History

The mountainous hinterlands before and in 1920’s filled with vegetation of a virgin rainforest of rugged terrain with overlooking mountain ranges and plateau shaped the scenic beauty of the fertile lands founded of various species of fauna and flora. The area was inhibited by exotic wild lives species due to premier ecosystem. The species of rainforest trees were fully grown with the base trunk diameter ranging from one meter to four meters and the height of fifteen to forty meters more or less. The common trees found were locally identified as Yakal, Gisok, Nato, Lawaan, Apitong and many others. However, the rattan, banban and other similar species were also abundant that coexist with the forest trees and palm trees. Due to the abundance of natural resources, the Indigenous People “Natives” or Bukidnon the Maghat Tribes inhibited the place lead by the Chieftain Calipong. The Calipong tribes rule the area for more than a decayed.

 The vastness of forest resources were exploited by the logging concision of ELCO. In the late 1930’s, the extraction of the forest resources has made the lives of Maghat miserable due to the denudation of the mountains forcing them to move or vacate the area. The lowlands immigrated and started the cultivation of the area. The slush and burn farming or kaingin systemhave caused the land cultivation into food crops were the growing of rice and corn abundantly produced even without fertilizer application.

 In 1939 the place has gained its recognition as the Sitio of Barangay Salong named “BUNGA”. It was named after the dominant palm tree species growing in for the area called Bunga. The cadastral survey was recorded under the Barangay Salong as per records of the Register of Deeds. The barter system were practiced among the inhabitants until such time that the first scraped of the road was made in the late 1940’s or in times of the second world war season.

 In the earlier part of 1940’s the government designated Teniente del Barrio General Antonio Sayo overruled the Maghat tribunal for peace and order of the place. The freedom of the tribes was disturbing creating chaos and insurgency losing more lives in the place. The Philippine Constabulary (PC) of thePhilippine Government fought against the insurgents lead by Chieftain Calipong. One of the historic events was Mr. Camigin who murdered his wife and was caught by the PC in the Mount Mampuklo. The leadership was changed to the second Teniente del Barrio Christian Felomeno Moreno who built the first house finished of lumber locally called as “Tapi” at the nearby hillside of the place named Magsaha. The house was made as the common reference of the inhabitants usually called TAPI.

Mr. Paulo Sison in 1943 was appointed as Kapitan del Barrio. During his term of office, in 1947 the Bunga Primary School was established lead by Mr. Zacarias Raner as school head and Mrs. Petra Garaygay Osorio was the first grade one pioneering teacher. Mr. Sison as Kapitan del Barrio served four-year term and made improvements of making the area accessible to migrant farmers or kainginiros until 1948. Thus, in the mid of 1948 Mr. Ignacio Mulla, Sr. was then the appointed Kapitan del Barrio serving until 1964. During his term of governance the Bunga Elementary Education was completed in 1952under the administration of Mr. Zacarias Raner as Teacher Incharge. The Bunga Elementary School was located in the place where the Barangay Market is now located. The place does not warrant for the expansion of the growing population of pupils, the school was relocated at the base of Mount Mampuklo by Mr. Manuel Fegueroa, Sr. head teacher 1954 with assistance of the District Supervisor Benidecto of Kabankalan District I. in the same year, the first Commencement Exercises of the Elementary School graduates was held and Mr. Torres Martin was honored as the first valedictorian.

In 1956 the name of the school was changed to the prominent and most popular calling by the people of the place “TAPI”. In like manner the area was named Barangay Tapi and in 1956, the road construction started by the National Government. Mr. Manuel Fegueroa, Sr. had served as head until 1967. He was one of the instrumental persons in the Establishment of Tapi Provincial high School in 1960, the first public high school in Kabankalan. The prominent businessman families such as Chua, Tia and Alfonso the Chinese nationals had help the economic growth of the barangay in the trading business. The passenger jeeps emerged playing in the routes of Kabankalan- Tapi- Tabu, Ilog and to the nearby barangays of Magballo and Tabugon vice versa. The improved accessibility of the barangay had made the influx of residents contributing the increase of population and physical structure improvement.

The early part of 1960’s there was gradual shift in farming system in some areas from corn and rice to sugarcane production due to the birth of the Sugar Central Southern Negros Development Corporation (SONEDCO). The sugarcane culture was found profitable by the farmers and leasing of lands came into the picture by the capitalists. However, the rice and corn trading were dominant business in the barangay, as such the government had intervened in providing the marketing support by the Rice and Corn Administration (RCA) and the warehouse was constructed. The Tapi Catholic Chapel was founded by Parish of the Municipality of Candoni in 1960. The rapid growth of the population was observed because of the better business climate in the barangay.

 The Barangay Captain was then Mr. Ricardo Zamora, sr. in 1988 to 1997. The business in the barangay was doing well were sugar traders from Bacolod City were coming and the social recognition among small sugar planters begun to shine in the night life in Bacolod City. There was peace in the barangay due to the presence of the Sugarland Task Force, the Philippine Constabulary and the installation of the 7th Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army in 1980’s. In 1997, Mr. Avelino H. Moreno became Principal in Tapi Elementary School up to year 2000, followed by Mrs. Angelina B. Alvior in her fruitful years from 2000 to 2007.

 Enabling the mandate of Republic Act. 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, where in the Barangay Council was given autonomy to manage the Barangay and receiving the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) from the National Government to its finance administration. The annual net available resources for appropriation included the annual IRA receive, real property tax share and services income , miscellaneous income, aid grants and subsidies, and the additional aid and subsidy.

Thru the available financial resources have made the barangay

administrator exercise their functions in the delivery of basic services to their constituents and to include the infrastructure projects.

 However, in 1997 election George Guadalupe got the chair in the barangay who served until 2010. He introduced some physical improvement by establishment of plaza landscape in the road intersection and relocated the barangay site with the new Barangay Hall Building. The main water system with elevated water tank with pipelines was built near the Barangay Hall and the concreting of some barangay road network. Hence, in 1998 the Chaplain of San Lorenzo Ruiz was established and administered by Rev. Fr. Joel Rubin followed by Rev. Fr. Ramon Olam followed by Rev. Fr. Romeo Daub and presently is Rev. Fr. Baltazar Bandua.

 In 2010 Barangay Election Joestarr B. Bandojo took the banner and set as the Punong Barangay or Barangay Administrator together with his council members to the present time. There are 27 Purok/s that composed Barangay Tapi. 

Land Area

  • 4, 224.714019 hectares

Map

Total Population

  • 11741

Number of Household

  • 2615

Education Health and Services Facilities

  • Tapi Elementary School
  • Dacongcogon Elementary School
  • Calabasahan Elementary School
  • Candiacap Elementary School
  • Tapi National High School
  • Saint Lorenzo Ruiz Kinder Garten School
  • Barangay Health Center
  • Farmers Credit Cooperative (CIFCC), Tapi Small Farmers Association, Inc. (TASFA), CEVI, Inc., Dungganon, Life Bank, Inc., KMBI, Card Inc., Reynaldo Lending, PI, ASA Foundation, Inc. and First Valley Bank