Barlig tribe’s valors Spanish, Japanese forces cited in rites

BARLIG, Mountain Province – Unknown to many, the Lias Tribe here fought Spanish conquistadores centuries ago and Japanese forces in World War 2 and gave the invaders a taste of their fierceness.

It was because of this that town officials and folks from Lias Silangan and Lias kanluran here celebrated Independence Day with Vice Mayor Genesis Changilan, gracing wreath laying on a historical marker.

The marker has inscription “Mga Labanan Sa Lias” which enshrines the triumphant battles of the Lias Tribe against Spanish and Japanese colonizers.

It is the only marker in Mountain Province and one of the two in the Cordillera Administrative Region that has the seal of the National Historical Institute according to retired Police Senior Inspector Alfredo Navarra.

Navarra also introduced the man who labored to produce the marker – his father and former barangay chairman and world war-II veteran Carlos Navarra, who told of his hardships in pursuing the project like his pounding of rice and selling it to have a money to travel to Manila to follow up the project as they had no salary at that time.

The younger Navarra said  his father, 98, is now the only remaining world war veteran in the municipality.

The marker was acquired on 1985 and was commemorated annually by locals but according to Changilan, it was recently that the municipal government made it an official annual government event as it is only now that the people in the municipality are starting to appreciate its importance.

Indigenous Peoples Representative Ferdinand Charaychay, on the other hand, told in detail the story of the battles, how despite having only spears, bolos, and axes, the people defeated the more advanced Spanish conquistadores and their native allies in a three day battle that started at the river just below the community in Sitio Kussad, and how despite the very limited supply of guns and ammunition and just a handful of soldiers led by Philippine Army Sergeant AlipioTalastas and the people having just spears, bolos, and axes , they were able to defeat the highly superior Japanese Imperial Army and their native supporters in a three day battle that culminated in a sweeping victory that wiped out the enemy in Angwud Hill.

The celebration was also participated on by local police, Education officials, senior citizens among others..