Cabolutan, San Agustin, Romblon

Cabolutan is a rural barangay in the municipality of San Agustin, Tablas island, province of Romblon, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 1,607 people in 317 householdsFact|date=August 2008. Its land area is 496.99 hectares.

History of Barangay Cabolutan

Historical Data

Source of Information: Romblon Historical Data, Guia Official de las Islas Filipinas, Encyclopedia of the Philippine Islands by Blair and Robertson from the National Library, Manila, Philippines and Church and Civil records of San Agustin from the Family Heritage Library (Micro Film Division) at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Cabolutan was one of the earliest settlements in the district of San Agustin. The early settlers, the original ones were descendants of Romblon, Mindoro and Panay islands. Cabolutan derived its name from a native word “buyot” meaning a kind of edible root crop found growing in abundance in the vicinity of Cabolutan. Legend tells of a certain farmer named “Lutan” ruled this place long long time ago. He was very very strict that if anybody committed mistakes, received severe punishment from him. People called him “Cabo” meaning head of the barrio. During his time, the famous root crop in this place was “buyot” so when strangers asked where to buy “buyot”, the folks would say in “Cabo-lutan” or “Cabo-yutan”. From that time on up to the present the place is called Cabolutan [Historical Data of Romblon. Chapter: History of Badajoz (San Agustin)] .

The first recorded history of Tablas Island where Cabolutan is located was in 1566 when this area was reported part of the Alcaldia of Panay. The town of Arevalo was its capital town that it became so important that it had jurisdiction over other important villages and areas like Tablas, Cibuyan (Sibuyan), Ambil (Hambil), Samara (Simara), Banton and Dumblon (Romblon). On November 2, 1571, The island of Tablas together with Sibuyan and the settlements along Mahalud river in Panay island were established into a single encomienda under Don Alvaro de Angulo, belonging to Panay in the Pintados (Iloilo) province.

In 1627, the Moro pirates attacked the islands of Romblon and inflicted considerable damage. This was, however, insignificant compared with the injuries the islands of Romblon, Tablas and Sibuyan sustained in the hands of the Moros, as the Moslems of Mindanao were then called, during the Moro depredation in 1707 when a good number of the inhabitants were held captives and brought back to Jolo as slaves. The Agustinian missions in Panay island which included the islands of Romblon was so prolific that they had expanded their churches to Romblon islands. Churches were started by El Padre Capitan (Fr. Agustin de San Pedro) in 1635 to the following villages and settlements: Romblon; Banton, Turaya (Timaya) and Mainit; Tablas, Cabalutan (Cabolutan), Odiongan and La Lauan (Alcantara); Cibuyan (Sibuyan), Cauit (Azagra) and Cahidyocan (Cajidiocan). The first church of Cabolutan made of wood and limestone was started in Cabolutan sometime in 1646 and a larger one made of limestone replaced it in 1730.

In both rare Philippine maps of 1734 and 1785, published by the Spanish government, found at the National Library, Filipiniana section of rare maps, it was noted that there were three pueblos and five settlements existed in what is now Romblon Province. Namely: pueblo Cabolutan, which included La Lauan (Alcantara). Pueblo Romblon which included the village and settlement at Cobrador Island, Pueblo Timaya (Banton) which included the settlement of Mainit in Banton Island, visita Sibale in Maestro de Campo Island and Oyungan (Odiongan) in Tablas Island.

The place we now call Carmen and all its environs were referred to as Pueblo de Cabolutan. Its matriz (Poblacion) boundary from the north is the present day Barangay Cawayan and to the south is at Palje Point of Barangay Cabolutan where the prehistoric Spanish Galleon port (now in ruins) once stood. The town’s constituent included the whole extent of territory occupied by present day Parish of Mount Carmel. The olden name of Carmen Bay was Cabolutan Bay, while Mount Payaopao or the Tablas summit was then called Monte Cabeza de Cabolutan (Mountain Head of Cabolutan), hence it belongs to Cabolutan Matriz or Poblacion.There was one barrio with-in its jurisdiction as shown in Philippine map of 1785. It falls exactly on the same spot where the present poblacion of San Agustin is now located noted as Bayan. It could probably be one of the earliest settlements in northeastern Tablas aside from Cabolutan, which was already in existence around 1700’s. This was later resettled by remnants of disease-stricken residents of Cabolutan. The settlement was later renamed Guintiguian in early 1800’s as shown on map of 1831. At around this time, Visita de Guintiguian’s jurisdiction was under pueblo de Romblon. Originally, it was part of pueblo Cabolutan, until the latter’s demised in late 1790’s. As mentioned previously, Cabolutan’s vast municipal territory covered the whole extent of northeastern Tablas Island. Included in its vast territory were the future towns of Santa Maria (Concepcion / Cagbagacay), Guinpuc-an and San Agustin (Badajoz / Guintiguian) plus the southern settlements of Alcantara (La Lauan), Looc, Sta. Fe (Catolog) and Carabao Island. While Pueblo de Banton included Oyungan (misspelled Odiongan) and the western half of Tablas Island of what is now the present towns of Ferrol (formerly Tingaray), San Andres (Salado / Parpagoja) and Calatrava (Andagao). The poblacion of Cabolutan would have been impressive in size as can be judged from traces of its ruins.

