Alcantara, Romblon

Alcantara is a 5th class municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 14,144 people in 2,905 households.

Onhan / Taga-Onhan or Inunhan is the native language of the municipality's inhabitants. It is also popularly called as Manakaran language. The Alcantaranhon dialect spoken in Alcantara and Santa Maria municipalities is quite different from that of Looc, where most words pronounced as "r" in Loocnon Onhan as in "uran" for "rain" is pronounced "l" in Alcantara as "ulan". "None" is "wa ron" in Loocnon while it is "wa lon" in Alcantaranhon.

* Brgy.Tugdan is the most popular Barangay of Municipality of Alcantara Province of Romblon where you found the Terminal Airport of Tablas Romblon. From Brgy.Tugdan,Brgy,San Roque, and to the boundary of Brgy.Bonlao.Barangay Tugdan have an Elementary and Secondary Schools, Secondary Schools founded by Honorable Mayor Ramon "Ramie" Galicia Mayor of Municipality of Alcantara Resident of Barangay San Roque. Barangay San Roque has also Elementary Schools founded by Honorable Mayor Ramon "Ramie" Galicia.

History

Alcantara originally known as La Lauan was part of Pueblo de Cabolutan since early Spanish time. Previous to this, the vast area of what is now Alcantara municipality was part of an Encomienda under Don Alvaro de Angulo established on November 2 1571 situated in Mahalud (in other documents: Maharlu / Mahanlur), a river settlement along the river of the same name in northern Panay Island which included Tablas and Cibuyan (Sibuyan) Islands. Presently, this is the modern coastal barangay of Majanlud of Sapian municipality in Capiz, one of the earliest settlement in Panay island.

Between 1636 and 1703, churches were started in various pueblos or parishes, visitas and fundaciones (settlements) belonging to the province or alcaldia de Arevalo (Iloilo), the Philippines most prosperous province which then included Romblon islands being its northern most territorial maritime boundary. In Romblon proper and Banton island, churches were constructed beginning 1636 particularly in Turaya (Timaya) and Mainit and in other islands, the least was in 1665 until 1703 when many churches were constructed in Tablas island's visitas of Cabolatan (Cabolutan), Odiongan and Lalauan (La Lauan) while in Cibuyan (Sibuyan) island construction was at visitas of Cauit (Azagra) and Cahidyocan (Cajidiocan) all under the jurisdiction of Alcaldia de Arevalo.

In early 1730, late-comer migrants of around 30 families of Onhan (mga taga-Uma) and Nayon (mga taga-Banwa) from Nabas, Capiz (now part of Aklan) who were Onhan speakers or the more popular term 'Manakaran' language, an idiom related to the Kinaray-a language family, settled in this place. It was originally referred to as fundacion de La Lauan. Presently this is now called Daan Banwa (Old Town) about a kilometer northeast of the present town center in what is now the modern community of barangay Lawan. These late-comer settlers from Panay Island was lead by a certain Don Ciriaco Alcantara, himself a Cabeza de barangay who succeeded in convincing the Spanish authorities to create a number of barangays out of these loosely-knit settlements located along the southeastern coast of Tablas Island. Later these settlements were constituted into visita de La Lauan. Please note that a Visita is a curacy without permanent priest, thus, Lauan belongs to this category. Visita Lauan was administered from Pueblo de Cabolutan. When Cabolutan ceased to exist in 1790 due to annihilating smallpox "Puko" epidemic, administration of it was transferred to pueblo de Banton. A new municipality under Capiz province was created known as pueblo Looc. Looc became a full-pledge pueblo or parish in 1844 and become Capiz 23rd municipality in chronological order. The new pueblo encroached visita La Lauan and all the sitios, barrios, visitas and fundaciones located in southern Tablas island including the adjacent island of Carabao or Hambil which all came under Looc jurisdiction.

Romblon separated from Capiz province when the Politico Militar Commandancia del Distrito de Romblon was organized in March 19 1853. Romblon then had only 4 established pueblos, namely Romblon, the capital town, Banton, Cajidiocan (formerly and officially known as Sibuyan) and Looc. Lauan, being a visita then was included under Looc municipality. Two years later in 1855, 17 new pueblos (municipios) or parishes were created. Lauan finally became one of the new municipalities in the PMC del distrito de Romblon. This was Alcantara's first proclamation as a pueblo or parish as pueblo de La Lauan. Present equivalent is our municipality today.

In January 11 1868 the PMC del Distrito de Romblon's status was elevated into full-pledge province known as Politico Militar Commandancia dela Provincia de Romblon, there was reorganization in all local municipal government. As a consequence, only 7 pueblos were retained, one missionary center, and one semi-autonomous visita under pueblo de Banton. A total of 15 pueblos were abolished and one of them was Lauan. The former pueblo reverted into a visita and annexed to the pueblo de Guintiguian (renamed later as Badajoz in August 28 1868, now San Agustin).

Soon after, the residents of Lauan were forced to abandon their old town and relocate to the present townsite in April 22 1881. The team was led by a certain Gaspar Guevarra and reasons for their transfer was due to the rugged terrain and continuous depredation wrought by Moro pirates. The settlement prospered at the new site which led to the settling and development of that particular coast of Tablas Island. Likewise, the name of the visita was changed from Lauan to Alcantara in honor of the town's founder, Don Ciriaco Alcantara. Its former townsite in Lauan become desolate and its status was lowered to a barrio attached to Badajoz and together with visita Alcantara remained part of San Agustin (formerly Badajoz) until 1885. [Badajoz civil and church records (Bautismos, Defunctiones and Casamientos) National Historical Institute Archives department.] In 1885, both barrio Lauan and visita de Alcantara's administration were transferred back to Looc pueblo from Badajoz until the end of Spanish regime. Barrio Lauan co-existed as separate barrio of visita Alcantara until its abolition in 1901 due to unabated decline on its population causing for its demise and finally to its annexation under barrio Alcantara as a sitio. A new barrio was created in 1958 taken from barrio Alcantara named barrio Icogan incorporating sitio Lauan (former seat of the old town or 'daan-banwa'). This new barrio of Icogan was renamed barrio San Isidro two years later. Lauan remained part of San Isidro until 1991 when it was recreated into a separate barangay named Lawan.

