THE EARLY SETTLERS
From the stony island of Cebu itself, already having its place in the annals of history , came to Mindanao a group of daring and adventurous farmers in search of more productive land to till. Mindanao then was already known as the land of promise and surely hereon this island lies the future of their families, their children and their children's children. so it was sometime in the 1920's that this group of adventurers landed on the shore of Misamis Occidental , specifically at barrios Labinay and Sinosa in the municipality of Tangub, there to partake of the bounties of the land in the farms they cultivated as tenants. later, as their families grew , their shares of the crops were no longer enough. they must own land they till so that its produce could be all their own. it is then that they decided to look for the so-called "greener pasture" father inland from the shores of the Panguil bBay, south of Tangub, then the town of Regidor. setting out on their "bandongs", wooden boat without outriggers similar to the Indian canoe, they paddled along a crocodile -infested river until they reached its headwaters where a muslim settlement called Lintugop was situated. in Cebu and even in Misamis Occidental the Moros (Muslim) were known to be warlike. but to their great surprise, the Muslims they came upon at Lintugop were very friendly and accommodating. they were very pleased to know the purpose of the strangers' coming that they even offered to serve as guides in the search for public lands uphill.
About four kilometers uphill from Lintogop the group with its Muslim guides came upon a verdant plateau-patches of cogonal areas vacated by nomadic subanos surrounded by pristine forests. here was the paradise they were looking for; lands stretching as far as the eyes could see into the primeval growth that only few civilized eyes had seen. at the very center of a clearing, the pioneers pitched camp and laid claim to the surrounding jungle which later opened its secrets to civilization. Acquiring land, however, even out of uncharted wilderness needed official sanction by the government. so the pioneers had to go on father into the forest which was the shortest route to Labangan, the seat of the municipal district, who proved to be very amiable Muslim. He did not of the district, who proved to be very amiable Muslim. he did not hesitate to give a nod to the intentions of the newcomers. thus was granted to the sixteen courageous founders of the settlement they decide to be called Cebuano Barracks, the majority of them being Cebuanos, the vast expanse of pristine vegetation they dreamed of leaving to their heirs and succeeding generations. the municipal archives bear the names of those pioneers.
1. Gavino Ceniza - Mandaue, Cebu
2. Melecio Zanoria - Mandaue, Cebu
3. Zacarias Cabatingan - Mandaue, Cebu
4. Cornelio Soon - Mandaue, Cebu
5. Santiago C. Ceniza - Mandaue, Cebu
6. Serverino Mayol - Mandaue, Cebu
7. Enrique Albano - Mandaue, Cebu
8. Marcos Ondiano - Oslob, Cebu
9. Sergio Lagare - Oslob, Cebu
10. Mamerto Medel - Alcoy, Cebu
11. Lorenzo Romarate - Alcoy, Cebu
12. Simeon Mijares - Carcar, Cebu
13. Gabriel Orlanes - Catmon, Cebu
14. Evaristo Abadies - Pardo, Cebu City
15. Nestor Cabasag - Siquijor
16. Tamon Timbao (Subano) - Tangub, Misamis Occidental
Word of the group's success plus the assurance of being able to possess lands of their own easily reached the families left behind in Misamis Occidental. Those who could immediately travel with provision of followed bringing with them all the necessities available,while those who have less immediately contacted tives in Cebu until wave after wave of immigrants slowly converted the settlement into a buzzing community. like the pioneers of the old American west, work in the settlement was done through "bayanihan ", each family helping the other from cutting logs and wild vines for their cabins too fetching water from the nearest spring.
it was the leader of the group, Enrique Albaño (Manoy Eking), who directed the chores in the camp. he was the one who directed Anselmo Romanillos, a late comer from Oslob, Cebu, to take charge in the assignment of chores; almost everybody had one Maria Zanoria Salva, the lone woman in the group, who stayed behind in Lintugop to facilitate the transport of food supplies to the camp. running errands for them was a small boy by the name of Sergio Mascual. (Evaristo and maria, perhaps by force of circumstances, later became husband and wife).
the chance for a new life was already there and so it was imperative that such opportunity be pursued to the finish. the settlers had to preserve their health in order to go on with the clearing of the trees for future cultivation. also there were snakes, wild animals and insects that pestered them day and night. in fact, many of the settlers work down with malaria before they could finish their assigned work. for those who could not afford quinine and anti-malaria drugs at the time, herbal medicine like the bitter "kugong-kugong" roots and "panyawan"sufficed to relieve them of their ailments. luck was on their side out of their perseverance and persistence of purpose, Cebuano Barracks grew into a prosperous community as wave of immigrants from the Visayas came to lead new lives in the newly-opened paradise.
