Contreras nang Mait
The Contreras of Bulalacao (Mait) are of Maginoo lineage, historically documented from the early 1700s to the present day. Spanish colonial records, including documents bearing the prominent signatures of Nicolás Contreras, show the clan as the paramount authority of the expansive territories of Southern Mindoro, occupying the position reserved for the ruling line of the region.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Contreras name appears consistently in administrative, ecclesiastical, and legal documents as the hereditary ruling house, preserving their identity as Maginoo, the royal class of the Tagalog people. Into modern times, their descendants continue this lineage, maintaining an unbroken historical thread of Maginoo leadership and cultural and heritage stewardship in Mindoro and throughout the archipelago.
A May 1793 letter of the Maginoo of Bulalacao and Mansalay to the Spanish Governor General of the Philippines
Nicolas Contreras, the Panginoon of Bulalacao, is a signatory. His signature is found prominently, closing the diplomatic letter.
*Courtesy of the National Archives of the Philippines and the Municipality of Bulalacao
Signatories of a letter from the Maginoo of Bulalacao and Mansalay to Felix Berenguer de Marquina, Spanish Governor General of the Philippines.
Nicolas Contreras, the primer inter pares among the Maginoo of Bualalacao and Mansalay, is a signatory.
*Courtesy of the National Archives of the Philippines and the Municipality of Bulalacao
Maginoo Governance
In colonial documents concerning Southern Mindoro's indigenous governance dating from the 1700's, what consistently appear, are the clear structure of government of the region. Bulalacao, being the largest domain, was classified as a Pueblo, wih Mansalay (visita), Manaol (visita), Isla de Ilin (visita) as its satellite territories:
Nicolas Contreras was the leading Maginoo of the area and the political offices of his government included the following:
Capitan Basal ng Mansalay
Capitan Basal ng Manaol
Capitan sa pang dirigma
*Courtesy of the National Archives of the Philippines and the Municipality of Bulalacao
With Bulalacao becoming incorporated into the Spanish empire, the Contreras' status as indigenous Maginoo evolved into that of the Principalia.
In the document, written during the mid-1800's, the signature of Gabriel Contreras, a direct kinsman of Nicolas Contreras, can be seen on the right.
*Courtesy of the National Archives of the Philippines
The Contreras' leadership over the region continued as the political world of the Spanish Colonial Period eroded and made way for the American Colonial Era.
The plaque commemorates the election of Don Potenciano Contreras as Municipal Presidente in 1913.
*Courtesy of the Municipality of Bulalacao
