THE STORY OF MAINIT

(an excerpt from Magelle M. Labrador)

The Lake. The spring.

          The first is the recipient of the latter. The latter pours out to the former in a
never-ending cycle of ebbs and flows.

          And so goes the tale of the town of Mainit, interminably twined to the tales of
the spring and the lake.

          Mapaso Hot Spring is the sulfuric hot spring that flows into a river– aptly
named Mainit River — that spans the periphery of the place. The river, of course,
flows out into the tranquil Mainit Lake which in turn feeds thousands of inhabitants of
nearby towns.

          Historical accounts say the first peoples were the Negrito tribe who inhabited
the shores of Mainit Lake. True to their habits of mobility, they moved from place to
place but they keep coming back – even up to the present. The Negritoes first set up
a village now called as Daang Lungsod. There, families lived together not only for
filial and economic reasons, but for security as well.

          Shortly after the villagers settled in peace, they experienced violent foray of
invaders into their homes. The first invaders were Moro pirates who looted homes
and captured members of the village. These invasions brought about the re-
settlement of the villagers in another place that is now the present town site, Mainit.

          Christianity reached the place with the arrival of Spanish Jesuits, among them,
Padre Urios. A convent was built and soon a catholic school was opened. Soon
after, the local government was organized. The first administrative officials were
known as capitan and cabeza. The following were the first Capitans:

Capitan Bonifacio Mupas

Capitan Macario Francisco

Capitan Saturnino Libarnes

Capitan Hilario Villamon Mosende

Capitan Pio Murcilla

Capitan Lino Libarnes Mozar

    Mainit had its part in the many foreign invasions of the country. The Chinese came
in the person of Carlos Lo Hernandez, a son of a Chinese trader. His marriage to a
Mainitnon is among the first intermarriages that brought forth descendants who
became the decisive personalities in the political growth of the town.
          The American government mandated the creation of Mainit as a barrio of
Placer Municipality. The succeeding years were a territorial tug-of-war between
Agusan and Surigao Provinces for jurisdiction of Mainit. Eventually, Surigao Province
won the case and Mainit was again reverted into a barrio of Placer.

          Two decades later, Ceferino Lozada, the grandson of the Chinese trader, was
elected municipal presidente of Placer municipality together with two other Mainit
locals, Juan Moselina as vice presidente and Antonio Grecia Mozar as councilor.

          Another decade later, Mainit was re-organized into a municipality under

Executive Order No. 290 in December 27, 1930, signed by Governor General Dwight
Davies. Antonio Grecia Mozar was appointed presidente of the new town and
Vedasto Mosende was vice presidente.

                   Almost always, a place gets known elsewhere for its people. Nowadays,
the Mainitnon is both modern and conservative. While technology has reached this
beautiful town, beliefs and traditions still grow strong in the hearts of the people and
are practiced up to the present. In fact, it seems that modernity and globalization
have worked well in the preservation of its culture and in its growth and march to
progress. Cable television, cellular phones, land telephones, and transportation are
among the novel innovations of technology available to the Mainitnon. Proof of the
wonderful union of technology and custom is the existence of an Internet website for
any and all Mainitnons – mainit.org which is open to all! The unifying element here of
course, is being a Mainitnon where you get in touch with everybody through the
power of the Internet.

Now, the seat of power of the locality is situated in Magsaysay, Mainit,

Surigao del Norte, where the current municipal building is located. During the
conduct of the cadastral survey sometime in 1972, it was identified that the lot
number where the municipal building is situated is Lot 2055.

Further, the municipal building expanded and different buildings were

erected in its adjacent lots. For instance, Lot No. 2056-F became home to the
Mainit Municipal Gymnasium. Lot No. 2056-G is where the Rural Health Unit is
located and Lot No. 2056-E is the location of the Sangguniang Bayan building.

                  The town has grown comparably throughout the years, yet the old charm
of its people can still be seen and felt. It is an unspoken source of pride – being a
Mainitnon. For what could be the reason for coming home after many years of
staying abroad or out-of-town rather than claiming one’s roots and beginnings.

           In this great cycle of life, we remain true to our beginnings.

           The Lake. The Spring. The namesake.

           Mainit. The Mainitnon.

 

Sources:

“History and Legends of Mainit”, Interview with Ex-Mayor Antonio G. Mozar by Alicia
L. Mozar, 1993

LGU Files, Mainit Local Government

 http://www.surigaoislands.com/mainit_story.html

DENR lot surveys