DAVID M.

PUZON MEMORIAL NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF PAMPLONA

The municipality of Pamplona is situated along the northwestern part of the province
of Cagayan. It is one of the coastal towns of the province. It is blessed with rich natural resources
and is predominantly an agricultural and marine resource producing municipality. Its inhabitants
speak mainly Ibanag and Ilocano. Upon the arrival of Spaniards in the Philippines, the
“IBANAGS” were the inhabitants of Pamplona, who settled at the extreme north of Luzon were
found near the mouth of the rivers along the coast of China Sea. “Banag” means river so that the
inhabitants are called Ibanag. There were the Cabicungan River, the Masi River, the Pata River,
the Abulug River and the Cagayan River along where the first Ibanag communities founded by
the Sopaniards. With the pouring in of land-seekers and settlers, majority of them came from the
Ilocos Region, there were inter-marriages which resulted to the slow integration of the Ibanags
with the Ilocanos who now composed a majority of the populace.

History tells us that Pamplona is the result of the fusion of two villages: Abulacan (now
barrio San Juan) and Masi. Abulacan was founded by the ecclesiastical authorities on April 30,
1757 with San Juan Nepomuceno as the patron saint. Before the fusion came about, the town of
Abulacan comprised all the areas beginning from the southern borders of barangay San Juan up
to the place called Pata, now a barangay of the municipality of Claveria. Hence, it could be said
that the municipality of Sanchez Mira and Claveria were once barrios of the town of Abulacan.
On the other hand, the Town of Masi had its territories from the poblacion (now barangay Masi
and Centro) up to the barangay of Bagu. As early as the year 1614, under the direction of Fray
Miguel de San Jacinto, a church was already constructed in the town of Masi. This was soon
damaged after almost a century of existence, that was in 1721, by a local trembler, but was soon
repaired by Fray Jose Cano, O.P. It was then called the “Church of Masi” because it was in that
place where it was constructed, but later, it took the name “Church of Pamplona” when the
fusion of the two municipalities took place. It was in that church where the first election of the
officials took place in the year 1901.
 DAVID M. PUZON MEMORIAL NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Sometimes in 1842, vicar Pedro Montenegro, O.P. convinced the people to unite the
two towns. The vicar named it “PAMPLONA” in memory of his hometown Pamplona in Spain
with Masi as the center of the Poblacion.

After the fusion, an agreement was made that there would be two patron saints of
Pamplona: San Juan Nepumuceno and San Pedro de Martyr. This is the reason why the town
fiesta is celebrated for two days and the images of two patron saints are carried during religious
processions. The town fiesta is celebrated every April 29 of each year.

Prominent residents from the two towns were chosen alternately as Gobernadorcillos in
sequence as follows: Vicente Espejo, Rodriguez, Tomas LInan, Aguistin Romero, Fernando
Borromeo, Joaqin Linan, Mariano Aquino, Casrlos Borromeo, Fulgencio Ramos, Casamiro
Romeo, Juan Bangalan, Hermenegildo Bangalan, Juan Bangalan, Dionisio Bangalan, Domingo
Romero, Esteban Romero, Bernabe de Guzman (2 terms), Gaspar Ifurung, and Esteban Meneses.

This practice was broken however, when Capitan Clemente was succeed by Capitan
Carlos Borremeo from Iguig, who was considered a Masiano because of his marriage with
someone in Masi.

In 1919, some of the prominent people of Pamplona recommended the transfer of the
town to Bidduang, a barrio of Pamplona. The transfer was made on November 16, 1919 during
the administration of municipal president Esteban Meneses by order of General Wood. In 1928
on the sixth year of the administration of municipal president Paulino Ifurung, one of his last acts
was transfer of the municipal government back to its old site, Pamplona then was called
“Albano”.

The most interesting spot is the mouth of Pamplona River. It saw history in the making
for it was the starting point of Salcedo and his conquistadors when they explored Cagayan in
1572. The town is also noted for its Malagabavvi cave and cascading falls. It is located at the
foot of a mountain virtually shaped like a pig (Legendary Malagabavvi Mountain). Legend has it
that this cave was used by a giant as an entrance to his abode. It is said that he was a normal
being like a human until his transformation to giant by a goddess who fell in love with him.
 DAVID M. PUZON MEMORIAL NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

The different Municipal Presidents of Pamplona were: Matero Romero; Clemente

Maquiraya; Anselmo Rodriguez; Gregorio Bangalan; Martin Florentino; Crispulo Romero;
Paulino Bangalan; Paulino Ifurung (2 terms); Esteban Meneses; Jose Aquino vice Esteban
Meneses; Carlos Borromeo; Valentin de Guzman (2 terms); Angel Aquino (2 terms); and Emilio
Telan (2 terms).

When there was a change in the title of town executive from President to Alcalde or
Mayor, the following were the Municipal Mayors:

POTENCIANO AQUINO SR. (Japanese Occupation)

CLEMENTE B. BORROMEO (Military Government)
PEDRO B. MAQUIRAYA 1945 – 1951
NICOLAS B. AQUINO 1952 – 1963
ANSELMO N. GALANO 1964 – 1976
SALUSTIANO F. DASCIL 1976 – 1980
ALDEGUNDO CAYOSA SR. 1980 – 1987
BIENVENIDO R. QUIROLGICO OIC 1986 – 1987
ANTONIO R. IFURUNG OIC March to November 1987
TEODORO T. AQUINO OIC December 1987 – 1988
ANTONIO R. IFURUNG 1989 – 1998
ARSENIO Z. SAMPAGA 1998 – 2006
AARON P. SAMPAGA 2006 – 2015
ARNIE ANGELICA P. SAMPAGA 2015 – 2019
DIGNA P. ANTONIO 2019 - Present