1.1 HISTORY: A
PLACE CALLED BURAUEN
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| Burauen Municipal Building |
The name “Burauen” evolved from the word
“haru” which means “spring”. This is because Burauen is the fountainhead of
several rivers: the big Daguitan and Marabong rivers, the Guinarona and Hibuga
rivers that pass through several neighboring towns, as well as several smaller
ones. The legend behind the name speaks of a drought when several tributaries
of these rivers dried up, forcing people to flock to a cluster of large springs
in the town. The place was duly called “Buraburon” which according to Justice
Norberto Lopez Romualdez Sr., is the “multiplicative construction of the word
“haru” (spring), which indicates “abundance”. Over the years, the name
“Buraburon” (“having many springs”) evolved into “Burawon” and finally into
“Burauen”.
Clandestine diggings conducted by antique
hunters and verified by the National Museum archaeologists yield valuable
artifacts consisting of chinaware and jars. Some of the discoveries were Stone
Age artifacts and implements. These
antiques and artifacts were found on the plateaus of both sides of the
Kag-oloolo Brook of Barangay Patag and Villa Aurora, which were about 16
kilometers southwest of the poblacion of Burauen. Similar artifacts were found
in Barangay Paghudlan which is 12 kilometers from the Kag-oloolo. The earlier
diggings on the south western portion of the poblacion, and those in Barangay
Tambuco and Armasen unearth several precious antiques. With the extensive presence of these
artifacts over the said areas, the past locations of the early settlements in
Burauen during the prehistoric epoch are indicated.
The Jesuit Friars, Fr. Pedro Chirino, a
Spaniard, and Fr. Gaspar Pereyra, a Portuguese, discovered Burauen as a settlement in the
later part of September 1595 when they used the community as a base in the
Christianization of the central part of Leyte.
Between years 1609 to 1616 Burauen was the most populous town of Leyte
and Samar and it consistently registered the highest tax collection during the
same period in the region.
Immaculate Conception Parish
From Buraburon, the settlers were told by
the Jesuit Missionaries to transfer to “Armasen” (meaning a trading place that
is at the same time a granary), presently a sitio of Barangay Libas, which was
similarly named today, to facilitate their “reduccion de vista”. Due to
frequent flooding of the area by the Guinarona River, the settlers led by their
leaders Tandom and his younger brother, Hangdon who were the children of the
last Rajah of Buraburon, successfully repulsed a raid of Moro pirates of
December 31, 1613. To avoid further depredations about Moro pirates, avenging
their defeat by the Christian Burawanons, the location was transferred Laguiwan
(from the word “Kalaguiwan”, meaning refuge).
After Laguiwan, the people transferred to the plains of Tambuko , owing to the continued abundant
yield from the crops of the settlers. The time of bountiful harvest could not,
however, last forever because around 1627 while on this settlement, another
long drought took place which forced the people to look for water and led them
to return to the southern side of the present site of the poblacion because of
the presence of the springs. The settlers built a fortress-like community along
the northern bank of the Daguitan river which became next settlement. The
polace was called “Cota”. It was while in this site that Burauen was made by
the Jesuits as the capital of Eastern Leyte for the ecclesiastical
administration of the area from the year 1637 up to 1648. With recurring flood
besetting Cota, the townspeople eventually selected a townsite on the elevated
northern part of the poblacion which forms part of the town proper today.
From this period of development of the
town was mostly agriculture based and the emphasis the propagation of the
“Doctrina Christiana” of the Catholic faith was intensified. Aside from the
community house called “tribunal”, built in 1740 under the leadership of Gobernadorcillo
Agustin Ezequias, and the construction of a bigger church and a very spacious
convent from 1844 to 1858 by Fr. Francisco Lopez, little physical took place.
The form of education available then was limited to primary education opened at
the parish convent and supplemented by few private instructions offered by the
colegialas, who studied in Cebu and Manila. This trend continued until Spaniards
were dislodge from the power in the country in the 1896 Revolution.
Rizal Monument Park
(located in front of Burauen Municipal Building)
Immaculate Conception Parish Mary Park
(located in front of Immaculate Conception Parish Church, that is still under construction)
The short-lived Philippine Republic
proclaimed on June 12, 1898 faced a new enemy, the American who were pursuing
their so-called “Manifest Destiny”. The
troops of the Revolutionary Army under General Ambrosio Mojica, realizing that
their fortification of “estacas” (bamboo palisades) around the poblacion of
Burauen were weak, were forced to withdraw to the mountains. While encamped in
Mt. Pericohon (now La Paz, the daughter town of Burauen), they were attacked by
a pincer movement of American soldiers on the morning of April 26, 1900. On
account of superiority of American arms, the Gen. Mojica ordered his troops to
retreat in the late afternoon of that day, carrying their wounded and fallen
comrades.
In another encounter during the Filipino-American War, the
Mericans under Col. An drews suffered heavy casualties from Filipino soldiers
in a high noon fight on July 1, 1900 at the Battle of Salay, one kilometer on
the western side of the poblacion where almost of the Americans were killed.
Although the Filipinos were surprised while taking their lunch, they were able
to overwhelm their foe by destroying the
dam fortifications across Maabab River, thus drowning many American soldiers. After
this battle the Americans took a
reprisal by burning the whole poblacion on July 4, 1990, sparing only the
Catholic Church, its convent, the warehouses and buildings of Smith Bells &
Co., Lian Chiong Y. Cia, and the Son Tua y Cia. These two incidents made
Burauen one of the strongholds of the “Pulahan” dissidence. Later in 1906 the
rebels were convinced to lay down their arms thu their former leader who were
persuaded by the American authorities to turn to peaceful life.
