HISTORY OF CABIAO

Cabiao derived its name from its vandalized Malay origin kabyawan (gilingan[same Malay
meaning]) in previous Malay form: karyawan- meaning writer at present) meaning grinding tools
that used for crushing. The abundance of sugar during the pre-Spanish era is evident in a wide
area of kabyaw including the area going to the foot of Mount Arayat. The kabyawan became
familiar to the neighboring places due to the concentration of kabyawan in the place where it was
located and was identified as Kabyawan and later shortened to “Kabyaw” and eventually altered
the spelling due to the influence of the foreign alphabet letters. The used of kabyawan then is
prevalent among the natives constituting mainly the ancient tribes of tagalogs that hails from
Bulacan and capampangan of which they came in waves of migration from mainland Malay
origin as evident from their language similarity. The Kabyawan tools might have been brought
by the exploring Malays and later improved by the natives settling in the island of Luzon
however there are findings that most of the antiquated wooden kabyawan tools at present can be
found in Ilocos where the early Sumatran and Melanesian explorers had embarked earlier than
the Malays. Similarly, during that period, the natives of the mountain province whose origin is
from mainland China might have been the one responsible in introducing the said crushing tools
which we know now as the KABYAWAN. The settlement that has been known as Sinipit,
Plasinan, Pantalan, Pinaglamoan, Kandumpa, Kambabalo, Longalong, Mayayade, Tinalan,
Makabaklay, Saklang and Palanas were words and terms taken from Malay and the tribal dialect
in existence during that period. Cabiao as termed today was a just balangay of the once
prosperous of empire of the campampangan settlement named Candaba, as it was discovered by
the exploring Spanish conquistadores in 1590. The visita of Cabiao was perhaps established
somewhere between 1765 and 1767 by the Jesuit Missionary before they were sent back to Spain
under the order of King Charles III of Spain to recall all the Society of Jesus religious order to
return to Spain thereby banishing them from all the Spanish dominions. Cabiao gain its full
township of Pampanga in 1797 under the term of Governor General Rafael Maria de Aguilar y
Ponce de Leon* with the recommendation of the returning order of the Augustinian in the
Province of Pampanga and elevates the Visita of St. John Nepomucene that was established by
the Jesuits into a regular Parish Church. It was established as one of the municipality of Nueva
Ecija in February 9, 1848 upon the order issued by Governor General Narciso Claveria Y Zaldua
and upon the thorough evaluation and recommendation made by the Governor General
Marcelino Oraa. The growth of Cabiao during that time maybe attributed to its vast marsh and
inland water that serves as inland fishery of the area. The Poblacion comprising the three pillars
of Spanish governance of the Spaniard namely the Casa Municipal, Casa dela Iglesia and Casa
Judicial were erected in 1838 under the term of Don Josef Kabigting as the Gobernadorcillo (the
present location of the church, the central school and the intervening residential area between the
central school and the church).
The desire of the populace of Cabiao to be free from Spanish domination and tyranny resulted in
the uprising in September 2, 1896. Numbering around 700 men (461 listed in the Tablet of
Heroes in the Municipal Compound), the townsfolk of Cabiao and the Cabiao Brass Band under
the leadership of their Capitan Municipal Mariano Nuñez Llanera together with the people of the
neighboring towns of Arayat, Deliquente (San Antonio) & Jaen led the siege against the
colonizing Spaniards stationed at the Factoria of San Isidro. This event was marked as the First
Cry of Nueva Ecija. It did not take too long that the Spanish Colonial Government, succumbed to
cede the Archipelago of Philippines to the United States on December 10, 1898 that brought
about the Treaty of Paris, and once again the Philippines was under colonial rule this time by the
American. In the last days of the Spanish occupation, the Cabiao heroes participated in the
declaration of Philippine Republic in Malolos on January 23, 1899. During the Philippine–
American War, Cabiao was one of the fiercely battled terrains of the American forces in pursuit
of General Aguinaldo’s Forces however most of the populated areas of Cabiao have been saved
from the encounter. General Pio del Pilar hold out in the marshes of San Vicente and Sta. Rita to
delay the intruding Forces of General Elwell Stephen Otis under the command of General Henry
Ware Lawton.
In 1903, the Americans established schools in Cabiao and used the English language as a
medium of instructions. Pedro Oreta was elected as the first chief executive of the town under
American civil regime followed by the then Mun. President Jose Crespo who established and
organized the Presidencia (township hierarchy and organizational plan) constituting the different
executive department of the municipality. American occupation in Cabiao has not been as cruel
as their Spanish predecessor, however, the people of Cabiao were already afraid to trust the new
colonizer. Thomasites missionaries arrive in Cabiao in the early part of 1902 as a part of
educating the people of Cabiao and in 1903, the Americans established schools in Cabiao and
used the English Language as the medium of instruction. Some rural folks used to study
individually in the Spanish methods of learning on arithmetic and reading in their native tongue
Tagalog. From 1907-1909, Cabiao was placed under jurisdiction of San Isidro and the executive
power was then held by the Municipal President of San Isidro. It was in the term of Office of
Municipal President Gonzalo Del Leon that the seat of Municipal Town Hall was erected on the
land donated by the Romero family. It was during the term of Jose Lapuz that Judge Bonifacio
Ysip was elected as delegate to the constitutional convention held in Manila.
