Gandara, Samar Explained

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Pushpin Map:Philippines
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Pushpin Map Caption:Location within the
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Philippines
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:Province
Etymology:Bangahon
Named For:José de la Gándara y Navarro
Motto:An ungod nga Gandareño nahigugma ha bungto; ha sulod ha gawas permi malimpyo.
Subdivision Type3:District
Established Title:Founded
Parts Type:Barangays
Parts Style:para
P1: (see Barangays)
Leader Name:Warren Tan Aguilar
Leader Title1:Vice Mayor
Leader Name1:Elias Correche Delector
Leader Name2:Stephen James Tan
Leader Title3:Councilors
Leader Title4:Electorate
Leader Name4: voters (electorate_point_in_time}}|)
Elevation Max M:830
Elevation Min M:0
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Blank1 Title:Households
Timezone:PST
Utc Offset:+8
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Demographics Type1:Economy
Demographics1 Title2:Poverty incidence
Demographics1 Info2:%
Demographics1 Title3:Revenue
Demographics1 Title4:Revenue rank
Demographics1 Title5:Assets
Demographics1 Title6:Assets rank
Demographics1 Title7:IRA
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Demographics1 Title9:Expenditure
Demographics1 Title10:Liabilities
Demographics Type2:Service provider
Demographics2 Title1:Electricity
Demographics2 Title2:Water
Demographics2 Title3:Telecommunications
Demographics2 Title4:Cable TV
Blank1 Name Sec1:Native languages
Blank2 Name Sec1:Crime index
Blank2 Name Sec2:Feast date
Blank3 Name Sec2:Catholic diocese
Blank4 Name Sec2:Patron saint

Gandara, officially the Municipality of Gandara (Waray: Bungto han Gandara), is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Samar, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 35,242 people.

History

The town was formerly named Bangahon, but its population was resettled to its current location on September 29, 1902. After settling in its new location, the name Gandara was given to it in commemoration of the former Governor-General José de la Gándara y Navarro.

By virtue of Batas Pambansa Blg. 11 approved in 1978, 29 barangays were separated to create the new municipality of San Jorge.[1]

Geography

Barangays

Gandara is politicaly subdivided into 70 barangays. Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios.

Geo-Political Boundaries

Climate

Demographics

Based on latest 2014 survey, the total population was 33,264, consisting of 17,046 males and 16,218 females. The number of households was 6,653, with an average household size of 4.87 persons and a density of 68/km2. Built-up Area population density at town proper 6,652 along Carline Area is 4,992, Coastal Area is 5,751 and Rural Area is 5,748.

Economy

The municipality of Gandara is known for its products such as queseo (kesong puti),[2] tablea, tinapa (smoked fish),[3] kalinayan rice, rootcrops and peanuts exported in the entire region of Eastern Visayas and to any point of the Philippine archipelago. Queseo is one of its tourism and livelihood assets.[4] [5] [6] [7]

Tourism

Maria Diana’s Chapel: Gandara is the home also of the well-known corpse of Maria Diana Alvarez believed to be miraculous by the Gandareños.[8]
Karabaw Festival
  • A festival which pays tribute to the draft animal that helps people till their farms and provides milk for Gandara’s local white cheese delicacy called “Queseo”. The festival itself has proven a lot in terms of creativity and uniqueness. In fact, it has already won 7 times in the Samar Day Celebration observed every August 11 where all municipalities and cities in Samar gather at the provincial capitol in Catbalogan to perform and compete.[9] [10] [11]
    Annual Fluvial Parade: The traditional fluvial procession along the river of Gandara held every month of September is a significant and mainstay event of the yearly fiesta celebration.[12]
    Bangahon Church Ruins: The Ruins of Bangahon is a historical landmark near the right fork of Gandara river. It was once a town during the revolutionary period, but was abandoned by the old residents who later found the present town of Gandara.[13] The site was the original homage to St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of the townspeople, located in Brgy. Bangahon, Gandara, Samar.[14] [15] The said place of worship was ruined during the Pulajanes-American war.[16] The American used Field Guns destroying the said church. It was noted for its Bangahon Bell (Lingganay). This bell was sequestered by the Americans on September 29, 1901, at Balangiga. The bell of Bangahon church is believed to be one of those Balangiga bells.[17]
    Great Fire of Gandara: Old Church (Poblacion) and the Harvardian Schools memorabilia Photographies were lost on this fire, the Town Library (Harvardian School) were also damaged by this fire. The Fire started somewhere at an Electric Utility Post near Aguilar Residence and spread by a radius to the Second street.
    San Jose Rapids: The Rapids are geolocated near Matuguinao, actually it is the Gandara River and Matuguinao River (river source) formed by rock formation, the word (Panaog) in local folks.

    Education

    Elementary and Kinder School

    Gandara Central Elementary School

    Gandara Central Elementary School started with the construction of Gabaldon School Buildings. The Gabaldon School Buildings or simply known as the Gabaldons is a term used to refer to heritage school buildings in the Philippines built during the American Colonial Era. They are noted for the architecture inspired from the bahay kubo and bahay na bato. As of about 2024, there are 2,045 Gabaldon School Buildings throughout the Philippines.

    The Gabaldon School Buildings, also referred to as the Gabaldons, originated from Act No. 1801 or the Gabaldon Law, a legislation written by Isauro Gabaldón of the Philippine Assembly in 1907. The law provided for the funding of ₱1 million for the construction of modern public schools across the Philippine Islands from 1908 to 1915.

    Like Gabaldon, first educators are from other Countries with earlier Educational System, the Old Katon Cristiana and the University of Santo Tomas system to 'pass-on' the Educationlearned.

