I.

HISTORY OF EL PUEBLO DE TIAGAN

The Municipality of San Emilio, in the Province of Ilocos Sur, being within the geographical location
of the Cordillera was originally a part and parcel of the old Mountain Province under its 5th sub-
province called Lepanto-Amburayan with Cervantes as its capital. This municipality came into
existence since 1723 through the Spanish colonial Government as “Comandancia Politico Militar”
with its proper name as El Pueblo de Tiagan, as per record of Dr. Henry Scott on his book: “The
Discovery of the Igorots” pp. 230-235. The first municipal head or leader was a Spanish comandanti
Rafael Yanguas who was so strict and cruel to the native or residents of El Pueblo de Tiagan.

On the separation of Concepcion from El Pueblo de Tiagan to become a Municipal District none in
the records of University of the Philippines, Diliman Quezon City as well as the National Archives
and National Library and the Province of Ilocos Sur that sitio Cangao became a part of Concepcion
so that it remain intact with El Pueblo de Tiagan as its Mother Barangay and Municipality since 1902
up to the present.

When the late General Emilio Aguinaldo together with his trusted men, stayed with the natives in El
Pueblo de Tiagan, who on his retreat from the American forces during the Philippine-American War.
He befriended the residents and gained their love, respect and sympathy so that when he left and
proceeded to the direction of Isabela, the local officials agreed unanimously through the leadership of
Emilio Malines, who came next after Yanguars, to change the name of the Municipal district from El
Pueblo de Tiagan to San Emilio in honor to the great revolutionary hero and the first President of the
Philippine Republic, Emilio Aguinaldo, while the former Tiagan was retained and was given to the
most populous barangay within the Municipality.