Pandan, officially the Municipality of Pandan, is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 21,473 people.
History
Formerly the town site was located some two kilometers away south of the present site. Then the people were disturbed by constant depredation of bandits coming from other places.
The present site has been chosen because it was near the sea and the fishermen found it very convenient for their trade, however, being near the sea, it was vulnerable to Moros who always come to get their belongings or even capture some people.
As a defense against such moro raids, the people planted pandan shrubs close to each other to form a formidable defense against invaders. When the Spaniards came, they found the plants around the poblacion in great abundance. When asked what the name of the shrubs was, the people told them that they were pandan shrubs. Thus, the Spaniards called the place Pandan.
Historical structures
The Pandan Church was built in 1874. the roof was completely razed by fire in a great conflagration of the town in 1920. This was repaired within five years during the incumbency of Father Jose Magno. The roof was again blown completely in 1940 by the strongest typhoon that has ever passed Catanduanes. It took many years to repair it; again, this was destroyed by typhoon Jean in 1947. Complete repair under the management of Father Orias was done near the end of 1953.
Old ruins
The only old ruin to be found in Pandan is the present Roman Catholic Cemetery. It was constructed during the Spanish era. Formerly, this cemetery was surrounded with concrete walls, which crumbled due to work of time and element. At present, very little portion of the walls remain.
The outstanding events that took place in Pandan during the Spanish regime may be divided into five different aspects, namely, social, political, religious, educational, health and sanitation.
Social and political
The system of governing the town was carried and through the so-called capitan or gobernadorcillo, which at present is called a municipal mayor. He was assisted in the administration of the town by the coadelieros, cabeza de barangay and aguacil who are now called policemen, councilor and barrio lieutenants or barrio captains now barangay captains respectively.
During those days land taxes were unknown. Once a person had paid his personal tax which amounted to P1.50, he was exempted from paying taxes of any kind.
Rape, robbery and killing were the greatest crimes during those days, and the penalty of offenders was death by hanging. Penalties for minor offenses like failure to clean one's surroundings consisted only of confining the guilty in the tribunal, now called the municipal building. Those found guilty were made to stand in a “pandog” all day long and given several beatings.
One thing unique about the Spanish Administration was the equality with which penalties were administered, because no matter what key positions in town one was holding, once he was guilty of any crime he was punished relentlessly.
Religious
On e commendable trend of the time was the people's strict adherence to their religious duties and practices. During Sundays at 7:00 o’clock in the evening a curfew bell in the Tribunal would be sounded, after which nobody was expected to be seen lingering around the town, otherwise, if anybody was caught by the cuadelieros (policemen), he was given a hundred lashes. During curfew hours everybody was expected to be in their respective houses singing such holy songs as the so-called “tarahadi”
Educational
There were very few teachers in the town, because teachers were still to be imported from the mainland. There was no such thing as principal, district supervisor, division superintendent because the administration of the school was solely the teacher's responsibility. During examination time the governor who was the over-all head of the province would just come over and gave oral examination to the pupils.
Severe and inhuman corporal punishment was the order of the day and woe to those who were rather slow in learning their daily lessons. Teaching consisted mostly of religious, a little of handwork and Spanish.
Health and sanitation
One accomplishment achieved along this line was the rigid enforcement of cleanliness of the immediate vicinity of the house. When one is found delinquent of his duty he is hog-tied and given a hundred lashes.