Shortly before the second world war, the walled section of Pigsabunan , Bacon was a tangled mass of snake infested vegetation. It was called “ Intramuros “ after the walled city of Manila.
An old man, Benedicto Enalpe, braving these dangers, cleared portions of this big enclosure and planted cassava and other vegetables. Others followed.
When the sea began encroaching upon the shoreline and housing areas nearby, residents began a search for places to move to. At about the same time, the market place was transferred from Basud to the space along the wall facing the sea and the old municipal building, was moved to the old market area.
The walled interior became more attractive to the residents displaced by the advancing shoreline.
Petitions were filed with the Catholic Church hierarchy to open the land for public residency. Foremost among the petitioners were retired Bacon Chief of Police Porfirio Ariate and retired Col. Ignacio Elegado. After so many years the petition was finally granted. (So I heard.)
Sufficient fund is needed to preserve this historical landmark and to relocate the residents inside the Intramuros or kuta.
This article is open to corrections, discussions, and comments.
18 comments:
Good memory JJ!!!
More please.
Do you mean that the Catholic church granted permission to the local residents of that area?
How about the local government?
Very interesting contribution. Even better if accompanied by old stories, legends perhaps.
I understand the predicament caused by a menacing, uncontrollable act of nature, and the immediate need for a solution to help those found at the core of it; but, at the same time, shouldn’t there be an organized, long-term remedy that would not compromise such important landmark? Surely, the relocated residents in the “Kuta” must have faced tremendous difficulty and definitely, assistance was in order. I can not underestimate this. However, is there a more appropriate place for them to resettle? How was the relocation handled and monitored by the level of government assigned with such responsibility? Or was it free for all?
When Bacon’s historical sites go, so does its identity, so does its legacy, so do testimonies of stories, written or not, so do the people who are capable of imparting accurate information about the place. At the end, significant aspects will be replaced by a certain void, robbing the youth of Bacon and its future of their rightful claim for well manifested history.
I like how Annie has added the news section in this blog. Not only am I in the blog for updates from quite interesting, sometimes weird participants, but,I am also provided with immediate news should I find that I have enough of everybody's views.
Well done, Annie.
Very interesting. I'd would like to hear more about the land.
RE: bacon observer
Yes, I too noticed the news section.
I would like to ask that the readers of this blog also share this site with their friends.
JJ, I am questioning the veracity of your info regarding the Church's approval for the tenants. Did you see a document about that or just hearsay?
So now how can that ancient Fort be protected from its deterioration caused mainly by those tenants?
who is this JJ? He seems to be a historian too. How did he know those historical footnotes? Can we please know more of him? I am impressed.
I really want more historical insight, footnotes from JJ.
Can we know more about JJ?
JJ is one of the senior citizens of Bacon who was very involved w/ Bacon affairs.
He gathered this information thru verbal communication with the petitioners themselves although he has not seen any document.
Anyone who has the latest facts/ rumors about the Intramuros of Bacon; we’d like to hear from you.
May I deviate from the topic.
I just want to point a known fact about 2 senators from Sorsogon: Honasan and Escudero.
We also have a Bacongnon as Sorsogon City Mayor.
Can anybody tell me if anything significant has already been done for the province of Sorsogon and our little district of Bacon?
I remember the time when I was still a kid playing around on top of the wall of the "Intramuros". We used to pick some "fruits" of a wild plant called dulce kuyumot. Being a nasty kid at that time, I don't mind the warnings of my aunt regarding engkanto living in that place, and the snakes that roam. All I want to do is to explore and play inside Intaramuros. Before going home, I drop by the pandayan and watch how the sundang are made. At night, when petromax are all lighted, when the moon is at its peak, we play patubigan (patentero, if I'm not mistaken) or hide and seek beside the old municipal building or at the corner house of the Atutubos.
I agree what Jenny said. If you're not a resident of Bacon, you can hardly find the exact location of the Intramuros. Surroundings of this is now heavily populated and the exact walls are greatly covered.
If those people are really relocated, for how long? Historical lands or properties are not meant for relocation sites. I doubt, if some of them have their land title now. If not none, they can still be again be relocated to some place.
If this rich landlord donated (correct me if I'm wrong)a big chunk of land for the new site of Sorsogon City Hall, why not for the poor people of Intramuros? Just asking.
Report from Bacon:
1. The Water Tank project of the Central School Alumni is already completed and ready for use once the school provide the pipes to connect to the selected school locations.
2. Mayor Dioneda's administration is seem ok with some visible improvements in Sorsogon City proper.
3. However Mayor Dioneda is viewed as a blatant womanizer. He seems lacking in needed discretion for such a behavior.
4. One shining area in the city government is Lorna Figueroa who is regarded as sincere, frank, strict, dedicated and absolutely honest.
5. The image if Our Lady of Penafrancia, Patroness of the Bicol Region was brought to selected barrios in Bacon. Two significant events happened while The Lady was in Bacon which people attributed as miraculous: A very strong typhoon supposedly destined for Sorsohon changed course. That saved the province potential devastations. The second "miracle" was in the barrio of Buenavista where the various "bunuan" were devoid of any fish for 5 months until The Lady came and suddenly all the "bunuan" were teeming with galunggong fishes.
The above was a report received Aug.9 by a delayed regular postal airmail.
I'm a student looking for information about intramuros of bacon.. i want it to be my architectural thesis problem... the reconstructing and preservation of it,, and also the relocation of the residences near and inside intramuros..
I think what JJ said about Bacon, specifically Baranggay Pigsabunan's Intramuros is great. I just disagree on the statement telling that the Intramuros or "kuta" was made because of the encroaching of the shoreline. If I'm not mistaken, in the year 2000 the pier is not yet made or maybe it is just starting to be made, so it means that the shore is not completely very near to us recently. But the reason why the Intramuros was built by that person was to protect people especially residents from the Españols who were to conquer the Philippines. Based on my Grandfather's story, there were small hut located on the upper edges of the Intramuros or "kuta" where there were people inside the hut who were watching by the shore to see if there were Españols sailing, and if those people saw Españols coming they would do some noise or maybe whistle, shout or do something that could make a really loud noise to warn residents that there were Españols. Then all residents would go inside of the Intramuros or "Kuta" to be safe and people would close the gate.
There were also times that some people would come to the Intramuros or "kuta" and told the residents that their houses would be demolished but residents would strongly disgree. It was said that ancient people who lived in the Intramuros or "kuta" gave the area to the catholic church located in Canda but the catholic church has no document or title proving the ownership of the Intramuros or "kuta" for during that time transferring of land is done verbally (donation or selling land has no title or document that would approve by our government nowadays) that's why the Catholic Church could not or hopefully never, take the area back.
another information...the one i mentioned about something like a hut on the edges it is called old Spanish-era watchtowers.
T.Y :D
I'M PROUD THAT THE LATE POLICE COL.PORFERIO ARIATE,WAS PART OF SORSOGON HISTORY...
I MEAN,,AS CHIEF OF POLICE AT BACON,SORSOGON....
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