However, most of the evidences of the old pueblo including its Old Spanish church were gone. The old town site gave way for the construction of Romblon School of Fisheries (renamed Romblon State College-Tablas Extension) campus, constructed in 1965 and the national road (highway 309) constructed even earlier linking San Agustin to Odiongan. The ruins of an Old Spanish pier was shown and explained to me by Barangay Kagawad Mr. Jean Veral, a civic spirited citizen of Cabolutan. Now, only its concrete embankment foundation was left and visible only during low tide. It was constructed near Palje point. It could have been a heritage site should people then been more concerned on conservation. The old church building should had been a historical landmark. It was constructed near the riverbanks of Bugtong river where the present house of ex-Barangay Captain Abelardo Muyo now stands, today, only heaped of stones and scattered skulls and skeletons of its previous inhabitants littered the place to mark its foundations. Based on its ruins, the church building was made of shell-encrusted coral walls of stones and limestone. According to some old people, the church’s architecture was believed to be the same, or perhaps bigger than the antiquated church in Azagra, Sibuyan.

The golden bell of Cabolutan’s church, including an alleged pot of gold, was reportedly unearthed at its former townsite. Legend has it also that the Spanish parish priest of Cabolutan suffered a stroke while delivering his sermon in late 18th century. Minutes later, he took rest but expired while seated in his golden chair. That golden chair was lost and still haunts eager treasure hunters to date. Old Pueblo de Cabolutan’s plain abound with game as deer, hogs and fowls, besides domestic ones and the plenty of cattle originally brought from China. It yields rice, wax and abaca cloth, which is their common wears. It also abounds in coconut trees and fruits of various kinds. Tablas island also abounds in cacao. The last recorded data of Cabolutan (misspelled Tambolotan) was in Philippine Map of 1831, no longer as a pueblo, but as a visita of Romblon together with the Ensenada (Small bay) de Guintiguian. Also at the same time, there were two reported towns in Destacamento (Detachment) de Romblon under Capiz province, namely; Romblon, and Banton while Sibuyan (Cajidiocan) was established only in 1844 taken from Romblon. Banton included the settlements of Odiongan and the Ensenadas de Looc and Lauan. While Sibuyan (Cajidiocan) included the settlements of Nailog (Magdiwang), Canloay, Punta Cauit (Azagra) and Pagalad (San Fernando). From that time on, Cabolutan remained a barrio of Badajoz (San Agustin) until to-date except for some short interruption when it became barrio of pueblo de Guinpuc-an (Carmen) from 1861-1869 and when it was abolished as a barrio in 1896-1901 to become briefly a sitio and part of visita or curacy of Hermita (Hermitage) de Guinpuc-an (Carmen).

Date of Creation

The date of its creation was in the early 17th century. It was mentioned visita in 1635 when a church was ordered to be constructed beside the riverbank of Bugtong river. The settlement grew and progressed. It was under the jurisdiction of the Bishopric of Cebu. In 1730 it became a pueblo but ceased to exist in 1790 after the town was struck by annihilating smallpox epedimic. It was later converted into a visita and attached to pueblo Romblon. Later, it was annexed to pueblo Guintiguian when the later was created independent parish in 1855 until 1861 when its administration was transferred to the newly created pueblo or parish of Guinpuc-an [Guia Official de las Islas Filipinas Book: Ano 1861 ] (Carmen) until 1868 when it was returned back to pueblo Badajoz (formerly Guintiguian, renamed Badajoz in 1868). In 1896, this barrio was abolished and annexed to visita Guinpuc-an until 1901 when it was restored to its former regular barrio status. From that time-on until today, Cabolutan is a barrio of San Agustin (or Badajoz renamed to San Agustin in 1957).

Churches Located in Barangay Cabolutan

Source: Parish of Mount Carmel Records, Carmen, San Agustin, Romblon

*Saint Isidore the Worker (San Isidro Labrador) Chapel - Cabolutan Roman Catholic Chapel
*Saint Roch (San Roque) Chapel - Sitio Santiago Roman Catholic Chapel
*Community Baptist Church: Cabolutan Outreach

itios of Cabolutan

Population Data from Year 2000 Census. Source of Information for Land Area: Bureau of Coast & Geodetic Survey Map.Fact|date=August 2008

Note: For complete List of Teaching Staff and Population of each Schools Located in Cabolutan, Please refer to older version of this Webpage (gather it from those who earlier saved a copy). This current page is already altered and filtered by the Moderator and might be gone in the future. Please refer also to taga_guinpucan talkpage.

