CHAPTER 1

      Famous in song and story is the little town of Pagsanjan, situated at 101 kilometers south of Manila and can easily be reached by car or bus in two hours. It is world-renowned not only because of the Pagsanjan Falls, whose enchanting beauty fascinates tourists from all corners of the globe, but also because of its panoramic vistas, its fine homes and lovely women, and its talented citizens, whose achievements in war and peace reflect glory to the Filipino nation, and its cosmopolite culture which is a harmonious amalgam of Asian, Hispanic, Mexican, and American heritage.

Geographical Setting

      Like a graceful swan, Pagsanjan perches on the riparian delta formed by the confluence of two cool rivers called Balanac and Bumbungan. Originally named Pinagsangahan, meaning "branching" or "juncture", the town was given a Hispanic name by early Spanish colonizers, Pagsanjan, because they found it extremely difficult to pronounce its polysyllabic name.
      The town is bordered on the east by the green Balubad Mountain, a tiny spur of the Sierra Mountain range; on the west by the town of Santa Cruz (Laguna's provincial capital); on the north by the legendary San Isidro Hill and Laguna de Bay; on the northeast by the town of Lumban (famous for embroideries) and the other towns of Baybay, including Paete (famed for wood-carving) and Pakil (celebrated for the turumba, traditional folk dance and song in honor of the Virgin Dolores); on the southeast by the mountainous towns of Cavinti and Luisiana; and on the south and southwest by the somnolent Mount Banahaw and the upland towns of Magdalena, Majayjay, Liliw, and Nagcarlan.
      Pagsanjan, one of the small towns of Laguna Province, has a total area of only 43.7 square kilometers. As a municipality, it consists of the poblacion (town proper) and 14 barrios, namely; Anibong, Biñan, Buboy, Cabanbanan, Calasuchi, Dingin, Lambac, Layugan, Magdapio, Maulawin, Pinagsanghan, Sabang, Sampalocan and San Isidro.
      The climate is moderately tropical and healthful even to the white men. As affirmed by Frays Manuel Buzeta and Felipe Bravo, Augustinian missionary-chroniclers, in 1850; "Pagsanjan's climate is salubrious moderately tempered." There are two distinct seasons - the dry and the wet. The dry season begins in March and ends in June; the wet season lasts from July to October. The interluding period, from November to February, is neither too dry or too wet. It is veritably a tropical springtime, a delightful season for the natives and the foreign tourists.
      Pagsanjan is a well-watered town. Annually, it receives an abundant rainfall. There are so many natural springs, especially in the barrios, so that the town virtually floats on a sea of subterranean waters. Thus an old saying of Pagsanjeños runs as follows: "Dig in any part of our town, and you'll strike water, not gold. Gold is valuable; but to a thirsty soul, water is more valuable."
      Pagsanjan, unlike those towns located near the active volcanoes (Mayon, Taal, Hibok-Hibok and Mt. Pinatubo), has never been devastated by volcanic eruptions. Like all other towns of the Philippines, it experiences considerable damage from the yearly typhoons, such as Jean (December 26, 1947), Gertrude (September 1, 1948), Yoling (November 19, 1970), Konsing (June 25, 1972), and Gloring (July 16, 1972), and from occasional earthquakes, notably those in 1795, 1828, 1863, 1880, 1887, 1903, 1969 and 1972.

The Economy of Pagsanjan

      There are no mines of gold, silver, chromite, and other mineral ores in Pagsanjan. The wealth of the town comes from fertile rice lands and coconut plantations; from the rivers which teem with fresh-water fish; from poultry and stock-raising (pigs, carabaos, cows, and goats); from cottage industries (tailoring, woodcarving, and making of coconut charcoal); and from tourism. Two industries for which Pagsanjan was famous during the Spanish and American regimes were the making of jewelries and the production of nata de piña. The men were expert goldsmiths and they used to make fine jewelries, such as rings, bracelets, earrings, and other ornaments in gold and silver. The Pagsanjeños in former years acquired nationwide fame for discovering the making of the delicious nata de piña which consists of mold of the sour variety of native pineapple boiled in syrup. The secret of aging the pineapple mold and the timing of boiling it in syrup was a careful guarded know-how, transmitted from grandmother to mother and from mother to daughter throughout the generations.
      As a matter of fact, a Pagsanjeña named Emerenciana Rivera won two gold medals and certificates of honor for her unsurpassed nata de piña which she exhibited in the Hanoi International Exposition (1903) and the Panama International Exposition (1915).
      Lamentably, the making of fine jewelries and the production of nata de piña declined since the advent of our Republic, so that now they are extinct as lucrative town industries. In their place has emerged tourism as a new booming industry. Like a magic magnet, the bewitching Pagsanjan Falls is attracting thousands of tourists (local and foreign) year after year, so that Pagsanjan is now rated as one of the 25 top destinations in the Philippines. Accordingly, it ranks in prestige with Niagara City (United States), Acapulco (Mexico), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Costa Brava and San Sebastian (Spain), Capri and Naples (Italy), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Biarritz and Monte Carlo (French Riviera).

