POZORRUBIO: THE MISSPELLED TOWN IN THE PHILIPPINES

POZORRUBIO: THE MISSPELLED TOWN IN THE PHILIPPINES

by: Rodrigo P. de Vera, Jr., EdD.

          There are 48 towns in Pangasinan and 1,488 towns in the Philippines as of September 7, 2019, but there is one town that is unique in terms of its name. .

         From the conglomeration of interviews during regional teachers’ seminars and sports events like Region 1 Athletic Association ( R1AA), printed media, advertisements, signage of public utility vehicles, kilometer posts, messages from social media, printed postal addresses, etc., you find the uniqueness of the spelling of this town. It is quite confusing, yet entertaining at the same time.

How did they spell it? Here is the long list of spelling:Posorobio, Posorubio, Posorobyu, Posorrubio, Possorobio, Possorrobbio, Possorrubio, Possoubbio, Pusurobio, Pussurubio,Pozorobio, Pozorrobio, Pozorubio,Pozurrobio, Pozzorobio, Pozzorrubio, Pozzorubbio, ,Pozzorrobio, Pozzorubio, Pozzorrubio, Pozzorobio, Pozurubio, Puzurubio, Puzzorobio, Puzzrrurrubio, Puzzurubio, Puzzurrubbio, etc.

          What’s in a name?

          Pozorrubio started with a simple name Claris. Yes, Claris. Why Claris? Claris was a sitio of San Jacinto, Pangasinan. The name Claris was derived from Juan dela Cruz Palaris, the leader of the 1762 Spain revolt of Binalatongan (now San Carlos City). What's our connection with San Carlos City anyway? Well, early settlers in Pozorrubio came from San Carlos City and that's the reason why many Pozorrubians speak Pangasinan. Further, Claris was named in honor of Palaris, king of Pangasinan. Claris is now known as Amagbagan.

          On January 2, 1834, Don Francisco Itliong, the Gobernadorcillo of San Jacinto, Pangasinan sent his petition for the creation of “visita yermita” or small church/ chapel  in the sitio and the petition was granted by Governor-General PascualEnrile y Alcedoon March 12, 1834. The inauguration of the new barrio with a population of about 700 was led by Fr. Domingo Naval, the Vicar of San Jacinto. However, the foundation of a visita y ermita started only in 1839 and finally done in 1842.

After 35 years, a petition to convert the barrio to a townwas led by Don Benito Magno and his 11 fellow landowners of Barrio Claris to, the Governor-General of the Philippines thru the Alcalde Mayor of Pangasinan. In return, the Alcalde Mayor referred the petition to the authorities of San Jacinto.

          On August 7, 1868,  Don Domingo Estarisdela Cruz, Governadorcillo of San Jacinto and the Comunidad de Principalescomplied with the order of the Alcalde Mayor of Pangasinan to convert Claris into a new town independent of San Jacinto.  With the completion of all the requisites for the creation of a new town, the Alcalde Mayor finally endorsed the petition on February 9, 1869 to the Governor-General.

          The Governor-General referred the petition to the Bishop of Nueva Segovia, Vigan for his comments and recommendation on February 22, 1869.  In response, Fr. Juan, the Bishop of Nueva Segovia, Vigan favourably recommended the creation of the new town of Claris with a parish independent from that of San Jacinto.

          With series of consultation and recommendation from church officials and political leaders of San Jacinto and Alcalde Mayor of Pangasinan and of course with the ardent follow up from the landowners of Barrio Claris to the Governor-General,  finally on November 3, 1869, Governor-General Carlos Maria dela Torre y Navacerrada, alias Conde de Pozor (the Count of Pozor) decreed the creation of a new town from Barrio Claris to its new name Pozorrubio after his birthplace  in Spain. 

          On January 13, 1870, the new town of Pozorrubio was finally and formally inaugurated. Thus, that’s how we got the name of our town with full approval of the townspeople of Pozorrubio. It was the Governor-General of the Philippines himself who spelled out the name of our town correctly!