The Origin of Cabatuan

Cabatuan is a town in Iloilo with a hidden colorful past since the dawn of early humans. In 1965, some remains of bones and skull of ancient elephants were excavated in the site that were believed to live during the "Mid-Pleistocene Period." They were found at a hill in Bitogwan, a sitio of Jelicuon, Cabatuan. The discovered "fossils" consists of two complete jaws, jawbones, teeth of elephant's ancestors that lived in Burma, India and other parts of Asia. Anthropologist Dr. Felipe L. Jocano who discovered these ancient remains is a son of Cabatuan.

The name Cabatuan suggests the customs and values of the residents and the nature and characteristics of their locality. Cabatuan came from a Hiligaynon word "kabatuhan" which means a place full of rocks, from the word "batu-an" which means to fight, battle, challenge, resistance or competition. Some of the residents believed that the name of their place came from batuan, a kind of tree which bear some seeds used as sour base to some soups and stews and other food loved by the natives.

In the annals of history, this placed was called Batuan, the name told or mention by Polpulan to Sumakwel.

The entertaining version of how Cabatuan was named is usually the one accepted. Long time ago, this place has a creek going towards the poblacion or town center. The water flows from the east going through the west and according to the natives, the flow of the water nagbatu. which means the flow of the water diverts from its usual direction in the creek and river of the area.

This creek has a lot of rocks of different sizes and on its shores are rampant number of batuan trees growing in the middle of these rocks.

When the Spaniards arrive to settle in the area, the natives headed by Tan Tono and other leaders immediately suggests to call the place Cabatuan.

The name of the place (Cabatuhan ) came from the root word Batu (stone) and adverbs Ca -  han which means "mostly". To follow the proper grammar and pronunciation of Spanish language, the letter h was omitted and the word Cabatuhan became Cabatuan now.


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