The Barrio Milan

During the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, there is a community in the town of Lemery which was settled by many cheerful people. The place is about three kilometers away from the town. The houses surround the town square. The festivities is always fun in this place.

One day, a Spaniard came to this place. It's the town's fiesta when he came and he asked about the name of the place however no one answered because the locals could not understand what he is saying.

Incidentally, the Spaniard has studied in the beautiful city of Milan in Italy. Since he really wants to give a name to the place, he baptized it with a name Milan after the place he came from. He taught the locals that the name of their place is Milan.

Since then, the area was called Milan by the local residents.

The Place Of Lemery

The vantage point view of the town of Lemery, Iloilo

Pineapple Plantation in Brgy. Velasco, Lemery, Iloilo

In the northern part of the Iloilo province is a small town that we call today as Lemery. The place is surrounded with mountain ranges and these mountains is full of verdant thick tall trees. This area is situated along the border of Iloilo and Capiz provinces. It is surrounded with the towns of Sara, Ajuy, Barotac Viejo and San Rafael in Iloilo and the towns of Dumarao, Maayon and Pontevedra in Capiz.

During the Spanish colonial period, only a few people lived in this area. Most of them lived near the foothills of the highest mountain "Anito." This mountain has lots of thickly growing trees. Of all the trees in that mountain, there is one which stood out among the rest as the tallest and biggest tree. This is called the "Lawaan" wood. At night, the tree is full of fireflies. On a night especially if there is no moonlight, the tree is beautiful to look at seems like a huge Christmas tree that shine through darkness.

The tree serves as a guiding light by the people who travels at night. This also serves as a marker of their area.

One day, the elders in the area gathered to give a name for their place. They talk about what is the proper and ideal name for their community. They unanimously  name their place as "Lamenaria," referring to the tallest and biggest tree of Lawaan. Lamenaria means "light". They call it Lamenaria because at night the lawaan tree is like a light for the locals due to the fireflies which gather at the tree. Because of this, they call the place Lamenaria.

Through the passing of time and due to the increasing population coming to Lamenaria the name Lamenaria became Lameri probably due to the length of the name and difficulty in pronouncing or due to wrong pronunciation. Shortly after, Lameri became Lemery, which became the official name until now.

There is another story behind the origin of the name of the place.

Long time ago, there is a couple living in a small hut near the mountain. They are the poorest of the poor. They were accused by a rich individual for a crime they did not commit and they were imprisoned. Fortunately, they escaped and hide in the forest.

One day, the woman named Juana got sick. The husband doesn't know what to do to cure her wife back to health. Not far from the house of the couple are three mounds of almost the same shapes and sizes. These three mounds possesses mystery. At night these mounds are glowing and there  are some singing. The couple is unaware of the bizarre things happening because it happens midnight on a full moon.

One night, Juana got really sick so the husband was forced to go out and find some leaves and herbs to cure her wife. It was midnight and full moon so the man saw the peculiar phenomenon. He saw three dwarfs in the three mounds sitting and singing. The man was so terrified. He wants to run but he cannot that he was not aware that the dwarfs were in front of him. The three dwarfs asked the man what he is doing there at the middle of the night and the man tried hard to respond saying he needs some leaves and herbs to cure her wife from sickness. The three dwarfs took pity and they immediately came to see the sick Juana. After awhile, the three dwarfs told the man that his wife is healed. The couple thanked the dwarfs who before leaving respectfully introduced themselves as Le, Me and Re.

Many years had passed and couple bore many children but the three dwarfs never appeared to them again. The man always tell this story to their children.

One day a tree flourish in the middle of the three mounds. It grows so fast and became a giant wood. At night this tree is full of thousands of fireflies that looks like a huge lamp that shines through the darkness especially during moonless night.

When the Spaniards came, they asked about the name of the tree and the locals said Lemere. Shortly thereafter, they called the place Lemery.





Photo Source:

Jesse Losbañes Asuga from Lemery, Iloilo, Philippines Facebook Public Group 

Love Love Montaño from Sa KaBukiran Facebook Page

The Municipality Of Leganes

Leganes Plaza

Saad Festival Queen of Leganes, Iloilo

The town of Leganes emerges from a small community in 1840 called Sitio Guihaman because of the abundance of wild boar locally called guiham in the area. The first founders of the town gave the name "Valencia" in the place in honor of patron saint, St. Vincent Ferrer of Valencia, a town in Spain. After hearing of this community, Don Isidro A. Brudit, the then Spanish governor of Iloilo ordered in 1856 that the locales should register their town as a pueblo and if not, they will serve the penalty. In accordance with the order, the town was registered as a pueblo in 1858.

