Activity 5: Historical place

           As with the other towns in Bulacan, Plaridel has its prominent place in Philippine History. It is the site of the Battle of Quingua during the Philippine-American War as part of the defense of the First Philippine Republic against the Northern Campaign of the American Army. A marker now stands at the site of the battle in Barangay Agnaya in memory of the historical battle happened in the site.

            Plaridel's history can be traced through records back to 1595, in the early years of the Spanish colonization, when the Augustinian friars from Malolos moved north and discovered a vast forest in 1595 which was later known as Quingua. As per as the history of the Parish of St. James the Apostle recorded, Quingua was established by the Augustinian order from Malolos and named it "Encomienda Binto" (Brgy. Bintog got it name here). They built a mission chapel placed it under the jurisdiction of the Parish of the Immaculate Concepcion. The mission chapel was elevated into an independent parish named Parroquia de Santiago Apostol and Quingua was separated from the district of Malolos as a new pueblo or town in 1602. Plaridel is surrounded by the rivers of Angat, Bulacan and Tabang River running through it. The Angat River or Bulacan River flows directly to Calumpit, Bulacan meeting the Pampanga River. The Tabang river, a tributary with adjoining intersections dividing the middle of the present Poblacion, flows to Manila Bay passing the Guiguinto and Bulacan towns. The water of this river was called "Tabang" or fresh water.

         Very few people lived here, and most were closely related. Each group had a leader called "tandis." Different groups spoke different dialects; Pampango,  Pangasinan, Ilocano and Tagalog. From Calumpit, Spanish priests and missionaries of the Augustinian Order, led by the Rev. Fr. Bernardino de Leon, frequently visited the place, preaching the Catholic faith, using the "balsa" or bamboo raft as their means of transportation. The missionaries decided to clear the land and establish settlements, from which they could work to bring unity to the people. They needed ideas to bring this about so each "Tandis" drew up a plan to pursue. For seven years, the groups of people labored, so much so that when the priest returned they found the area completely cleared. They inquired among the natives for who should be credited and the Pampangos exclaimed, "Quing wawa". So every now and then, to every question of the friars, the people would reply "Quing wa". Thereafter, the place was called Quingua.

References:

* History of Plaridel

https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Revisiting-the-History-of-Plaridel