﻿ix, d, 6 Robertson: The Igorots of Lepanto 481 



BAGNEN 38 



In olden times this town was known by the name Bagnen. When the 

 Spaniards were in control of this country, they called it rancheria " of 

 Bagnen, but when the Katipunan were the rulers they called it a munic- 

 ipality, and now the present Government names it a township. 



No one knows the exact time when this town was settled; the oldest men 

 at this time and those who have been told of the history by their old people 

 say that this town was organized before the Spaniards came to this coun- 

 try, and thus we do not know the names of the principales and settlers who 

 were the forefathers of the present inhabitants of the barrios. 



Four barrios form the township of Bagnen, and their names are as 

 follows: Bagnen, Data, Laylaya, and Balintoogan. 



In ancient times each of these barrios, except the last named, Balin- 

 toogan, was called a rancheria, and each of them had a gobernadorcillo, 

 teniente mayor, alguaciles, and cabezas de barangay, who were the officials 

 that governed their town, and they had appointments given to them by 

 the comandante politico militar who was in authority in the district. This 

 was not then called a province but Distrito de Lepanto." 



son and the other a daughter. The second is when two friends have 

 children, one a male and the other a female, whom they desire to be related 

 by marriage. The contract having been made by the parents and the day 

 set for the espousals, they advise the old woman who acts as priestess. 

 The families assemble in the house of the parents of the bride. The drum- 

 beat notifies the people of the village and neighbors that there is a function 

 in that house. This is at the cost of the father of the groom. The people 

 give 5 pesos to the father of the bride, unless the bride and groom are of 

 importance. Then presents of 30 or 40 pesos are generally given, with 

 which, together with what the father of the groom expects to spend, they 

 buy basi, carabaos, and pigs which are taken to the house of the bride." 



" Bagnen is located 22 kilometers east of Cervantes. It was out of the 

 usual route of communication, and its inhabitants were more backward 

 than those of other pueblos. During the time of the tobacco monopoly, 

 considerable tobacco was raised in Bagnen, but after the repeal of the 

 monopoly only enough for home consumption was planted. After 1890 

 some coffee was raised. See Perez, Igorrotes, 203-207. 



** A name originally applied by the Spaniards to a small collection of 

 huts. Some of the so-called rancherias in the Philippines approached a 

 small hamlet in size. 



** Teniente mayor, head lieutenant; generally head of a barrio. Alguacil, 

 constable of the courts or of a municipal body. Cabeza de barangay, for- 

 merly the chief of the old Filipino government unit, the barangay. The 

 Spaniards retained the title and made the office appointive or elective. The 

 incumbents of this office were made responsible for the collection of the 

 tribute and taxes, and each officer was supposed to be responsible for 50 

 families. They were subordinate to the gobernadorcillo, and together with 

 him and all ex-gobernadorcillos and ex-cabezas de barangay, formed the 

 principalia. See Blair and Robertson, ut supra, 17, 331; 40, 83, 347-349. 

 Comandante politico militar, the highest Spanish officer of any given mili- 

 tary district. See Worcester [This Journal (1906), 1, 850]: "While all 

 the settlements of the Benguet-Lepanto Igorots have their own govern- 

 180429 — 2 



