Experiencing the Past Through Structures

December 11, 2014Uncategorizedaklan, Churches, Dumangas, Iloilo, Kalibo, Oton

Dumangas, Iloilo
Dumangas started as an early Malay settlement near the seas in the 12th and 13th centuries. The
community was called as Araut derived from the Malayan dialect raut that means sea or paraut which also means towards the seas. It was said that when the Spanish found the
community, Araut was a thriving agricultural economy. When the Spanish colonized the country,
Araut was no exception. Through the friars, the conversion of the natives to Christianity was
facilitated and also paved the way of finally colonizing the place. In 1572, the construction of a
Church was initiated. The transition of the towns name from Araut to Dumanggas was
explained from a local story where A Spaniards resting under two closely growing mango trees
asked a native of the name of the place. Thinking that he was asked of the name of the trees
under which the Spaniard was resting, he answered in crude Spanish dos manggas[i], meaning
two mango trees. The history of the town of Dumanggas is an important place in the history of
the Filipino struggle for independence. Against the Spanish colonization, volunteers to struggle
against Spain were orgainized under the leadership of Quintin Salas. The town of Dumanggas
cried for Freedom and Liberty on October 28, 1898.
St Agustine Parish Church
Dumangas, Iloilo (original photo)
1. St Agustine Parish Church
The Church was established under the supervision of Augustinian friar Martin in 1572. It was
burned 1628 and constructed again. But it was destroyed again in 1787 and was reconstructed in
1887 by Fr Fernando Llorente and designed with Gothic and Byzantine influence. The
reconstruction was finished under the administration of Fr Rafael Murillo in 1896. The Church
has been declared as a national historical treasure by the Philippine government.
2. Col. Quintin Salas Monument
This monument is located at Dumangas plaza. This is dedicated to Col. Quintin Salas who
organized revolutionary forces in Dumangas struggle for independence from Spain and also was
the last Panay revolutionary leader who surrendered to the Americans.
Dumangas, Iloilo has a festival called as Haw-as Festival that celebrates abundant harvest from
the sea. It is characterized by street dancing competition.

Tourism

Existing Situation:
Dumangas has a rich cultural and historical heritage and in fact the first stone church in Iloilo
was constructed in Araut presently known as the Ermita Shrine declared by the National
Historical Institute as a Historical Landmark and has a significant contribution in religion,
commerce, agriculture and fisheries in the entire Province of Iloilo.
Presently, the Municipality of Dumangas has put significance in Cultural, Historical, Arts and
Tourism program and projects, among these are the institutionalization of the annual Cultural and
Historical Week and Haw-as Festival which coincide with the Cry for Freedom and Liberty on
October 28 and the celebration of the Birth Anniversary of Col. Quintin Salas, our local hero, on
October 31.
This milestone in the cultural heritage of our town establish the personality of a Dumangasanon
which has their own identity through the preservation of our history as a people thereby
encouraging the young generation to understand fully of who they are and encourage their
potentials to develop their God-given talents in the form of arts and cultural activities as a way of
self-expression.
These craft were given opportunity during the annual Agro-Industrial, Cultural Fair and Sports
Festival otherwise known as the Dumangas Town Fiesta which showcase the local produce or
products, skills in arts and sports and cultural presentations/competition in which Dumangsanon
around the country and world known as balikbayan were reunited with their folks, families and
friends to commemorate the past and celebrate the present once accomplishment and
achievement.
Tourism is one of the tools to promote our town as an alternate destination for tourists and
visitors in that way we can boost the local economy through the creation of an alternative source
of income and livelihood as well as employment.
Presently, Dumangas has a great opportunity particularly in Eco-Tourism, considering that we
have a vast natural resources, protective areas and marine sanctuary among others and if develop
can be a potential tourism attraction in the future.
Limited attraction are available typically historical in nature, that is the Ermita Shrine and the
Dumangas Catholic Church, the Rizal Monument which is considered one of the most beautiful
Rizal Monument in the Region and the Quintin Salas Monument.

There are existing facilities in the locality that can cater to the needs of tourists and visitors.
However, it is privately owned and man-made mostly coastal restaurants that offers the freshest
aqua-marine products in Iloilo and an inland resorts, the IJT Katamnan, which can cater to
transient visitors which can offer board, lodging and other amenities for the convenience of there
guests.
In summary, there is a need to invest in potential tourism activities, facilities and program to
develop the possibility of Dumangas as an alternative tourism destination in the Province of
Iloilo in even the whole region.
Issues and Concerns:
Despite the efforts of some quarters to improve the potentials of our town in Cultural, Historical,
Arts and Tourism facilities and activities there is a need for a concerted efforts of the Local
Government unit to establish linkages and networking to stakeholders and investors particularly
our kasimanwa here or abroad to tap whatever resources that can promote and improve our
tourism activities and facilities.
Economically, tourism activities can foster the livelihood and derive the income of our people in
particular and the town in general, thus there is a need to maximize the available resources
available in our town. Thus there is a need to intensify the One-Town, One Product scheme and
localize further the production of other products in the One-District, One Product, in order to
achieve this, financial and technical support must be provided to stakeholders through the
support of other agencies particularly the TESDA, DOST, DTI and NGOs, among others.
Tourism forecasting and mapping is an essential aspect to attain a Comprehensive Tourism Plan
in order to foresee what matter most in the funding scheme of the Local Government in the
potential tourism facilities and activities to be effective there is a need to establish a Tourism
Promotion Center with assigned personnel/staff to handle solely the operation, management and
implementation of the Comprehensive Tourism Plan.

