HISTORICAL DATA OF THE BULAN TOWN HALL OR "MUNICIPIO" (Excerpted and re-written from the undated manuscripts on the history of Bulan by the late Mr. Sergio “Eyong” G. Hizo) By: TONYBOY G. GILANA The Bulan “Municipio” or the Municipal Government Building, which is the seat of our local government, has gone through many interesting changes and events. 1690-1746: When the Spaniards declared Bulan a Pueblo Civil or a town in 1690, the Tribunal or town hall, the seat of local governance, was situated in what is now Barangay Gate. The Tribunal was not only used as the central office for local government affairs but it was also used for the social events and gatherings of the Principalia, or the elite of the community. In 1746, during a bloody raid and destruction by the Moros, Gate was razed to the ground, many were killed and some taken as captives, and the population was dispersed and scattered into the hinterlands. For some fifty years, and similar to many desolate communities in Bikol and other places destroyed by the Moros, there was no officialdom in Bulan. 1801-1866: By 1799, upon the initiative of one Don Agustin Camposano of Casiguran, the Bulan community was resurrected, this time along the banks of the Maribok River (now the Immaculate Conception Subdivision). An Intramuros or walled community (now called Banuang-Daan) was constructed. On January 1, 1801, the town of Bulan was officially re-established with Don Juan Vicente as the first Gobernadorcillo. A Tribunal, a mere camarin, made of wood with nipa roofings, was constructed inside the walled town. It was about 100 brazas (an armslength) from the riverbank. 1866-1900: In 1866, the Bulan officials decided to transfer to a new town center, since the old town (Banuang-Daan) was always susceptible to being inundated by flood and to provide for more expansion and improvement. The town center was planned and designed by a Cofradia, or a council, headed by Don Marcial Gillego, an architect. The traditional Spanish Tribunal-Church-Town Plaza triangular design was followed, and this became the central part of Bulan. The new Tribunal was constructed in what is now the present site of the Old Municipio or Presidencia, except that it was erected in the corner of now Gotladera street (formerly Mclain) and Roque street. According to the manuscripts written and left by Mr. Sergio Hizo, who happened to interview witnesses who were still living at the time of the transfer, the Tribunal was described as a two-storey building with concrete walls on the ground floor. The second floor had wooden walls. The roofing was of anahaw. The posts were big round logs of hardwood locally called “Parina” (technical name was “Supa”). The windows were made of Capiz shells (or “Catipay” in the local dialect, “Concha” to the Spaniards”). There were no partitions to provide or divide for the building rooms. The only furnishing in the tribunal was a long unpolished table and several chairs around it. Near the walls were several benches. No pictures or posters decorate the empty walls. According to the records of the Cofradia, during the inauguration of the Tribunal, a Mass was celebrated by Fr. Francisco Roque, the parish priest at that time, in the ground floor of the new building. It was attended by the Principalia of the town, headed by Don Marcial Gillego. Among those present during the inauguration were Don Nonilon Loylo, the Hermano Mayor and Dona Juana Magallado, the Hermana Mayor, Don Rafael Gerona, Don Celestino Gratil, Don Maximo Gueta, Don Sixto Golpeo, Don Pedro de Vera, Don Esteban Zacarias, Dona Catalina Perez, Dona Juana Grantos, Dona Juana Gray, Dona Sebastiana Golpeo, Dona Victoria Panelo, Dona Cayetana Gisala, Dona Teresa de Jesus, Dona Juana Isabel, Dona Francisca Perez and Dona Teodora de Vera. On January 21, 1900, the Americans occupied Bulan and they established their garrison at the Spanish Tribunal. However, according to witnesses at that time, an accident happened around three months later, in April 1900, when the pet monkey of an American soldier, a certain Pvt. Leonard S. Guy, got hold of a burning firewood from the kitchen, climbed up the roof of the tribunal, and started a fire which razed the Tribunal to the ground. The fire alarmed the local residents, thinking that the encamped Americans were being attacked by the Insurrectos, and they hurriedly left town with their families. After the fire, the Americans temporarily transferred their command to the parish Convento and erected tents inside the church patio. From that time, our Municipal Hall drifted from place to place. 