Summary List and Fast-facts on new entries in the inventory of Marinduque's Local Cultural Property.
Malbog Sulfuric Hot Spring
Location: Brgy. Malbog, Buenavista, Marinduque
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PANGALAN NG ARI-ARIANG KULTURAL (Name
of Cultural Property) |
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 42. MALBOG SULFURIC
HOT SPRING |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): Malbog Sulfuric
Hot Spring |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): Malbog Sulfuric
Hot Spring |
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During
the American occupation of the island, soldiers of the 13th U.S. Infantry
stricken with dysentery were transported to Buenavista simply due to the fact
that “there is a large effervescing sulphur spring which has quite a
traditional reputation among the natives of the community”.
In
the Philadelphia Medical Journal published in 1903 Dr. T.H. Weisenburg, who
served as a surgeon in the U.S. Army during the pacification campaign in
Marinduque wrote: “It is said that drinking of this water would stop diarrhea
of any kind. It is possible even now to buy water from this spring in any
drugstore in Manila”. Literature on the treatment of tropical dysentery with
sulphur was very limited during that period.
According to Weisenburg’s account he had three acute cases and about fifteen chronic amebic dysentery cases, and with all medications withdrawn, were “made to drink the sulphur water exclusively and given a bath in the sulphur spring every morning”. Immediate improvement was noticed in two of the patients, he wrote. Eventually all were cured in periods that varied from three to six weeks after treatment was begun. (Except one who vomited the sulphur, was put back on medicinal treatment, but was found out to be a “Vino fiend” and was subsequently sent to Manila).
During the
Spanish and early American occupation, water from this hot spring was sold in
bottles and was labeled “Agua de Boac”. It could be taken internally as a cure
for dysentery or applied externally for skin disorders. Anacleto del Rosario, a
leading pharmacist and chemist during the Spanish period who made a lot of
analyses of mineral springs and medicinal waters in the country, also examined
the chemical components of “Agua de Boac” and considered it comparable to other
well-known curatives like “Agua de Carabana” and “Agua de Vichy” from Europe.
At the 1904 World’s Fair in New Orleans, Agua de Boac was included among the exhibits from the Philippines.
Aerial view, Malbog Sulfuric Hot Spring
Location: Baltazar Island (Tres Reyes Islands), Brgy. Pinggan, Gasan, Marinduque
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 43. BALTAZAR
LIGHTHOUSE AND KEEPER’S DWELLING |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): Baltazar
Lighthouse |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): Parola sa
Baltazar |
Baltazar Lighthouse was built during the American occupation between 1901-1903.
It was eventually ravaged by time and typhoons, but in 1954 RA 1144 was passed appropriating funds for lighthouse stations including the repair of the said Baltazar Lighthouse keeper's dwelling.
The lighthouse was eventually rehabilitated through a 1991 deal with Japan's ODA Loan executed by MARINA.
The lighthouse is an important navigational aid to maritime vessels traversing Tablas Strait that separates the islands of Mindoro, Marinduque and Romblon with Panay islands.
The
keeper's dwelling apparently remained untouched. Picture taken in 2008, shows
the structure damaged by typhoons/elements but later stronger typhoons
destroyed the building. It was the
oldest American-built standing structure in Marinduque. No rehabilitation has
been undertaken for the keeper’s dwelling.
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Baltazar
Island is right in the Verde Island Passage Marine Corridor and is home to
new Sawshark species and underwater caves. |
Azimuth Station Baltazar
Location: Baltazar Island, Brgy. Pinggan, Gasan, Marinduque
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 44. AZIMUTH STATION BALTAZAR |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): None |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): None |
Sample of Azimuth Mark.
Geodetic Survey Benchmark - Image Courtesy of National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Commerce (USA)
AZIMUTH STATION BALTAZAR IS IN THE VICINITY OF THE LIGHTHOUSE
AND KEEPER’S DWELLING
The defining geodetic azimuth (from south) to station
Baltazar is ao = 009° 12’ 37.000”, the
ellipsoid of reference
is the Clarke 1866
where: a = 6,378,206.4 meters, and 1/f =
294.9786982.
Azimuth Station Baltasar:
Station
Balanacan (more popularly known as Luzon Datum), in Brgy. Hinanggayon, Mogpog had
for its geodetic azimuth mark the Station BALTASAR (azimuth: 90 12'
37".00) located in Baltazar Island.
O.W. Ferguson established both stations with H.D. King as Chief Of
Party. The historical documentation on the triangulation of the Philippine
Islands gives the establishment of this Azimuth Station as 1906.
Background:
The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS)
executed the earliest topographic work of significance from 1901-1942. Numerous
local datums were established at “Astro stations” in various parts of the
Philippines. But as the triangulation was extended to the central and southern
part of the islands it was found necessary to establish a new datum, the Luzon
Datum of 1911. It is defined by its origin near San Andres Point on Marinduque
Island.
