THE TOWN OF GAMAY

The municipality of Gamay is a 4th class town in the Province of Northern Samar
and today has 23,511 people as of 2015 Philippine census. It located north of Lapinig (the
last town that confines the province of Northern Samar), north-west by Mapanas and
Catubig, and in the east by Pacific Ocean.

The First Settlement

The original settlement of Gamay was situated in the place called Sabang. From
Sabang, it was named Gamay after the inhabitants who dressed with the abaca cloth
selected from the finest fiber. Likewise, the soil of this place was said to be fine eversince.

When the Jesuit missionaries established their central mission in Palapag, they
came to evangelize Gamay and by 1612 there are already 200 tribute payers. The mission-
station of Gamay was placed under the care of the Jesuit missionaries of Palapag. The
people built a temporary hermitage where they could have enshrined their patron, St.
Michael the Archangel for their profound love and deep devotion.

The Coming of the Moro Raiders

Because of its location to the coasts, Gamay was plundered for the first time by the
Moro raiders. The whole village was burned including the church. The raiders threw the
beloved statue of the patron into the Gamay river.

After the period of Moro pillaging, the people went to other places and move
upstream in order to escape from abduction and slave-taking. Thus, they settled first in
Pinahimagan (presently a sitio), then to Binaya-an where the people have saw and
recovered the image of their patron floating in the river. So they decided to established
their new barrio in this location. The people called their former village as Binungto-an
which means their previous town/village (bongto).

When the people have finally settled in this new location, they immediately
constructed a fortress or watchtower they called as “Kota” to warn the people and also
as a look out to the coming marauders. One of the skilled laborer employed in the making
of the watchtower was Braulio Quilico. The Kota also served as the government building
during the Spanish period, but this was again burned during a Moro raid and later after
the reconstruction, by the Pulahanes.

The Reduccion of Fray Salutiano Bus

When Fray Salustiano Bus (parish priest of Palapag from 1847-1850) was the cura
parroco of Palapag, he visited Gamay and encouraged the people to move their village
to the place near the mouth of the Gamay river. In 1860, again the site was transferred to
the easternmost portion until it became the present-site of Gamay.

During the Spanish Era, Gamay was served by Tenientes. The Teniente-del-Barrios
were: Don Justo Cabagtong, Don Julian Nueva and Don Solano Gomba.

The American Period

The Americans arrived Gamay in 1901 where Don Gregorio Nueva was the actual
teniente. But he was replaced by Damaso C. Caparaso of Palapag who served as Barrio
Lieutant. During his term, he immediately undertook the reconstruction of the ruined
barrio by first constructing the government building and the church. He led also the
construction of the Army Barracks and other buildings of the American soldiers. He also
ordered the surrender of the few members of the Revolutionary Forces and Pulahanes.
Thus, he became the trusted person of the Americans in which he was given a recognition
together with his family. He served until 1907 when he and his family back to Palapag
and passed the administration to Don Gregorio Nueva.

The First Barrio School

In 1910, the barrio lieutenant was Don Pedro Bello who opened the first barrio
school. Mr. Francisco Monica was the first teacher assigned to the barrio school where he
opened the school to the first enrollees. He was succeeded by Mr. Daniel C. Lucero who
taught from 1910 until 1915. He was also the one who opened the barrio schools in
Lapinig (1915-1918) and Bangon (1921-1924).

Other teachers who taught in Gamay were Mr. Fabian Dasal (1911-1912), Mr.
Victorino Tucayon (1912-1913), and Mr. Juan Muncada (1913-1915).

Years of Progress and Development

The first Post Office was installed in the early 1940 with Mr. Roberto Romallos as
the first post master. In 1941, Mr. Espino, a representative from Telecom inspected the
supposed site for a radio station on the hilltop north of the town. A building was
constructed but the operation did not happen until the Liberation period. Mr Adello
Castillo was the first Radio Operator.

Aglipayans in Gamay

In 1929, for the first time, the Barrio of Gamay was visited by an Aglipayan priest
upon the invitation of Mr. Angel Flores. The first Aglipayan chuch was constructed on
February 14, 1930 in a lot owned by Mr. Daniel C. Lucero. Mr. Lucero accused Mr. Flores
and his co-workers for erecting the church on a site belonging to a private property
without due permission. Thus, the church was removed. The town saw the last Aglipayan
priest was in the year 1934 and the Aglipayanism diminished its followers when Mr.
Angel Flores went to Manila.

Clamor for Gamay’s Township

As early as 1920s, the people of Gamay already laid out their plans for separation
form the town of Palapag. The first move was to put up a Mayor who is from Gamay. For
carrying out this objective, Mr. Daniel Lucero was nominated to ran for mayor but he was
defeated in the elections in 1925 because of the few electorates from Gamay.

The second attempt was to toss Mr. Pastor Fincalero for the next elections but he
was again defeated. A petitioned was filed Mr. Rafael Gomba with the help of Mr. Egildo
Banawis Mr Lorenzo Menzon and Mr. Alejandro Sidro and supported by the barrio folks.
But the same attempt was failed.

Finally, Mr. Rafael Gomba was endorsed to ran for Mayorship in the elections of
1941 with Mr. Alejadro Sidro as his councilor. They both won but the move was
interrupted because of the Second World War. After the war, a resolution was right away
made which was passed and approved by the Municipal Council. The resolution was
sent to the Provincial Board and then to Philippine Congress and which later paved the
way to the approval of Republic Act no. 90 on February 26, 1947. On October 18, 1949,
Lapinig, a barrio of Gamay was also proclaimed as independent town.

The Church of San Miguel Arcangel

The first church of Gamay was built in lowly materials when the Jesuits instructed
them in order to enshrine their patron until they settled on a permanent site. It was the
missionaries from Palapag who came to Gamay to visit the church and celebrate the
sacraments with the people.

In 1932, Most Reverend Sofronio Hacbang, then Bishop of Calbayog sent a

missionary to administer the barrio of Gamay. A Spanish Franciscan priest, Fray Antonio
Sarabia was assigned but there was a priest who came ahead, a certain Father Gorgonio
who left Gamay because of the hostilities made by the Aglipayans.

Two years after Gamay was made a town, Most Reverend Miguel Acebedo, then
Bishop of Calbayog decreed the erection of Gamay as an independent parish with Fr.
Francisco Unay, parish priest of Palapag as the first resident priest. Fr. Pedro G. Hacabng
succeeded Fr. Unay and became the parish priest on September 1, 1950.

In the 1970’s, Fr. Agripino Osal started the construction of a big concrete church to
replace the old one. Succeeding parish priests made extensive improvements to beautify
and enlarge the church construction. Fr. Walter Cerbito (parish priest from 1986-1992)
built the belfry and beautiful concrete rectory.

The church of Gamay under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel celebrates
their yearly fiesta every 15th of September.

___________

The Municipality of Gamay. Historical Data Papers of Samar. National Library of

the Philippines. 1957.

The Franciscan Missionaries of Northern and Eastern part of Samar Island (A

Compilation from Fr. Eusebio Gomez Platero’s Catalogue of Franciscan Priests).

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Catarman. North of Samar Island (400 years of
Christianization). 1995.