Dumangas, Iloilo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dumangas
Municipality

Map of Iloilo with Dumangas highlighted

Dumangas

Location within the Philippines

Coordinates:
1050N12243ECoordinates:
1050N12243E
Country

Philippines

Region

Western Visayas (Region VI)

Province

Iloilo

Legislative
district

4th district of Iloilo

Barangays

45

Government[1]
Mayor

Rolando Distura

Area[2]
Total

128.70 km2 (49.69 sq mi)

Population (2010)[3]
Total

66,108

Density

510/km2 (1,300/sq mi)

Time zone

PST (UTC+8)

ZIP code

5006

Dialing code

33

Website

www.dumangas.gov.ph

Dumangas is a first class municipality in the province of Iloilo, Philippines. The town is located
northeast of Iloilo City on the island of Panay. According to the 2010 census, it has a population
of 66,108 people.[3]
Like most parts in the Philippines, Dumangas is a rural town where agriculture and livestock are
predominant. It is home of the Haw-as Festival.

Although an hour drive from the port city of Iloilo, Dumangas continues to retain its provincial
standing, but whose commitment to certain fundamental community values and innovation has
produced many in the way of medicine, law and education.

Contents

1Barangays

2History

3Demographics

4Notable people

5Superstitions about Aswang

6Media

7References

8External links

Barangays
Dumangas is politically subdivided into 45 barangays.[2]

Bacay

Bacong

Balabag

Balud

Bantud

BantudFabrica

Baras

Barasan

Bolilao

Calao

Cali

Cansilayan

Capaliz

Cayos

Compayan

Dacutan

Ermita

PD Monfort South (Guinsampanan)

Ilaya 1st

Ilaya 2nd

Ilaya 3rd

Jardin

Lacturan

PD Monfort North (Lublub)

Managuit

Maquina

Nanding Lopez

Pagdugue

PalocBigque

PalocSool

Patlad

Pulao

Rosario

Sapao

Sulangan

Tabucan

Talusan

Tambobo

Tamboilan

Victorias

Burgos-Regidor (Pob.)

Aurora-del Pilar (Pob.)

Buenaflor-Embarcadero (Pob.)

Lopez Jaena-Rizal (Pob.)

J.M. Basa-MabiniBonifacio (Pob.)

History
Dumangas was known as Araut until 1605.[4] The town is home to one of the oldest standing
churches in the Visayas. It is where the Spanish Agustinian missionaries of the Catholic Church
began converting the indigenous population at the time to Christianity.[5] There are many stories
as how the town acquired its name, however the consensus is that which can be attributed to the
mango trees that are abundant in this part of Panay island.

Demographics
Population census of Dumangas

Source: National Statistics Office[3]

Community Collaboration for HAW-AS Festival in Dumangas

A great time is planned with music and entertainment at the annual Haw-as Festival in
Dumangas. As per festival tradition people gathered to witness and participate in community
celebration to mark the festivity.

It is an annual thanksgiving festival for the bountiful fish harvest from the waters in the area.
The festival uses the iconic bangus as its symbol because it is their number one product.

Aquaculture such as fish farming is feasible, sustainable and a profitable business here in
Dumangas which is also being patronized by rice farmers as a source of their income to help
improve the living conditions of their respective families. It is the fastest growing and the
most popular food industry of Dumangas. It has grown considerably over many years to keep
pace with consumer demand for fresh, high quality fish and seafood, and creating
employment opportunities and economic growth, especially for Dumangasanons where it has
become a mainstay in the area.

Haw-as also celebrates the contribution made to Dumangas by those persons involved in the
local fishing industry. The festivity offers every visitor the opportunity to learn more about
the towns culture and to better appreciate and understand its value to the community.

Since its small beginnings, Haw-as Festival has become a part of the local tourist calendar and
a vital contributor to the economy of Dumangas. It is a unique attraction that offers fun and
entertainment for both locals and visitors alike.

The highlight of the celebration is the Haw-as Guban: competition dance extravaganza
where participating tribes depict and interpret the haw-as or fish harvesting through a vivid
visual display, graceful gyrations and well-choreographed dances in colorful costumes.

Aside from the Haw-as Guban competition, other events on October 28 include a cultural and
historical week celebration with the Pagbagting, a declaration of the opening of the festival
at 8 a.m. followed by a motorcade, the Street Dancing competition at 3 p.m. and the Bangus
and Seafood Extravaganza, a Sugbahanaysa Plaza at 7p.m.; October 29 opens with the 1st
haw-as Festival Airsoft CQB Tournament at 8 a.m., and lhe Launching of the Dumangas Artist
Guild for the Performing Arts (DAGPA) with a public screening of the film, Dumangas 2010 by
Peter Solis Nery; October 30 is for Araw ng mgaKabataan with Laro ng Lahi and the PPSK InterTown Sports League at 8 a.m., the Quintin Salas Composo and Binalaybay Contest follows at 1
p.m. and the HatawKabataan at 9 p.m.; October 31 is the Quintin Salas Day and Haw-as
Guban competition with a Run for Quintin Salas Marathon at 5 a.m., the fireworks display at 9
p.m. and a Party-Party with RCP Retro Band at 9:30 p.m.; the celebration caps with LigumDulom: Kalag-kalagsa Plaza on November 1, 2011.

Dumangas is a 1st class municipality in the province of Iloilo. Politically subdivided into 45
barangays, the town is located northeast and almost an hour drive away from Iloilo City.