The blog offers a breezy invite to my hometown and my birthplace. In this blog, you will learn the story of the place where I have been raised and molded into the man that I am today. Prepare as well your backpack as we embark on a never-ending journey to some of the world’s most exciting destinations – places around the world I wanted to visit. ENJOY READING MY BLOG!
In the early days, Bingawan is just a small barangay (community) of Calinog which is an arrabal of Passi. One day, some people saw a deep well in the middle of the rocks that they call "bingaw" or space or hole. This is where they got the name of their town. Eventually, they call the area Bingawan by its folks. Photo Source: www.iloilo.net.ph
The town of Barotac Nuevo is at the northern part of Iloilo City. It faces the island of Negros at the northern part of Iloilo Strait, and south of Dumangas town. The name Barotac came from a combination of the words "Barro" which is a Spanish word for mud and Hiligaynon word "malutak" which means muddy. During the early years, this town is called Barrio Malutac since it is always muddy and during the rainy days the mud is really deep. The Spanish word Nuevo which means "new" is added to the name because when this town was established there is already an existing Barotac Viejo to its north. Sometimes, Barotac Nuevo is called Barotac Diutay (small) while Barotac Viejo is called Barotac Daku (big). How Barrio Malutak became a town is because of a horse named Tamasak. Before 1811, this town was formerly an arrabal of the town of Dumangas. Barrio Malutak is a progressive town. One of the people living in Barrio Malutak is Don Simon Raymundo Protacio who became well known because of his 200 horses. The most important of his horses is named Tamasak. Tamasak became popular not only in their barrio but also in neighboring towns due to its unusual characteristics. It is nifty, tall, strong and was very quick to gallop. Its strength can only be equaled by a horse from India and owned by the governor-general. Barrio Malutac became a town due to the efforts of Don Simon Protacio. He made a petition, together with his towns folk to make their barrio an independent town. However that petition was opposed by Father Vicentico of Dumangas, The petition left unanswered for forty (40) years from the administration of Governor-General Simon de Anda y Salazar (1770 - 1774) until the administration of Governor-General Manuel Gonzales de Aguilar (1810 - 1813). After forty (40) years after the petition has been made, there were some Spanish delegation who came to the Philippines. They brought a horse from India. They travel around the Philippines until they reached Iloilo and came to Dumangas. They heard about Don Simon and his horses. They immediately went to see him and were amazed to see Tamasak. They immediately wish to buy it no matter how much the price however Don Simon did not sold it. He will only give the horse on the condition that they will make Barrio Malutac an independent town. The delegates went back to Manila bringing Tamasak with them. The Governor- General was so pleased with Tamasak that he ordered immediately the gobernadorcillo of Iloilo to fulfill the agreement they had with Don Simon. He even wrote and thankful to Don Simon for giving him the horse. This event took place in 1811 under the administration of Governor-General Manuel Gonzales de Aguilar. To give honor and respect to Don Simon Protacio and Tamasak, a monument was built by Mayor Bernardo Siaotong in 1921 in the middle of the plaza as a symbol of gratitude of the people of Barotac Nuevo.
Just like the other coastal towns near the shores of Panay Island, Anilao was founded by a group of fishermen during the Spanish occupation. The former site where the town is situated is near the mouth of the western shore of the Anilao river where the name of the town got its name. The thick woods surrounding the mouth of the river serves as shelter to fishermen's boats during the storm. Another version is this. During the early days, the place is plenty of Anilao tree. The place was called Anilao taken from the Anilao trees. There is another legend. The word Anilao came from a lamp that serves as a light to the natives on top of the mountain watching over Moros who were attacking the areas then. During those days, the pirates frequented the area. The natives built a stone watch tower near the shore. A person on the watch tower is guarding if there are some pirates who are coming to warn the people. Since then, if there are pirates coming, they will just shout "Ilaw" or Lamp and people will run immediately carrying lamps. To the pirates they heard Anilao. Thus they called the area Anilao thinking this was the name of place they visited.
Situated at the foothills of a mountainous banana plantation is the progressive town of Alimodian which is about 24 kilometers northwest of Iloilo. Alimodian is the banana capital of Iloilo. The people of Alimodian recorded four legendary and historical narration of how they got a name for their town. One of the story is about Agustin Magtanong, founder of the town, to her wife Si Kanugon and to their child Alimudin, named after the Moro leader of Sulu. This leader became the first Catholic sultan of Jolo in 1750 after he was baptized and given a Spanish name, Don Fernando de Ali Mudin. Kalipayan and her beautiful daughter Kanugon has a small kaingin (slash and burn) in Sibukawan which is near Barangay Cagay. Agustin Magtanong and Kanugon became lovers. The mother of Si Kanugon is against their relationship because the young man is just a mere kaingin man. This does not stop the love of Magtanong. He got forty (40) men in town to get his lover. Kanugon in her grief decided to end her life. Fortunately, Magtanong was able to caught her ready to drink the poison taken from the roots of wild trees and the lovers decided to elope. They went south together with forty (40) of Magtanong's men and their families. They live in a small village called Ubodan. Later, Ubodan became too small for the fast growing tribe. Magtanong is now ready to establish a town in the plains about three kilometers south of the village of Ubodan. The new community was called Ali Mudin taken from the name of the first and only son of Magtanong and Si Kanugon. One of the legendary story is the passionate love of Girom, Himaya at Madalig. There is also this popular story of "Halin-kamo dyan." During the old days, there is a group of Spaniards who came to the place. While there, the Spaniards saw some men climbing coconut trees. The Spanish strangers asked the men the name of the place however the natives doesn't understand what they are saying. Scared that these Spaniards will be hit in the head by the falling coconuts, a man above the coconut tree shouted: "Halin kamo diyan... halin kamo diyan!" (Go away). The Spaniards heard him saying "Ali mo dyan!". They thought that it was the name of the place. Since then the name of the place was called Alimodian. The fourth legend is telling that the word Alimodian refers to the name of a small river Cabudian that became the now destroyed and parched river of Alimodian (because of constant quarrying) that flows to the southern part exiting the town. When Magtanong discovered Alimodian, he preferred to build the church and convent near the shore of this river. Magtanong and his men called the place Alimodian from the name of the small river.
