By: Teofilo J. Baloria
SCORES OF YEARS AGO, Sinacaban was a tiny obscure barrio of Jimenez, lying at the outskirts of swampy lands some 20 kilometers North of Misamis, now Ozamiz City. Few houses sprouting, forming dots at the foot of the promontory jotting to the mangroves, secured by the Man-an River at the south and Sinacaban River at the north.
At its early days, catching crabs, (locally known as "alimango," found in abundance in the swampy lands, thrived by nipa and bakhaw), was the favorite hobby and livelihood of the inhabitants, who migrated from Bohol, Cebu and Siquijor.
There was a time, so the legend goes, on their way home, bringing with them their catch, these "alimango" catchers met Spanish soldiers on foot patrol, who inquired what is the name of the place. They eagerly answered, "sinakbang alimango, senior" (trapped crabs, sir), believing they were asked of their catch. The guardia civil then graciously punctuated, "Ah, Sinakbang!" Thenceforth, the place was called Sinac'bang which later evolved into Sinacaban.
The episode of its creation into a municipality, had been traditionally related that a group of daring men, led by a World War II veteran, guerilla Captain Sofronio K. Avanceña, successfully convinced the qualified number of constituents to petition its creation into a municipality.
The then President of the Philippines, Elpidio Quirino, signed Executive Order No. 258 on August 30, 1949, thus creating Sinacaban into a regular municipality, described and bounded as follows:
"on the North, by a line from point 1, the center of the lighthouse on the Taboo point S 84o30", 7,250 meters point "2" which is on the bank of Palilan river branch 2,400 meters South Westerly to point "3" hence a straight line 87o 00 W 22,550 meters to point "4" where this intersects Misamis Occidental-Zamboanga boundary, and on the East, by the limits of municipal water which the municipality of Sinacaban shall have."
The Municipality of Sinacaban then contained the barrios of Sinacaban, which later became the seat of the Municipal Government, Sinonoc, Libertad, the Southern portion of the barrio as Macabayao, and the sitios of Tipan, Katipunan, Estrella, Flores Senior, Adorable, San Isidro, Cagay-anon, Camanes, Kulupan, and Libertad Alto.
Upon its creation, Sofronio Avanceña was appointed as Mayor and Nicanor Al-ag was the appointed Vice Mayor with 8 appointed municipal councilors.
In 1951, the first election for municipal officials was held. Mayor Sofronio Avanceña was duly elected with Victoriano Abuton as his Vice Mayor. He still won his third bid for re-election on November 11, 1959 and on November 14, 1959, he was assassinated; and Vice Mayor Victoriano Abuton, by virtue of succession, occupied the position as Municipal Mayor.
The following were the Municipal Mayor and Vice Mayor:
1959-1963
|
| Mayor
|
| Victoriano Abuton
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Purita Boligor
|
1963-1967
|
| Mayor
|
| Victoriano Abuton
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Herminigildo Japus
|
1967-1980
|
| Mayor
|
| Victoriano Abuton
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Ignacio Vente
|
1980-1983
|
| Mayor
|
| Victoriano Abuton
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Prudencio Dominguez
|
1983-1986
|
| Mayor
|
| Prudencio Dominguez
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Arnulfo Maghuyop
|
1986-1987
|
| Mayor
|
| Alfredo Boligor
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Cesar Gamotin
|
November 1987
January 1988
|
| Mayor
|
| Victoriano Abuton
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Teofila J. Baloria
|
1988-1996
|
| Mayor
|
| Eufracio D. Lood
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Basilio M. Banaag
|
1996-2007
|
| Mayor
|
| Cesaria T. Lood
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Juanito B. Tiu, Sr.
|
2007-present
|
| Mayor
|
| Dello T. Lood
|
|
| Vice Mayor
|
| Anecito S. Mejares
|
Sinacaban's shoreline featured almost like a bay with a good fishing ground. Boxes of Bolinao (endemic variety of fish) from barangay Sinonoc and Cagay-anon were brought by peddlers to almost all parts of the province of Misamis Occidental in the early dawn. Most of the land is low and flat to rolling, increasing in elevation toward the West, to the Malindang Mountain Range.
Four big rivers, sourced near the foot of Malindang Mountain cascading parallel to the sea. It has only 8,752 hectares of lands mostly cropping with coconuts and rice on low lands.
Barangays San Lorenzo Ruiz and Katipunan, the farthest, nestled at the foot of Malindang Mountain, produced root crops and many other kinds of vegetables which are transported to different towns and cities of the Province. Katipunan, once the place considered the farthest, being 15 kilometers from the national road, is now booming of harvest, and peedlers from other towns and cities of Misamis Occidental brought their dry goods during Saturdays making the place a buy and sell center. It is now the brain child project of the local government to develop this place into a summer capital and tourist place with convenient building facilities.
The 17 barangays of the municipality has a total population of 14,702 with a total revenue income of P7,787,314.68 for the past year.
Our Municipal Officials now, led by our project-oriented Municipal Mayor conceptualize and flesh out bright ideas for the welfare and development of our town. Noticeable above all are the Sinacaban Multi-purpose Gym, (named after the former Health Secretary Hilarion Ramiro Jr.) standing proud, the Quirino Park that glitters by night and the neatly designed with white paintings of the Municipal Hall, are the landmarks of Sinacaban today.
But most of all, Sinacaban hosts the now world famous tourist destination in Misamis Occidental, which is the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP) where visitors enjoy the following amenities: healthy mangroove area with mini-zoo, fish ponds, fish nurseries, hotels and dormitories, restaurants, boat rides, dive and fish feeding at the Dolphin Island, which certainly not only the children will enjoy, but the grown ups and honeymooners as well.
You want to see...
the TREASURES of
Mount Malindang?