List of Teniente del Barrio / Barangay Captains from earliest to the present

[Parish of Saint Agustine, Romblon Book: Bautismos]

Cabolutan Cabeza de Barangay

# Felix Mortera # Dionisio Mingoa # Miguel Madalang # Basilio Madalang # Juan Martos

* 1881 – 1886 * 1886 – 1889 * 1889 – 1894 * 1894 – 1895 * 1895 – 1896

Note: Cabolutan was annexed as sitio to Guinpuc-an(Carmen) from 1896-1901

Cabolutan Teniente del Barrio

# No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # No Data # Nazario Manipol # Ramon Manipol # Pacifico Manlolo # Dioscoro Cunanan # Teodulo Dizon

* 1901 – 1903 * 1903 – 1905 * 1905 – 1906 * 1906 – 1907 * 1907 – 1909 * 1909 – 1910 * 1910 – 1911 * 1911 – 1913 * 1913 – 1914 * 1914 – 1916 * 1916 – 1919 * 1919 – 1920 * 1920 – 1922 * 1922 – 1928 * 1928 – 1931 * 1931 – 1933 * 1933 – 1937 * 1937 – 1940

Teniente del Barrio (During the War)

# Juan Solano

* 1940 – 1945

Teniente del Barrio (After the War)

# Macario Madalang # Isabelo Manalon # Santiago Manipol # Serapio Veral, Sr. # Dioscoro Cunanan # Agrifino Faller # Pascual Mancia # Isabelo Morales # Vicente Espinosa, Sr. # Cresencio Magracia

* 1946 – 1948 * 1948 – 1950 * 1950 – 1952 * 1952 – 1954 * 1954 – 1956 * 1956 – 1958 * 1958 – 1960 * 1960 – 1962 * 1962 – 1964 * 1964 - 1965

Cabolutan Capitan del Barrio

# Cresencio Magracia # Jose Salmorin, Sr. # Claro Madrilejos, Sr. # Casimero Madalang

* 1965 – 1966 * 1966 – 1968 * 1968 – 1972 * 1972 – 1982

Cabolutan Brgy. Captain (Punong Brgy.)

# Inocencio Manipol, Sr. # Rogelio Mordido # Geoffrey Madrilejoz # Diosdado Magracia # Abelardo Muyo # Tomas Madalang

* 1982 – 1989 * 1989 – 1994 * 1994 – 1998 * 1998 – 2002 * 2002 – 2007 * 2007 - Present

Note: Barrio / Barangay executives from year 1901 – 1922 are still unknown and under research to ascertain accurately barrio executives and inclusive date of tenure as barrio / barangay leaders of Cabolutan. Source: Bautismos, Defunctiones & Matremonios Church records, Parish of San Agustin, Romblon from the Family Heritage Library (Microfilm files), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Unknown Soldiers from Cabolutan Recruits:
Source of Information: Surviving World War II Guerillas lead by SSgt. Lorenzo M. Morada, Sr.
- * Pvt. Vicente Marquez - USAFFE, assigned in Panay at 63rd Infantry Regiment. He was fatally wounded in combat. Though he was immediately operated of his gunshot wounds in a Military Hospital in Iloilo after the enemy forces air raid, efforts to revive him failed, he did not survived.
- * Pvt. Quirico Manipol - Civilian Inductee, assigned in “Mango” Area. He survived the war in Mindoro and later joined the Police force of San Agustin, Romblon until his retirement in service.
- * Pvt. Pascual Moreno – Assigned in “G” Company, 65th Infantry Regiment, 61st division, USAFFE. He survived the war and came back alive to his barrio of Cabolutan.
- * Pfc. Roman Manipol - Assigned in ISP or “Insure Patrol Unit”. However, he was diagnosed later of suffering Pulmonary Tuberculosis. He was honorably discharged from duty, but later, he was fortunate enough to avail all benefits bestowed to a Veteran.
- * Pvt. Jose Salmorin – USAFFE, assigned in Panay with the 63rd Infantry Regiment. He survived the war and retired in Cabolutan with his family.
- * Pvt. Claro M. Madrilejos, Sr. – USAFFE, assigned in Panay with the 63rd Infantry Regiment. He survived the war and retired in Cabolutan with his family.
- * Pvt. Conrado M. Madrilejos – Civilian Inductee assigned in “Mango” area. He survived the war in Mindoro and retired in Cabolutan with his family.
- * Pvt. Modesto Mani – Civilian Inductee, supposed to be assigned in “Mango” area or Romblon-Mindoro Area. He was tragically sided-swiped by the sail of the Batel (native traditional large sailboat) since he was sited on the top deck of the ship and it was very stormy that day while he and Pvt. Margarito Montaña were on their way to their assignment in Mindoro. He perished in that sea accident at Tablas Strait and his body was never recovered.
- * Pvt. Porceso Mani – USAFFE, assigned in Panay at 63rd Infantry Regiment. He was fatally wounded in combat.
- * Sgt. Luis Abello – He became a Prisoner of War (POW’s) and joined the infamous Death March to Capas, Tarlac. He survived the war to tell his ordeal. He was from neighboring Sitio Can-umyang. In “Death March” the prisoners were forced to walk or hike a weeklong journey about 160 km from Bataan to Camp O’Donell in Capas, a Military Prison Camp located in the mountains of Tarlac.

Link to the Barangays:
* Poblacion, San Agustin, Romblon
* Carmen, San Agustin, Romblon
* Cabolutan, San Agustin, Romblon
* Cawayan, San Agustin, Romblon
* Mahabangbaybay, San Agustin, Romblon
* Sugod, San Agustin, Romblon

References