Ulango, Tanauan, Batangas: Historical Data
 |
| Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines. |
Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Ulango in the City of Tanauan, 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]
HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE BARRIO OF ULANGO
Part One: History
1. Present official name of the barrio: ULANGO.
2. Popular name of the barrio: Ulango.
3. Date of establishment: The date of the establishment of the barrio cannot be recalled. However, according to the people, the barrio existed already long before the Spaniards came to the Philippines.
4. Original families: Unknown.
5. List of Tenientes del Barrio from the earliest time to date:
|
1. Fructuoso Tapia 2. Buenaventura Austria 3. Miguel Gonzales 4. Macario Ramos 5. Vicente Garcia 6. Miguel Gonzales 7. Macario Ramos 8. Martin Oruga 9. Miguel Gonzales 10. Jacinto Briones 11. Cecilio Rivera 12. Miguel Gonzales 13. Felipe Ramos 14. Cenon Evangelista 15. Fermin Lanceta 16. Isaac Tirones 17. Pedro Javier 18. Ambrosio Carandang |
1893-1894 1894-1895 1895-1896 1896-1897 1897-1898 1898-1902 1902-1903 1903-1904 1904-1907 1907-1909 1909-1915 1915-1926 1926-1935 1935-1937 1937-1942 1942-1944 1944-1949 1949-1953 |
6. Stories of old barrios or sitios within the jurisdiction that are now depopulated or extinct: There was a sitio called “Bungliw.” The name was derived from trees called “bungliw,” which grew in abundance in the place. At present, the place is depopulated because the people have settled in the barrio proper, Ulango.
7. Data on historical sites, structures, buildings, old ruins, etc.: N o n e.
8. Important facts, incidents, or events that took place:
a. During the Spanish occupation: During the Spanish occupation, the Spanish soldiers built a camp in Ulango. Later, there was a battle between the Filipino insurgents and the Spaniards.
b. During the American occupation to World War II: When the Americans occupied the place, the people were zonified. After a few weeks, the Insurrectos who hid in the mountains surrendered to the Americans.
c. During and after World War II: A guerrilla [group] was
[p. 2]
9. Destruction of lives, properties and institutions:
(b) 1941-1945: persons killed:
2. Lt. Coronado
3. Emmanuel Llander
10. Traditions, Customs and Practices:
The birth of a twin is believed to be the sign of good luck.
In this place, when a baby is born, preferential attention is given at once to its baptism. It is believed that as soon as babies are baptized, he is under the spirit of bad things.
The mother of the newly-born child at once decides who will be the “ninong” or the sponsor. Usually, the sponsor should shoulter the expenses such as the baptismal dress, the church fees, the drinks and the “pakimkim.”
In case the baby becomes sick before it is baptized, thus it is impossible for baptism, what they do is to have the “buhos tubig” first. This is done by one who acts as a priest. The presence of the sponsors is also needed at this time. Sometimes, there is a little party given on this occasion.
1. When a young man begins courting a young woman, the parents of both consult a fortuneteller. If the fortuneteller says that they will be a good pair, they may be married.
2. The eldest son in the family will not court the eldest daughter of another family because they say that both elders [will] always quarrel. To have good companionship and [a] prosperous life, the oldest always courts the youngest woman.
1. During the marriage ceremony, when the priest tells the bride and the groom to hold hands, the man should hold the bride’s hand tightly so that he will be more powerful.
2. After the ceremony, when the couple ascends the house of the bride, they are offered sweets so that they will live a happy and abundant life.
3. When the bride moves to the house of her husband, she is asked to sit flat on a white sheet so that she will always feel at home.
4. When the fortuneteller predicts that the couple will have a bad fate, the bride moves to the house of her husband, but her husband stays in the bride’s house. After nine days, her husband goes home.
[p. 3]
Whenever a person dies in the neighborhood, friends, and especially the relatives, go to the house of the deceased and pay homage to the dead. These people, the women in particular, usually wear black or clothes with colors not suggestive of joy to show their sympathy to and mourn with the bereaved family of the deceased. They, too, usually give contributions or “alms” for the death in this occasion.
If the dead body is to be laid in state overnight, there is always the “puyatan” or “lamayan.” This is a custom in which some very faithful friends, neighbors and relatives of the dead and the bereaved family watch over [the dead] the whole night without sleeping, for it is believed that if the dead is left unwatched, he will be taken away by evil spirits. In this “lamayan” or “puyatan,” there are always games, usually card games, to prevent drowsiness among those who keep vigil through the night. Food is usually served at midnight and at dawn.
As wreaths, like candles, are inevitable to the common way of paying respect to the dead, a wreath or wreaths are made by the neighbors for the family of the deceased aside from those especially given by friends and relatives.
Before the dead body is taken to the final resting place, it is first taken to the church for a religious service. But a special prayer is usually said at the house before the dead is taken to the church. It sounds queer, but it has been the custom in this place to close all the windows of the house as the coffin containing the corpse is taken out of the house. This is done for fear that someone might look out of the window while the coffin is being taken down the house, because it is the belief that should someone look out, somebody akin to the dead will soon follow him to the grave.
