SAN CARLOS CITY- As part of the Independence Day celebration in this city, the statue of local revolutionary hero Andres Malong was unveiled at the Central I school last June 12

Last year, the statue of hero Juan dela Cruz was unveiled, also at Central I.

The two heroes whose lives have been cited in Philippine history books on Philippine revolution, are from Binalatongan, the old name of San Carlos City

At the unveiling of the Malong statue, Mayor Julier Resuello said the city government has always coordinated with the DepEd in promoting not only high quality of education for students but also introducing them to their local history and culture.

The mayor also thanked the Marcelo Casillan Foundation for spearheading projects that showcase and seek to preserve Pangasinan culture.

The foundation is headed by Engr. Marcelo Casillan, Jr., who also heads the Binalatongan Historical and Cultural Foundation.
Siblings of Engr. Casillan were present during the Independence Day program. They were Commodore Julito Casillan, and Fe Garcia a book author on San Carlos City history who is married to Engr. Ben Garcia the former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Engineering in Diliman, Quezon City.

DepEd Superintendent Rowena Banzon during the program that followed the Malong statue unveiling, gave a glimpse on the life of Don Andres Malong as an affluent and landed person, and maestro del campo during the Spanish regime in the 17th century. He thus initially cooperated with the Spanish government.

When the Spanish authorities however commanded him to quash a rebellion in Pampanga, Malong instead sided with his disgruntled countrymen, because he believed that they were not to be pitted against one another by foreign invaders

Malong thus became the first Pangasinense revolutionary. His first cry of battle was sounded at Lingayen in 1660 and his revolutionary forces defeated many Spanish soldiers.But when he extended his revolt to Pampanga, Zambales, and the Ilocos, his troops splintered. He was executed in Binalatongan.

Banzon explained that it was during the Malong revolt that San Carlos earned the monicker amputi layag (white ears).

A peasant’s daughter was brutally mutilated, raped, and killed by Spaniards. To avenge her death, Malong and his men killed the criminals, slashed their ears, and displayed these “white ears” of the Caucasians in public

With the story told and retold, Carleñans were soon depicted as brave, ferocious even, thru the amputi layag phrase – a tag many Carlenans want to stress as one to symbolize bravery and not their being violence-prone. (CIO)