History of Malingas – Ives and saints

By Ernaldo Maza Juárez

 

TAMBOGRANDE, Peru – It was 1977 when some men, surprisingly, arrived an afternoonwith ive boxessettling where today is 25 de Febrero Bourgh, Malingas Services Center. Segismundo Juárez, that was one of the first workers, remembers that edilberto Domínguez Torrejón and José Cevallos Paredes were the first ones who arrived to this Center to install ives as a social property company. At that time, they had much support of Revolutionary Government.

 

The first years, some farmers opposed to their presence because they saw the danger of the ives and the strange way how they had possessed in Services Center. The company had an ambitious Project – re-emerging and improving the services making the Center a productive and attractive place. The settlers of that time never belief them, distrusted for the way how they had arrived not communicating the authentic owners (the settlers).

 

The things became hard for the company, when the time passed without investing nothing, they decide to buy this Center. Here we remember Eduardo Agurto, Francisco Castillo, supported by the high-school’s principal Carlos Espinoza, led the opposition. But like ever… the voices of few and poors was not heard. They resulted owners in the end because they had political and economic power.

 

God last but don’t forget. Finally, the company fall in bankruptcy without having done nothing for the Malingas Center’s development, becoming this place most abandoned than before the company’s arrival. The indifference continued until the Catholic Church goes motivating the attitude change little by little and projecting the development as it ever has done.

 

How’s that, Memory?

The first saint arriving into Malingas was Saint Martín de Porres. His festivity was the only one in the zone, a true annual fair that the estate owners organized for their workers to have fun. Later, many private chapels are built in the zone, images. It’s in one of them, specifically inNima-García Family’s chapel.

 

According to Andrés Nima tells, “the Reverend Father Alfredo Aguilar, after celebrating a Mass, talking with the prayers he sees the need that Malingas Services Center to have a saint. Then, he offers to gift an image and ask – what saint do you wish to have? As among the attendants were Francisco Nima Sosa, Francisco Arrunátegui, and other Francisco I don’t remember his lastname, but I guess it was Francisco Hernández, then the Father says – I’m going to gift the image of Saint Francis of Assis.”

 

The time goes on until 1972, Reverend Father Alfredo aguilar summons a commission joined by Francisco Nima, Diómedes Bereche, Abrahán Ipanaqué, Nicanor Chumacero, and other people to bring the image of Saint Francis of Assis. The image is brought aand had much joyful at the right bank of the river, in these trees that are conserved up to today. A praise was done there to rain because they were dry years, and it rained just that day, so it’s carried again in procession the next day, raining again. Inclusive, there was an overload in the river.

 

There was no agreement where to build the chapel neither enough money. Some opined to do at the right bank where the image was carried infor the first time and others demanded to do the chapel at the left bank, that means in our side, but they agree to do where today is Manuel Ipanaqué’s house. As the money lacked, the work doesn’t become, the interest is losing to stay forgotten.

 

Time passes by and we almost missed Saint Francis. The Center continued totally abandoned. When the Parish Priest Aguilar passed away, foreigner priests come for assuming the Tambogrande Parish.

 

Do you remember of Reverend Father Lucas Waring?

Why not? That’s why I’m Memory. Write what I’m going to say, Notes.

 

He was very good, kind, cherishing, tall, thin, small blue-eyed, few thin white hair. He pronounced the Spanish very difficult, very brave in 1983’s El Niño when the river was overloaded and the cars couldn’t pass, Father Lucas crossed the river to have a Massin Malingas. Understanding there was a Saint Francis of Assis’ image, he interests for Malingas Services Center to organize and have a public chapel.

 

First committee for the chapel

Guest by Father Lucas, the people attend pretty interested and assume commitment forming a committee in 1985 joined by:

• Eloisa Hernández Nima, chairwoman.
• Lizardo Villegas Villegas, chairman.
• Fermín Timaná López, ombudsman.
• Clotario Jiménez Robledo, sports chairman.
• Humberto Nima García, sports chairman.
• José María Domínguez Arrunátegui, activities coordinator.
• Teresa Borrero Ramos, image’s care & wearing.
• Flora Nima García, image’s care & wearing.
• Vilma Agurto Calle, image’s care & wearing.
• Juan Campos Ruidías, estate’s watchman.
• Segismundo Juárez Arrunátegui, press & propaganda secretary.
• Dagoberto Calle Calle, acts & archive secretary.
• Manuel Román Balarezo, accountant.
• Rodolfo Palacios Márquez, vice-president.
• Ernaldo Maza Juárez, president.

 

As you see, Notes, in this committee, gender equity was given to chair members.

 

The work of this committee was too productive in diligences. It got achievements among many difficulties, highlighting:

• Recuperation of the image that was abandoned in Mr Chumacero’s house.
• Restoration of the image, improvement of its ribbon.
• Authorization of Bishop Óscar Cantuarias to build the chapel.
• Acquisition of the estate that was gifted by Ministry of Agriculture.
• It started and motivated to lot the land of Malingas Services Center.
• It organized the first patronal fairs highlighting the first images’ summits.
• Support for topographic survey of Malingas Services Center.
• It formed the first Civic Committee.

 

It’s important to mention the good intention and availability of Mrs Eufemia García of offering her chapel, her saints and her estate for being public, but the locals saw the need of the chapel to be in downtown with projection to the residential development.

 

Malingas Services Center – Town. Village.

• 1962 – 1963: Malingas Services Center begins to work.
• 1980 – 1981: It’s registered as a rustic land, 11.6 hectares surface, being property of the Peruvian Government’s Ministry of Home and Construction including the terrain with buildings.
• 1985: Committee for the chapel begins diligences to build. Agricultural Zone of Cruceta suggests to lot for homes.
• 1987: The government transfer this property to an apicultural company.
• 1995: Municipality of Tambogrande District recognizes Malingas Village.
• 1999: Agrarian Bank seises the property because the apicultural company couldn’t pay a debt – it prescribed.
• 2001: Municipality of Piura Province approves the Urban-Rural Planning of Tambogrande District which Malingas is in.
• 2005: Municipality of Piura Province creates Municipality of Malingas including 20 towns, assigning Malingas Services Center as the capital.
• 2008: Before the mess caused by the invasion of public areas, Tambogrande Municipality eases diligences to negotiate with apicultural company’s representatives. Local Development Committee joins the different meetings. The few informed people don’t support the proposal for a joint negotiation. Mr elizárraga decides to sell individually. Piura Municipality begins entitling process reversing the property from private to public, after a bad management of the local mayor.

 

Different meetings have held in commissions for Tambogrande to make the physical-legal feasibility project. On November 17^th, 2008, a request was presented. The project is almost ready.

 

On November 24th, 2008, Piura’s Mayor has the commission. She commits the councsellors to solve the Malingas Issue. In January 2009, an oficial affirms during a meeting that Malingas is ready to entitle but it will do when the property gets feasible.

 

Ernaldo Maza Juárez has been a teacher with Daniel Alcides Carrión Elementary School in Malingas.

Original production by Alpasal. Translated by Nelson Peñaherrera.