After almost three decades of peace, Japan invaded the Philippines, and the people of Cabiao
once again play an important role in the liberation of our country, HUKBALAHAP (Hukbo ng
Bayan Laban sa Hapon) or People’s Anti-Japanese Army, was then established in Sitio
Bawit,San Julian, Cabiao on March 29, 1942. When the Americans finally liberated the
Philippines and as soon as the Central Government was established in Manila, Mariano Guevarra
was appointed Mayor of Cabiao. He was the chief executive of the town in 1945. Prudencio
Ortiz Luis succeeded Guevarra who occupies the position for only a few months. In the later part
of 1945 after the liberation, most of the people of Cabiao were still in the far flung areas of
Cambabalu, Saclang Capampangan, Saclang Tagalog and Dumanas and it was during this time
that the mayor of this town has been appointed by the late President Manuel Roxas by the name
of Ambrosio Aligada. He was appointed as the Chief Executive of the town from 1945-1947.
The town of Cabiao was placed under the military government under Pablo Aligada. It was also
during the time of Aligada that the Sitio of Palasinan (Presently San Gregorio) comprising the
property owned by Don Ramon Fernandez were repopulated by the people coming from said the
places whereas the area of Bagong Silang were repopulate by the people coming from Buliran,
Guyong-guyong, Luyos of which most of them are Tagalogs. The people of Cabiao were
governed by Aligada through coercive and dictatorial rule that is being manifested by the force
labor construction of the Cabiao High School which is the monumental relic of his tenure. Isaias
Manalastas seated as the progressive mayor through the support HUKBALAHAPs that during
that time is at its height from which they fielded their party named Prente Popular however it did
not last long due to the suspicion of the military of an imminent grabbing of power where these
party is the political front of the Huks. Nieves Pablo, a woman, was the fourth appointed mayor
in that same year.
It was also the time when the height of the Huk uprising began when the entire town was the seat
of the rebellion, where the 50,000 armed group was inducted in Bawit and in Pasong Diablo only
to be captured en masse by the then late General Ismael Lapus through the order of Secretary
Magsaysay and the clearing of the entire forested area of Bagong Sikat and Sta. Isabel had begun
purposely to eliminate the lair of the Huk rebels. The health center were constructed through the
financial support of Defense Secretary Castelo Justice Secretary Hermogenes Concepcion and
Doña Maria Romero Buencamino (who was at that time the richest family and the most
influential).
Year 1950, when the 1st tenure of the late Paterno Santiano began, the towns public market was
constructed through the support of the national government since the towns income cannot at that
time support such huge amount of expenditures.
It was the 1st tenure of Gregorio T. Crespo, when the old town hall was renovated and the
original Cabiao Central School Building has been restored. The gravelling of Sinipit -San Roque
Road was made. Mayor Paterno Santiano reassumed his post as a mayor after a very much
contested election results.
The year 1960, when Crespo reassumes his post as Mayor of Cabiao, and the appointment of
Pedro T. Wycoco as the Chief of Police. The Gapan- Arayat Road, Cabiao Section were
constructed by Golangco Construction and Development Corp. in 1963.
In 1979 the town’s Public Market was rehabilitated through the help of the member of the
Parliament Angel Concepcion for which main building was constructed contiguously from the
previous two small one.The town of Cabiao was governed by Mayor Crespo for almost three
decades bringing together town folks of Cabiao to be one living in peace and serves as the legacy
for which Mayor Crespo was known.
The EDSA Revolution of 1986, was the year when Mayor Crespo was dislodged by the
appointment as of Atty. Antonio Ll.Lapuz as Officer in Charge of Cabiao. During his tenure the
inception of the municipal development planning were made, and listing of priority projects were
categorized, however fundings for these infrastructure were no longer made in his tenure because
it had lasted only for two and half years.
Atty. Lapuz was succeeded by Eng’r. Ireneo Manahan, who bested in the three way election fight
during that time, followed the pattern and plans for which Atty. Lapuz have laid before he left
his office. He continue in building roads, barangay health,and brgy. hall including the renovation
of the municipal town hall. It was also during that time, that the Sta. Isabel- Bagong Sikat Bridge
has been initially built however due to the insufficiency of funds the said bridge has not been
finished during his tenure. He had also built a community under his name which later name as
Manahan Village.
In his last term of office, mayor Manahan endorse councilor Gloria Baby Crespo Congco as his
successor, the eldest daughter of former Mayor Gregorio Crespo and was elected mayor of the
municipality in 1998. She is the youngest and the first woman to be elected chief executive of the
town. She was also re-elected in the elections of 2001 and 2004.