History & Legend

The town of Victorias was originally located in what is now Barrio Daan Banwa (Old Town) a fishing village beside the Malihaw River and near its outlet to the sea. The present location of the town along the national highway is the outgrowth of a twenty-six (26) hectares land area donated by a Chinese businessman Alejandro Acuña Yap Quiña whose descendants are still living in Victorias.

During the Spanish Era, the town was called Malihaw. The name was taken from malihaw trees which grew in abundance along the banks of the Malihaw River.During Capitan Gregorio Conlu′s term, (the first gobernadorcillo or mayor) Moro pirates and tulisanes reigned unmolested. One day, the Captain′s household was robbed. Captain Gregorio was able to escape together with his secretary Alfonso Pachera, but his wife Faustina Gosiaco known as Kapitana Tutang and their servant were thrown overboard while the vessel was just outside the Malihaw River′s mouth. The robbers sailed on believing that Capitana Tutang and her servant were good swimmers. While struggling in the water, Capitana Tutang saw a beautiful Lady whom she believed was the Blessed Virgin Mary. When she reached home she prayed and promised to buy an icon of the Lady who helped her. But having been divested of her possession, it took her several months of careful savings to accumulate a sizable sum for the purchase of the image from Barcelona, Spain. Since she did not specify what image she wanted, the Capitana received the statue of the ‘‘NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LAS VICTORIAS’’ which to her amazement held the likeness of that Lady who saved her and Micay from drowning. The statue was placed in the town chapel beside that of San Casimiro, their patron saint then. One year before the expiration of the term of Capitan Gregorio, in 1880, two boatloads of Moro pirates entered the Malihaw River to attack Daan Banwa (Old Town). At the mouth of the river the plunderes were met by a small banca ridden by a Lady who held a long sword and a very big man (believed to be San Casimiro) with a spear. Upon seeing this formidable duo, the fear-stricken Moros sailed back in flight.

Three months later, four vintas bearing Moro pirates again tried to sail inland and raid the town, but again the same banca with a Lady and a very big man stood guard and the marauders steered towards the town of Manapla, where they took captives from there, some of whom were from Escalante and Calatrava. During the raid, two captives were able to escape in the direction of Malihaw. These two recounted their ordeals and adventure and corroborated the story of the lady and the very big man in the banca. The story spread like wild fire, reached the ears of the Parish Priest of Saravia Fr. Crispino Hinolan, a Visayan, who immediately went to Malihaw to verify the story. After a thorough investigation, the priest attributed the apparition and declared that the town was saved by the Virgin Nuestra Señora de las Victorias and Saint Casimiro, her companion. The proclamation of the Parish Priest resulted in the occasion of rejoicing and celebration. Capitan Gorio and Padre Crispino proposed to the inhabitants that the name of the town Malihaw be changed to Nuestra Señora de las Victorias to perpetuate the miraculous incidents. The suggestion was at once received with unanimous enthusiasm and acceptance and the citizens enjoined the Capitan to ask the Governor to approve the change of name. The Governor gave his consent, but retained only ‘‘Victorias’’ as the official name .

From then on, Malihaw became known as Victorias. On October 15, 1906, Alejandro Acuña Yap Quiña, a Chinese Filipino philantrophist, donated 26 hectares of his landholdings to the Municipality of Victorias which later became the present town site. The official transfer of the town site from the old poblacion, now called Daan Banwa (formerly Malihaw), was made on October 31, 1907 when the new municipal building was blessed and inaugurated.

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