VINZONS, CAMARINES NORTE

By: Gapoy, Frednixen

Brief Overview of Vinzons, Camarines Norte

Greetings! I am cadet Gapoy, Frednixen, hailed from the historical town of Vinzons. In this
article, I am going to The Municipality of Vinzons (Tagalog: Bayan ng Vinzons), is a 3rd
class municipality in the province of Camarines Norte, Philippines. According to the 2015
census, it has a population of 43,485 people.  The Calaguas Islands is under the jurisdiction of
Vinzons.
Location in Map

ORIGIN OF THE NAME OF VINZONS

Historically speaking, the first recorded name of Vinzons was Tacboan and then altered
changed to Indan at which time the Mayor was Pedro Barbin. The town was then renamed
"Vinzons" in honor of Wenceslao Q. Vinzons, then Governor of the province. He was the
youngest delegate to the 1934 Philippine Constitutional Convention and a guerrilla leader
martyred by the Japanese during World War II.

HISTORY OF ESTABLISHMENT OF VINZONS, CAMARINES NORTE

The town was established in 1581 by the Franciscan priests without a patron saint and without
a church. In 1611, Fr. Juan de Losar, OFM built a church named after Saint Peter. Fr. Losar was
the first Parish Priest of the church. In 1624, the whole town of Tacboan was relocated and it
was called Indan where a new church was built with the same Patron Saint, St. Peter the
Apostle.

NOTABLE HERO FROM VINZONS, CAMARINES NORTE: Wenceslao “Bintao” Quinito Vinzons 

Wenceslao “Bintao” Quinito Vinzons was a Filipino patriot and leader of the Philippine armed

resistance against the Japanese invasion in World War II. He was the youngest delegate to the
1935 Philippine Constitutional Convention. For leading demonstrations as a student leader, he
was dubbed the "Father of Student Activism in the Philippines".

Wenceslao Vinzons was among the first Filipinos to organize a guerrilla movement at the onset
of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941. In the course of the resistance, he was
captured and executed by the occupying Japanese military.
Within days following the arrival of the Japanese Occupation forces in the Philippines, Vinzons
began to organize armed resistance in the Bicol region against the invading army, which had
reached the region on December 12, 1941. He commandeered the rice warehouses in
Camarines Norte, and ordered the confiscation of explosives used in the province's gold mines
for use against the Japanese forces. By December 18, 1941, he would lead a raid against a troop
of Japanese soldiers in Basud, Camarines Norte. His guerrilla recruits soon grew to around 2,800
strong, and in May 1942, Vinzons would lead these forces to successfully liberate the provincial
capital of Daet. It is said that between December 1941 and May 1942, Vinzons' troops, armed
with poisoned arrows among other weapons, were able to kill around 3,000 Japanese soldiers.
Henceforth, the capture of Vinzons became a prime objective of the Japanese army. Through
the traitorous collaboration of a renegade guerrilla-turned-informant,

Vinzons was seized by the Japanese military together with his father on July 8, 1942. He refused
to pledge allegiance to his captors, and was brought to a garrison in Daet. It was there, on July
15, 1942, that Vinzons was bayoneted to death after refusing one final entreaty to cooperate
with the Japanese forces. Shortly thereafter, his father, wife, sister and two of his children were
also executed by the Japanese.

HISTORICAL EVENTS AND MARKS IN VINZONS

1st Historical Mark: St. Peter the Apostle Church

The oldest church in Camarines Norte showcases the rich and wealth heritage of the province.
Head to the rustic town of Vinzons – the home of Saint Peter the Apostle Parish.  St. Peter the
Apostle Church, also known as the Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol, is a Roman Catholic church
located in the municipality of Vinzons in Camarines Norte, Philippines. It is the oldest church in
Camarines Norte built by the Franciscan friars in 1611.

Architectural design

The facade is plain and traditional, with a triangular pediment and a flat wall. There are no
horizontal bands to separate the facade into storey, though a steam of cornices separate the
pediment from the wall. An arched main portal contrasts against the otherwise plain facade,
its smoothness stark against the unflustered mason work of the rest of the facade. The
spacious central niche holds the town patron, surrounded by a florid frame. A square bell
tower rises to the church's left. It tapers slightly and a peculiar layering indicates different
types of masonry used in its construction. Its campanile windows are protected with
decorative balustrades and a squat spire is topped with a cross

Historical Event Concerning the Church

In the year 1936, the church of Labo was established by the missionaries and combined with
Indan. In 1661 the administration was given to the Secular Clergy. In the year 2012, The 400-
year-old church of Vinzons, Camarines Norte, was gutted by a fire that raged for over four
hours. The fire started at the old convent and spread to the neighboring church edifice. The
PNP quoted Fr. Francisco Regala, parish priest, as saying that the fire damaged old artifacts and
documents. The total damage was placed from P8 million to P10 million. With the joint effort of
the residents of Vinzons, and with the help of other people from other part of the world, the
church was renovated and opened again on June 2015.

2nd Historical Mark

The two-storey ancestral house of honorable Wenceslao Vinzons was declared a National
Historical Landmark in 1991 by the National Historical Institute. It wasn’t challenging to spot his
house as it stands gallantly along the main road at the town’s poblacion. It features a public
library and house some of Wenceslao Vinzons memorabilia. Unfortunately, it was closed for a
long time as it is not safe enter the house anymore. The structure is already in a state of
dilapidation and needs urgent rehabilitation.