1901-1903: From 1901 to 1903, during the term of Don Rufino Gerona, the Municipal Hall was located in a private house of Don Hermogenes Gullaba, in the corner of now Gullaba and Concepcion Streets, the place now occupied as garage area by Goldline Bus Line, the lot owned by the Vytiacos (now Zone 1). 1904-1905: From 1904 to 1905, during the term of Don Sixto Gocoyo, the Municipal Hall was transferred to the residential house of Don Gonzalo Ramos, a wealthy Spaniard, in the corner of now Gerona and Gullaba Streets, where the defunct Bulan General Hospital building is now located (Zone 1). The walls of the present hospital building is the original wall of the ground floor of the two-storey building. 1906-1907: From 1906 to 1907, during the term of Santiago de Vera, the Municipal Government Hall was transferred to the newly-constructed Monreal Building. It occupied the second floor, while the ground floor was used as classrooms by the public school. 1908-1913: In 1908, still during the term of Santiago de Vera, the Municipal Government was forced to vacate the Monreal Building due to the increasing enrollment in the public school. The seat of the government was then transferred to Torilla Building, at the corner of now Gerona and Tomas De Castro (formerly, Dishky) Streets (Zone 3). This building still exists to the present, although some parts have been renovated. This is now owned by Tan Ting Bio’s (Bio Wa) family and used as warehouse. This building was used as Municipal Hall until 1913. 1914-1920: In 1914, during the term of Liberato Diaz, the Municipal Hall was transferred to Loilo Building, owned by Don Justo Loilo, in the corner of now Gotladera (Maclane) and Loilo Streets (Zone 6). This was the seat of government until 1920. 1920-1994: After many years of difficulty with not having a permanent seat for the local government, it was the aspiration of the local officials to finally settle to a permanent building where the transactions and records of the municipal government can be centralized. Construction of a building, which was called Presidencia, started in 1920, with a certain Akura, a Japanese, as contractor. Records are lost that will point out details on how it was funded and built. The Presidencia was inaugurated on January 2, 1921. The first Municipal Chief Executive to occupy the new Municipal Hall was Presidente Municipal Federico Gerona. The other municipal officials to occupy this new building were Municipal Secretary Angeles Mojica, Municipal Treasurer Gregorio Callos, Justice of the Peace Felix Gillego, Chief of Police Dionisio Gracilla, and Presidente de Sanidad Dr. Teodoro Nadres. The members of the Police force were, Patrolmen Feliciano Guan, Pio Guray, Ricardo Gueta, Leopoldo Gueta and Fernando Gutay. In 1954, during the administration of Mayor Rosendo Haylo, the Municipal Council appropriated P10,000.00 for the construction of the two annexes of the Municipal Hall. These annexes are still being used until today by the Bulan Municipal Police and by the COMELEC. In 1958, during the time of Mayor Eulogio Santos, Municipal Council Session Hall at the third floor and the Treasury Department at the back was constructed. 1994-present: During the incumbency of Mayor Celerina G. Gotladera, with the help of her brother , Congressman Bonifacio H. Gillego, a new and more modern building, to become the seat of the municipal government, was constructed at Barangay Aquino. Unfortunately, she died in office before she was able to occupy this great local structural brainchild. In 1994, Mayor Toby Gonzales, who succeeded Mayor Gotladera, was the first chief executive to occupy the New Municipio. Today, the 92-year old Municipio or Presidencia houses the Bulan Heritage Museum and the Municipal Trial Court. The BMPS is still there so are other agencies of the national government. It is imperative that as a salute and respect to this structure, we must preserve it as a community heritage site. It is also important that we should reflect upon the importance, and dignity, of the seat of the local government. A REFLECTION: As a people, we must realize that upon the halls and walls of the sacred edifice of a Municipio are borne important decisions of community-building. It is here where the voices and aspirations of the people, through their elective officials, are concretized. It is incumbent thus, upon our local officials that anyone who enters the municipal halls must work with integrity, dedication and nobility, to keep that “dignity” of the Municipio, an institution of, for and by the people of Bulan, aflame.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 05:40:35 +0000
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