A Town Where Ecumenism Reigns

      During Spanish times, Pagsanjan was a bulwark of Catholic Christianity. All Pagsanjeños were Catholics, for the only religion permitted by Spanish authorities was Catholic Christianity. Today Pagsanjan is a town of many religions although Catholicism remains the dominant faith of the people. Long before His Holiness Pope John XXIII persuaded the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) to adopt the universal policy of ecumenism, the Pagsanjeños, being intelligent and tolerant, already practiced it by tolerating other religions to exist in their town.
      Presently, many non-Catholic religions exist in Pagsanjan, like the Philippine Independent Church (popularly called Aglipayan), Iglesia ni Cristo, and various Protestant sects, such as Baptist, Presbyterian Seventh Day Adventist, Jehovah's Witness, and Mormon. A few Pagsanjeños, who are either atheists or deists, do not belong to any established religion.
      Despite the existence of many religions in their town, the Pagsanjeños live together in harmony and in peace. They do not quarrel over matters pertaining to religion. They never have any bloody religious conflict, like that which convulsed Christian Europe during the 17th century or that which is now raging with virulence in Northern Ireland and Lebanon. In fact, Catholic Pagsanjeños freely marry with Aglipayans or Protestants, and vice-versa.

Attractive Sights of Pagsanjan

      Standing like a lone sentinel at the western entrance of Pagsanjan is the historic stone town gate with three Roman arches and topped by two lions guarding Spain's royal escutcheon. This town gate was built in 1878-1880 during the administration of Don Manuel de Yriarte, Spanish alcalde mayor of Laguna. Many Pagsanjeño polistas labored for two years to finish it. A polista was an able-bodied male from 16 to 60 years old who was drafted annually during Spanish times to render forced labor (polo) in public works for 40 days a year.
      In the heart of the poblacion is the well-groomed, rectangular plaza, originally named Plaza de Reina Regente Maria Cristina in honor of Queen Regent Maria Cristina who ruled Spain from 1855 to 1902 during the minority of King Alfonso XIII, her son. It was also constructed by Pagsanjeño polistas under the supervision of the friar cura. Both this plaza and the town gate were belatedly inaugurated amidst festive ceremonies on July 23, 1894, with Dr. Pedro A. Paterno, distinguished Filipino statesman-patriot, as guest of honor and speaker. In bygone years a towering sharp pointed obelisk called Agujo de Cleopatra (Needle of Cleopatra) stood at the center of the plaza. Each of the four sides of this obelisk contained a marble slab. On the first slab was inscribed: "A Ministro Segismundo Moret, Creador de las Juntas de Reformas Ultrarinas -- 1869"; on the second slab: "A Don Antonio Maura, Autor del Real Decreto de 19 de Mayo 1893"; on the third slab: "A Don Ramon Blanco, Gobernador y Capitan General de las Islas Filipinas"; and on the fourth slab: "A Don Angel Aviles, Director General de la Administracion Civil." The splendid obelisk was dedicated to Queen Regent Maria Cristina.
      In 1961 the whole obelisk was removed from the plaza and re-erected on a vacant space of Plaza Colonel Francisco Abad near the bridge spanning Balanac River. Its site at the town plaza is now occupied by a tall flagpole which was donated in 1973 by the civic-spirited Yan clan headed by General Manuel Yan, former Chief of Staff of the Philippine Armed Forces. On the western end of the plaza stands the monument of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, facing the flagpole and the historic Catholic church.
      At the strategic corner of Rizal Street and General Severino Taiño Street, facing the town plaza, is the Municipal Building. The ground which it occupies is hallowed with nostalgic memories of the past. It was the site of the Gremio de Naturales (Local Government for Natives) during the Spanish period. During the revolutionary period it was occupied by General Taiño's troops. Later in 1899-1903, it was occupied by the American forces. Subsequently, it became the site of the first Laguna High School from 1903 to 1911.
      Looming high near the plaza is the historic Catholic church which was originally built of bamboo and nipa in 1688 by the Pagsanjeño polistas under the supervision of the Franciscan missionary, Fray Agustin de la Magdalena, first parochial priest of Pagsanjan. This crude bamboo-and-nipa church was replaced in 1690 by a magnificent one, made of massive adobe stones, firmly cemented with lime mixed with carabao milk and roofed with red tiles hardened in fire. In 1847-52 Fray Joaquin Coria, talented friar-engineer, built the high stone belfry of Mexican style and the huge dome of Romanesque design, with the Pagsanjeños furnishing the labor, materials, and funds. This wondrous church, the pride and glory of the town during colonial times, was destroyed by American bombing planes on March 15, 1945. Over its ruins the present church has been constructed, a replica of the old, although it lacks the original's majestic dome.
