THE ORIGIN OF BARCELONA

Barcelona has its origin from a small tribal settlement at the delta of Danlog river which gushed out directly to the Pacific ocean. The settlers were mostly hunters and fishermen. A native could either be a hunter by day and fisher by night.

The place of habitation was originally known as Danlog.

Nestled in the east facing the Pacific coastline, and in the west hugging the forest expanse, Danlog (now Barcelona) had an ample source of food for the earlier inhabitants. Further to the interior area, abundant flora and fauna thrived. Endemic fauna had the forest as their natural habitat such as: usa (wild native deer), ting-garong (civet cats), baboy-damo (wild pigs), halo (edible monitor lizards) naga (wild ducks), and other species of birds. Fishes were plentiful in both freshwater and seawater. Even at present, straying wild deer and civet cats are still caught within the slopes of the neighboring town of Bulusan.

Trade, as a consequence of flora and fauna abundance, flourished among the neighboring settlements (even as far as Albay) while making use of the Danlog tributary and the coastal waters as a means of transport.

In early part of 1800s the Spaniards came and laid claim on Danlog. Scant records exist on the resistance of the natives against the foreign encroachment on their land. The Spaniards eventually christened the settlement as “Barcelona” reputedly in honor of the capital town of Cataluna, Spain.

By virtue of a Spanish Royal Decree dated April 16, 1866, Barcelona was legally declared and recognized as a “pueblo civil” which literally means a “civilized town”2. The conquest of Barcelona came at a much later date since the Spaniards were recorded to have discovered the Philippines in 1521. Almost 300 years of setting foot in numerous places in the Philippine archipelago had passed when the Spaniards took authority and hold on Barcelona.

In the point of view of the Spaniards, “pueblo civil” meant the natives were Christianized and civilized to their way of Catholic belief. But in the point of view of most historians, the people of Danlog were much advanced in terms of urbanization since they knew how to hunt and fish, cook and sun-dry the excess of their catch. On top of this, the natives knew how to trade and barter their goods.

Although already officially declared as an independent “pueblo civil”, Barcelona still remained as a barrio of the adjacent town of Bulusan. Even the Parish of Barcelona was still subjugated as part of the Parish of Bulusan. Saint Joseph, the worker, was the patron saint.

In 1868, two years after the issuance of the royal decree, Barcelona was finally separated from Bulusan. The people celebrated their town fiesta in honor of Saint Joseph every May 19, such festivity has not changed until now. The first priest of Barcelona was recorded to be Reverend Father Mariano F. Garcia.

1 Verifiable account of Augustine de la Cavada, ex-treasurer of Hacienda Danlog. Actually, the name Danlog (and the folklore Danlog and Uribay) came from much earlier generation through word of mouth.

2 Philippines: A History of the Bicol Region, Jaime T. Maloyaon

The nearby town of Bulusan at that time was part of Albay, one of the two original provinces of the Bicol peninsula. On October 1874, Sorsogon which was a barrio of Bulusan became a separate province. When the division was finally effected in 1901, Barcelona became a municipality of Sorsogon.

While still a part of Bulusan, Barcelona was constantly raided by marauding Moro pirates. In 1792, as Luis Nee and his fellow scientist set foot in Sorsogon, they saw the ruins inflicted by repeated Moro raids in the following years: 1737, 1781, and 1792. A remnant of a watchtower serving as a lookout for these Moro raids can still be seen at barangay Macabari.

Barcelona, as a political unit, absorbed the colonial method of government administration. “Governadorcillos” and “capitanes” were appointed in recognition of their administrative talents and leadership.

The administration of the municipal government emanated from the Church. Many talented leaders can still be recalled and their achievement recollected, such as: Capitan Hugo Gayta, Capitan Leoncio Freolo, Capitan Pedro Ernano, Capitan Hipolito Espena (the community organizer) and Capitan Esteban Fulay who turned into a revolutionary leader and collaborated with Nicolas Colatche, the widely-known rebel against the Spanish oppressors.

The luster of the Spanish conquest (1521-1900) left an indelible imprint on the social fabric of the Filipino people--- their belief, culture, and traditions. The Church was always considered as the heart and center of community development. In fact, the land use plan which was then so dominant in the whole Philippine landscape is still the prevailing pattern. Within the periphery of the Church is the Presidencia, the plaza, and the residence of well-to-and mid-income families. All areas and communities reached by the ringing of the church bells were considered within the “pueblo” proper.

These hallmarks were so evident in the community development of Barcelona. The use of rivers and coastal waters as means of transportation in some concentrated places of population are living marks of development. The land use pattern had been arranged so that the agricultural farms would serve the greatest number of inhabitants. The Municipal Land Use Plan will still incorporate some of the most viable post-Spanish pattern, while taking into consideration the population growth and identifiable trends for programming and development.

The Barcelona Parish Church which was constructed in 1874 during the term of Governadorcillo Juan Evasco remains unaltered (the façade and surrounding walls in their original form) to this date as a place of worship. It is made of antique coral rocks—without the use of cement and steel bars; yet it still stands today as a proof of the “living past”.

Moreover, the Presidencia Building with a two-story structure was the seat of Barcelona local government headed by the Governadorcillo. Being a few meters away from the shoreline of the Pacific, it served as a fortress from pirate attacks with an underground tunnel leading to the parish church across the street. During the Japanese occupation, the Presidencia was used as a garrison. After the war, it was used again as the seat of the municipal government. A series of typhoons destroyed the upper part and surrounding walls. Its remains served as a historical landmark and an awesome sight to savor the past. The remnants of the adjacent Stone Building which was also built in 1874 as a school building for the children of the “Illustrados” can still be seen. During the American rule, it was still utilized as an elementary school building until a typhoon destroyed its roof.