futile as what happened in the previous attempt for the
merger". Truly, the man should be duly recognized for his legacy in making
Katipunan a part of history.
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