| Numancia, now Del Carmen, was
founded in year 1600, almost a century after Magellan
discover the Philippines on March 16, 1521 .The patron
saint is the Lady of Carmen and is celebrated every 16th
of July. The name Numancia was introduced by the Spanish
priest who hailed from Numancia , Spain, which was then
a very progressive town in the Andalucian plain. Numancia
was the headquarters of the diocese of Eastern Mindanao
from Surigao up to Mati. It is the site of the oldest
religious establishment and had for its relics the Spanish
built water tank of limestone that is one meter thick.
Another relic that could be found in the place is
the watchtower at barrio San Fernando, primarily used
for sighting Moro pirates. The town of Numancia was,
at the time of San Fernando, the subject of constant
raid of the place by the moros causing the religious
fathers to flee to Cacob at Dagsungan, not Roxas. The
vast plain between barrio Janoyaon and barrio Roxas
was the second site of the Municipality of Numancia.
But there, transportation of goods was hard. So, the
fathers decided to get nearer the present site.
This was the place of the legend about the very powerful
bell that was dumped in one of the lakes (vito) at Haoyon
now Cancohoy rose. It was said that this bell was made
of pure silver and that its sound could be heard even
up to Bucas Grande Island, thereby (ironically) inviting
the Moro pirates to come and pillage the people using
the sound of the bell as their guide. The fathers again
decided to transfer to Campahug for expansion and for
better security from the Moro.
According to the old folks, the entwining river course
of the present townsite discouraged the Moro pirate
because they could not locate the town anymore.
In 1920, at the assumption of Francisco Alburo as
town president, Numancia territory comprised one half
of Bucas Grande with the barrios of Pamosaingan, Sta.
Cruz and Hinundayan, in Siargao Island. Beginning from
Barrio Bitoon as boundary, between Dapa and Numancia,
up to barrios Tuburan, Quezon, Langdahan (now Sta. Paz),
straight to Binoni Point as boundary between Numancia
and Pilar, and all lands extending North of this line
now comprising the new municipalities of Sapao, Burgos
and San Isidro, were also included.
Source: 1970 Souvenir Program of
Philippine Public Schools Inter-scholastic Athletic
Association Meet (PPSIAA)
|
