Gabaldon and Me

top: Sawmill
bottom: Arch of Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija

I've been a lover of my hometown for almost all my life. I am never tired of imagining myself giving back to my community. But being a member of the town is not just my connection with Gabaldon. My family history can also be linked to the birth and development of my beloved home.

HISTORY as I knew it…

According to the stories told by my father, there was a Spanish landlord named Sabani who own the entire town (as a part of Laur). Then, when the Americans came, he escaped and eventually the government offered people to settle in that swampy area. Bitulok was also a name for the baranggay for still unverified reasons (the story was interesting, I'll share it later). The government decided to separate Gabaldon from the mother town of Laur and they solicited money to raise funds to build the first municipal hall. They said that the town will be named after whoever donates the biggest amount. There are two strong contenders: Governor Gabaldon and Felipe Buencamino. I was told the Felipe Buencamino was the owner of the Sawmill located in town and is very rich. But it was said that they never asked Don Felipe for donations so Gabaldon won (politics). The town was named Gabaldon.

Another article about this can be found on this page. Although I don’t know the real source of this info...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/gabaldon_nueva-ecija/132469093460679?v=wall&story_fbid=135686556472266&ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment&rda21936b#!/profile.php?id=100001031721852&v=info&ref=ts

MY FAMILY

Actually, my father's family was among the first settlers in Sawmill. A group of workers from Cabiao, Nueva Ecija to work in the lumber mill. One grandfather of mine was even a scholar of the famous Don Felipe. That barangay was eventually named Sawmill and is one of the first Barrios in town. It was the first barangay to experience electricity because of the power needed by the lumber mills and during family reunions, my aunts and uncles would tell stories on how they grew up in the grace of the mill.

On the other hand, my mother side came from Laur-Bongabon, two nearby municipalities. Since Gabaldon has a fertile land, they eventually started farming. They also built a rice mill. A story shared by my Inang and Tatang about how they changed the way onions are being planted in Gabaldon is a fascinating one.

During their first onion season, the elders saw Tatang planting the onions directly to the soil. They laughed at him teasing him if it would grow ("Tignan lang natin kung maglaman yan" in Iloko). The main practice of onion planting back then was different. They used hay as plots and they do not plant onions directly to the soil (I forgot the term for that practice). But harvest time came and my Tatang had a bountiful one (tumama sa sibuyas) so the next planting season came and almost everyone planted their onions my Tatang's way (which of course is a technology taught to him in his home town in Bongabon).

Hmmm… Honestly, I heard this story just months ago and I was surprised that my Tatang actually played a significant role in the agricultural history of Gabaldon. I said he should be noted for that but of course, its not as simple as that. It also gave me an idea about the oral history. Sir Barroman, a retired history professor, said that one of the best sources of history is the oral tradition. Well, in my part, perhaps documenting my family history based on their "kwentos" can make a difference.

photo from: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7594&id=100001351360449#!/profile.php?id=100001031721852