      It is interesting to note that the town patroness is Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose first sculptured image was installed at the main altar in 1688 -- a gift from Mexico. In July 1835, two centuries and half later, His Holiness Pope Pius XI, by his Papal Brief, proclaimed Our Lady of Guadalupe as the perpetual National Patroness of the Philippines, as she is in Mexico and other Latin American republics. The original image of the town's patroness was destroyed during the American air raid on March 15, 1945. Years later, in 1958, the Mexican Catholics, having learned of the tragic loss from Consul Fe Palma, donated a life-sized image of the Virgin to Pagsanjan. This second image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was made by Mr. Ramon Barreto, noted sculptor of Toluca, and can now be seen in the town church.
      Also worth reminiscing is the fact that the restoration of the beautiful Catholic church was due largely to the Manila Pagsanjeños, whose love for their native town and Our Lady of Guadalupe never fades. Under the able leadership of Engineer German Yia and Dr. Rosendo Llamas, the Pagsanjeños who were living in town and those residing in Manila, in other towns, and in foreign countries generously contributed their precious time and money for the restoration of the sanctuary of their beloved patroness out of debris and ruins of World War II. In due time about P400,000 (pesos) were collected during the massive fund drive, and with this amount the present magnificent Catholic church was successfully erected. Within this church now reign in an aura of glory two images of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- one of which was carved by Maximo Vicente, prominent Manila sculptor, and the other one which came from Mexico.
      On top of the legendary San Isidro Hill is the public elementary school (named Francisco Benitez Memorial School), whose upland location and beautiful buildings and playground are invariably unsurpassed by other public schools in the Philippines. From the front portal of this school, one can view the sweeping panoramas of Mounts Cristobal and Banahaw, the distant towns of Majayjay, Magdalena, Santa Cruz, and Lumban, and the sparkling waters of Laguna de Bay. Unique in architectural style is the Home Economics Building of this school because it was patterned after the Teahouse of the August Moon in Kyoto. It was built by Municipal President Baldomero Cosme in 1912, shortly after his visit to Japan.

Natural Wonders of Pagsanjan

      Despite its small size, the town of Pagsanjan is richly dowered by God with natural wonders. The crowning glory of these wonders is the triple gift of nature -- the awe-inspiring gorge, the roaring rapids, and the enchanting Pagsanjan Falls. More of this triple wonder will be fully described in Chapter 4.
      What enhances the scenic beauty of the town is its location at the juncture of the twin rivers -- Bumbungan and Balanac. Such location does not only enhance the beauty of the town, but is also economically strategic. For it makes Pagsanjan the crossroads of commerce and travel in the second district of Laguna Province. The fresh waters of the twin rivers are still unpolluted by industrial waste products, greenly verdured on both banks, and teeming with delicious fishes.
      The flaming sunrise above the coconut palm-fringed summit of Balubad Mountain in the east and the saffron sunset over the western rim of Laguna de Bay titillate the imagination of man, for they are truly a wondrous joy to behold.
      Beneath the upstream bend of Balanac River is a mysterious cavern called Doña Pascuala Cave. Only the bold and skilled divers can see its dark interior because of the river's ice-cold water and strong currents. According to local legend, it was once inhabited by a beautiful mermaid.
      Near the entrance of the gorge leading to Pagsanjan Falls, there is a cauldron-shaped bend of the Bumbungan River called Kawa-Kawa (Huge Cauldron). The water there is very deep and, at the bottom, it is so dark that a powerful diver cannot see anything. According to legend, somewhere at the muddy bottom lies a mammoth church bell, which during colonial times, the Pagsanjeños angrily hurled into the deep waters of Kawa-Kawa, because every time it was rung its thunderous peals frightened the pregnant women who consequently suffered miscarriages.
      Moreover, there are many mineral springs in Pagsanjan, including the Bumbungan Spring, the San Sebastian Spring, the San Isidro Spring, and the Anibong Spring. These springs are of therapeutic value. It is also the source of the ever-flowing lukewarm water of the swimming pools of the Pagsanjan Falls Lodge and Resort.

