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THE EARLY YEARS

The first settlers from Paoay, Ilocos Norte settled in Sindol. There is neither recorded date nor a monument on their arrival. Probably this took place a decade before 1853, the year when San Felipe was founded as a municipality. The Paoay emigrants, upon arrival in Hindol, which is the original name of Sindol, found a growing community of peoples many of whom they knew. The place turned out to be a rich place to stake a future. The good news about Sindol would reach Paoay and other places, drawing more settlers to the new settlement.

The growing community of Sindol expanded southward across the Sto. Tomas river and in the outreach of bubulon (after a name of a tree) wilderness, now called Bantay Kimmalugong. Bubolun extended up the banks of Burobor River, which today separates San Felipe from San Narciso. This wilderness was then the hunting ground of Zambal kings even before the coming of the Spaniards.

The Sindol settlers crossed the Sto. Tomas river toward Bubolon and then settled and developed the place. Patches of farms sprang and spread up to the slopes of the mountains in the east. Following custom, each family was allowed to claim only the land it could develop into a farm. The land was divided into a small parcels owned by different families.

As the Bubulon population expanded, families from Sindol as well as new settlers from Paoay began moving in. In due time it become larger than Sindol. In 1853, Bubolon become the official site of the settlement and was designated the municipality of San Felipe. Tomas Rombaoa was its first Capitan Municipal.

The Paoayans are not the only settlers to settle in San Felipe. New settlers from Vigan, Ilocos Sur also found their way to San Felipe. Unlike the Paoayans who are mostly farmers, these new arrivals were traders, merchants, artisans and fishermen. The first boatloads had no intention of settling, but merely to sell merchandise or trade with San Felipe’s farmers.

Their merchandise was a fast seller due to the people of San Felipe, in their isolation, lacked of household goods.

After disposing of their wares, the traders sailed back for Vigan but some remained and settled around the beach, in an area they later called Mindoro, the name of their barrio in Vigan. Other immigrants from Vigan soon followed them and their small settlement expanded to become what is today the barrio of Sto. Nino.

The following years saw San Felipe the influx of migrants from San Vicente, Ilocos Sur. They settled in the headland in a elevated sandy land that is between two rivers and ended in a large lake called Sukit. The elevated sandy land ended in a large lake called Sukit. San Vicente’s population grew and become a barrio and was renamed San Rafael.

These group of settlers blended and prospered together. Such as that, that there various skills transformed the town into one of the area’s center of economy. The farmers from Paoay measured their wealth by the height of palay stalks rising from the stacks in their back yards. Sto. Nino settlers showed their paraoes, pontings and the size of their fishing nets. The Vigan settlers also introduced pottery as the first industry of San Felipe. This home industry later moved to the northwestern part of the town, now called Kadamilian (means source of clay). The first blacksmith shop also opened in Sto. Nino.



THE SPANISH YEARS

In 1853, the town population was barely 2,000, and by 1859, the population grew to almost 3000. This is also the year the Recollect fathers founded their parish. There is no record of when the first church and convent were built, but the church was built on the present site of the Catholic Church. The old church’s bell is still in use in the belfry of the new Catholic Church.

The first parish priest was Fr. Jose Alba. The following were the succeding parish priest: 1866 – Fr. Mariano Rincon, 1871 – Fr. Julian Funes, and the last to serve as parish and left in 1897 was Fr. Julian Moreno.

From 1853 to 1900, San Felipe had 25 Capitan Municipales. The married males of the town with the approval of the Spanish provincial governor chose these Capitan Municipales. They served as the highest town executives and mostly served two years. All were original settlers. They were:

Tomas Rombaoa - 1853 to 1855     Pedro Francia – 1875 to 1877

Justo Sensense - 1855 to 1857      Matio Senense – 1877 to 1879

Pascual Flores - 1857 to 1859       Severino Villarin – 1879 to 1881

Juan Apostol - 1859 to 1860       Casimiro Maglicmot- 1881 to 1883

Leandro Fuentecilla- 1860 to 1861    Juan Dumlao - 1883 to 1885

Juan Manglicmot - 1861 to 1862      Pascual Fajota – 1885 to 1887

Laureano Mendaros – 1862 to 1865 Lope Manglicmot – 1887 to 1889

Tomas Rombaoa – 1865 to 1867 Severino Villarin – 1889 to 1891

Simeon Borja - 1867 to 1869      Saturnino Pastor – 1891 to 1893

Antonio Mangosing – 1869 to 1871 Pascual Aranda – 1893 to 1895

Hilarion Banaga – 1871 to 1873     Paulino Amagna – 1895 to 1897

Ambrosio Feria – 1873 to 1875    Ambrosio Farrales – 1898 to 1900

The juez de cementera y policia, the sumatin, guardia civil. The maestro municipal and the cabezas de barangay (tax collector) served with them. San Felipe’s capitan municipales were looked on as exemplary community leaders and efficient managers as a result of their experience from their old town of Paoay and Vigan.

