Baliuag Museum and Library

History

Baliuag, Bulacan was the first Municipio ever created during the American regime in the Philippines, on May 6, 1899, five days before the fateful "Sabang Battle".

In the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), Roman Catholicism in the Philippines, Baliwag had 30 curates. Fr. Esteban Diez Hidalgo and Fr. Fausto Lopez served 40 and 24 years, respectively. Fr. Lopez had 6 children with a beautiful native, Mariquita Amparo: Soledad, Rita, Carmen, Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez (politician), Francisco, the former Assemblyman Ricardo Lloret Gonzales (Legislative districts of Bulacan, 5th Philippine Legislature), and Jose the eldest who was widely known as “Pepeng Mariquita". Spanish cura parroco, Fr. Ysidoro Prada served in Baliwag during the last decade of Spaniard regime.

Mariquita's family owned the biggest house in Baliuag which occupied a big block. Her son, Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez practiced medicine. In his lucrative profession, he treated patients in his clinic located inside their big ancestral mansion across the old Municipal Building traversing the National Highway. This landmark house was later used and became the Old Municipal Building (now the Museo ng Baliuag).

The Philippine-American civil and military authorities supervised the first municipal elections, having chosen Baliuag as the site of the first Philippine elections of May 7, 1899. The Filipinos gathered at the plaza of the St. Augustine Parish Church of Baliuag after the Holy Mass, and thereafter the officials were selected based on the qualifications for voters set by the Americans.

The first town Gobernadorcillo (1789 title) of Baliuag was Capitan Jose de Guzman. He was assisted by the Tribunal's teniente mayor (chief lieutenant), juez de ganadas (judge of the cattle), juez de sementeras (judge of the field) and juez de policia (judge of the police).

In the History of the Philippines (1521–1898), the 1893 Maura Law, the title of Gobernadorcillo became "capitan municipal" and that of each juez to teniente. From Baliwag's independence from Quingua, now Plaridel, Bulacan to 1898, 49 served as capitan, 13 alcalde and 92 as Gobernadorcillo. Felix de Lara (1782) and Agustin de Castro (1789) were the 1st alcalde and Gobernadorcillo, respectively. Municipal President Fernando Enrile, in 1908 honored some of these officials, even naming some of Baliuag calles in their honor, later. But all these political officials remained under the thumbs and the habito, of the autocratic Augustinian friars, the Baliuag Kura Parokos.

Principalias or town castles, in the Hispanization of Baliwag, became the home of the rich and famous, who sported the titles of Don or Capitan (shrewd, hard-bargaining businessman, the highly successful professionals and even the parvenus, nouveaux riche).

The local government of Baliuag used as first Municipio under the American regime (History of the Philippines (1898–1946)) the Mariano Yoyongko (Gobernadorcillo in 1885) Principalia in Poblacion (now a part of the market site), which it bought from Yoyongko.

On September 15, 1915, Baliuag municipality bought the heritage mansion and lot of Dr. Joaquin Gonzalez (politician). The Gonzalez old mansion served as Lumang Munisipyo (the Old Municipio or Town Hall Building, as seat of the local government) for 65 years.

Renovation and inauguration

In 1971, Baliuag Mayor Florentino Vergel de Dios constructed a new municipal building. Accordingly, the Baliuag Tourism Council and Baliwag Historical Society's Mr. Rolando E. Villacorta suggested the conversion of the historic house into a Library-Museum.

In 1993, Baliuag Alkalde Carling Trinidad, Cong. Pedro Pancho with the assistance of Guillermina T. Gabor started the reconstruction of the Gonzalez mansion.

Mayor Rolando Salvador, on August 9, 1998 accepted the renovate Building as part of municipal government property. Baliwag Tourism Council, Gemma Cruz-Araneta (Secretary of Department of Tourism (Philippines)) and Bulacan Governor Josefina M. dela Cruz were present at the formal inauguration of the Library-Museum turnover to the LGU of Baliuag.

The historic turnover was highlighted by a "Buntal Hat Dance" (by Rene Plamenco, Soledad Cruz, Eliseo Gonzalez and Brgy. Captain Elizabeth Agtarap) and "Sayaw sa Nayon". The momentous event was witnessed by Rustan's Justa Tantoco, Bulacan former Vice-Governor Willie Villarama and Tesie Villarama, under the watch of Mayor Rolando Salvador and Evelyn C. Salvador. Antonio Cabangon Chua, Baliuag business mogul also graced the turnover.

Description

The contemporary Baliuag's Museo houses on its ground floor the Baliuag community affairs and tourism office of incumbent Ms. Rosie Q. Bautista, Balibuntal Enterprises Officer. Incidentally, Baliuag's Buntal Hat Festival of 2012 was held with its 279th founding anniversary on May 26, 2012.

On the second floor of the Museo is the Silid-Aklatang Francisco Guerrero Library-Museum which has several Bulwagan. The First local election in the Philippines took place on May 6, 1899 with the election of Francisco Guerrero, the first Baliuag municipal president who held office in the house of Dr. Joaquin Gonzales, the Old Municipio, now the Museo ng Baliuag.

Aside from the Bulwagang Guerrero are: Mariano Ponce, Bert Marcelo, Alfonso Enrile (father of Juan Ponce Enrile), Roman C. Carreon, sculptor and artist and "Pepita" - Josefa Tiongson y Lara Bulwagan (JOCELYNANG BALIWAG, Kundiman). The slain Mayor Servando "Bandong" Santos' gun, memorabilia is at the side of the dining and reception halls.

Literature