Anything under the sun
San Joaquin – Cradle of Malay civilization (2)
The Malays were highly civilized people. This is manifested in the community lives of the early Malay settlers in San Joaquin. They had a system of government and laws. Their lowest unit of government was the barangay composed of 30-50 families. A group of around ten barangays were formed into a banwa, and a group of banwa into a ralawigan.
The datu was the head of the barangay and the banwa. They were governed by the Code of Maragtas promulgated by Datu Sumakwel – the first Katiringban et Madiaas chief. The datu was the head of these barangays, banwa(s) and ralawigan(s).
When the Spaniards arrived, they simply converted the barangay into the barrio under the “cabeza de barangay” (later teniente), the banwa into the pueblo under the “gobernadorcillo” (later capitan), and the ralawigan into the alcaldia under the “alcalde mayor” (later gobernador).
During his rule, Datu Paiburong introduced in Suruagan the technology of cultivation of rice by mini-rice terraces which controlled water flow guided by their 30-day lunar calendar based on the phases of the moon.
Their fishing methods were also guided by climate and basic astronomical knowledge of the movements of the sea (tides), sun, moon and locations of the stars. They forecast weather – occurrence or earthquakes and storms through the strange behavior of animals, movements of the birds, smell of the sea and stirring of sea currents and winds.
They engaged in smithing – iron for their household and carpentry tools, gold and silver for their bodily adornments. Weaving is a well developed art of the early Malays for their brightly colored attire.
Datu Paiburong also introduced the “buthu-an” – informal school where mores and customs and means of livelihood (agriculture, fishing, hunting) were taught as well as oral literature.
For food, they had a variety of dishes to enjoy. For sports and recreation they had the indoor “dama”, and the outdoor races (running and swimming), wrestling and “okbo” and folk dances.
For medicine, they had a variety of herbal medicines administered by the “babaylan” – a priest or priestess who doubled as a barefoot medicine man. They also believed in germs (kagaw) before the microscope was invented.
For religion, they believed in one Supreme God (Maka-ako), life hereinafter (hell and heaven), soul and evil. These similarities with the Christian religion made it easier for the Spaniards to convert them to Christianity.
During the Philippine Revolution, the spark of liberty and freedom ignited in the hearts of San Joaquin natives making them arise under the leadership of Eliseo Sanglap fighting the Spaniards and later, the Americans.
During the Japanese occupation, many of the natives of the town gave up their lives for freedom.
This, in brief, is the greatness of San Joaquin which will celebrate its 100th anniversary as a town in January 2010.
