MUNICIPALITY OF CUYO,PALAWAN
Known originally as Dapulo in 1200 AD, Cuyo is a group of 45 scattered islands and islets, the biggest of which is Cuyo main island with an area of 22 square miles. long before the Spanish occupation of the archipelago in 1568, Cuyo was already stronghold of the Ati, Chinese and the Vishayan Malay who bartered dried fish, trepang,seashells edible birds' nests for porcelains, clothing and etc.
The Cuyono - Vishayan dialect mixed with Spanish resembles the Maranao in delivery. The Cuyono dialect is called cuyono because the people who speak it is from the island of Cuyo, but actually it is first used as a dialect of Miag-ao, Iloilo province and brought into the island by the group of Datu Magbanua in 1250. This dialect is being used also in some parts of Antique, Aklan, Mindoro, and the entire province of Palawan that officially adopted it as the official provincial dialect.
In the Filipino genes shall be the future common denominator of the world race, now the common denominator of most Palawan people is the Cuyonon Tribe. Like the Filipinos, the Cuyonons are considered as the people who are formed by foods out of volcanic ashes. Cuyo is a volcanic island. And Cuyonons are the children of the volcano.
In Cuyo, the Spanish and Chinese mestizos are the common dominant political and economic leaders. it was the Chinese who taught the aborigine known as Ati how to trade and barter their goods. They introduced smithing, pottery, gold mining, and other handicrafts when they discovered gold in Mt. Aguado. The Spaniards are the rosponsible of Cuyonon Catholic faith including the Spanish names, family names and culture. The second settlers in Cuyo after the negroid Ati were headed by Chief Matuod, brave Malay from Madias (Panay) who landed with his group at Tabunan in Suba on sail boat called "Balanghay". Then Datu Magbanua followed with his group from Iloilo.
This group landed in a cove at Tarebeng in Pawa in 1250 AD. he is the descendant of Datu Paiborong, the founding datu of Iloilo in 1212. Their origin is coming from Sri Visayan Empire based in Udtujan now known as Banjarmaasin in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Their ancestors believed that they originated from the famous Alexander The Great about 333 BC in India, Persia and Greece. Then Datu Magbanua expanded his settlement by sending his deputies to the neighboring islands: Datu Macanas to Calamian (Culion), Datu Cabailo to agutaya and Datu Cabangon to Taytay.
So great and well known was his settlement that the Datu of Irong-irong (Iloilo) paid a courtesy call on him. When this chieftain returned home to Panay, Datu Magbanua gave him a sack of red rice popularly known as cotchiam. Upon the Christianization of the Philippines, the datus (prince/duke) of the pre-Hispanic kingdoms retain their right to govern their territory under the Spanish Empire.
King Phillip ll of Spain, in a law signed on June 11, 1594, commanded that these nobles be given the same respect, and privileges that they had before their conversion. They later formed part of the exclusive, and elite ruling class, called the Principalia (Nobility), in municipalities of the Philippines. Cuyo settled by native cuyunons who were then mixed Chinese and Vishayan Malay become the center of Palawan Barter trade starting in 1300's.
They (being Malayan adn Chinese) become very good ship builders, seaman and traders. Innate into their being, they are very good sailors. This is because Cuyo is a tiny island being surrounded by big islands of Mindoro, Panay, Negros and Palawan within the Famous Sulo Sea. The Cuyunons have nowhere to go but yo the sea by fishing and sailing. the island of Cuyo is very popular place among Chinese.
Arab and Indian sailors and traders at that period of time. It is a Volcanic island where almost everything is in abundance . cuyo is comparable to the tiny islands of Tidore and Ternate in Moluccas,Indonesia famous for their spices. While Cuyo is abundant for its red rice, goat, fruits, marine products, birds' nest and most especially its buscay shells that were use as money (medium of exchange or for barter) among the Malay World of Madagascar in Africa, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and most of the islands in the pacific.
Cuyo had 3000 settlers before the arrival of Spaniards in 1568. The island has its solar salt factory that is another important item for sailors. This volcanic island is truly a magical island like a paradise with abundance of food supply. Seaweeds like "lato" are plenty here. Then the Chinese centralized the birds' nest collection here coming from the caves of Quiminatin, Taytay, El Nido, Linapacan and Coron. Although it was not Islamized, but Cuyo has a strong connection also to the Muslim world through its Malay connections. In fact, during the first uprising by the Muslim leaders of Tondo in Manila, their leaders were caught in Cuyo Island on their was to Brunei to recruit 2,000 Cuyonon mercenaries in 1588.
