Gumaca

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Gumaca, one of the oldest towns in Quezon Province and only several years younger than the “Noble and Ever Loyal City of Manila,” was already a well-established community even before the Spaniards came. The community had a barangay government as early as the 14th century, Lakan Bugtali being the earliest ruler according to oral tradition and Lakan Gitingan being the last. The barangay had for its territory much of the areas now under the territorial jurisdiction of the municipalities of Atimonan, Plaridel, Lopez, Calauag, Alabat, Perez, Quezon, Unisan, Pitogo, and Macalelon. Located at the mouth of what is now known as Pipisik River and nestling at the foot of the Sierra Madre range, it was – as it is now – also the center of local trade and commerce.


It was perhaps because of this that the Franciscan friar, Fray Diego de Oropesa, first set foot in the community and introduced Christianity to the people with St. Diego de Alcala being proclaimed as the pueblo’s patron saint. In 1582, the first “visita” was erected and 1686 marked the establishment of a full-pledged town with independent (civil) government, the earlier ones having been headed by the ever-present Spanish friars (The municipality boasts of a still complete line-up of chief executives from 1574 down to the present.).


TWO TALES OF TOWN

As in the case of otner communites existing prior to the Spanish conquest, Gumaca's pre-and early Hispanic history is introduced by the indentity-building power of myth and enriched by the culture-forming force of folklore. Here are the two tales of how Gumaca came to be.

... Early in the 14th century, lakan Bugatali ruled a relatively large settlement covering 93 barangays facing the then Gusuan Bay. He was fearless and defended his people againts the marauding attacks of local bandits and foreign pirates, the most nototious of whom is Lam Ong.

Lam Ong was feared as he was ruthless, His crippling forays did not escape even the valuables of ships plying the trade routes along the bay. Master of the bay area, indeed, Lam Ong became.

Lakan Bugtali - with his fighting skills honed by the battles he had won on land and sea - would prove, however, to be his nemesis. But for sometine the Lakan would just advise his men to keep their distance from Lam Ong and be alert on his devastating plunders

Their fate would ultimately meet when Lam Ong heard of captivating beauty of Lakambini Tala, the daughter of Lakan Bugtali. To prove this to himself Lam Ong, disguised as a native, went ashore one evening. He saw her and was immediately entharalled by her physical charm. He then contrived to take her by force.

Lakan Bugtali, however, was more clever than he, Informed by hi smen that there seemed to be a suspisiously unusual activity at sea, the Lakan made his men ready for a possible attack by the pirates. He even devised a ploy of having a festivity held at his residence as a diversionary tactic.

Before Lam Ong's forces could strike, his plot to assault was thwarted and his men were routed by Lakan Bugtali's. Not to be outdone, Lam Ong managed to get hold of Lakambini for whom he was challenged by the Lakan to fight it out with him as any self-respecting warrior would.

Both showed their fighting prowess. Both seemed to be equal in skill and in strength. Lakan Bugtali, in the end, won. Not only was Lam Ong overpowered. He also died, his body ablaze by the torch that he bumped after receiving the fatal blow from Lakan Bugtali.

In gratitued and in recognition of Lakan Bugtali's bravery, the people decided to name their settlement BUMAKA, meaning to fight. Over the years, Bumaka became GUMAKA. In the meantime, Gusuan Bay came to be known as Lamon Bay to mark the place where lam Ong was seen floating after his dead body was thrown by Lakan Bugtali...

... In the early days of Spanish colonization when the Spanish friars acted not only as the caretaker of the soul but also of the community, men wating at the seashore for the harvest of the sea became the butt of joke among the fisher folks. Or were they? Here why.

While waiting for the fishermen to bring in their early catch, men were fond of group-sitting themselves along the seashore and talking about the events that happened the day before. In times when the arrival of the fishermen was delayed, these men had the habit of continuing their conversation late into lunchtime.

On occasions like this, the friar while making his rounds of the community as father of the soul the administrator of the pueblo - two of the simultaneous functions he delighfully performed - would thrash the buttocks of the people ans say "Mana Indyo, umuwi nan bahay, hala sulon,, gumawa ka," the last phrase when uttered quickly came to be pronounced as gumaka.

Repeatedly many times over to avert the tendency ot be unproductive from becoming a habit, such exhortation by the good friar began to be mimicked by the people. They would say Gumaka to warnd one another of the friar's approach every time he would make his rounds. In time they would greet onen another with the word Gumaka, either as a minicker on themselves or on the good priest....

Such was how the community to be known as GUMACA