At the cemetery, the coffin is opened to give the bereaved family a last glimpse of the departed one. It is exercised that no single tear should fall on the body of the dead or else a relative will soon follow. For nine consecutive days from the time of death, prayers are said in honor of the departed one, for its peaceful repose in the land of [the] hear-after. On the 4th day and especially at the 9th day, the special prayer is said and at this time, lunch is served to the guests. Plates are not placed one after another and the belief that death will come one after another.
(e) Visits and Festivals:
When someone is expected in the barrio, the receiving party keeps everything in order. They prepare delicious food. Young ladies and young men gather together to have some merrymaking. The old folks feast their
[p. 4]
11. Myths, Legends and Beliefs:
1. One who goes to the house of a woman on the family way should not stop at the door but must proceed into the house because, they say, that the woman will encounter hardships in delivering the baby.
2. The house of a woman on the family way should not be repaired because, they say, that the mother might die in delivering the baby. If she will die in the course of delivery, the part repaired should be destroyed.
3. When there are two children and the family to be baptized, the elder should be baptized first.
4. The godmother who is in the family way does not act as sponsor because that baby she will hold and her baby will always compete during the day, in every line [of] their whole lives.
5. After baptism, the godfather or godmother runs to the door of the church, so that the child will be leading among those baptized during the day.
6. When somebody dies in a house, plates should not be placed one on top of the other when clearing the table, because, they say, that death will come one after the other.
7. When the dead is being carried down the stairs ready for the burial, a woman follows with a dipper of water. She throws it with great force to break the dipper so that nobody will die soon.
8. The small children left by the dead should be allowed to pass over the coffin, so that they will not be afraid or [be] visited by the soul of the dead.
9. When hens cackle at midnight, there will be an unmarried woman conceiving.
10. When cats wash their faces facing the east, visitors will be coming.
11. When earthworms come out of the ground during summer, it will rain.
12. When one meets a black cat on the way, there will be misfortune.
12. Popular Songs*:
a. Magtanim Hindi Biro
b. Leron, Leron Sinta
c. Bahay Kubo
d. Ang Bayan Kong Pilipinas
(*) Note: that these songs have been reported in other barrios.
13. Puzzles and Riddles:
2. Paro-paro noong bata, ahas noong tumanda… Sitaw.
[p. 5]
4. Una siyang sumigaw bago nagnakaw… Lamok.
5. Ako’y may kaibigan, kasama ko kahit saan,
7. Tungkod ng Kapitan, hindi mahawakan… Ahas.
8. Tatlong magkakapatid, tagalan sa init… Tungko.
9. Noong munti’y may tapis, noong lumaki’y bulilis… Kawayan.
10. Kung araw ay hindi makita, nguni’t kita kung gabi na… Buwan.
14. Proverbs and Sayings: (Salawikan)
15. Methods of Measuring Time: (Special Calendar)
16. Other Folktales:
Ang Paso ni Irikay
Noong panahon ng Kastila, may isang Kastilang nagtayo ng kampo dito sa nayon ng Ulango. Ang mga Kastilang iyan ay tumigil dito ng mahabang panahon upang dakpin ang mga Insurrectos. Nang malaman ng mga Insurrectos na sila ay hinahanap ng mga Kastila, sila’y nagsitakas at sa bundok nanira. Doon sila nagtatag ng malaking puwersa upang makipagsagupaan sa mga Kastila. Sila’y nagsilabas at nilusob ang kampo ng mga Kastila. Natalo ang mga Kastila at sila’y nagsi-urong. Sa panig ng mga Insurrectos ay may isang nasugatan. Siya ay si Irik kung tawagin. Inusong ng mga kasamahan si Irik at dinala sa dakong ibaba ng nayon. Nang sila’y umahon sa burol ay hindi na sila makatagal at inilapag si Irik. “Irik, anong bigat mo!” ang sabi ng mga Insurrectos. Biglang nalagutan ng hininga si Irik. “Irik ay saw akas ay iniwan mo na rin kami,” ang sigaw ng mga Insurrectos. Simula noong, ang dakong iyon ay tinawag na “Irikay.”
[p. 6]
The Trail of Irikay
During the Spanish time, the Spaniards build a car in Ulango. They stayed there for several months, because they were searching for the Insurrectos who would not like to surrender. When the Insurrectos found out that they were outnumbered by the Spanish soldiers, they fled to the mountain. There, they organized themselves to form a bigger force. When they were ready, they gave battle to the Spanish soldiers. The Spaniards lost the battle and retreated. Only one of the Insurrectos, name Euraquio, was wounded. Euraquio was called by the name “Iriq.” Iriq was carried to the northern part of Ulango. The Insurrectos could hardly carry Iriq because he was very heavy. So, they had to rest very often. When they reached a nearby hill, they put him down. There, Iriq died. “Iriq, ay at last you left us,” shouted the Insurrectos. Since that time on, the place was named “Irik-ay.”
o0o
Informant: …… Jacinto Briones