HISTORY OF SAN FERNANDO

During the Spanish times, the province oI Camarines Sur was known as Ambos Camarines.
Among its many 'visitas or barrios is the town oI San Fernando. This town had existed as barrio or visita
oI town oI Milaor since 1579. For more than 230 years, San Fernando had remained a mere visita oI
Milaor.

The Ireedom loving inhabitants oI this place had long yearned to stand on their own. To seek
independence and sever the ties that bound them to Milaor, had become their obsession. The red-letter
day came on April 13, 1812. Presenting a petition to the Ecclesiastical authorities and to the Gobierno
Provincial, the people sought Ior the conversion oI their visita into pueblo. Pueblo de San Fernando was
stablished on January 1, 1813. It`s very Iirst Capitan del pueblo was Jacinto Felipe Clemente.

Formerly, the old visita oI San Fernando was situated in what is now Bario Beberon, which is
approximately 3 kelometers south oI the town. As the years went on, its population became dense and it
was deemed necessary to establish their own pueblo. Because oI the population problem, some
inhabitants oI Barrio Beberon started building their homes along the banks oI the River Cadlom. The new
site was named Mayaopayaoan. With the people more or less permanently settled, they built the chapel in
honor oI their beloved Patron San Fernando. Incidentally, the image oI the San Fernando was leIt behind
Barrio Beberon.

According to a legend, the people tried to eIIect the transIer oI the image oI San Fernando to
Mayaopayaoan by pooling strong and husky men to carry it. However, it was very strange that the strong
men were not able to move the image even an inch. AIraid to incur the ire oI their patron saint, the older
Iolks prayed Iervently and then promised to escort the image in a procession.

During the procession, the strong men liIt the image, but they Iound it to be very heavy Ior them
to liIt. The old Iolks then decided to entrust the carrying oI the image to the children. A miracle happened
beIore everyone. Without exerting much eIIort, the children were able to liIt the image until they Iinally
reach the new chapel. Everyone went home happy with the thought that at long last San Fernando was
transIerred.

However, the image was nowhere to be Iound the next day. The altar was as bare as on the day
the chapel was built. Search Ior the missing image was made but it Iailed. An inhabitant Irom Barrio
Beberon arrived and said that the image was back to its old place in Barrio Beberon.

The Teniente del Barrio then decided to solve the problem once and Ior all. An assembly was
held and it was decided that instead oI San Fernando`s image they would just install the image oI another
saint, that oI Saint John the Baptist. Be that as it may, the inhabitants oI Mayaopayaoan decided to name
their new site San Fernando in honor oI the elusive saint oI Beberon. And every June 24 the people oI San
Fernando celebrate the Ieast oI their beloved saint glorious merry king.

The name oI San Fernado according to another legend was due to the people`s predilection Ior the
saint or in memory oI Ferdinand, one oI the great Spanish monarchs.

The towns like Milaor, Minalabac and Gainza, experienced the yearly Iloods which destroy all the rice
planted, but more devastating is the Irequent typhoons which happen some times during the year. Perhaps
iI the canal started by Bishop Gainza in 1863 1864 were completed, the Ilooding problem would have
been solved.

This town was not be populated during the Spanish times because the cimmarones or remontados
coming Irom Isarog used this town as springboard Ior their raids against larger communities. It was
mentioned to the reports by Governor Inigo Gonzalez Azaola sometime in 1800 1823, he had to direct
the construction oI the bridge across the Bikol River to provide Ior the saIe passage oI people Irom the
cabecera to the visitas (through lands held by cimmarones) separating Milaor, Minalabac and San
Fernando.





Prepared by: ,7 Ve7el E. Am, E-5 Prepared Ior: D7. O7-el S. Ceped,