Before the Spaniard came to the Philippines in 1521, Baliwag was just a wilderness inhabited mostly by animals and birds. There were no good and wide roads as we have today, only meandering pathways that invariably led to associated huts. Some of these narrow pathways, called paraan, were fringed on both sides with trees and shrubs. Work animals and sleds which were then the only means of land transportation commonly passed here.

The handful of people who occupied the isolated and lonely huts were paganistic people who worshipped spirits they called Bathala. They believed these spirits dwelt in caves so in these caves they made ritual offerings of food, perfume and fruits in homage to them. These ancient Filipinos were so stepped in superstition that they religiously believed in divination, auguries and magic charm or amulets. Thus they always attached significance to such natural activities as the howling of dogs, the hissing of lizard or to the mere sight of a black cat darting across their path. These superstitious beliefs were handed down from one generation to another and are, in truth, still being practiced in some parts of Baliwag today.

The natives of course had their own language and social customs. Not unlike their contemporaries in other lands they conducted their, commercial activities through the so called barter system.

“Maliliwag”

With the Christianization of the Philippines many Catholic churches were built by the Spaniard in the different misiones and parroquitas. One of these churches was established in the time was still a cabeceria or barangay with no definite name.

Because they had no other decent means of transportation the people either had to ride a banca or had to walk all the way to Quingua, a distance of nine kilometers, to hear masses on Sundays and feast days. As a consequence the churchgoers from Baliwag often came late to mass. This habitual tardiness eventually became the butt of jokes among the people of Quingua, so much so that whenever they saw a group of Baliwag folk coming they would mockingly say: “Eto na ang maliliwag.” (“ Here come the slowpokes. “) Or, if the latecomer was all alone, “ Eton a si Ba Liwag.”*

Unfortunately for the local folk, the uncomplimentary term maliliwag (or Ba Liwag) stuck like glue. Even the Spanish cura was announcing it from the pulpit in reference to them. Through the years, so the legend goes, the name Baliwag evolved from it and by this name or appellation the town became known.

However, some of the old generation are understandably not inclined to accept this derogatory legend, saying the term Baliwag has actually been a part of the Tagalog vocabulary. They cite as proof a rare book titled Vocabulary Lengua Tagala and published in 1880. on page 33 of this dictionary baliuag appears as an entry with these synonyms: “hondo” (deep), “profoundo” (profound), as in mabaliuag na ilog (deep river) and mabaliuag na paksa (profound subject). Baliuag also means basal (virgin). Some families, not from Baliwag, even have it for their surname.

The same meanings appear on page 115 of the Dr. Jose Villa Panganiban’s voluminous Diksyunario Tesauro. But how any of these fits the description of the town of Baliuag or its people – well enough to merit its name’s origin------is not quite clear. Although Virgilio B. Cruz, a vernacular poet, advice the view that Baliwag must have been a low or deep place as evidenced by the proliferation here long ago of balanti, a certain species of tree that grows abundantly in a marshy area. Or the town must have simply been a virgin forest before.

Foundation

Sometimes in June 1733 a Spanish parochial priest by the name of Fr. Juan de Albarran was assigned here in Baliwag. He performed baptismal and marriage rites as well as other sacerdotal functions. All in tomes that are still extant, though now musty. The brief, handwritten introductory note to the baptismal entries in the first volume (facsimile on opposite page) makes a very interesting revelation. It read thus:

PROTOCOLO DE

Baptismos de este Pueblo de Baliuag mandado Formar por N.M.R.L. Fr. Feliz Trillo Provincial actual de esta de Provincia y comencia en 7 de Junio del año de 1733. Los asientos de batismos antes de este año se allara en el Pueblo de Quingua y de los de Paco en Angat por aberse de estos dios Pueblos Compuesto este de Baliuag en el año del 1733 en 26 de Mayo.

Translation:

REGISTRY OF Baptism in this town of Baliuag , which was ordered to be made by Our Most Rev. Fr. Lector Fr. Feliz Trillo, present Provincial in this Province, and which starts on June 7, 1733. the baptismal entries before thus year will be found in the town of Quingua , while those for Paco will be found in Angat, for from these two town Baliuag was created on May 26, 1733 .

Evidently, this two-sentence introduction is the basis of the current belief that the Baliwag was founded by the Augustinians in 1733*. To verify this vital piece of information the author, early in 1970, went to Convento de San Augustin in Intramuros and interviewed Fr. Isacio Rodriguez, Spanish prior-rector. Fr. Rodriguez had in his possession Xerox copies of the original documents kept in the provincial archives of Spain regarding the founding of parroquitas in the Philippines by the Augustinian misioneros. The Augustinians, it will be recalled, were the first religious order to come to the Islands in the 16th century.

In response to the author’s request Fr. Rodriguez, who is himself a historian of note, wrote thusly:

Baliwag

Se crea o funda en el capitulo provincial de 15 de Mayo 1734. Se dice a este respecto en la Determination de este capitulo: “Declaramos por Vicariatos a nuestros Conventos de Cabanatuan, Miagao y Anilao, en la Provincia de Oton, al de Cotcot en la de Zibu y al Baliuag, en la de Bulacan.” Arcivo Provincial de Madrid. Libro V de Gobierno de le Provincia del Smo. Nombre de Jesus de Filipinas, f .138 v; original

Baliwag:

It was created or founded in the provincial chapter on May 15 1734 . In this respect it is said in the Determination of this chapter: “We declare for vicariate our convents of Cabanatuan , Miagao and Anilao, in the province of Oton , that of Cotcot in Zibu, and that of Baliuag in the province of Bulacan .” Provincial Archives of Madrid . Book V of the Government of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines , p. 138 v; original. (Translated by the late Prof. Abelardo Hilario of Baliuag Colleges)

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