His Excellency Sr. Don Pedro de Arce, the Bishop of Cebu,signed a decree assigning the Augustinian Recollect Fathers for the Evangilation of Calamianes (Palawan) province including the Cuyo group of islands. The five Spanish Recollect Missionaries from Cebu, with Fray Juan de Santo Tomas acting as their director and superior, first reached Cuyo in 1622. With the establishment of Christian centers in the Calamianes province, the muslims, not only form Sulo and Mindanao but also from Brunei, started their attacks. Sultan Kudarat of Mindanao commanded his brother Tagal, who attacked Cuyo on June 20, 1636. Invasion were reapeted so that the Spanish government decided to built fortresses.
The people, under the supervision of Father Juan de San Severo, constructed and finished it in 1680. The rectangular solid structure of massive walls 10 meters high and meters thick has turrets at each angle including a towering belfry housing big and old bells. The side facing the sea is well fortified with ornamental cannons which are used to fire salvos during fiestas. In 1762, one of the British ships that invaded Manila fired at this fort but it was not damaged at all.
The silver altar in its church was a donation by the Duke of Arcos. Other fortresses were built in some parts of Palawan in Agutaya, Taytay, Dumaran, Labog, Punta Separacion, Balabac, Canipaan, Cagayancillo, Culion, Linapacan, and Sibaltan in El nido. Because of this, peace was obtained and progress gradually emerged.
There are centennial houses at the poblacion near the Cuyo Fort which are Cuyo's attractions. Actually long time ago, the whole of the town plaza was under water. The Capusan beach near the beach of the seaport is a vast stretch of white, sandy beaches, a rich fishing ground and an equally ideal swimming area.
Despite progress and changes, Cuyo has preserved its rich cultural heritage. The ati-ati, comedia, verso, pinundo-pondo, sayaw and sinulog are stagged during the town fiesta. Cuyo was the second capital of Palawan next to Taytay. The first Spanish Governor in Cuyo Leopoldo Santos Cruz (1873) and the last was Luis Rodriguez (1899).
In the year 2000, there are more than 168,000 Cuyonons who lived in the province which comprise more than the 20% of total population of Palawan people, another 40,000 Cuyonons who lived in the Philippines scattered in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and including abroad. In the year of 1948, there are 17,599 people who lived in Cuyo when Magsaysay was not created into a separate municipality yet. Then there are 18,257 residents of Cuyo in the year 2000 when Magsaysay already separated.
The municipality has a total land area of 5,730 hectares which represents 0.38% of total area of the province. The friendly Cuyonon people speak the Cuyonon dialect which is the official provincial dialect of Palawan. Many institutional leaders of Palawan are Cuyonon by blood be it in politics, religion, commerce and education whose ancestors lived in Cuyo for 700 years already.
And according to Cuyo family history and verified reports, Cuyo since 1750 to 1850 was the exile place for the Spanish royal blood family members of the Bourbon and Austria dynasty. Then the family names of Austria of Spanish Hapsburg, Ponce de Leon of the Dukes of Arcos, Fernandez, Alvarez of the Dukes of Alba and most of other family names in Cuyo are not subjected by the Philippine Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria to the order of changing the family names of Filipinos on Nov. 21, 1849 because they are royal blood and used to be descendants of the kings of European kingdoms.
PARISH OF ST. AUGUSTINE: Long time ago in Cuyo Island, the inhabitants worshiped their ancestors and the moon. They adored a deity who resembled Ceres to whom they commenced their fields. they also worshiped another deity resembled Mars from whom they asked protection in their battles. Obsequies for the dead were celebrated during the full moon. The natives were also animist wherein their belief was sprinkled with superstitions.
His excellency Senior don Pedro de Arce, Bishop of Cebu, in a decree dated August 27, 1622, requested the Augustinian recollect fathers to take care of the evangilization of Palawan. This parish of st. Augustine of Cuyo is founded by the Spanish recollect Brother Francisco de la Madre de dios in 1622 who after serving 16 years in Palawan died as martyr in el Nido during the 1638 attack by the Muslim commander Datu Acheh.
