“History of Calumpit, Bulacan”

Ang Calumpit ay isa sa mga municipalidad ng Bulacan na binubuo ng dalawampu’t siyam na

barangay. Ang Calumpit ay limampung kilometro mula sa lungsod ng Maynila at limang
kilometro mula sa lungsod ng Malolos. Ito ay nasa hilaga ng hagonoy, timog ng pulilan, kanluran
ng malolos at silangan ng apalit pampanga.

The name "Calumpit" comes from the tree "Kalumpít", an indigenous hardwood species similar
to apalit and narra, which grows abundantly in front of the St. John the Baptist Parish Church in
the Población-Sucol area.

Calumpit was already an established "barangay" even before the coming of the Spaniards. It was
under the leadership of Gat-Maitim. Agriculture was the main source of livelihood of the people
and even today it is part of the town's lifeblood

Battle of Bangkusay – Spanish Period

Ang Calumpit ay bahagi ng labanan ng bangkusay sa ilalim ni Rajah Soliman, ang bayang ito at
Hagonoy at kasamang lumaban sa mga dayuhan. Datu Bambalito formed a fleet of two thousand
natives mostly from Hagonoy, Calumpit and Macabebe. They sailed across Manila Bay to Tondo
on June 3, 1571, facing Goíti and Salcedo in the historic Battle of Bangkusay. Bambalito and the
natives were defeated and the conquerors proceeded northwards to pacify other villages along
the coast of Manila Bay. Ang pagkatalo ni Rajah Soliman ay naging simula ng pagsakop sa
ilalim ng Espanya sa Calumpit.

In September 1571, Goíti and Salcedo, along with the invading forces, arrived at Lubao. On
November 14, 1571, they reached Calumpit and Malolos and reported it to Miguel López de
Legazpi, the first Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines. Nakarating ang balita sa Spanish
authority na may progressive community na matatagpuan ng ilang miles sa hilaga ng Manila. Sa
utos ni Fray Martin de Rada, nagpadala sya ng grupo ng mga misyonerong Augustinian sa
pamumuno ni Father Diego Vivar Ordones upang hanapin yung lugar. In 1572, dumating sila sa
daungan sa Baranggay ng Meyto na dala ang isang Krus at doon sila nag misa at ginawang
kristyano ang mga mamamayan and nag establish sila ng church and government that same year
din. Dito na pumapasok yung Meyto Shrine, the Augustinian friars were the first Christian
pastors of Calumpit and acted in some capacity as government officials.
Meyto Shrine

- Meyto Shrine has the biggest contribution to the Christian faith of the Bulakenyos.

As the Spanish Colonizers explore the islands of the Philippines, one of their strategies to take
possession of the lands is to introduce the idea of God’s existence which was represented by the
cross to the Filipino tribes to influence them in their beliefs and faith. It was successful with their
more than 300 years reign in the country. This tactic was not just a ploy to trick Filipinos; it
became part of the wholeness of them since then.

Sa nasabing barangay, idinaos ang unang misa sa pangunguna ng isang Augustinian prayle na si
Fr. Pedro Vivar Ordonez. The natives of Brgy. Meyto ay ang unang henerasyon ng mga
babtized Christians in the province at nagsimulang na ngang lumawak ang pananampalataya sa
buong lalawigan kaya sa introduksyon kanina pinakita doon na 80% ang mga Christian sa
Calumpit dahil dito. The chapel was transferred in the latter months of 1572 to Brgy. Panducot,
the next barangay to Meyto, and was transferred again to Poblacion of Calumpit in the last
months of 1575. The place where the chapel was first established, now serves as a historical
mark to recognize its role in the history.

Accounts states na ang mga misyonerong Augustinian ay nagtanim ng isang kahoy na krus sa
tabi ng Ilog Meyto bilang simbolo ng pagbibinyag sa land, at nagtayo sila ng isang kapilya na
gawa sa nipa at kawayan. Later, lumipat sila sa Meysulao at nagtayo ng isa pang visita, at
pagkatapos ay sa Panducot, kung saan nagtayo sila ng isa pang kapilya na dedicated to Our Lady
of the Visitation gaya ng binanggit ni Fray Gaspar de San Agustín sa kanyang Conquistas delas
Isla Philipinas o chapter 9 ng kanyang Libro Segundo. After that, yung punong-tanggapan ng
mga misyonero ay inilipat muli sa isang mas mataas na lugar kung saan nakatayo ang isang
napakalaking at kilalang puno na tinatawag na Terminalia macrocarpa o Kalumpit stands as the
original settlers named the place. Another notable characteristic of the village of Calumpit is that
it was bounded by rivers which served as a natural moat-like feature. Primarily, Meyto,
Meysulao, Panducot and Calumpit was independent barangays under their own chiefs, it is same
with Gatbuka, Bugyon and other old settlements. On April 5, 1572, Legaspi merged the villages
of Meyto, Meysulao, Panducot, Calumpit, Candaba, Apalit and Malolos and these villages
became ministerios and visitas and these settlements first formed the town named Calumpit, with
present-day Calumpit as center. On December 28, 1575, Gov. General Francisco Sande ordered
the inclusion of the villages of Hagonoy, Quinabalonan (now San Jose, Hagonoy), and some
villages along Macabebe river to the town of Calumpit.

