HISTORY OF BARANGAY RUBEN E. ECLEO SR.

Some time in early 1970's a group of PBMA members from San Jose opened settlements in this once forested land known locally as "puyo nan bulalakaw"  (island of meteor or shooting star vernacularly called bulalakaw can be seen during night time very often and for this reason no natives dare to have a footstep on this place. These members who were evacuees from the different places throughout the archipelago settled for livelihood and decided to cultivate farming in barangay Ma-atas and nearby sitios. The evacuees increased and provided farming, fishing and charcoal-making for survival.

February 25, 1975 colored a momentous day in the story of the barangay, at that time famously known as a settlement of PBMA delegation in Barangay Ma-atas. Because of the cooperation and desire of the barangay captain Simplicio Macaso of Glen New Mabuhay of the town of Dinagat, together with the officials of the Provincial Chapter of the same barangay whom the president  was Mr. Apolinario Sumampong, different delegations were formed and established in every settlement under the town of Dinagat. Ma-atas was the sole delegation from the opposite town of Cagdianao. On this very day, PBMA members composing of more or less twenty (20) families convened at the house of Mr. & Mrs. Maximo Abayon, Sr. located at the agricultural land purchased by Mrs. Kim de los Santos, a Chinese member from Basilan Province. It was held here because an amplifier set owned by Mr. Rodrigo Dato-on was utilized as sound system. Dato-on who was a close friend of Abayon's family was unanimously elected as Chairman.

Ma-atas Delegation was organized with the following officers: Chairman - Rodrigo Dato-on, Vice Chairman - Facundo Melana, Secretary - Alfredo Abayon, Asst. Sec. - Melitona Asarez, Treasurer - Nelia Asarez, Asst. Treas.- Virginia Infante, Auditor - Loreta Banares, Asst. Aud.-Hector Flores, Sgt-at-arms - Fresco Melana, Leon Torres, Jesus Infante, Romeo Calapuan, Rolando Rellon, and Juanito Bayhonan, Advisers - Inosencio Asarez, Pedro Calapuan and Pamfilo Oposa.

The second meeting was called on March 11, 1975. The agenda of constructing a PBMA Delegation House was discussed and the pahina was set on the 23rd of that month. The site where the said building should be constructed was on the land owned by the Oposa's family adjacent to the lot of Mrs. Kim de los Santos. This lot was supposedly donated for the delegation. Due to circumstances, the construction  was delayed.

The delegation of Ma-atas was born. Like a child learning to step for progress, little by little it crept towards cooperation and for the development. Ma-atas suffered much of the quota, contribution and support for the life  of the subchapter of Glen New Mabuhay. Amidst difficulties, the delegation was survived by the strength and struggle of PBMA members. Cooperation and self-reliance through pahina system enabled  to construct  a primary school building of Glen New Mabuhay. Next, the barangay multipurpose building utilized as the subchapter , was constructed. Doubtless, the members gave their full support and cooperation to accomplish the quota such as lumbers, posts, other materials as well as small amount of money beyond hardships because the members were new settlers and farming was their only means of livelihood. Because of the order of the Master, the members of the said delegation were easily persuaded, including those from the hills of barangay Cabungaan, Laguna and Cagdianao.