Canda, Balayan, Batangas: Historical Data - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore Canda, Balayan, Batangas: Historical Data - Batangas History, Culture and Folklore

Canda, Balayan, Batangas: Historical Data

Historical Data graphic
Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines.

Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Canda, Balayan, Batangas, the original scanned documents at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections not having OCR or optical character recognition properties. This transcription has been edited for grammar, spelling and punctuation where possible. The original pagination is provided for citation purposes.

[p. 1]

THE BARRIO OF CANDA

1. Present official name – CANDA

2. After the founding of Cebu by Legaspi in 1591, Legaspi sent out different explorers into the mainland. A group of these explorers that happened to reach Canda found some inhabitants harvesting rice. These Spaniards were attracted so much by the species of rice being harvested that they asked to ask the inhabitants what species of rice it was. They told that Spaniards that it was locally known as Kinanda, a species that was abundant in the place. Everywhere the Spaniards went in the place, they found the same species, and every time they saw the species, they sounded the word “Kinanda” and henceforth, they named the barrio after it. Because they couldn’t pronounce the word very well, the first group called it “Kinanda,” a second group called it “Kenda” and later, it was called “Kanda.” Now, it is popularly known as Canda.

The barrio of Canda embraces the tract of land between the Balimbing River on the east and the Kalbario Mt. and Pinkian Mt. on the west, and a little hill near Lagnas on the north and a callejon to Puntod on the south. This territory includes the sitios of Ilaya, Tumama, Paluan, Mayantok, Pinkian, Prenza, and Sambat, each of which signifies a meaning of its own. Tumana signifies field or meadows after which it got its name. Paluan was named after an accident where a cruel mother severely whipped her mischievous child. Mayantok was named after a species of rattan (yantok) that abounded in the place and Pinkian got its name from a crude device for starting fire which the explorers found among the natives. Prenza got its name from “dam,” a device for [an] irrigation system, and Sambat was named after a crossroad “Sagbat.”

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PART II: FOLKWAYS

10. In domestic and social life, the people of Canda have customs, traditions and practices which they have inherited from their ancestors. In the matter of birth, prospective mothers exercise meticulous and serious care particularly during the delicate period of conception. They try to eat any food that they may feel to eat due to the old belief that if they do not, either of two things would happen.

1. The prospective mother will have serious stomach ache which may terminate in abortion.

2. The young child might have in any part of (each) its body the appearance of the food that (might) the mother has failed to eat.

After birth, the question of baptism follows. If the in-laws are still living, they are accorded the right and privilege of choosing the godmother or godfather. There are at least two considerations in the act of choosing the godparents.

1. Either he must be kind and with good moral background.
2. He must be in a position to extend a helping hand.

These are strictly observed in the belief that the young child will follow the footsteps of its godparents.

[p. 2]

The old custom and tradition of courtship still prevail. The parents of the young man are still the ones who choose the bride-to-be. After the choice is made, a formal offer or presentation of the groom-to-be is made by the parents. The parents of the bride-to-be will meet the parents of the groom to discuss the questions of their children. In this connection, the parents of the girl usually make some impositions. It is [a] common sight in the barrio life to see a young man serving in the home of a young girl. Any fault of unsatisfactory service will certainly mean immediate rejection of the young man’s love. If, fortunately, the young man is not rejected, the date of marriage is usually fixed in the month of May on account of the prevailing barrio belief that marriages in this month of the year are usually happy and successful.

In the matter of death and burial, the people of Canda still observe and follow the old Catholic customs. In spite of poverty, they are doing their very best to bury the dead in a Catholic cemetery, and they see to it that before being buried, the blessing of the priest is first obtained. On the occasions of death and burial, the barrio folks give money to defray the burial expenses and they, too, attend the funeral.

11. There are still many superstitious beliefs in Canda. While in the rivers and mountains, strict care is observed not to antagonize the “Nuno” because if he is antagonized, it will surely mean sickness on the part of the offender. If, unfortunately, he becomes sick, the people of Canda have more faith in the ability of the barrio quack doctor than in the ability of true and tested doctors to cure the malady. Because of this superstitious belief, many people died who could have been saved if the service of a good doctor had been availed of.

Of all the planets, the moon is the source of much superstitious beliefs. The people of Canda would not transfer or occupy a new house if there was not yet a full moon due to the common belief that their future would not be so happy and complete under a different size of the moon. No marriage will be solemnized if there was no moon shining at night because darkness is not conducive to marital happiness so that they usually prefer and beside to have marriage solemnized when there is a full moon believing that a full moon as the giver of domestic tranquility and happiness.

POPULAR SONGS, GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS

12. The people during the early days and to the present have their games, amusements, songs and other activities during their leisure hours; such activities lessen their worries for [the] day’s work according to the old folks, which is also true to the present. The following are the popular games.

I. SONGS: Kundiman
Leron leron Sinta
Bahay kubo
Paro-parong Bukid
Magtanim ay di Biro
II. GAMES.
Piko
Hinde and Seek
Skipping Rope
Tubig
Throw the Can
III. AMUSEMENTS:
Serenading
Picnic
Attending Parties
Modanza
Indoor Baseball
Siklot
Sungkahan
Chess
Checkers
San Pedro

13. RIDDLES:

[p. 3]

1. Ang isda ko sa Maribeles, nasa loob ang kaliskis.
2. Ang bahay ko sa pulo, ang balahibo ay pako.
3. Dala mo, dala ka, dala pa ang iyong paa.
4. Sinampal ko muna, bago inalok.
5. Aling kakanin sa mundo, na nakalabas ang buto?
6. Tungkod ng Kapitan hindi mahawakan.
7. Bahay na giring-giring, butas-butas ang ding-ding.

14. PROVERBS:

1. Daig ng maagap ang liksi at sipag.
2. The early bird catches worms.
3. Nasa pagkakaisa ang lakas – In union there is strength.
4. Ang dila ay hindi patalim, nguni’t kung sumugat ay malalim.
5. Huag bibilangin ang sisiw, hanggang di pa napipisa. Do not count the chicks before they are hatched.
6. Walang matimtimang birhen sa matiyagang manalangin. There is no hard-hearted virgin to those who pray ceaselessly.
7. Hindi lahat ng kumikinang ay ginto – Not all that glitters is gold.
8. Huag ipagpabukas ang magagawa ngayon. Do not put off for tomorrow what you [can] do today.
9. Walang sumisira sa bakal kundi ang kalawang. Iron is destroyed by its own rust.
10. Ang sapa na malagaw-law, asahan mo at mababaw. A shallow river makes much noise.

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Notes and references:
Transcribed from “The Barrio of Canda,” 1953, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.
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