Calumpit was already a parish by May 3, 1572, when Fray Martín de Rada was elected Prior
Provincial. Noong 1575 lamang kinilala ng Hari ng Espanya ang Calumpit bilang isang Bayan.
Ayon sa kasaysayan, ito ang unang bayan na naitayo sa pananakop ng kastila sa Bulacan.
Alam nyo ba na kinilala ang Calumpit bilang isang province?

On December 28, 1575, Governor-General Francisco de Sande established Calumpit as an

Alcaldia (Province) with Marcos de Arce as the first Alcalde mayor of Calumpit. In Miguel de
Loarca's document in 1581 called Relación de las Islas Filipinas and the June 1591 document of
Governor-General Luis Pérez de Dasmariñas, it is proven that Calumpit appears as an
independent Alcaldia, but, the Alcaldia de Calumpit was eventually abolished and the towns of
Calumpit were annexed to the Province of Bulacan.

“Birheng Presentacion”

 – the first patron of the Virgin Mary introduced to Bulacan

The Spanish friars introduced ‘Birheng Presentacion’ as the first patron of Virgin Mary which
became the heart of Meyto and Panducot communities for 332 years (1572-1904).

The breakthrough in 1904, where Meyto and Panducot separated in Santa Iglesia Katolika and
established a church dedicated for Filipinos, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, was one of the
most remarkable events in history in freeing themselves into a religion ran by Spanish friars.

St John the Baptist

According to a marker found on one of the walls of the church, it was constructed in 1575,
making it the oldest church in Bulacan. It served as the cradle of Catholic faith in the province
and has seen the growth of religious followers over the centuries. Ito rin ay itinuturing na isang
makasaysayang simbahan na nakakita ng maraming paghihirap ng mga Pilipino sa ilalim ng
ilang mga mananakop tulad ng Espanyol, Amerikano at Hapon.

According to father Rafael Balite Jr.’s article in sandigan dated february 1989. The calumpit
church, particularly the st. John the baptist church in poblacion calumpit is the first chapel and
convent in Bulacan. It was originally built with underground escape tunnels which led to the
river to provide an avenue for escape for priests with the church treasury if attacked by robbers.
According to rumors or legend pinagtataguan daw ito ng mga pari ng mga religious statues, gold
and ornate jewelry to protect these worldly possessions from treasure hunters. The same tunnel
ay naging huling pahingahan ng ilang Kastila at mga rebolusyonaryo na nasawi sa labanan.

Battle of Bagbag

Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War

During the Philippine Revolution in 1896, nag participate ang mga Calumpiteño sa mga
labanang inilunsad ng Katipunan laban sa Spanish empire. Maraming kilalang Calumpeteño ang
tumulong sa pagtatatag at pagsuporta sa Republika ng Malolos, with the town serving as a
defense line due to its proximity to the new capital.

The Battle of Calumpit, alternately known as the Battles of Bagbag and Pampanga Rivers, was
fought from April 25 to 27, 1899 in Calumpit, Bulacan, during the Philippine-American War.
Taking place after the Battle of Quingua, the fighting around Calumpit saw US forces under
General Arthur MacArthur, Jr. once again face General Antonio Luna's main force, with whom
they had clashed during the fall of Malolos on March 31, 1899.

Background about the battle of Bagbag

Beginning on March 25, the Americans began their drive to capture Malolos, the Philippine
capital at the time, hoping that it would shatter the morale of the Filipino troops. On March 31,
Malolos amidst token resistance by about 5,000 Filipinos. The capital had already been
transferred to San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, before the debacle, and the main Filipino force, under the
command of General Antonio Luna, had moved to the Calumpit–Apalit Line. MacArthur,
meanwhile, rested with his troops in Malolos to prepare the drive against the Calumpit–Apalit
Line.The Battle of Quingua, which occurred on April 23, signaled the beginning of a new
American offensive.

Battle

Kung napanuod nyo yung movie na Heneral Luna ay pinapakita doon ang iilang detalye na
nangyari sa battle of bagbag.