That
point is at Station Balanacan where: Fo = 13° 33’ 41.000” North, Do = 121° 52’
03.000” East of Greenwich, and the geoid/spheroid separation Ho - ho = 0.34 meters. This is now identified as
the geodetic center of the Philippines.
But
it cannot exist without an azimuth. The defining geodetic azimuth (from south)
to station Baltasar is: ao = 009° 12’ 37.000”, the ellipsoid of reference is
the Clarke 1866 where: a = 6,378,206.4 meters, and 1/f = 294.9786982. *
It
was well controlled by 98 measured base lines, 52 observed azimuths, and 49
latitude and telegraphic longitude stations. The supplementary triangulation
extended along the shores of bays and harbors and up rivers and creeks.
The
defining geodetic azimuth (from south) to station Baltazar is ao = 009° 12’ 37.000”, the ellipsoid of
reference is the Clarke 1866 where: a = 6,378,206.4 meters, and 1/f = 294.9786982.
The
AZIMUTH MARKER in Station Baltasar must
be located (such a marker is, however, not mentioned in any of currently
available literature, but only waiting to be discovered), of interest to cultural
and geodetic authorities.
Historical marker for Azimuth Station Baltazar, and for the Lighthouse and Keeper’s Dwelling may be considered.These are all located in the same area of the island.
In addition, the island is known to be teeming with marine species being located within the Verde Island Marine Corridor and the presence of underwater caves.
Location: Gaspar I., Brgy. Pinggan, Gasan, Marinduque
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PANGALAN NG ARI-ARIANG KULTURAL (Name
of Cultural Property) |
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 45. GASPAR ‘HERITAGE
ISLAND’ |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): Gaspar Island/Tres
Reyes |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): Tres Reyes |
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Archaeology in the Philippines began in Marinduque. Prior to 1900, only one important archaeological investigation had been carried out in the country: the Antoine-Alfred Marche’s exploration of Marinduque from April to July 1881. According to anthropologist Henry Otley Beyer, while many other accidental discoveries and finds have been recorded from time to time and a few burial caves and sites had been casually explored by European and local scientists, no systematic work had been done anywhere else prior to these explorations. After Marche, the next important archaeological work was undertaken by Dr. Carl Gunthe in the Visayas Island Group in 1922.
Kalanay
pottery complex ang ideya na ipinangalan ni Wilhelm G. Solheim II matapos
niyang suriin ang mga pottery at earthenware sa Guthe Collection sa University of
Michigan noong 1957. Nakolekta naman ang mga ito ni Dr. Carl Guthe sa Pilipinas
sa pagitan ng 1922 at 1925.
Iminungkahi
noon ni Beyer na ang mga koleksiyon mula sa Marinduque na nahukay ni Alfred
Marche noong 1881 ay makikitang taglay ang mga katangian ng Kalanay complex
pottery na natagpuan sa iba pang bahagi ng Pilipinas.
“Decoration
and form of the Tres Reyes pottery fits the Kalanay complex style very neatly.
Several of the diagnostic designs are present plus several variations on these
designs, and one previously unencountered element”. (Solheim)
In addition, between this island and the mainland, a sunken Chinese junk of the Sung and Chang Dynasty was discovered by fishermen and recovered by a joint team of the National Museum and a foreign salvage group. Numerous porcelain plates, jars, skillets and others were recovered.
"Katulad ng pulseras na nahukay sa Gaspar Island (Tres Reyes Is.) ang nakuha rin sa Pamintaan Cave" (Torrijos). Bahagi ito ng naisulat ni Marche tungkol sa Gaspar Island (Los Tres Reyes):
“Kabilang sa mga alahas na aking nakuha dito, ay isang pulseras na katulad ng nakolekta ko sa kuweba ng Los Tres Reyes. Ang isa ay isang spiral tulad ng isang pulseras na parang ahas, parehong disenyo ng mga ginagamit pa rin ngayon ng mga eleganteng tao; ang iba ay tinusok, na tila ginagamit ng mga ito na nakalawit sa mga tainga o sa paligid ng leeg; isa sa mga ito ay tinunaw sa isang shell ng pagong…
“…Tulad
ng mga bungo na matatagpuan sa isla ng Los Tres Reyes ang mga ito ay deformed.
Nagdala ako ng halos 40, karamihan sa kanila ay walang panga at isang dosenang
kalansay o higit pa…” (Luzon and Palawan, AA Marche, English translation
from the French by Pura Santillan-Castrence)
With just a few informal settlers many years ago it now boasts of an elementary school. . The surrounding water of Gaspar Island is a protected marine reserve called the Tres Reyes Marine Sanctuary and may need further protection measures.
Part/s of the
island are having a bad reputation as being used as garbage dump.
(To be concluded)
