Republic of the Philippines

TARLAC AGRICUTURAL UNIVERSITY

Camiling, Tarlac

MY ROOT
Diniog, Dilasag, Aurora, Philippines
(Region iii-Central Luzon; 3205)

2023-2024

Submitted by: Fidel Antalan Guieb

BSA-1E
Submitted to: Ms. Angelica P. Madriaga
Local migration, then, has considerable ecological significance. It enables local migrants to have better opportunities.
Since then, the movement of people throughout the Islands in the Philippines become significant in various aspects of
Filipino’s, one of many example of that is the establishment new community having diverse cultural background with
different people. Despite of differences, people in the community has the capacity to build a new nation, and identity.
They unite as one, strengthening community’s affair, appreciating diverse culture and beliefs leading to the
establishment we called “barangay”.

Barangay is the smallest unit of Philippine government. Barangay is one of most helpful units of government in a way
of governing people, and plays an important role in dispute resolution at the local level outside the court system.
Unveiling the beautiful story of our barangay where I was born. With its fascinating landscape, people’s warm smiles
and the home of diverse community. Before we give our focus to explore the Barangay Diniog, let’s dig and research
about the establishment of its municipality-the Municipality of Dilasag, Aurora.

The name "Dilasag" can be divided into two syllables. The prefix
"Di" in the Native Language means "abundance", added to the word
"lasag" which means "meat". The coined word "Dilasag", however,
does not only mean abundance of meat in the place, but also refers to
the over sufficient supply of forest products, marine products and
minerals.

In early 1924, a group of Ilocano settlers with a number of Kapampangans & Pangasinenses from the Province
of Tarlac arrived in Casiguran, which is now the adjacent Town of Dilasag, which were then part of Nueva
Vizcaya. Finding the natives unfriendly to them, these new settlers ventured to move along the coastline going north
and settled finally to what is now called Dilasag.

The place was considered habitable, because the Native Dumagats in the place were friendly. Later, more families
came, making the place a community. This community was soon recognized by the Local Chief Executive of
Casiguran, formerly a municipality of the Province of Quezon. It was declared a sitio of barangay Culat and eventually
a barrio of Casiguran in consideration of its rapid progress and development.

In 1959, Quezon 1st District Representative Manuel Enverga introduced House

Bill No. 2863 in the House of Representatives, resulting to the approval
of Republic Act No. 2452 on June 21, 1959, making Dilasag a municipal district,
separating it from Casiguran. It was then part of the province of Quezon under
the sub-province of Aurora until the latter became a province of its own in 1979.

Baranggay Diniog is a home of people with different races such as ethnicity,

tribes, as a result of migration since from the 1950’s to 1960’s. Before the
barangay Diniog establishment, the first settlers were the tribe of Dumagat(Agta-
Casiguranin). The name "Diniog" can be divided into two syllables. The prefix
"Di" in the Native Language means "abundance", added to the word "niyog" which
means "coconut".
“Diniog establishment: Noong si Diosdado Macapagal daw ang president, ‘di niya alam exact date.”

The migration is one of leading factor why the demographic profile of Baranggay Diniog increased for the past five
decades. According to my Grandparents, and relatives from my father side. When their first settlement in Diniog, They
described the place as virgin forest. With the abundance of natural resources such as big trees (troso), fishes, hundreds
eggs of sea turtle, Mountain Deer (Usa), reptiles, Giant Monitor Lizard, Philippine Warty Pig-Sus philippensis
(Baboy-ramo), in native they called it “Ulingo/Alingo”.

Since the discovery of the place and decided to settled there, they start to clean and convert forest into cultivating land
to plant Peanut, Maize, and later on Rice and Coconut tree. Upon the settlement, they also describe the place as
punching bag of super typhoons, the rainy days are expected to fall the whole year.

Their home is designed to fit for the wet environment and to stand the typhoons that usually hit the place. They use
Abiang/Abyang (Anahaw) and the Pan-aw (Cogon grass) as roof covers and literal big body of trees such Kamagong,
Lauan and Molave as their house foundation prototypes, while their flooring is made up of fine lumber from Narra
tree, and commonly Bamboo grass, in native they called it as “Datar”. They usually built their homes elevated since
the location has high vulnerability to natural hazard, they have to adapt the environment for them to avoid
inconvenience.

The common livelihood of community are fishing, hunting, and agriculture. My ancestors plant hundreds of coconut
trees and clean the forest to widen their private properties as result today, my father owned several hectare of land for
cultivation purposes. My father and relatives were skilled in hunting, fishing and agriculture as our ancestors trained
them.

“ Nauna nilang settlement: Palayan City N.E (1960)

Nakarating Sila sa Dilasag Central 1980”

My grandparents, around 1960 they start their making their way to search where to find their fortune, and arrived in
Nueva Ecija Province. The main purpose of their migration was to find land where they could execute their plan to
establish their families and livelihood. After several days of flight, first settlement was in municipality of Palayan
City, Nueva Ecija, but then the fate doesn’t favor them. After their unfortunate fate, God’s will redirected them to find
a heavenly place, where the municipality of Dilasag located. It was fortunate and God gifts for them to find the land of
abundance of the east. I can relate my ancestor story to the Ferdinand Magellan voyage, Magellan had his ending as he
circumnavigate the Earth, while my ancestors established their settlement, until now their children which is us will
carry their name and history to the next generation.

Today, according to statistics- PSA data, from 2015 data, the population of Diniog grew from 1,071 in 1990 to 2,726
in 2020, an increase of 1,655 people over the course of 30 years. The latest census figures in 2020 denote a positive
growth rate of 1.97%, or an increase of 241 people, from the previous population of 2,485 in 2015. To 2020 data, Its
population as determined by the 2020 Census was 2,726. This represented 15.94% of the total population of Dilasag.
“In the northernmost town of Aurora- the municipality of Dilasag where Baranggay Diniog is located and the least-
spoiled with its lush forests and greeneries. Farming is a major source of income in Dilasag with rice, corn, coconut,
banana and peanuts as primary crops. Root crops like sweet potato, cassava and yam are also found here, as well as
vegetable and fruit-bearing trees like coffee, citrus, rambutan.”

Aside from the natural abundance, the people itself living in the same Baranggay plays important role of the discovery
and establishment of the communities, since people start to changed and development as economic activity arise.

In promoting Barangay Diniog, there are various local destinations to

visit, here comes the water falls, Parang Hills, Beaches, and the
hospitable people wearing their warmest smiles. The product of
hardworking people from Diniog, as we support them by promoting
helping our local producers and domestic Eco-tourism industry.

Barangay Diniog is known for its many white-sand beaches. The

most popular is Canaware, a secluded lagoon with velvety sand and
soothing waters. Parang Hills with its picturesque sunrise view with the Pacific Ocean and Sierra Madre mountain
range.

“With dedicated people and people ready to serve for the benefit of the many, it is no doubt that the longed progress
will soon be achieved.”

Agbiag ti Dilasag!

References:
1. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023, October 27). barangay. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/barangay
2. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Mount_Bintuod
3. https://www.philatlas.com/barangays.html
4. http://www.travelgrove.com/travel-guides/Philippines/Dilasag-History-c1486996.html
5. https://www.philatlas.com/luzon/r03/aurora/dilasag.html