Maytime Festivals of Pagsanjan

      May is the best month of the year to visit Pagsanjan. To feast-loving Pagsanjeños, it is the time for merriment, romance, and music, the serenade songs, rising with melodic sweetness to the accompaniment of throbbing guitars or wailing violins. Since the Spanish period, Pagsanjan has been famous for three May time festivals, namely the Fiesta de San Isidro (Feast Day of St. Isidore), the Flores de Mayo (The Flowers of May), and the Santacruzan (Festival of the Cross).

The Fiesta of San Isidro

      Annually on the 15th of May, the barrio of San Isidro, its patron in Pagsanjan celebrates the Feast Day of San Isidro, its patron saint. Because many of the inhabitants of this barrio are farmers, it is proper that San Isidro, the patron of farmers, be its patron saint. This barrio fiesta is not as grandiose as the world famous Dia de San Isidro of Madrid, Spain. It is, however, worth seeing because of its arcadian jovialty and rustic vivacity.
      The highlights of the Fiesta of San Isidro are the carabao race, the procession of farmers and their families, and the exciting fireworks. The thrilling carabao race is usually held in the afternoon. The winning carabao and its rider are cheered lustily by the crowd, and are given a valuable prize, for instance, a cavan of rice seeds or a new iron plow.
      The procession of the farmers is a delightful thing to see. The men wear white barong tagalog and red kundiman trousers. They are barefooted. For headgear, they use the rattan salakot. The women wear patadyong in red kundiman. They are either shod in bakya (wooden shoes) or are barefooted. The most attractive sight of the procession is a gorgeously decorated carreton (cart) pulled by a big, slow-moving carabao. This carreton carries the patron saint, Saint Isidro, flanked by several barrio beauties dressed in red kundiman. Behind the carreton marches a brass band playing stirring music.
      As the lively procession cavalcades along the road, loud explosions of fireworks rock the whole barrio. When the people of the poblacion hear the thundering sounds, they say to each other: "The barrio folks of San Isidro are celebrating the fiesta of their patron saint."

The Flores de Mayo

      The most unique of the May time festivals in Pagsanjan is the Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May), a colorful festival of flowers in honor of the Virgin Mary. It is exclusively an "all-girls" affair. All participants are girls, especially the pretty ones. During the prewar years this festival began on May 1st when the little girls in town, dressed in white vestidas (dresses), marched to the church in the afternoon to hear the novena and to make a floral offering to the Virgin. This was repeated daily until May 30th.
      Since the Liberation (1945), the Flores de Mayo has seemingly lost its religious spirit. It has turned out to be a beauty pageant -- display of feminine pulchritude, precious jewelries, and dress fashions; in short, it has become more of a tourist attraction. The Virgin Mary, attired in elegant raiments, still accompanies the procession, but she is eclipsed by the beautiful and bejeweled Reina de las Flores who is usually from manila. Hundreds of people who watch the procession take for granted the presence of the Virgin Mary. They are more fascinated by the beauty, expensive dresses, and dazzling jewels of the Reina de las Flores and other pretty participants.
      Today the festival of the Flores de Mayo is no longer traditionally held on the 31st of May. To attract more people, especially the tourists, it is now celebrated during the last Sunday of May.
      This May time festival is still supervised and managed by the Hermano Mayor, Hermana Mayor, Hermanito, and hermanita -- all of whom are chosen yearly. Both Hermano Mayor and Hermana Mayor shoulder the heavy expenses of the gala spectacle.

