PANDI,BULACAN:
Pandi is a second class rural municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. The municipality of Pandi lies 41 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Manila and is located at the eastern portion of Bulacan Province. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 66,650 inhabitants. With the continuous expansion of Metro Manila, Pandi is now included in the Greater Manila's bui
lt-up area which reaches San Ildefonso, Bulacan at its northernmost part. Pandi is one of the youngest towns in Bulacan. During the Spanish Regime, Pandi was a part of the political jurisdiction of the town of Meycauayan City including the towns of San Jose del Monte, Bocaue, Marilao, Valenzuela, Obando, Santa Maria, Balagtas, it also formed part of the vast Hacienda Santa Maria de Pandi, which included the towns of Sta. Maria and Balagtas and parts of Angat and Bustos. The present site of the Municipal building was then enclosed with high and massive walls similar to the famous Walls of Intramuros, which served as the center of power and activities of the Spanish friars who owned and administered the haciendas. Politically, however, Pandi was then a part of the town Balagtas (then Bigaa until its formal separation and independence on April 17, 1946. The Birth of Town of Pandi:
The independence of Pandi as a new town of Bulacan was through the efforts of Mamerto Carpio Bernardo - The Father of Pandi, Bulacan. During his term as mayor of Balagtas, he worked for the independence of Pandi as a town. Pandi got its independence in 1946 from its mother town Balagtas formerly named Bigaa, under the Presidential Decree of President Sergio Osmeña the 4th president of the country. Geography:
Pandi is located at the center of four adjoining towns of Bulacan Province: Santa Maria; Bustos; Angat; and Balagtas. The land area are mostly rice fields devoted for planting crops and agriculture. Some barrios of the town are covered by irrigation system coming from Angat Dam on the Angat River. There are many little rivers that branch out from this river that become estuaries. Some little rivers provide livelihood by fanning gold. The biggest river is Bunsuran River that empties itself to the Philippine Sea. Along the side of the rivers are banana plantations thriving naturally and many taro plants. Pandi is rich in many natural brooks coming from the mainland itself. In some remote areas the lands are still covered by bamboo trees that naturally thrive and multiplies. Some lands privately owned have mango plantations. In some areas that are privately owned are rock deposits being used for housing materials. The eastern area of Poblacion is gifted by the natural panoramic beauty of the scenery of Sierra Madre Mountains in Luzon. Owing to this the morning climate is always cloudy and cool in some areas of the town proper of Pandi, Bulacan. Some of the natural variations in topography of Pandi land areas have been evened out due to the urbanization of the town. The town's central area has been altered substantially by commercial establishments. Barangays:
Pandi is subdivided into 22 barangays or barrios:
Bagbaguin,Bagong Barrio,Baka-bakahan
Bunsuran I,Bunsuran II,Bunsuran III,
Cacarong Bata - [Kakarong Bata],
Cacarong Matanda - [Kakarong Matanda],
Cupang,Malibong Bata,Malibong Matanda,
Manatal,Mapulang Lupa,
Masagana,Masuso,Pinagkuartelan,
Poblacion,
Real de Cacarong - [Real de Kakarong],
San Roque,Santo Niño,
Siling Bata,Siling Matanda. Early History:
Pandi was originally part of Hacienda of Dominicans named Hacienda which belongs to the Town Santa Maria de Pandi (now Santa Maria,Bulacan) In 1874 it was turn over to the town of Bigaa as one of its Barrio and the religious activity belongs to Convento de Bigaa under the auspices of Augustinian order established a chapel under the advocacy of Immaculate Concepcion. THE BATTLE OF KAKARONG DE SILI;
GENERAL EUSEBIO ROQUE. The Battle of Kakarong de Sili was fought on January 1, 1897 near Pandi, Bulacan, in the Philippines. The Kakarong Republic, based in the little fort in Pandi, was attacked by a force of Spaniards that massacred the Katipuneros there. At the end of the battle, General Eusebio Roque (also known as Maestrong Sebio and Dimabungo) was captured by the Spaniards. The Kakarong republic was considered the first republic formed in Bulacan and in the Philippines. Background:
When the revolution began at Balintawak, Katipuneros to the north of Manila, in the central plains aimed to join in the fight, but after an unsuccessful battle with Spanish forces and Bonifacio, the central luzon Katipuneros lost heart and postponed most of their revolts. However, in Pandi, Bulacan and San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, the revolution had heated up. The Katipuneros in Bulacan established the Kakarong republic and build a fort in the Real de Kakarong area. Sources say that it was like a miniature city, according the biography of Gregorio del Pilar, entitled "Life and Death of a Boy General" written by Teodoro Kalaw, a fort was constructed at 'Kakarong de Sili' that was like a miniature city. It had streets, an independent police force, a musical band, a factory of falconets, bolos and repair shops for rifles and cartridges. The 'Kakarong Republic' had a complete set of officials with Canuto Villanueva as Supreme Chief and 'Maestrong Sebio'- Eusebio Roque as Brigadaire General of the Katipuneros. Battle:
On January 1, 1897, a massive force of fresh Spanish "Cazadores" marching in 6 columns, arrived at the fort, led by the Commandant José Olaguer Feliú. They besieged the fort for a number of hours, fighting the fierce forces of General Eusebio Roque and Gregorio del Pilar. Finally, the walls and the men defending them gave in and Maestrong Sebio's forces were forced to retreat further into the fort. After breaching the walls, they started burning down the settlements, arms repairs and shop houses. The remaining Katipuneros there were massacred by the oncoming force. Gregorio del Pilar, just a lieutenant at that time was wounded and he and the rest of his men retreated to the nearby Barangay Manatal. Canuto Villanueva managed to escape and retreat to other place, but Maestrong Sebio and the rest of his men were captured and imprisoned by the Spaniards, Serbio was executed along with his men, on February 16, 1897. Eventually, Bulacan became a center of rebellion and guerilla tactics began being used by rebels there. The commandant Olaguer Feliú captured six fortifications, 7 guns, an ammunition factory and a large number of fi****ms. The Spanish troops had only one officer and 23 soldiers dead. The injured were 1 officer and 75 soldiers. Aftermath:
Though a victory for the Spaniards, they did not manage to completely pacify the province from the rebels, as some who escaped during the impending battle already retreated to nearby towns and villages and waged guerrilla rebellion there. The Spanish also did not have enough men to completely crush rebel resistance there as most of its men are fighting the rebels in Manila, Morong, Cavite and Laguna provinces. Legacy:
The supposed flag adopted by the Kakarong republic was either the Katipunan banner shown above or a plain red banner. The battle was considered Del Pilar's first "baptism of fire" as a revolutionary general. The Kakarong republic, though hardly recognized or even remembered by historians today, was considered the first organized republic of the Philippine Revolution. The Kakarong Lodge No. 168 of the 'Legionarios del Trabajo' in memory of the 1,200 Katipuneros who perished in the battle erected a monument of the Inang Filipina Shrine - Mother Philippines Shrine in 1924 in the barrio of Kakarong of Pandi, Bulacan. The actual site of the 'Battle of Kakarong de Sili' is now a part of the barangay of 'Real de Kakarong'. None other than one of the greatest generals in the Philippines' history, General Emilio Aguinaldo who became the first Philippine president to visit this sacred ground in the late fifties.