With the cessation of hostilities, the
people devoted their efforts to the reconstruction of their homes and expansion
of their farms to usher progress of the municipality. The productive endeavors of the people lured
many enterprises to the town. The first electric system and cinematographic
house in Leyte and Samar were established in Burauen in 1916. In 1928 Burauen Academy, the first secondary
school in the municipality was founded. The different municipal administrations
of the time were able to put up irrigation system in 1912, constructed a big
public market in 1918, erect a concrete municipal building in 1925 and build
concrete school building in 1928. The income of the municipality in 1908 to
1928 was bigger than the income of the whole province of Surigao, undivided
then, which was having its gold rush of the time. This boomtown prosperity of
Burauen lasted until 1929 when the Great Depression took place. This economic
dislocation of the town was aggravated when a very horrible typhoon stuck the
area on a Good Friday in 1930, destroying houses and farmlands. These
calamities stunted the growth of Burauen until the outbreak of Pacific War.
During the World War II, in one of
the encounters between the Japanese and the guirellas who were firmly
established in Burauen’s mountain strongholds, the guirellas succeeded in
driving the Japanese soldiers out of the town, on November 14, 1942. In
retaliation for this act, the Japanese reinforcement executed a number of
civilians suspected as sympathizers of the partisans. These incidents of
reprisal continued as the Filipino resistance forces, who were emboldened by
the increased firepower to their newly acquired American weapons smuggled by
submarine, made their ambuscades and attacks on Japanese troops another attempt
on February 1, 1944 by the freedom fighters made Burauen liberated from the
Japanese Imperial Army until the following day.
The hope of deliverance of the
Filipinos in Burauen from the invaders were rekindled when the three Japanese
military airstrips in the town were bombed by the American plane in the morning
of September 12, 1944. This was followed three weeks later by the bombing of
Japanese garrisons quartered in the bigger public and private buildings of the
poblacion.
When the Allied Forces liberated on
October 20, 1944, Burauen was among the most heavily devastated town in the
province in terms of countless lives lost and heavy property destructions,
including public and religious buildings.
Rising from the ruins of war, the
municipality rehabilitated its homes and agriculture, hand in hand with the
improvement of its institution and facilities.
In 1946, the Burauen High School was founded, followed by the
rehabilitation of the Gabaldon School Building, and the operation of the water
system in 1948. The private sector
contributed in the field of education when the year 1950 saw the founding of
the Burauen Catholic Institute and the Rizal Colleges. The progress of the town suffered a setback
in the middle part of 1951 when a very strong typhoon hit Burauen, which was
followed by four others that were equally ravaging.
In 1952, despite financial hardships, the
municipal government was able to repair the municipal building from its own
funds but generally, the recovery of the municipality was very slow. On March
2, 1962 the Rural Bank of Burauen was established, the first rural bank in
Leyte and Samar. A decade after, on April 1, 1972 the Burauen District Hospital
was opened to accept its first patient. It is now a 100-bed hospital. During the intervening years and onward, road
and bridges construction and street concreting in the poblacion and the
Barangays alike were pursued, together with the construction of school building
and health centers. The public market
area as well as the irrigation system was expanded.
Burauen may not reach her aspiration
immediately but her citizens hope they will be able to continue supporting
their old hometown become a happier place to live in. Thus pursuing a lofty desire to contribute
their little way and even in small measure, something in the making of the
national edifice, and if possible to mankind.
1.2
BEAUTIFUL SPOTS AND PRODUCTS/DELICACIES
We believed that every place have its own products and delicacies to share with the tourist who came to visit the place. Here in Burauen, we have mouth-watering and palatable delicacies to offer to people coming to the place.
1.2.a. PRODUCTS/DELICACIES
Here in Burauen, we will offer you delicacies that will remember you the place. Even though you have bought such product in some store that are out of the town, it is still different if you will buy it in its originated place, Burauen. The following are the delicacies that Burauen is proud to have:
Galleta de Patatas is a product from Burauen. This delicacy can bought at Town Bakeshop near the town plaza. This delicacy is also best as pasalubong for everyone
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| Galleta de Patatas |
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| Sweet Delicacies of Arado |
1.2.b. BEAUTIFUL SPOTS
There many beautiful spots of Barauen that the people from other town can enjoy and can choose to visit. There are lots of spring resorts to be found here in Burauen. Why most are spring resort? As what is being stated in the history of the place, Burauen came from the word Burabod which means SPRING. Burawanons
have something to be proud of aside from braveness they have instilled after
suffering from the rough times way back decades ago. People will have an
engagement with the nature because of these sites and will see how
nature-gifted the Burauen was.
Below are some of the beautiful spots located in different barangays of Burauen.
Camp Kawayan Resort
(see: https://web.facebook.com/Camp-Kawayan-Resort-1836384843349657/)
(see: https://web.facebook.com/Camp-Kawayan-Resort-1836384843349657/)
Cansiboy Mountain Resort
El Montana Vista Resort
Camasin Resort
Pines Farm Resort
Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park
The photos were just sneak-peek of the beautiful spot found in Burauen. It would be more amazing and fun if you will visit and see the beauty of this place. This will surely made your realize how beautiful the nature is. This would not be that beautiful if it were not because of Him, who created everything in this world.
(P.S. photos are not mine, so credit to the owner :)
(B/N: This blog I made is just a requirement in school. And I'm not planning to continue posting anything in here, may be now but will see soon, chars! Anyway, again, the pictures were not taken by me, so I would like to give credits to the owners by saying thank you and I'm gonna pray for y'all.)
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