    By the turn of 20th Century, pupils/students populations are increasing, some are migrants and other from within the town, the former (DECS) - Ministry/Department of Education Culture and Sports now DepEd (Department of Education) decided to create partition on the interior Barrios Schools and along the Road Schools.

    Secondary education

    From 1663 to 1768, Bangajon was administered by a priest from the Catbalogan Cabeccera Residencia who had the multiple duties of administering also the Tinago (Tarangnan) and sometimes the Hibatang (now Calbayog) visitas. In 1663, Moro pirates reached the village of Bangajon. After ransacking the village, they burned it. But the Jesuits missionaries were undaunted. They rebuilt the village and built a church made of stone and roofed with zinc and partly with nipa. It measured “26 fathoms (stones) in length wall thickness, 9 fathoms (stones) in width, 4 ½ fathoms (stones) in height” (about 48 meters in length, 16.5 m. in width and 4.5 m. in height). The church was dedicated to St. Michael de Archangel. They also built a convento of the same materials and two parochial schools (one for boys and another for girls) and a casa real of wood.

    After the fire in 1876, a tribunal and an escuela were also constructed under the direction of Fr. Geronimo Asenjo. They also continued with the education of the people, especially the children. The older residents of Gandara remember that the first book they used in the school was the Katon Cristiana. Graduation from school was simple. Any pupil who could recite the contents of the whole book from memory was graduated. Then they writer sent to the barrios to teach the Katon Christiana.

    In 1901, the town principalia held a session extraordinaria on April 14, 1901 and passed an Act to build a new town and to transfer its location to the sitio of Dumalo-ong (present-day site of Gandara). When peace finally came to Samar in 1902, the people went about the reconstruction of the town and the church. Religious activities were resumed. Gandaranhons celebrated their first fiesta with their new Mayor on September 29, 1903 after years of war.

    Franciscan missionaries returned to Gandara in 1910 after the new Diocese of Calbayog was established. Franciscan priests assigned to Gandara from 1910 to 1926 were Fr. Juan Vicente Carmona, O.F.M., Fr. Roman Perez, O.F.M. and Fr. Victoriano Ranera. O.F.M.Early in the sixties, Msgr. Ponciano Figueroa, then parish priest of Gandara, together with the mayor, Mayor Ramon Tan Diaz, established the St. Michael High School, the first and only Catholic school in the town.

    List of parish priests assigned to Bangajon/Gandara

    Franciscan Administration (1768-1898)

    Transition Period (1898-1910)

    Diocese of Calbayog

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. BP. 11. BAn Act Creating the Municipality of San Jorge in the Province of Samar. December 6, 1978. The LawPhil Project - Arellano Law Foundation, Inc. . March 22, 2023.
    2. Web site: Samar to boost delicacies via 'Secret Kitchen' drive Philippine Canadian Inquirer. en-CA. April 22, 2020.
    3. Web site: Officially the Municipality of Gandara, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Samar, Philip. CHARLES LOMINOQUE. en-US. April 23, 2020. July 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210728002905/http://charleslominoque.simplesite.com/. dead.
    4. Web site: Native Carabaos Do Well in Niche Markets. agrimag. August 4, 2018. Agriculture Monthly. en-US. April 23, 2020.
    5. News: Gandara, Samar promotes delicacy made with carabao's milk. gandara-samar-promotes-delicacy-made-carabaos-milk-421119. July 26, 2015. SunStar. en. April 23, 2020.
    6. News: OVP's carabao dispersal to boost Samar town cheese production. Philippine News Agency. April 23, 2020.
    7. News: Move over, Gandara Park: Samar unveils the real Gandara. The Philippine Star. en-US. April 23, 2020.
    8. News: Sanchez. Korina. Hulog ng Langit. March 27, 2016. Rated K.
    9. Web site: KARABAW FESTIVAL OF GANDARA, SAMAR. Journal. The Calbayog. KARABAW FESTIVAL OF GANDARA, SAMAR. en. April 22, 2020.
    10. News: Carabao Festival triumphs in Samar Day. carabao-festival-triumphs-samar-day-297606. August 13, 2013. SunStar. en. April 22, 2020.
    11. News: Philippine Daily Inquirer. A festive day of pride for Samareños. Labro. Vicente S.. en-US. April 22, 2020.
    12. Web site: MUNICIPALITY OF GANDARA, SAMAR. MUNICIPALITY OF GANDARA, SAMAR. April 22, 2020.
    13. Web site: Gandara - Samar Destinations. www.localphilippines.com. April 23, 2020.
    14. Web site: Officially the Municipality of Gandara, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Samar, Philip. CHARLES LOMINOQUE. en-US. April 23, 2020. July 28, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210728002905/http://charleslominoque.simplesite.com/. dead.
    15. Web site: Samar Island Spots. Trexplore the Adventures. en-US. April 23, 2020.
    16. Web site: Bangahon Spanish Church Ruins, Province of Samar, Eastern Visayas, Philippines. ph.geoview.info. April 22, 2020.
    17. Web site: Map - Gandara, Samar (Gandara) - MAP[N]ALL.COM]. 174.127.109.64. April 22, 2020.
    18. Web site: Ramon T. Diaz Memorial High School: Tuition & Application Edukasyon.ph. www.edukasyon.ph. April 22, 2020.
    19. Web site: Ramon T. Diaz MHS. Entranceuniversity. April 22, 2020.
    20. Web site: Piñaplata Integrated School -, Gandara, Western Samar - Public High School. www.philippinecompanies.com. April 22, 2020.

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