The Santacruzan

      The most popular and most widely publicized of Pagsanjan's May time festivals is the Santacruzan (Festival of the Cross). Behind this festival is an interesting tale, which is partly historical and partly legendary, concerning the discovery of the Holy Cross (upon which Christ was crucified) by Empress Helena in Jerusalem during the reign of her son, Emperor Constantine the Great (306-337). According to tradition, she found, with the help of Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem, this sacred relic deeply buried beneath Calvary (Golgotha) hill.
      Out of this search and the discovery of the Holy Cross originated the May time festival of the Santacruzan. This festival is always held in the month of May because of the belief that the recovery of the Holy Cross occurred during this month.
      In the past, Santacruzan was celebrated in Pagsanjan for nine evenings, the last evening being the grandest spectacle of them all. For eight evenings the children (girls and boys) held a religious procession in town, chanting the words and music of Dios Te Salve. The center of attraction was a small girl dressed in queenly robes and carrying a small cross, accompanied by a small boy attired as an emperor. The girl represented Empress Helena and the boy Emperor Constantine the Great.
      The procession ended at the home of the Hermano Mayor or Hermana Mayor. In front of this house was the traditional pabitin, a small hanging bamboo raft laden with fruits, candies, and other delicacies which was raised or lowered by a rope. All the children who took part in the procession would gather beneath the bamboo raft, they would jump high to catch the hanging fruits and delicacies, but could not reach them. Then all of a sudden the man holding the rope would release it, causing the loaded raft to fall. A mad scramble ensued as the children jostled each other to grab a ripe pineapple, a bag of candies, or a bundle of suman. It is interesting to note that the practice of having a pabitin was a Mexican contribution to our culture. In Mexico today it is called piñata. It is a jolly feature of the Mexican Christmas custom known as the posada.
      On the ninth night, the last evening of the festival, the Santacruzan was celebrated in grander scale. This time the partakers were young ladies assuming the roles of Reina Elena (escorted by a young man as Emperor Constantine), Reina Sentenciada, Abogada, Reina Mistica, Matusalem (Methuselah), etc.
      Since World War II the Santacruzan in Pagsanjan has undergone several changes, making it quite different from its prewar prototype. One change is the shortening of its celebration to only one night, usually on a Saturday night. The second is the elimination of its religious spirit for it has become truly a beauty pageant to attract more spectators, especially the tourists. The third change is the procession around town which is supposed to enact the search and discovery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem by Empress Helena and her retinue, which has become a colorful parade of beautiful girls, including movie stars, and their gallant escorts who are either cinema male idols or popular basketball players. And lastly, there are more members of the cast taken from the Old Testament, history and folklore, thereby making it really a grandiose pageantry and spectacle.
      Presently, the Santacruzan festival has the following characters; Methuselah, portraying the biblical oldest woman; Divina Pastora (Divine Sheperdess), Abogada, a lady in academic cap and gown; Justicia, a lady in chains, representing the queen who refused to join Empress Helena in the quest for the Holy Cross; Reina Mora and the black savages, symbolizing the existence of paganism at the time of the finding of the Holy Cross; St. Macarius, the old Bishop of Jerusalem who helped Empress Helena in her mission; the three pretty ladies representing Fe (Faith), Esperanza (Hope), and Caridad (charity), which are the three cardinal virtues; Reina Ester, Judith, Reina Sheba, and King Solomon -- all taken from the Old Testament; Reina de las Flores, Banderada (Flag Bearer), and Reina Helena, who is escorted by Emperor Constantine the Great. The different beauties have their respective escorts.
      At times, certain variations are made in the cast. For instance, in the Santacruzan Festival held in Pagsanjan on May 12, 1974, there were three Santa Elenas, namely Santa Elena I (Miss Lotis Key, movie actress), Santa Elena II (Miss Leila Hermosa, another movie actress), Santa Elena III (Miss Marimel Soriano Gagan, "Miss Pagsanjan of 1974"); and one emperatriz (Miss Ma, Rosario N. Santos, the "Miss Green Race of 1974" of the Philippines).
      Great credit is certainly due to Mrs. Carmen Caballes Soriano, the permanent Hermana Mayor of the annual Santacruzan festival of Pagsanjan. She is a well known couturiere of movie star and starlets in Greater Manila and is a daughter of Colonel Pedro Caballes, a revolutionary hero of Pagsanjan. Every year she spends her own time, efforts, and funds to celebrate the Santacruzan in her beloved town, a colorful festival which has gained national recognition because it greatly attracts tourists, thereby enhancing the glory of Pagsanjan.