Maddela

HISTORY OF MADDELA
(Compiled and Updated by: Glory S. Almoite, Rosalinda C. Edu, Filomena B. Molina, Nenita B. Domingo,
Edwin S. Besas, Maryflor D. Ylanan, Lynette C. Lazaro)

Before the advent of migration and long before the approach of development planning for urban settlement or resettlement, Maddela was inhabited by natives who lived among the fingers of the Sierra Madre Mountains and in the hinterlands of the Mamparang Ranges.

The natives were the Ilongots (or Bugcalots) and the Dumagats, with the strain, culture and character of the small valleys in the foot of Sierra Madre, fished along the mighty Cagayan River and hunted in the wild forests.

Of the two tribes, the Ilongots showed more sophistication. They occupied the western upland portion of the territory and also upstream of the Cagayan River up to Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya. They lived in villages with organized but simple governments headed by a director of non-Christian.

The Dumagats occupied the eastern portion of Cagayan River, and along the Ngilinan and Manglad streams, up the forestlands and unto the downslides overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Unlike the Ilongots, the Dumagats were nomadic with no describable neighborhood. They lived in the makeshift huts of forest/anahaw leaves ( there were no cogon in those early days). They feasted on half-roasted wild pigs caught in booby traps or by means of the bow and arrow and spear, and ate root crops for their carbohydrates.

In 1919, a group of 20 Ilocanos headed by Forester Vicente Velasco arrived and put up settlements along the Cagayan River. Gradually, they moved into the valley of Pinappagan, now Maddela. Being the most adventurous and enterprising, the Ilocanos penetrated fast into vast rolling untouched fields and planted crops like palay, tobacco, corn and peanut.

They paddled canoes made from trunks of trees, cruised upstream the Cagayan River and fishes a lot for their sustenance of protein.

For the Ilocanos with the trait of being friendly, respectful and hospitable, winning the confidence of the non-Christian tribes was not a problem. Easily, they forged friendly relation with the natives who, as the years drooled, learned the basics of agriculture, the art of neighborhood community living. In some instances, such closeness, unit and cooperation resulted intermarriages.

The period 1922-1925 marked the start of permanent settlement and a military government headed by Lt. Quintin Alcantara who initiated the opening of a road connecting Pinappagan and Panang.

Three years later, Pinappagan was made a municipal District attached to the town of Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya. Then Nueva Vizcaya Governor Juan Manzano appointed Eusebio Martin as first President of the District with a three year term of office.

Villa Hermosa, Dumabato, Sto. Niño, Dipintin, Abbag and San Pedro were the first barrios that composed the municipal district. Martin was re-elected district president. Rafael Daguio, Federico Ramos and Rodrigo Pascual who served as such up to the outbreak of World War II succeeded him.

During the Japanese occupation, Marcos Pimentel and Fernando Castillo were named alternately as municipal district mayors.
In 1950, Pinappagan was renamed Maddela and became a regular town with Jose Ancheta as first mayor. He was re-elected mayor but died before the end of his second term. Vice mayor Gregorio Baroma took over to serve the unfinished term of Ancheta from 1953-1955.

In the first regular election for local officials in 1956, Dionisio Sarandi was elected mayor. Also elected were vice mayor and six municipal councilors. He was re-elected, but in 1962, he filed a leave of absence and Jose Medina took over as mayor.

It was during the term of Sarandi that the barrios of Cofcaville, San Salvador, Sto. Tomas, Divisoria Norte, Divisoria Sur, Cabaruan, Anak, Ponggo, San Dionisio I, San Dionisio II, Balligui, Ysmael, Pedlisan and Villa Hermoza Norte were created.

By the time Maddela started reaching out to neighboring towns of Isabela, particularly San Agustin and Jones and early bubble in commerce and trade was experienced. With the creation of additional new barrios, agricultural expansion gained initial headway. Maddela has a total of 32 barangays

In 1964, a new sets of municipal officers was elected led by Mayor Jose Ylanan. Mayor Sarandi made a comeback after Ylanan’s term in 1968

On Mayor Sarandi’s comeback, the Maddela Panang road was further improved into all-weather road thus, paving the way for year-round active commercial exchange between Maddela and San Agustin, Isabela

Mayor Sarandi ran for Governor and won in the next local elections in 1971. By this time, Maddela shored up its resources with the assumption of Mayor Arnulfo Agullana, a young technocrat, thinker, philosopher and writer journalist plucked from the Marcos stable in Malacañang.

In the first two years as mayor, Mr. Agullana spruced up the town’s landscape and Maddela inched its way into the country’s tourism map. Among the town’s tourism area are the Governor’s Rapids, Holidays Abbag Natures Park and Resort. Primitive burial grounds on a perpendicular wall and boat-rock formation in Ponggo (now Nagtipunan) and the man-made lagoon at the Imelda Park. It was during the Agullana’s term that merchandisers from Santiago, Isabela nearby towns of Nueva Vizcaya and even from Nueva Ecija, gained access to local commerce and industry. In five years time, commercial establishments mushroomed within the expanded public market.