At those were difficult times, the tropical diseases were prevalent and the means of transportation hazardous. The most pressing problem of the place was peace and order. Muslim Malays known as ,moros from maguindanao, Jalo and Borneo intermittently came to Palawan to plunder during the harvest season. They usually brought back with them the Cuyonons, Agutaynons and Cagayanons as prisoners to be sold as slaves. sultan Kudarat of Maguindanao commander his brother tagal to attack Cuyo on june 20,1636.
Meanwhile, the Recollect Fathers were rewarded with the convertion into Christianity of almost all inhabitants. They built the first church made of wood, bamboo and nipa.
Two factors that contributed to the sudden embrace by the natives of the Christian faith are the mild character of the people and the animosity that the natives had against the Muslims.
As invasions were repeated, so the Recollect Fathers made representations with the Central Government of Manila so that forts and garrisons would be established to protect the people of Palawan from the marauders.
There was fear before of an invasion in Manila coming from Taiwan by a Chinese pirate named Koxinga. Manila had to be defended. The Recollect Fathers interceded with Governor Manrique de Lara not to abandon Palawan. The governor pointed out that the decision was made for their safety, and it would be better for them to return to Manila.
The Recollect Fathers in Palawan refused. They all remained in their stations relying on Divine Providence and on this account that the dictum existed in the Recollect order, "De Palawan al Cielo" (from Palawan to Heaven).
During the time of the Bonaparte in Spain, some royal families were exiled to Cuyo in 1808, thus the beginning royal blood mestizo Cuyonon like the Austria and Ponce de Leon.
The revolution in 1898 was not uprising against the Spaniards. The revolution in Cuyo was a battle between the rich and the poor with the church as headquarter for the rich while the municipal building was for the poor. The poor people from Suba were headed by Antonio Arguelles, Jose Arguelles, and Evangelista Manlavi, while the rich from the district of Amianan led by the Ponce de Leon and the Fernandez families.
The result of the battle near the bridge that seperated the church and the town hall was a victory for the town people of Suba. Although the arms used by the rich people of Amianan were much superior than the bolos of the people from Suba. A result of the revolution from Cuyo was the establishment of the Govierno de Revolutionario Dictaturial at Lucbuan(now at Municipality of Magsaysay) in Cuyo by Don Casiano Padon.
The Cuyono - Vishayan dialect mixed with Spanish resembles the Maranao in delivery. The Cuyono dialect is called cuyono because the people who speak it is from the island of Cuyo, but actually it is first used as a dialect of Miag-ao, Iloilo province and brought into the island by the group of Datu Magbanua in 1250. This dialect is being used also in some parts of Antique, Aklan, Mindoro, and the entire province of Palawan that officially adopted it as the official provincial dialect.
In the Filipino genes shall be the future common denominator of the world race, now the common denominator of most Palawan people is the Cuyonon Tribe. Like the Filipinos, the Cuyonons are considered as the people who are formed by foods out of volcanic ashes. Cuyo is a volcanic island. And Cuyonons are the children of the volcano.
In Cuyo, the Spanish and Chinese mestizos are the common dominant political and economic leaders. it was the Chinese who taught the aborigine known as Ati how to trade and barter their goods. They introduced smithing, pottery, gold mining, and other handicrafts when they discovered gold in Mt. Aguado. The Spaniards are the rosponsible of Cuyonon Catholic faith including the Spanish names, family names and culture. The second settlers in Cuyo after the negroid Ati were headed by Chief Matuod, brave Malay from Madias (Panay) who landed with his group at Tabunan in Suba on sail boat called "Balanghay". Then Datu Magbanua followed with his group from Iloilo.
This group landed in a cove at Tarebeng in Pawa in 1250 AD. he is the descendant of Datu Paiborong, the founding datu of Iloilo in 1212. Their origin is coming from Sri Visayan Empire based in Udtujan now known as Banjarmaasin in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Their ancestors believed that they originated from the famous Alexander The Great about 333 BC in India, Persia and Greece. Then Datu Magbanua expanded his settlement by sending his deputies to the neighboring islands: Datu Macanas to Calamian (Culion), Datu Cabailo to agutaya and Datu Cabangon to Taytay.
