History

BRIEF HISTORY

Etymology/Creation

The town of Aguilar had its early beginning as a cattle ranch. It was then a part of Binalatongan (now San Carlos City). The present Poblacion was then covered with verdant forest and tall grasses where deer and other wild animals roamed freely day and night. There were humble huts where the early pioneering Ilocanos from Laoag Ilocos Norte and Pangasinense-settlers and cattle watchers from Binalatongan lived in peace and contentment. The present streets were then mere footpaths. The head or chieftain of the barangay was Apo Francisco Zamuco, the most powerful man in the village. Zamuco came from Barangay of Domalandan, Lingayen by way of the Agno River.

When the Spaniards in Lingayen heard of the flourishing village, they sent Spanish explorers through the town of Salasa (now Bugallon). Some Spanish soldiers and a priest came and organized the village into a “pueblo”. The petition to de-annex it was later filed with the principales (or the Municipal Officials) of Binalatongan which was treated with a cool reception because a large portion of the village was covered with evergreen grass affording a rich pasture land for the latter.

The story was told that one time, a grand wedding feast was being held in Salinap, a barrio of Binalatongan near the Agno River. The principales of Binalatongan attended the party. There was much eating and drinking in the wedding feast that when Don Francisco Zamuco heard of this, he sent his beautiful wife, Doña Maria Magmaong with her maids and escorts to influence the principales of Bilatongan to sign the petition for township. Doña Maria was received with warm welcome by the people and the principales, that when she spoke before the wedding attendees, they were all stunned by her beauty that they could not say “no” when she presented the papers to be signed.

The petition was finally signed on the promise that Doña Maria would go with the principales to Binalatongan and attend a party in her honor. After the petition was endorsed with the principales’ signatures, Doña Maria and her party slipped unnoticed from the feast and fled to Aguilar in great haste in the dead of the night as she was apprehensive of some danger that might beset her should she accepted the invitation of those principales who were already heavily drank. Don Francisco and his “Kailianes” prepared a sumptuous reception in honor of Doña Maria with great rejoicing upon her triumphant return.

The decree establishing Aguilar as an independent civil political unit was issued on 16 July 1805 by Gobernador Heneral Rafael Maria de Aguilar, after whom the town was named. The decree was received in Lingayen on 1 August 1805. However, it was not until 19 January 1806 that the Alcalde Mayor of Pangasinan (now called Governor) was able to carry out the provisions of the decree.

The town was formally inaugurated on 9 May 1806 when the first officials were elected and given their appointments by the Alcalde Mayor. Top-ranked by Don Francisco Zamuco as Gobernadorcillo and Don Juan Manguino as “Teniente Primero” (first lieutenant).

The head of the town was called the “Capitan” or “gobernadorcillo” who was recommended by the parish priest, as assisted by the Anak Banua (Councilor) and the “Banal” (barrio lieutenant). As the population consisted of mix of Pangasinenses and Ilocanos, the system of appointing the municipal officials was alternate – a Pangasinan for one or two years, then an Ilocano. Police power was in the hand of the “Guardia Civil”, headed by a Spanish Officer.

Though official historical records show that Rafael Maria de Aguilar, then Alcalde Mayor of Pangasinan, whom this town was named after, local folklores likewise maintained that Aguilar was identified with an eagle or “aguila” that used to fly around the place at night time and perched on a fence or “alar”-presumably guarding a buried treasure of the town. When the bird was no longer seen, the people named it Aguilar-putting together the words aguila and alar.

As the town grew in population and progressed in agriculture, infrastructure such as the municipal building, school buildings and the Church were built. As early as 1830, the construction of the present convent and the church began. After the church and the convent were finished, the municipal building (then called “presidencia”) and two-room school buildings were built with brick material except the roof which was built with nipa. The present municipal building was the Spanish Presidencia, which was re-modelled in 1924 and in mid-1950’s after the dissidents burned it in May 1950.

With the significant efforts of the early leaders and settlers, the town of Aguilar had gradually transformed into a haven of civilization, peace and comfort. Whatever tales or truth behind this town’s name, the fact remains that Aguilar had successfully metamorphosed from a fifth (5th) to a third (3rd) class stature. With the continued intercession of our patron saint, St. Joseph the Patriarch, whose feast day is commemorated every 19th day of March. Aguilar continues to live up to the splendid treats of an eagle or aguila – soaring high piercingly focused and aggressively clawed with singular objective-authentic sustainable growth and development.

Socio-Economic-Political Development

Table 1

ROSTER OF GOBERNADORCILLOS/APPOINTIVE/ELECTIVE MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS
1806-PRESENT

Table 2
2016 -2019 MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS

Table 3
2018-2021 BARANGAY CAPTAINS