THE REVOLUTION YEARS

There was no record of whatsoever that San Felipe was involved in the revolution against Spain in the 1880's. However, a story evolved is that a certain General Blanco appeared in San Felipe in the 1920's to campaign for a candidate for senator. He become known as "General Palatang." Palatang is a coconut leaf, which when configured to a certain length, resembles a rifle from a distance. Blanco is said to have recruited during the revolution some men from San Felipe, and "armed them with "Palatangs." They marched in military formation within the view of the Spanish forces in Mt. Silangin in San Antonio. Upon seing the formation, the Spanish forces came down to surrender. This is the only "military operation" in which the town played a part in the revolution.

Spanish rule ended in San Felipe in 1900 when the last Capitan Municipal, Don Ambrosio Farrales, resigned and the first Presidente Municipal, Don Saturnino Pastor, Assumed the post. He later was succeeded by Angel Dumlao whose term was terminated when San Felipe merged with San Narciso on January 1, 1905. The Appointed officials of the merged towns were Don Simeon Maranon of San Narcisco as Presidente Municipal and Don Nicolas Amagna of San Felipe as Vice Presidente. The municipal council composed of five councilors from San Narciso and four from San Felipe.

The American Years

America's coming to the Philippines changed its political and government structure. The Capitan Municipal was replaced by an elected Presidente Municipal. A Consejo Municipal with members also elected by the people and the creation of other elective offices to serve the community.

There were other changes and one of them was the introduction of free schooling. The first primary school attracted many pupils eager to learn English. The exceptionally gifted students were given special classes to turn them into "instant" teachers in a program devised by the school's first principal, a black American. San Felipe's first supervising teachers and principals were graduates of these classes.

The first elections in San Felipe took place in 1911 to replace the local officials who were appointed in 1908 when the town was separated from San Narciso. Eugenio Feria was the first elected presidente municipal. He, the vice presidente municipal and members of the consejo municipal served for four-year terms from October 16, 1912 to October 16, 1916. This form of government lasted until before World War Two. President Manuel L Quezon changed the title of Presidente Municipal into Municipal Mayor in the '40s due to didn't like the idea of too many presidents holding the same title all over the country.

  The Municipal Building Circa 1930s (Click picture to enlarge.)

The Presidentes and Alcaldes Municipales, and the years served were:

Eugenio Feria 1912 - 1916      Macario Manglicmot 1916 - 1920

Juan Faranal 1922 - 1925       Eugenio Agloro 1925 - 1931

Celendonio Manglicmot 1931 - 1934 Florencio Labrador 1934 - 1937

Ignacio Acierto 1937 - 1940        Florencio Labrador 1941 - 1944

They won office by virtue of family ties. San Felipe in the 1900s through 1920s could count only some few hundred qualified voters. It was easy therefore, for a candidate to votes of relatives, both distant and near. During elections, there were no issues to debate, no programs to present, for the town had no major problems back then.

The American rule also opened the path to enlistment in the US Navy. Rather than toiling their farms for life, many male San Felipenians took advantage of this opportunity of enlisting in the US Navy. Enlistment during those times were not that hard. If a young man met the physical requirements and can read and write a little, he is in. The paychecks and retirement pay from their service in the US Navy helped much the economy of San Felipe. It is also said that from these source came the first San Felipe college graduates and professionals.The establishment of the US Naval Facilities in Olongapo also opened opportunites for the young and idled San Felipe youth.

(Click on the picture for enlargement)

The War Years 1941 - 1945


The war years brought economic hardship to the people of San Felipe, though the fighting itself spared the town due it was far removed from the theater of operations. The war and subsequent Japanese occupation stopped the flow of money from the pension checks and other remittances from the United States. Basic supplies such as kerosene, soap, medicine, matches and cigarettes,became scarce and then disappeared altogether as the war progressed. For lack of soap, the people wore dark clothes that could be wear longer without washing. Coconut oil was used as substitute for kerosene to light their lamps. Papaya leaves were rolled into cigar and cigarettes.

