History
Before the construction of Mabaysay Church (Basey Church) in the year 1846 A.D., there were already people who inhabited Marabut, who were called Umhanan or Tinawgan.
The families of Agustin Grefiel, Logero Ferreras, and Catato Amantillo were among the first inhabitants. These people intermarried. Fearing that the guardia civil would forcibly take them to work on the construction of the Mabaysay Church (now known as Basey), they settled in the hinterlands. In 1868, before the birth of Dr. Jose Rizal, some settlers of this place transferred their residences to the shoreline until the Balangiga Massacre happened on September 28, 1901. Some settlers from Balangiga transferred to the inhabitant's community because they were afraid that the American forces might retaliate against them. The population of this place steadily increased. Singoy Amantillo had five children, namely Bicario, Mauricio Enrique, or “Iking," Jacobo Alyas, or “Ka Buta,” and one known as Lami. The family of Ysidro Mista Ferreras later settled there as well.
During the Spanish regime, shortly before the establishment of the Commonwealth Republic, Ysidro encouraged Engracio Amantillo and Mauricio Amantillo to change the name from Umhanan to Tinawgan, then to Sitio Lipata, because of the numerous Lipata trees in the area and later for its growing recognition. As the gradual transition of time continued, leaping incidents continued their way for another generation of men. There came another famous man, Bicario Amantillo, the famous, fierce, and brave soldier who was widely known throughout the Province of Samar as a revolutionary leader during the Filipino-American Revolution. He organised the residents of Sitio Lipata for mutual defense against the Muslim bandits and other enemies. He also worked for the improvement of the sitio until the time of his capture. His right-hand man, Ysidro M. Ferreras, the contemporary revolutionary leader and fierce, diplomatic, and gallant magistrate, succeeded him. He successfully worked for the improvement of this sitio for the welfare of his fellowmen.
After the defeat of the Filipinos by the American soldiers during the revolutionary era, the civil government of the Philippines started, as did the American regime. The growth of the population in Sitio Lipata has rapidly increased, with prominent figures coming under the leadership of YSIDRO. They decided to settle in a barrio called Hilaba instead of Sitio Lipata due to its considerable wider level of land area and hill in the middle, where it was available for a church to be constructed. However, the majority of the
Residents of Sitio Lipata retracted the proposal on the ground that it was more difficult, especially for bancas, to reach the shore at low tide.
Finally, Ysidro decided to convert Sitio Lipata into the barrio Sto Niño of Basey Samar. Ysidro was elected as Mayor of Basey, while Engracio was elected as Municipal Vice Mayor, and likewise, Mauricio was elected as Cabeza del Barrio Sto. Niño. When World War I broke out on December 7, 1941, the elementary education in Barrio Sto. Niño was temporarily closed until the war ended in 1944.
Early in 1949, the same mayor showed his never-ending spirit of leadership when he submitted a proposal to President Elpidio Quirino for the conversion of Barrio Sto. Niño into a municipality. On July 22, 1949, with the help of the late speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lorenzo Perez, Executive Order No. 247 was issued and signed by the President Creating the Municipality of Marabut, Samar, in honour of the late Congressman Serafin Marabut, a native of Basey, Samar. Ysidro M. Ferreras was elected as the first municipal mayor, and Engracio Amantillo was elected as the vice mayor. The Municipality of Marabut is composed of 14 barangays. Namely: San Roque, Tag-Alag, Legaspi, Caluayan, Tinabanan, Osmena, Canyoyo, Binocyahan, Odoc, Pinana-an, and Sto. Nino (Pobl), Lipata, Amambucale, and Pinamitinan.
A year later, during the time of the late mayor Macario Ferreras, through the Municipal Ordinance, Poblacion Marabut was divided into four barangays. Amantillo, Sto. Nino, Catato, and Lipata. Brgy. Pinamitinan was divided into three barangays, Sta. Rita and Malobago, Brgy. Odoc was divided into two barangays, the brgy. Ferreras, Brgy. Binocyahan was divided into two barangays, brgy. Logero. Osmenia was divided into four brigades. Mabuhay, Rono, and Panan-awan. Legaspi was divided into two brigades. Veloso. Marabut now has 24 barangays after all. The first barangay captain of Brgy. Amantillo was Amado A. Opena.
Henceforth, Brgy. Amantillo, Marabut, has produced sons and daughters who are committed to holding the dreams of their forefather and turning them into magnificent realities.