It was also during Mayor Agullana’s term the yet unknown Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) scheme in development was introduced in local government operations. Through the scheme, the first storey commercial apartment was put up within the public market site, thus paving the way for an unprecedented growth in commerce and industry.

Ironically, politics reared its “ugly head” an Agullana was unceremoniously ousted as mayor two years before the first election since the imposition of Martial Law was held. Salustiano Ladia, a multi-awarded educator, was named officer-in-charge. Mayor Ladia worked hard and continued with the programs and projects initiated by his predecessor. In the elections of 1980, Mayor Ladia was elected as a regular mayor and served as such until 1986 when the snap presidential elections resulted in a “people power” revolution that ousted President Marcos from power. A new officer-in-charge, Eduardo Balderas, a former military officer, was appointed by President Corazon C. Aquino.

Mayor Balderas won in the 1987 elections and served until 1992, he was succeeded by Mayor Renato Ylanan.

Mayor Renato G. Ylanan was a man of strong character who stayed in power as Maddela’s Chief Executive for three consecutive terms (1992-2001). The first term of Mayor Ylanan’s administration spoke to his commitment to have implemented the people’s mandate. His political career was supported by his constituent’s evidence of having made Maddela the Regional Outstanding Municipality for three consecutive years (1993-1995). Considered major project during his first three years was the construction of a three million gymnasium, which is a dream come true. The municipal gym with a stage and bleachers suits best town fiestas, sports fest, school programs and the like.

Another tangible proof of Maddela’s growth was the speedy completion of the eastern and western wing annex of the town hall intended to house mandatory offices created under RA 7160 otherwise known as the new Local Government Code of 1991. The create mandatory positions were the Municipal Engineer, Municipal Accountant and the Municipal Civil Registrar. The Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Agrarian Reform were also accommodated at the town hall expansion.

During his second term, Maddela offered its best to become highly competitive in economic and opportunities. The economic boom was enhanced by the construction of a two-storey market building composed of twenty (20) market stalls. This paved the way to have invited additional entrepreneurs, adding to the town’s local income. Not so long after the construction of the two-storey market building was the construction of the Municipal Abattoir, another project that helped boost commercial activity in the market.

Mayor Ylanan’s development effort centered on infrastructures so he ventured on the acquisition of 5-unit heavy equipments. These heavy equipments are: 2 units dump truck, 1 buck hoe, 1 loader and 1 grader. Ylanan’s representation to showcase Maddela in commerce was not just a dream. In fact, five banks were lured to settle in this town: Fico Bank, Consol Bank, Rural Bank of Bayombong, Rural Bank of Maddela and Benito Soliven Bank. He, too was able to establish his linkage not only with the Provincial but also with the National Government and so, the Association of Barangay Council (ABC) and the Regional Trial Court Branch 38 halls were constructed.

While the Ylanan leadership had taken bold step in its effort to promote economic and social development, there equally existed the concern to develop a tourist spot of which the town will be proud. At Barangay Dumabato Sur within the rainforest mountain lays a waterfall, which the young mayor visualized, as a potential tourist spot. So, on April 19, 199_, the area was named “ Maddela Waterfalls and Forest Resort (MWFR). Since then, Maddela waterfalls had become Maddela’s pride.

In the election’s of May 2001, Florante T. Ruiz, a law graduate who served as the First Municipal Secretary in the fledging town of Nagtipunan, won the mayoralty fight.

An enterprising town executive, Mayor Ruiz, the incumbent president of the League of Municipalities of Quirino, followed the footsteps of his predecessors but innovated the system of public administration in cadence with the fast pace of development changes. Mayor Ruiz availed of “soft-loans” offered by lending institutions to pursue the project on water and sewerage system. Tapping available water resources, the mayor was able to install water system for households in the town proper will soon be in place.

On his second term, the town hall goes under renovation to meet the expanding need of public service. A “world-class” police station under the program of PNP Director-General Arturo Lomibao aimed at strengthening the police organizations to serve better the communities was put up and recently inaugurated. Infrastructure projects, such as cementing of municipal streets, maintenance of all-weather barangay roads, day-care center facilities and additional classrooms are priorities, while a central bus terminal is now being finalized to put up in place orderly traffic and a modern system in mass transportation.

As of this time, one tangible achievement of Mayor Florante T. Ruiz is the renovation of the municipal hall funded to stay attuned in a modern setting. Funded out of the 20% development fund, the project which cost 3.6 million, started early month in 2004.

Now on his third term of service, Mayor Ruiz is even more determined in making Maddela progressive, stronger & peaceful municipality. He fervently hopes that his plans and programs will all be accomplished before his term ends by 2010.