So great and well known was his settlement that the Datu of Irong-irong (Iloilo) paid a courtesy call on him. When this chieftain returned home to Panay, Datu Magbanua gave him a sack of red rice popularly known as cotchiam. Upon the Christianization of the Philippines, the datus (prince/duke) of the pre-Hispanic kingdoms retain their right to govern their territory under the Spanish Empire.
King Phillip ll of Spain, in a law signed on June 11, 1594, commanded that these nobles be given the same respect, and privileges that they had before their conversion. They later formed part of the exclusive, and elite ruling class, called the Principalia (Nobility), in municipalities of the Philippines. Cuyo settled by native cuyunons who were then mixed Chinese and Vishayan Malay become the center of Palawan Barter trade starting in 1300's.
They (being Malayan adn Chinese) become very good ship builders, seaman and traders. Innate into their being, they are very good sailors. This is because Cuyo is a tiny island being surrounded by big islands of Mindoro, Panay, Negros and Palawan within the Famous Sulo Sea. The Cuyunons have nowhere to go but yo the sea by fishing and sailing. the island of Cuyo is very popular place among Chinese.
Arab and Indian sailors and traders at that period of time. It is a Volcanic island where almost everything is in abundance . cuyo is comparable to the tiny islands of Tidore and Ternate in Moluccas,Indonesia famous for their spices. While Cuyo is abundant for its red rice, goat, fruits, marine products, birds' nest and most especially its buscay shells that were use as money (medium of exchange or for barter) among the Malay World of Madagascar in Africa, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and most of the islands in the pacific.
Cuyo had 3000 settlers before the arrival of Spaniards in 1568. The island has its solar salt factory that is another important item for sailors. This volcanic island is truly a magical island like a paradise with abundance of food supply. Seaweeds like "lato" are plenty here. Then the Chinese centralized the birds' nest collection here coming from the caves of Quiminatin, Taytay, El Nido, Linapacan and Coron. Although it was not Islamized, but Cuyo has a strong connection also to the Muslim world through its Malay connections. In fact, during the first uprising by the Muslim leaders of Tondo in Manila, their leaders were caught in Cuyo Island on their was to Brunei to recruit 2,000 Cuyonon mercenaries in 1588.
His Excellency Sr. Don Pedro de Arce, the Bishop of Cebu,signed a decree assigning the Augustinian Recollect Fathers for the Evangilation of Calamianes (Palawan) province including the Cuyo group of islands. The five Spanish Recollect Missionaries from Cebu, with Fray Juan de Santo Tomas acting as their director and superior, first reached Cuyo in 1622. With the establishment of Christian centers in the Calamianes province, the muslims, not only form Sulo and Mindanao but also from Brunei, started their attacks. Sultan Kudarat of Mindanao commanded his brother Tagal, who attacked Cuyo on June 20, 1636. Invasion were reapeted so that the Spanish government decided to built fortresses.
The people, under the supervision of Father Juan de San Severo, constructed and finished it in 1680. The rectangular solid structure of massive walls 10 meters high and meters thick has turrets at each angle including a towering belfry housing big and old bells. The side facing the sea is well fortified with ornamental cannons which are used to fire salvos during fiestas. In 1762, one of the British ships that invaded Manila fired at this fort but it was not damaged at all.
The silver altar in its church was a donation by the Duke of Arcos. Other fortresses were built in some parts of Palawan in Agutaya, Taytay, Dumaran, Labog, Punta Separacion, Balabac, Canipaan, Cagayancillo, Culion, Linapacan, and Sibaltan in El nido. Because of this, peace was obtained and progress gradually emerged.
There are centennial houses at the poblacion near the Cuyo Fort which are Cuyo's attractions. Actually long time ago, the whole of the town plaza was under water. The Capusan beach near the beach of the seaport is a vast stretch of white, sandy beaches, a rich fishing ground and an equally ideal swimming area.
Despite progress and changes, Cuyo has preserved its rich cultural heritage. The ati-ati, comedia, verso, pinundo-pondo, sayaw and sinulog are stagged during the town fiesta. Cuyo was the second capital of Palawan next to Taytay. The first Spanish Governor in Cuyo Leopoldo Santos Cruz (1873) and the last was Luis Rodriguez (1899).
