Bagacay, Samar

Bagacay is one of the 21 barangays situated in the southeast portion of the Municipality of Hinabangan, Samar, Philippines. Bagacay is a wilderness on the eastern side of Samar Island, between the towns of Paranas (Wright) and Taft, 60 kilometers from the coast of provincial capital Catbalogan City.

History

No factual account describes the origin of Barangay Bagacay. Some facts can be gleaned from the origin of the Marinduque Mining Industrial Corporation (MMIC). Bagacay was a stop point for nearby settlers when they moved down from the mountains in transporting their farmed products to the nearby towns of Paranas, Calbiga and Taft.

The difficulty in transporting products from the mountains using “katopis” required two days travel. This prompted them to move to “Bagacay”. The presence of bamboo forests led them to name it “Kabagakyan”, especially in Cansolabao creek, a Kulawin creek.

The Concord and Saturnino families and Cesaria Delmonte with their two children Escolastico and Magdalina moved to Kabagakyan to practice agriculture and harvest natural resources such as rattan, abaca and almasega. Escolastico married Balbina and settled there, making them the first settlers in Kababayan later called “Sitio Bagacay”. Other families followed, including Baleňa, Jongaya, and Basada.

Copper

One day in early 1954, Victor Lovely, a half-American native of Taft, took a bus to Catbalogan to attend a political session. On his return trip, the bus had a flat tire at Sitio Bagacay about 30 kilometers from Taft, by a trail to Magtaon. Lovely went to a hut near the roadside to ask for water. The hut owner was an old acquaintance named Escolastico Delmonte. Lovely mentioned to Delmonte his desire to prospect for iron. Delmonte gave him a fist-sized piece of heavy rock. Lovely gave it to Chief Assayer Ric Orbeta for analysis. At first, the result was far below the Japanese buyer's specification. However, Oberta discovered high grade ore containing 65% copper. Not long after, Don Jesus Cabarrus assessed the site for mining. Lovely, with his two sons Jimmy and Victor Jr., the Balatay brothers, the Alido brothers, Delmonte and his two sons, Isidro and Fermin searched the area for more samples. Before the end of 1954, Cabarrus, with the consent of the Marinduque Iron Mines Corporation, organized a team to do further exploration, file claims, build roads and operating the mine.

People migrated from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao for a new livelihood, and became residents of Bagacay, which greatly expanded its area and population. Later, it was recognized as one of the Barangays of the Municipality of Hinabangan.

Barangay Fiesta

Barangay Bagacay celebrate Annual Feast on June 13 in Honor of Patron Saint, St. Anthony of Padua

Barangay Parish Church

St. Anthony of Padua Parish was the Parish Church of Barangay Bagacay and Rev. Fr. Jester Jake P. Yboa is the current Parish Priest.

Barangay Official 2013-2016

listed of new elect barangay official of Barangay Bagacay
Barangay Chairman:  Zosimo Cabario
          Kagawad:  Rosendo Cafe
                    Antonio Ogaya
                    Alfredo Tinay
                    Erma Martillano
                    Aileen Aga
                    Nene Abaigar
                    Bernard Adel
        Secretary:  Corazon Acayen
        Treasurer:  Luz Docil

      SK Chairman:  Rammil Ogaya

School

Bagacay Elementary School

School Principal: Antonio Nayangga

Bagacay National Highschool

School Principal: Mario Bade Sr.

References

Coordinates: 12°3′34.21″N 124°36′54.43″E / 12.0595028°N 124.6151194°E