Calumpit only 8 kilometers north of Malolos, was the next American objective after they had
taken Quingua ngayon is Plaridel na. Luna, however, was nowhere near Calumpit for he had
embarked on a journey to Arayat to punish General Tomás Mascardo, the military commander of
Pampanga, for leaving his post to inspect troops at Guagua, Pampanga. Base sa napanuod ko
may scene doon na pumunta si General Mascardo sa Arayat dahil fiesta at iniwan nya yung
headquarters nya sa Guagua but sa nabasa kong Insubordination of General Tomas Mascardo at
Calumpit is when the Americans were about to assault Calumpit, Antonio Luna ordered
reinforcements from Gen. Tomas Mascardo in Guagua, Pampanga but the latter carried out the
order tardily. Nalaman ni Luna na umalis si Mascardo at iniwan ang guagua para bisitahin ang
kanyang Pampanga girl na si Nicolasa Pamintuan Dayrit despite the imminent American
offensive. Mascardo later insisted that he had gone there to inspect his soldiers kaya Luna
ordered Mascardo’s 12 hours arrest. He had been supposed to strengthen the defense of the
Calumpit–Apalit Line by providing reinforcements in the area when needed. Mascardo had
around 21,000 men under his command at the time. Luna took most of the defending cavalry and
the artillery with him and General Del Pilar was left to counter the advancing American troops
lacking their support. Emilio Aguinaldo had ordered Luna to burn the railway bridge spanning
the Bagbag River, but the latter ignored it. During April 23-24, General del Pilar was left to fight
the Americans; he threw down a section of the railway bridge. He actually planned to wreck the
American artillery transport train; his men cut the girders of the iron bridge, intending to have
the structure fall with the train, but it collapsed prematurely of its own weight. The US troops
advanced to the edge of the river, a hundred yards beyond which the Filipinos were entrenched.

American troops swam to the opposite shore, where Filipino trenches were located. Other troops
were promptly repairing the bridge to let their supply wagons cross over the river.By the time
Luna had returned from Guagua, only Filipinos in the barrio of Sta. Lucia were holding out
against the Americans in the Bagbag sector. Luna tried to fight and repulse the Americans, but he
was eventually forced to retreat, destroying bridges as his troops fell back to slow the American
advance.

The aftermath of the battle of Bagbag is the American force rested before continuing their drive
against Pampanga. On May 4, the Battle of Santo Tomas took place, which resulted in another
American victory. Civil administration under the United States-led Insular Government was
established in Calumpit in April 1901, with Juan Galang serving as the first elected American-
era mayor of the town.

American Occupation and World War II

Calumpit played an important role at the outbreak of the Second World War in the Pacific
theater. The bridge of Calumpit, on the way to Bataan was demolished by the Engineering
Battalion of the U.S, impeding movement of the Japanese forces on their way to Bataan. In
January 1942, the Japanese Government occupied Calumpit for three years, during which many
of the townsfolk died.
Short historical background about nangyari sa Calumpit bridge during world war 2. On January
1, 1942 by 5:00am the U.S. Army South Luzon Force completes their withdrawal across the
Pampanga River at Calumpit and by 6:15am destroys the bridges and disbands. That same day,
the Japanese move through Plaridel to Calumpit but find the bridges disabled and are
momentarily unable to cross.

In the middle of 1943, the first part of the USAFFE guerrilla or United States Army Forces Far
East was established under the leadership of Luis Macam, with most of the members from
Calumpit. In June 1944, the 4th Battalion of the Del Pilar Regiment was established under the
leadership of Major Francisco del Rosario. They continued fighting until the returned of the
USAFFE under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur.

During the Japanese occupation of Luzon, by 1943 the Japanese replaced the bridges using
materials abandoned in Manila and used the crossing until at least late December 1944. Starting
in early January 1945, U.S. bombers and fighters began striking the bridges at Calumpit. In late
January 1945, the Japanese demolished the bridges leaving both spans a top each other in the
river before withdrawing in an attempt to delay the U.S. Army advance southward.

These are the photos from 1899 Philippine-American War in Calumpit

- First photo is the Bagbag river railway bridge thrown down by Gen. Gregorio Del Pilar.
- Second Photo is an armored train with gun used by the Americans in Calumpit.
- This photo naman is the view looking north across Bagbag river showing filipino
trenches.
- The fourt one is the fallen Filipino’s in a trench on the north bank of bagbag river, 25
Filipino’s ang namatay sa bank nato.
- This photo is the Americans promptly repaired the Bagbag railway bridge they coveted
for their supply trains.
- Lastly is Americans bring in artillery across the Bagbag River after the battle for the
railroad bridge.

World War II

- A erial view of Calumpit Bulacan noong 1930