However it was not as orderly for everything in a small pueblo or town after its conversion however it was settled by people coming from the neighboring towns of Jaro and Santa Barbara. One of the founders, Don Miguel Valencia seems extremely honored because the community was called Valencia which was his last name. The people petitioned to change the name of the town. To solve the useless conflict, the Spaniards gave the name Leganes to the pueblo, the name of a town in Spain which was relatively unknown.




Photo Source:

www.youtube.com 

www.langyaw.com 

The Legend Of Tinagong Dagat

Tinagong Dagat or Hidden Sea in English, a mini lake on top of a mountain

Love is so powerful that when it enters the heart of anyone, it can despise everything.

In the town of Lambunao, there loved a young man named Nagong who is mighty, strong, hardworking and kindhearted. Nagong is the pillar of his old parents.

One day, when the young man is going home from a whole day of work when he meets a lady who seems like a goddess in with her beauty. This lady was Agat.

The two creatures seems like they are having an illusion in their first encounter. In that instance, love springs up in their hearts but due to being conservative Agat immediately look down humbly.

The two who harbor pure affection for each other seems being brought closer by heaven. Soon, their hearts became one. The next few days witness of endless joy only to be cut short. One afternoon their sweet conversation was disturbed by violence of Agat's father. The father slapped his daughter and humiliated Nagong. Agat was imprisoned in their own home. Thus is the suffering felt by the lovers.

Until such Nagong thought of passing by the area just to have a glimpse of Agat. In the darkness of the night he was met by the mother of Agat who looks like in distress. She is looking for her daughter who disappeared. Nagong anxiously entered the forest to look for Agat. In the shores of the river of their rendezvous the lovers meet. They were so grateful to God after they meet.

Nagong and Agat decided to leave away from their families. The difficulties of life was bared by the two in the wilderness

However their blissful life together is just short-lived. Agat suffered a serious illness. It seems like the world has stopped for Nagong with the death of Agat. He watched the tomb of his love at all times. Day and night the young man weeps due to overwhelming grief. He was caught by sickness and death. The tears that springs from his eyes miraculously became a river which was the origin of TINAGONG DAGAT which was the burial site of Nagong and Agat. Indeed a great love cannot be faded with time, it will leave an imprint that will remain forever.


Photo Source:

https://www.facebook.com/menro.lambunao

The Legend Of Lambunao

Lambunao Church

Yamato International School

The town of Lambunao is lying in the verdant valley and hills of central Panay which is about 45 kilometers from Iloilo City.  The town of Lambunao is about 119 meters or 390.42 feet above sea level and is rich in music, story and tradition.

There are two narration about the origin of the name Lambunao. It was said that this area is inhabited by an Ati named Lambunao  and the place he settled is called "puro ni Lambunao".

Another story states that when the Spaniards went on a patrol from Laglag came to Sitio Balikatkatan, the foreigners asked a Malayan resident who is fishing in a mini lake about the name of the place. The Malay thought that the Spaniards is asking what he is doing, so he responded in Hiligaynon language saying "nagapanglambu sa linao." The Spaniards only remember the two syllables: lambu and nao, thus the town was baptized with the name Lambunao. The word Lambu means to put a fish hook in the water while Linao is a lake.


Photo Source:

www.exploreiloilo.com

The Town Of Janiuay

Janiuay is located at the central part of Iloilo province. It is surrounded by four towns - Cabatuan, Maasin, Mina and Lambunao. It has a distance of 32 kilometers from Iloilo City.

It was said that the name of the town was taken from the name of the ruling son of a datu, Han and "oway", tambo or "rattan" in English which is abundant in the area. The name of the place became Janiuay. There are some who believe that the name of this place came from the local word "hani" which means whisper, and "oway" combined and gives the equivalent of a whisper in the wilderness of tambo or rattan. Today's youth gives a new homophone term to their place by writing: "Honey, why?"


Photo Source:

www.myiloilo.net taken from Life Magazine

Barrio Barakang In Guimbal

This barrio is located at the southern part of the present Rizal Street of the town of Guimbal. This is situated west of the church and formerly densely populated during the Spanish occupation.

Long time ago, the town is always the center of frequent Moro raids. One morning of September, the Moro vintas were seen in the shores of Guimbal. The people were then busy for a fiesta celebration. They don't have a time to escape so they were compelled but to confront the enemies. Since they have no preparation in this struggle the people were compelled to fight. In avoiding a certain death or to be a slave of the Moros, the people flocked to the church to ask help from their patron saint, Saint Nicholas Tolentino to help them engage the invaders.

While the Moros with shining cutlass are chasing the natives defending the path towards the church, they were stopped by a giant figure of a beautiful lady with a long hair and a mighty man holding a staff that seems like clearing the path. The Moros were scared and immediately left.  Until now, the name was called "Barakang" which means barrier or barricade.


Photo Source:

www.exploreiloilo.com