by Restituto C. Basa

DID you know that the lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem was written in Barrio Nibaliw on August 30, 1899?

The author was Jose Palma, soldier-poet during the Philippine-American war.

It was written in the house of Doña Romana G. vda de Favis. This house served as the “Malacañang” of the Aguinaldo republic from June up to November 13, 1899. Thus Nibaliw served as capital of the Republic.

Nibaliw, formerly a barrio of Bayambang, was created as a town on June 24, 1900. It was created by the Aguinaldo republic to celebrate the victory of the Katipunan revolution against Spain.

It was named Bautista in honor of its patron saint, San Juan Bautista or John the Baptist in English. June 24 is the feast day of John the Baptist.

This saint is also the patron saint of Freemasonry.

The town of Bautista is the crowning glory of the Katipunan revolution. And the Katipunan revolution was said to be the “unwanted daughter of Freemasonry.”

The Katipunan came from the womb of Freemasonry. The Katipunan was organized by six Freemasons to wit: Andres Bonifacio, Jose Dizon, Ladislao Diwa, Valentin Diaz, Deodato Arellano and Teodoro Plata.

Nibaliw, the name of what became the town of Bautista, is a Pangasinan word which means across the river. And Nibaliw is situated across the Agno river from Bayambang, her mother town.

Aside from Jose Palma’s poem “Filipina” which became the lyrics of our national anthem, the last issue of the revolutionary newspaper, La Independencia, edited by General Antonio Luna, was printed in a coach of the train stationed in Nibaliw.

Just after putting out the last issue of the newspaper, Luna received a telegram. The telegram advised Luna to proceed to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, for a conference with President Aguinaldo.

When he arrived at Aguinaldo’s head quarters, the President was out of town. Luna got mad and uttered abusive language.

Hurt by Luna’s sharp tongue, the security guards of the headquarters shot the Ilocano general. With the death of Luna, the Philippine Army lost its ablest general.

As presently constituted, Bautista has a land area of 12,150 hectares.

It is bounded in the east by Alcala; in the south by Moncada; in the west by Bayambang, and in the north by Malasiqui.

Its first town executive, who held the title of Presidente Municipal, was Don Ramon Renado, a wealthy landowner and the top Katipunan leader of Nibaliw.

Bautista is the hometown of Congressman Amado T. Espino of the second district and his younger brother also named Amado, provincial and board member of the fifth district.