History of Olutanga

(Photo Credits: Olutanga Friendster)

Long time ago, before the Spaniards came to the country, the island of Olutanga was inhabited by a native tribe, under the leadership at Panglima Santikan and his wife Indah Dindah. This tribe were known as “LUTANGAN”, the origin of the name of the island Olutanga. The main economic activities of this tribe was fishing and some “slash and burn” farming. The island then was dominantly covered with virgin and verdant forest. The Lutangans, because of their nomadic character and love of the sea, wondered from coast to coast around the island in search of rich fishing grounds.

It was only during the Spanish era, that the Lutangans had started to live semi – permanently along the sea shores. Then as years passed, the Tausogs, Samals and the other tribes came to live in the island, which was later named Olutanga after the Lutangan tribe. The first Christians who came to the island were hunters in search of wild life such as wild boars, deer, tamaraws, etc.

Later in the 1920’s, the Cebuanos, Ilongos, and other tribe from Luzon and Visayas came to the island to settle and farm. In 1948, the opening of the Hercules Lumber Company in Subanipa (the trading center of the island now renamed Solar) paved the way for the steady flow of people from the Visayas and Luzon. The establishment of the Lumber Company in the island and the influx of settlers reduced the verdant forest into an agricultural land.

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

Olutanga (the whole island) was formerly a regular barangay of the Municipality of Alicia. On November 17, 1957, Olutanga barangay was elevated into a municipal status, with a juridical personality by virtue of Executive Order # 274, enunciated then by the late President Carlos P. Gracia. Originally, Olutanga was attributed to the whole island itself. However, ten years later on May 18, 1967 the barangay of Mabuhay on the north-eastern side of the island, was created into a municipality by virtue of Republic Act No. 4876. Twenty (20) years later, on November 11, 1977, the Municipality of Talusan was created by virtue of Presidential Degree No. 1237 signed by President Ferdinand E. Marcos. This new Municipality was carved from the Municipality of Olutanga representing the northwestern sector of the island.

The first appointed Municipal Mayor was Honorable Eufemio Quijano. He was later elected as Municipal Mayor, but he served only served for one term. The next Mayor elected was Hon. Gonzalo B. Pidor who served for two terms from 1964 to 1971. He was followed by Hon. Cecilio C. Macion, 1972 to the EDSA Revolution era. Then, in the 1993 local election Dr. Joel G. Capotulan was elected as the Mayor to the present.

Source: Bert2776