About four kilometers uphill from Lintogop the group with its Muslim guides came upon a verdant plateau-patches of cogonal areas vacated by nomadic subanos surrounded by pristine forests. here was the paradise they were looking for; lands stretching as far as the eyes could see into the primeval growth that only few civilized eyes had seen. at the very center of a clearing, the pioneers pitched camp and laid claim to the surrounding jungle which later opened its secrets to civilization. Acquiring land, however, even out of uncharted wilderness needed official sanction by the government. so the pioneers had to go on father into the forest which was the shortest route to Labangan, the seat of the municipal district, who proved to be very amiable Muslim. He did not of the district, who proved to be very amiable Muslim. he did not hesitate to give a nod to the intentions of the newcomers. thus was granted to the sixteen courageous founders of the settlement they decide to be called Cebuano Barracks, the majority of them being Cebuanos, the vast expanse of pristine vegetation they dreamed of leaving to their heirs and succeeding generations. the municipal archives bear the names of those pioneers.
1. Gavino Ceniza - Mandaue, Cebu
2. Melecio Zanoria - Mandaue, Cebu
3. Zacarias Cabatingan - Mandaue, Cebu
4. Cornelio Soon - Mandaue, Cebu
5. Santiago C. Ceniza - Mandaue, Cebu
6. Serverino Mayol - Mandaue, Cebu
7. Enrique Albano - Mandaue, Cebu
8. Marcos Ondiano - Oslob, Cebu
9. Sergio Lagare - Oslob, Cebu
10. Mamerto Medel - Alcoy, Cebu
11. Lorenzo Romarate - Alcoy, Cebu
12. Simeon Mijares - Carcar, Cebu
13. Gabriel Orlanes - Catmon, Cebu
14. Evaristo Abadies - Pardo, Cebu City
15. Nestor Cabasag - Siquijor
16. Tamon Timbao (Subano) - Tangub, Misamis Occidental
Word of the group's success plus the assurance of being able to possess lands of their own easily reached the families left behind in Misamis Occidental. Those who could immediately travel with provision of followed bringing with them all the necessities available,while those who have less immediately contacted tives in Cebu until wave after wave of immigrants slowly converted the settlement into a buzzing community. like the pioneers of the old American west, work in the settlement was done through "bayanihan ", each family helping the other from cutting logs and wild vines for their cabins too fetching water from the nearest spring.
it was the leader of the group, Enrique Albaño (Manoy Eking), who directed the chores in the camp. he was the one who directed Anselmo Romanillos, a late comer from Oslob, Cebu, to take charge in the assignment of chores; almost everybody had one Maria Zanoria Salva, the lone woman in the group, who stayed behind in Lintugop to facilitate the transport of food supplies to the camp. running errands for them was a small boy by the name of Sergio Mascual. (Evaristo and maria, perhaps by force of circumstances, later became husband and wife).
the chance for a new life was already there and so it was imperative that such opportunity be pursued to the finish. the settlers had to preserve their health in order to go on with the clearing of the trees for future cultivation. also there were snakes, wild animals and insects that pestered them day and night. in fact, many of the settlers work down with malaria before they could finish their assigned work. for those who could not afford quinine and anti-malaria drugs at the time, herbal medicine like the bitter "kugong-kugong" roots and "panyawan"sufficed to relieve them of their ailments. luck was on their side out of their perseverance and persistence of purpose, Cebuano Barracks grew into a prosperous community as wave of immigrants from the Visayas came to lead new lives in the newly-opened paradise.