Barangay Poblacion- A Capsule of History

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The history of Poblacion is closely interlinked with the town itself since it is the center of activities of the town and because it is the seat of the Municipal Government.

It will be recalled that per researches made by Atty. Marcelino E. Tolentino in his “A Chronicle of Anao”, the early settlers who came from Camiling were the families of Gregorio Concepcion, Cosme Capurian, Fruto Pastor and Bruno Evangelista. These families settled at the place which we now call Barangay San Jose. However, due to the recurrent floodings of the area, they decide to transfer to higher grounds. They moved further east and settled to what is now called the center of the town. Other families arrived and who settled in the same place were the Javiers, the Blancos, the Butardos and the Baguindocs. These families came from Paoay, Ilocos Norte to seek adventures. As more and more families arrived, the settlement grew and radiated around the central hub. In time, this central hub of the new town was referred to as Poblacion, showing the influence of the Spanish language. Indeed, the central section of any new town is always referred to as “Poblacion”. Nowadays, we refer it as “Kabayanan”, a Filipino word.

On November 17, 1897, Spanish troops stationed at Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija, under the command of Lt. Espejo, raided the town. They were engaged in combat by Filipino farmers under Laureano Padua. The encounter took place at what is now our public plaza. This indomitable spirit of our Filipino defenders bowed down to sheer superiority in number and arms of the raiding force. Anao, was still a barrio of Paniqui. On March 16, 1870 Anao became a municipality.

From as far back on the previous era, the head of the town was called Capitan Municipal. The first Capitan Municipal of Anao was Don Fruto Pastor. There was no municipal building at that time so that the house of Mr. Juan Baguisi, Sr. served as the temporary Municipal Building. In those days, too, the head of the barrio was called teniente del barrio. Among the post war head of Poblacion was Mr. Marcelino E. Tolentino. He was succeeded by the late Mr. Juan F. Tolentino, his father, and later by Mr. Francisco Concepcion. The honoraria of the teniente del barrio at that time was only twenty pesos (P20.00) a month.

In the early part of 1956, the Municipal Building which was a pre-war construction was renovated. The old building was constructed of lumber with “sawali” walls at the upper floor. The officers of the Municipal Government were temporarily transferred to the house of the late Mr. Juan Tolentino. This house stood across the street from what is now the Roman Catholic Church.

As time went on, the families began to flourish and more buildings were erected, like the Elementary School Buildings, the Aglipayan Churches on the western and eastern side of the Municipal Building, the Foundations of the People’s Academy accommodated in the house of Mr. Juan Tolentino, the Founding of the Anao Barangay High School, now named Anao High School at the eastern side of the Public Plaza, the construction of the Puericulture Center at the back of the Municipal Building undertaken by the Anao Womens Club and the Puericulture Center Club, and the construction of an open-air multi-purpose center at the western side of the Municipal Building.

Our Municipal Officials, past and present, have endeavored to make our municipality progressive, no matter how small it is. More buildings were erected in Poblacion, in the municipal compound. We have the Public Market constructed at the back of the Municipal Building. The Bulwagan Natin, the Covered Court in front of the Municipal Building, the Police Headquarters, constructed at the eastern side of the Public Plaza, the SB Building erected at the astern side of the Main Building of the Municipal Building. The houses around the Municipal Building which were constructed of bamboos and cogon before the war are now renovated and became concrete and permanent house. An eight-room, two storey apartment was erected at the eastern side of the Municipal Building across the street.

The streets around the Poblacion are brightly lighted with electricity. This was a project of the Barangay Council under Ex-Barangay Captain Ernesto Valdez in 1994, and more electric posts were put up last 1995 when Poblacion won first place in the Provincial level as the Cleanest and Greenest barangay in the province. More improvements are a manifestation of the barangay residents cooperation thru the support of the barangay officials headed by Brgy. Captain Ernesto Q. Concepcion

Brgy. Poblacion is thus, the heart of the town, the cream of the municipality and the show window of the town of Anao.

THE SEAL

The Barangay Council of Poblacion, Anao, Tarlac agreed to have this logo to show the existence of the first buildings erected at the center of the town which was called Poblacion. In this logo, we have the municipal building, the church, the school buildings erected on this area. These people shown below were the first families that settled in the area who came from Camiling.

The background resembles the Anahw plam which were grown abundantly in this place before. The Anahaw is one which our town Anao derived its name and was founded on March 16, 1870 when it became a municipality.

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