On March 16 1901, American civil government was organized in the province of Romblon, Alcantara remained part of Looc municipality until June 4 1940 when all the municipalities of Romblon were abolished by the passing of Commonwealth Act No. 581 or better know as the 'Festin Bill'. Looc was abolished as a municipality and became part of the new Special Municipality of Tablas with its seat at Odiongan. Looc was represented with one municipal councilor at its municipal council in Odiongan. Alcantara, being a barrio of Looc then, was not represented. On July 4 1943, Alcantara together with Calatrava and Libertad were organized into emergency municipalities sponsored by the guerilla movement regime under the revolutionary republic of the Philippines. This was Alcantara's second proclamation as a municipality. On May 26 1946 Commonwealth Act No. 581 was repelled through the passage of Republic Act No. 38 sponsored by Romblon's new Congressman in the person of Hon. Modesto Formelleza of Odiongan. Looc regained back its independent municipal status and Alcantara reverted to its former barrio status and was again reannexed into Looc municipality as a barrio.

On March 16 1961, through the passage of Executive Order No. 427, Alcantara became Romblon's 13th municipality. This was Alcantara's third proclamation as a municipality. Today, Alcantara is composed of 12 barrios or barangays namely:

Barangays

Alcantara is politically subdivided into 12 barangays.

* Bonlao
* Calagonsao
* Camili
* Comod-Om
* Madalag
* Poblacion
* San Isidro
* Tugdan
* Bagsik
* Gui-ob
* Lawan
* San Roque

Population of Alcantara at Various Time

/a - Alcantara is under Looc in 1894 to 1960 /b - No data, its land area is included under Poblacion and Madalag /c - Data is under San Isidro /d - Data is under Tugdan /e - Data is under Camili and Madalag /f - 2007 NCSO Census

Development of Alcantara's Barrios / Barangay's:

The earliest tabulated data showing Alcantara's barrios were in Censuses of 1894 and 1896 conducted by the Spanish government. From 1894 - 1896 there were already 6 barrios in existence in what is now Alcantara then part of Looc municipality. These were the barrios of: 1 Alcantara, 2 Lauan, 3 Bunlao, 4 Tugdan, 5 Nipa, and 6 Comudum with a combined population of 1,495 in 1894 and 1,576 in 1896.

At the beginning of the 20th century, American civil government established Romblon's local government. The American civil government, from 1899-1901, reduced the number of barrio to facilitate the military policy of concentrating the civilian population of the poblaciones. Thus, in what is now Alcantara municipality, only 2 barrios were retained from its original 6 barrios by the end of Spanish regime. These were Alcantara and Tugdan of Looc municipality. The combined population of barrios Alcantara and Tugdan in 1903 census was 2,021. American civil government abolished former barrios of Lauan and Comod-om in 1901 and annexed them to barrio Alcantara, while the former barrios of Bonlao and Nipa were annexed to barrio Tugdan on same year.

Icogan was created into a barrio in 1958 taken from barrio Alcantara and two years later in year 1960 it was renamed San Isidro through the passage of R.A. No. 2486. When Republic Act No. 2500 was enacted into law, "An act converting certain sitios in the municipality of Looc into barrios", two barrios were added into Alcantara district then part of Looc by the recreation of barrios Comod-om taken from barrio Alcantara and Bonlao which was taken from Tugdan sponsored and authored by then Congressman Jose D. Moreno. However, on this Republic Act, it included and mentioned barrio San Isidro (Icogan) as one of the nine barrios to be created. Perhaps, it was a mistake, since Congressman Moreno may not have expected or aware that Icogan was already approved as a separate barrio a year back. Barrio Calagonsao was a gift from San Agustin's southernmost barrio of Concepcion when it ceded part of its southern territory which is now barrio Calagonsao into barrio Tugdan, then part of Looc municipality in 1958. Prior to enactment of R.A. No. 2500, sitio Calagonsao was already integrated into barrio Tugdan as its sitio. Therefore, Calagonsao was taken from Tugdan when it was created into a barrio and not from Concepcion. When Alcantara become a municipality in 1961, it had a total of 6 barrios, these were: Alcantara, Tugdan, Bonlao, Calagonsao, Comod-om and San Isidro.

In 1968, Camili was created barrio taken from Poblacion of Alcantara while Madalag was taken from barrio Comod-om. ln July 1 1991, Barrio San Roque was created taken from Tugdan, while on September 30 1991, two more barrios or barangays were added to Alcantara, these were barangays Bagsik (taken from parts of Camili and Madalag) and Lawan (taken from San Isidro). Finally, the last additional barangay to be organized was Guiob in February 4 1992 taken from areas of Poblacion and Madalag. Today, the municipality of Alcantara is composed of 12 barrios or barangays to-date. Only the former barrio Nipa which existed as a separate political unit or barrio of Looc during Spanish time remained part of barangay Tugdan as a sitio to date. Historically, it was an independent and separate entity from that of barangay Tugdan.

References

* [http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/default.asp Philippine Standard Geographic Code]
* [http://www.t-macs.com/kiso/local/ 2000 Philippine Census Information]