Bulusan, Sorsogon
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Bulusan, officially the Municipality of Bulusan ( Waray Sorsogon: ''Bungto san Bulusan''; war, Bungto han Bulusan, tl, Bayan ng Bulusan), is a 4th class
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Sorsogon Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon ( Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sorsogon), is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 23,932 people.


History


Pre-Spanish period

Long before the Spaniards arrived, the natives of Bulusan were living in organized though scattered settlements. Some lived in what used to be Inarado (now Licod or San Rafael), others in Ilihan, some in Pinayagan, and still a number lived in Capangihan — a place near the Paghasaan and Bayugin Rivers. These settlements are distant from the seacoast and upland. The reason could be the presence of Moro pirates who used to attack the town, especially the coastal areas, robbing the natives of their
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and whatever else came to be lying around, and burning the houses afterwards. Due to these Moro-related disasters, it was a wise move to locate the settlements on higher ground. Recent excavations yielded artifacts such as
platters The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The ac ...
, jugs, plates, and
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made from china and earthen burial jars in what used to be Inarado. These finds further strengthened some claims that the Chinese and the people in this part of the country were already engaged in trade even before the 'Cross & Sword' reached them.


Spanish period


The town's foundation

Bulusan, like the rest of Sorsogon, was part of the province of Albay till October 17, 1894. In Inarado, the fourth ''parroquia'' (
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
) of the present Province of Sorsogon, was established in 1630. After being merely a part of Casiguran (established in 1600), Bulusan became an independent parish following Bacon (established in 1617) and the parish of
Sorsogon Sorsogon, officially the Province of Sorsogon ( Bikol: ''Probinsya kan Sorsogon''; Waray: ''Probinsya han Sorsogon''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sorsogon), is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. It is the southernmost province in ...
(established in 1628). It became a separate ''pueblo civil'' (town) in 1631. The new parish was then placed under the tutelary of St. James, the Greater — the patron saint of Spain. Fr. Miguel de Santa Ana became its first parish priest, exercising one-man authority over ecclesiastical and civil functions. The people also selected the first executive of the place, a ''gobernadorcillo''. In 1760, the town was transferred from Inarado to its present site at the mouth of Bulusan River. This was triggered by the need to trade with neighboring settlements. The relocation was done through the efforts of Fr. Joaquin de los Santos, the parish priest. Under the friar's guidance, the people chose Bernardino Pasion as first head of the town. The natives started building a church in the place where a new one now stands. This initial development formed the nucleus of the present ''poblacion'' (town center).


Division

The Bulusan parish then encompassed all lands that includes the vicinities of Gubat, Matnog, Bulan, Barcelona and Santa Magdalena. Eventually, either new parishes were born out of the mother parish and became a town of its own or these communities grew into separate towns of their own and, in turn, established their own parishes. See table below:


Stone watchtowers

Bulusan's watchtowers are believed to have been built around 1760, the year that the town's ''poblacion'' was transferred to its present site. In 1799, as a defense and warning measure against the Moro pirates, the ''principalias'' (leaders) of the coastal towns of Albay convened in their respective town halls and drew up plans for the building of ''lanchas cañoneras'' (armed ships). On April 20, 1799, Bulusan's leaders decided to build two ''lanchas cañoneras'' to be commanded by actual gobernadorcillo Don Juan Macsimiano and ex-gobernadorcillo Don Juan Tomas. The town of Bulusan built the most ''baluartes de piedra'' (stone watchtowers). The town erected watchtowers, one each in Macabare, Tawog and Layog (now a part of Barcelona).History of Bulusan
''Glimpses of Bulusan website'' Retrieved August 17, 2013
Near the community of Dapdap, a bigger triangular ''muralla'' ortificationcalled Punta Diamante which encloses the church and rectory of the parish of St. James the Greater was erected. Punta Diamante has five watchtowers with high, thick walls, making it an ideal place for refuge during Moro attacks. Unlike the other watchtowers which are cylindrical and have circular bases, the one facing the sea is of a triangular plan, a smaller version of the main complex. The biggest watchtower has an octagon shaped base (with eight sides) and tapers upward in alternating tiers. This watchtower now serves as the church's bell tower, with the old bells comparably intact.


Growth and wealth

Among the province's other towns, Bulusan was comparatively well-off. Being a major port of ''armadillas'' (small ships) patrolling the high seas — equivalent to present-day
Philippine Coast Guard The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ( fil, Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas) is recognized as the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within P ...
— it was well protected from the Moro pirates. As a consequence, people from other towns came, earned their living, and paid tributes to the Spanish Government. In 1809, when the governor of
Albay Albay,