Page 2 - An in-depth look: brgy. La mesa, a thriving community

HISTORY

Many of the elderly in the community believes that long time ago, there was a table made out of

stone situated on the top of the hills (Barangay La Mesa). The said stone table was used by the

bandits for their writings. Underneath the said table lies a hidden treasure, but no one ever

attempted to get near it because a golden magical bull is guarding it. There’s also a story about a

fairy and a dwarf that celebrate every dusk. The celebration is very joyful because they were

gathering to eat, sing, and dance.

During the Spaniards’ time, the whole community was owned by a Dominican friar. It was once

part of Hacienda Calamba that was once owned by Isidro Banatin. During the Americans’ the

owner of the land passed away, and it was then passed on to Cipriano Banatin, and started his

own sugar factory on 1911. He planted sugarcanes all around the plains, and that fueled the lives

of the farmers then. During the Japanese’s time, La Mesa became the hiding place of the

guerillas, led by Col.Teodolfo Banatin Belarmino, also known as “Upoy”.