Driven by hardships imposed by the war, former San Felipe residents living in various parts of the country returned to the town in droves. Entire families came back to seek security among their kin who are already stretched thin by scarcity. Food shortage was the main problem that they rationed their stock of rice by eating lugaw (porridge) or other rice substitutes. Anybody known at that time to be still eating inapoy was tagged selfish and lost the esteem of the community.

When Manila was occupied by the Japanese forces and during their siege of Bataan and Corrigidor, a guerilla unit was organized in San Felipe. The Unit was not assigned specific mission but it does served as a symbol of loyalty to America and in addtion, discouraged collaboration with the enemy. The fall of Bataan and Corregidor on April and May of 1942 swelled the ranks of the town's resistance group. It was led by a sector commander with the rank of Captain. Companies were also commanded by Captains. A roster recorded the names and rank of the guerillas but was not divulge to the public. When news broke out one day that the list had fallen into the hands of the Japanese, the guerilla members fled into the mountains. The news, however, turned out to be false. Returning to the town, the guerilla members become fearful now that their identities have been betrayed. An atmosphere of caution and suspicion persisted throughout the occupation.

Liberation came to San Felipe in February, 1945 with the landing of American forces. They were preceded by a small group of navy personnel who were sent to verify intelligence reports that the town and sorrounding areas were not held by the Japanese troops. The group included Ignacio Manglicmot of San Felipe who enlisted in the US Navy in the early 1930s. Thus the town was spared the devastation of a naval bombardment that rained on some towns in Pangasinan before the Americans stormed the beaches of Lingayen. American forces entered San Felipe without fighting for it and were received joyfully by a jubilant and grateful town.

The guerilla unit of San Felipe broke out in the open, revealing more members than expected. Its roster was revised several times, creating some dismay among the unit's top officers. The unit was recognized as having participated in World War Two from January 29, 1945 to September 20, 1945. The tens of thousands of pesos received as "back pay" by the guerillas were a fortune to a community that had not seen genuine Philippine money for the past three years. Other guerillas qualified pensions from the Philippine government.

San Felipe Today

After the war, San Felipe returned to normal, hopeful for better days ahead. The decade of the1950's showed signs of progress that gained momentum through the 60s, 70s,80s and the 90s. Families grew as well as houeshold income. For instance, only half a century ago, ilots and herbolarios were the town's healers, and the nearest lawyear was in Iba.

Today, the town has hundreds of professionals, so many that they can be found all over the country. Progress achieved by San Felipe can be measured up by the buildings and houses that line its streets, particularly along the national highway. The concrete municipal building is a far cry from the old wooden municpal building which was demolished to give way to a new market. There are two furniture stores, two gas stations, a home appliance shop, a rural community bank, a credit union, a number of drug stores and two department stores. Powered tillers now worked the fields along with the carabao. Some homes have airconditioning units, a water system that made the wells obsolete, round-the-clock electrical power, and telephone system was installed.

San Felipe's population tripled during the three decades following the war. In terms of population density, Barangays Sto. Nino and Amagna are the most populous. The least populated is Maloma. At present, six of the 11 barangays of San Felipe compose the urban area: Amagna, Apostol, Faranal, Feria, Manglicmot, and Rosete. The following barangays make up the rural area: Balincaguing, Maloma, Sindol, San Rafael and Sto. Nino.

To prevent congestion in the urban sections, the town planners recommended that Barnagays Amagna, Maloma, Sto Nino and Apostol be developed as "growth nodes" that will attract migrants from the rural areas.

The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 brought destructions and hardships to San Felipe residents and neighboring towns. San Felipe slowly rises from the havoc of Mt. Pinatubo, and with the resourcefulness and "bayanihan" spirit of its citizenry, was able to return life to normal.

Upon closure of the US Naval Base in Olongapo and the US Naval Communication Station at nearby San Antonio, most of the San Felipenians employed at the bases went overseas as contract workers, bringing home much of the needed dollars for the San Felipe economy.

San Felipe continunes to win awards up to regional level in town cleanliness. It becames a model for other towns to follow. Some provinces even sent study teams to San Felipe to gather information on the town's successful civic drive and programs.

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