These four versions suffer from a lack of strong historical basis. Recent
documents discovered by local historians, however, have ascertained that
the town's name was actually derived from alimodia or alimodias, the
Visayan name of Coix lachryma-Jobi, a grain-bearing tropical plant of
the grass family that is ubiquitous in Alimodian. Alimodian residents of
the present time know it as puyas. Elsewhere, it is also called
Job's tears because of the shape of its hard-shelled pseudo carps, which
are fashioned by some into necklaces or rosary beads.
The place we call Iloilo is cut by a river with its mouth opening up to the Guimaras Strait. This is the Batiano river which goes through the interiors of the city entering the south of the district of La Paz, continues to the west, passing through the salt flats of Mandurriao district to the right to the houses of the residents of Molo districts on the left. The river curves through the district of Arevalo and finally flows through the sea and shores of Oton. The shape of the river is like a nose. The first settlers called the nose "Irong," a Kinaray-a word for nose. The term Irong-irong means nose-shaped. The people named the place Irong-irong but through the years, the letter r in the name was changed by letter l. When the Spaniards arrived and established a government in Iloilo, they have a difficulty in pronouncing Ilong-ilong. In the end, they removed the consonant letters ng in the name hence the province have a new name, Iloilo. Since then, the province has been called as Iloilo.
This legend is not only prevalent in Cabatuan, Lambunao and Maasin but in the entire Visayas. Even the students in schools are very enthusiastic to tell the legend of a powerful queen that lives in a place that consists of the islands of the Visayas. The name of the queen is Langit (Heaven) and her beautiful daughter named Kabugwason (Morning Star). Of all the many suitors who pay homage to the lovely maiden, two were heavily favored: Dagoob (Thunder) and Kilat (Lightning). The queen outlined a plan for the two brothers to create two artful rafts and the one who created a more superior and artful raft will get to marry Kabugwason. Kilat created the most artistic raft so the queen handed him Kabugwason. This event proved hurtful to Dagoob that he committed suicide. The next day there's a turmoil because the spirit of Dagoob destroyed and crushed the raft of Kilat. The pieces were separated in a big area. According to the myth of the islands of the Visayas, included in the small peninsulas were the pieces or remains of the destroyed raft in a violent rage of the unfortunate brother.
Iloilo is a legendary province. Almost all of the towns here has some origins to tell. The values that were passed through generations left some followers to the creepy rocky surfaces of the forests, mysterious caves, of the conceiving blink of an eye, of the steep mountains, of huge nocturnal birds, of different mythical creatures that were feared and other supernatural phenomenon and creatures unexplained and yet to be discovered and researched by science. In the depths of our ocean, in the womb of our volcanoes, on the sides and hollow gaps of the rocks of our caves, on the edge of our ridges, on the navel of our mounds or anthills and to the wilderness of our forests and jungles are secrets and mystery left by our yesterday's past that if patiently researched and studied will be great topics for our legendary myth of origins. One of the things that must be considered are the events for which the myths or legends is a kind of reading that interests the nationalistic spirit of a particular race. Thus the legends or myths are inculcating the minds with preserved and protected wealth of literature of a nation and race most especially the countries of the Far East. In literature of other languages, myths or legends has less significant values; however in our Philippine literature it is considered a branch with its own characteristics since we belong to the countries of the Far East. It should not be forgotten in the minds of whoever will write that a legend or myth is a literary composition that reminisce to the readers the memories of the past. The legends and myths in any races and in any parts of the world are the first glimmer of thinking and imagination, the spark of senses that invites the people to create dangles of idea which are often a blink of an eye that is confronting our imagination and magnifies to indulge in an omen that cannot contain one's self; thus it is stated through a narration that continuously traversing taking turns in time until it reached the generations of clans of people. Nevertheless, the notion and sentiments of the citizens of any towns can be found in the myths or legends. The jewel of the race that should be inculcated or imprinted in the minds of everyone throughout the years. The province of Iloilo never runs out of featured myths and legends - myths that straightens the origins of names of different places, municipalities, mythical creatures, plants, mountains and caves. Some of these were exploded with fragrance of subtlety and mystery. Some of them were lightly touched with history and facts. Mysterious or not, symbolic or truthful, these legends are already a part of everyday lives of Ilonggos. The legends that bring entertainment and pleasure, retrospect and omen; myths that continuously attracts our senses and notion.
