Barangays > Tagumpay

Brief History

Manamok, the old name of this place came from lamok, the Tagalog word for mosquito. The pioneers of this community said that when they arrived in this place, swarms of mosquitoes greeted them. In order that they would not get sick of malaria, they drained the stagnant water from the breeding places of mosquitoes and drove out the insects by means of thick smoke coming from bonfires of fresh twigs and leaves.

Until 1945, a great portion of this place was a thick forest where wild pigs, monkeys, tamaraws and deer abound. Only a few families dared to live at the undeveloped homesteads granted to them by the government. The group was composed of the families of Salgado, Advincula, Dantayana, Eniego, Daprosa, Damiray and Macalalad.

In 1950, led by Ignacio Lorenzo, thirty seven families arrived at Balagbag Damo, the wide plain adjacent to Manamok. The group cultivated the grassy plain and cleared the forest of Manamok. Ricefields and cornfields gradually appeared.

Six years later, groups of farmers from other parts of the country arrived in Manamok and Balagbag Damo. They occupied the vacant land not only of the two settlements but also near the rivers of Balingkawing, Viga and Asis. The population of the two places grew until Manamok and Balagbag Damo became sitios of Barrio Claudio Salgado.

In order that their children would be able to study, the parents requested the local officials of Sablayan that a primary school be established in Manamok. Upon the approval of their request, the parents, through cooperative labor constructed a schoolhouse made of cogon, lumber and bamboo for the multi-grade school. Through the passing of years, the number of pupils increased until the multi-grade school in Manamok evolved into a complete elementary school. The first schoolhouse of light materials became concrete school buildings.

In 1963, with the approval of Republic Act No. 3590, popularly known as the Revised Barrio Charter, Sitio Manamok was separated from Claudio Salgado and created as another barrio of Sablayan. Aniceto Abistado was appointed as its first teniente del barrio.

Aside from the barrio proper, placed under the jurisdiction of Manamok were the sitios of Balagbag Damo, Bulawan, Libho, Viga and Pinagtapunan. The farmers of the said places tried their best to increase their palay harvest and they were able to achieve it. Due to their bountiful harvest, Manamok was dubbed as the rice granary of Sablayan. The farmers were greatly pleased with the title given to their barrio that they decided to change the name of Manamok to Tagumpay a Tagalog word which means Victory. They registered it as the official name of their barrio.

During martial law period, a dike was constructed by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) along Amnay River to prevent the frequent overflowing of the floodwater at the palay plantation of the company in Claudio Salgado. Unfortunately, when rainy season came, the floodwater from the river entered the adjacent barangays, including Tagumpay.

The most disastrous flood occurred in this place in 1989. The barrio proper of Tagumpay was destroyed by the strong current of the water. Due to that unfortunate incident, many families transferred to other places.