In the year 2000, there are more than 168,000 Cuyonons who lived in the province which comprise more than the 20% of total population of Palawan people, another 40,000 Cuyonons who lived in the Philippines scattered in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao and including abroad. In the year of 1948, there are 17,599 people who lived in Cuyo when Magsaysay was not created into a separate municipality yet. Then there are 18,257 residents of Cuyo in the year 2000 when Magsaysay already separated.
The municipality has a total land area of 5,730 hectares which represents 0.38% of total area of the province. The friendly Cuyonon people speak the Cuyonon dialect which is the official provincial dialect of Palawan. Many institutional leaders of Palawan are Cuyonon by blood be it in politics, religion, commerce and education whose ancestors lived in Cuyo for 700 years already.
And according to Cuyo family history and verified reports, Cuyo since 1750 to 1850 was the exile place for the Spanish royal blood family members of the Bourbon and Austria dynasty. Then the family names of Austria of Spanish Hapsburg, Ponce de Leon of the Dukes of Arcos, Fernandez, Alvarez of the Dukes of Alba and most of other family names in Cuyo are not subjected by the Philippine Spanish Governor General Narciso Claveria to the order of changing the family names of Filipinos on Nov. 21, 1849 because they are royal blood and used to be descendants of the kings of European kingdoms.
PARISH OF ST. AUGUSTINE: Long time ago in Cuyo Island, the inhabitants worshiped their ancestors and the moon. They adored a deity who resembled Ceres to whom they commenced their fields. they also worshiped another deity resembled Mars from whom they asked protection in their battles. Obsequies for the dead were celebrated during the full moon. The natives were also animist wherein their belief was sprinkled with superstitions.
His excellency Senior don Pedro de Arce, Bishop of Cebu, in a decree dated August 27, 1622, requested the Augustinian recollect fathers to take care of the evangilization of Palawan. This parish of st. Augustine of Cuyo is founded by the Spanish recollect Brother Francisco de la Madre de dios in 1622 who after serving 16 years in Palawan died as martyr in el Nido during the 1638 attack by the Muslim commander Datu Acheh.
At those were difficult times, the tropical diseases were prevalent and the means of transportation hazardous. The most pressing problem of the place was peace and order. Muslim Malays known as ,moros from maguindanao, Jalo and Borneo intermittently came to Palawan to plunder during the harvest season. They usually brought back with them the Cuyonons, Agutaynons and Cagayanons as prisoners to be sold as slaves. sultan Kudarat of Maguindanao commander his brother tagal to attack Cuyo on june 20,1636.
Meanwhile, the Recollect Fathers were rewarded with the convertion into Christianity of almost all inhabitants. They built the first church made of wood, bamboo and nipa.
Two factors that contributed to the sudden embrace by the natives of the Christian faith are the mild character of the people and the animosity that the natives had against the Muslims.
As invasions were repeated, so the Recollect Fathers made representations with the Central Government of Manila so that forts and garrisons would be established to protect the people of Palawan from the marauders.
There was fear before of an invasion in Manila coming from Taiwan by a Chinese pirate named Koxinga. Manila had to be defended. The Recollect Fathers interceded with Governor Manrique de Lara not to abandon Palawan. The governor pointed out that the decision was made for their safety, and it would be better for them to return to Manila.
The Recollect Fathers in Palawan refused. They all remained in their stations relying on Divine Providence and on this account that the dictum existed in the Recollect order, "De Palawan al Cielo" (from Palawan to Heaven).
During the time of the Bonaparte in Spain, some royal families were exiled to Cuyo in 1808, thus the beginning royal blood mestizo Cuyonon like the Austria and Ponce de Leon.
The revolution in 1898 was not uprising against the Spaniards. The revolution in Cuyo was a battle between the rich and the poor with the church as headquarter for the rich while the municipal building was for the poor. The poor people from Suba were headed by Antonio Arguelles, Jose Arguelles, and Evangelista Manlavi, while the rich from the district of Amianan led by the Ponce de Leon and the Fernandez families.
The result of the battle near the bridge that seperated the church and the town hall was a victory for the town people of Suba. Although the arms used by the rich people of Amianan were much superior than the bolos of the people from Suba. A result of the revolution from Cuyo was the establishment of the Govierno de Revolutionario Dictaturial at Lucbuan(now at Municipality of Magsaysay) in Cuyo by Don Casiano Padon.