Barangays > San Nicolas

Brief History

In an old map drawn by Fr. Murillo Velarde, a Spanish friar, the place where the progressive community of Dongon was located during the Spanish regime is also the location of Brgy. San Nicolas at present. The map showed that people were already living in this place, even before the creation of the province of Mindoro.

Based on the researches of Antoon Postma, Dongon was first mentioned in history in 1665. It was mentioned in the report of an Augustinian Recollect missionary that a group of men living in this village walked for days towards Naujan to receive the sacrament of Baptism from the Jesuit priest doing mission work there.

In 1749, based on the report of a missionary, it appeared that Dongon was the biggest village in the island of Mindoro, since the number of people residing here reached 695, bigger than the population of Bongabong which was 645, Calapan – 565 and Naujan – 400.

In 1754, month of August, a big group of pirates aboard six boats attacked the progressive village of Dongon. They burned the church after removing there the books and materials made of silver. They cut off the heads and arms of the statues of saints, destroyed the ricefields of the farmers, mercilessly killed 45 men and women and captured 98 able bodied inhabitants.

Despite the danger brought by piratical raids, in 1802 Dongon was made as the residence of the Comandante Subalterno. The power of the comandante was second only to the corregidor which is equivalent to the governor of the island of Mindoro, at present.

Dongon as residence of the Comandante Subalterno lasted only for more than twenty years. People gradually disappeared from this village due to their extreme fear of Moro pirates, the fugitives from the law and the dreaded disease of malaria. This place was last mentioned in a map drawn in 1829, where the following words were written: Dongon, a visita of Calapan no longer inhabited by people.

During the American regime, a group of fishermen from Maningning, an island of the province of Antique, lived in the former village of Dongon. However, since the indigenous people belonging to the Tau-Buhid tribe called the river near the place where they built huts as Garo-Garo, they also called their settlement by that name.

Years later, Garo-Garo became a sitio of Barrio Sta. Lucia since like the said barrio, Tambungon and Malisbong, this place was also a part of Aguinaldo Estate. It lasted for many years. However, the people of Garo-Garo found it hard to go to Sta. Lucia especially during rainy season when Mompong River usually overflow its banks. They requested the local officials of Sablayan that the jurisdiction over their sitio be transferred to Barrio Ligaya. Their request was granted.

The Department of Education opened an elementary school in the sitio. In 1982, since it met the requirements needed for the elevation of its status to a barrio, Garo-Garo was separated from Ligaya and created as another barrio. The residents agreed to change the name of their community to San Nicolas, in honor of a teacher who was assigned in this place.

In 1989, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) constructed an irrigation system in San Nicolas. The said government agency also helped in the construction of the road from the barrio to the highway. The said infrastructure projects helped in the progress of the community.