Bagong Pook, Malvar, Batangas: Historical Data
Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Bagong Pook in the Municipality of Malvar, 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.
[Cover page.]
COLLECTION AND COMPILATION
OF
HISTORICAL DATA
BARRIO OF BAGONG POOK
MUNICIPALITY OF MALVAR
PROVINCE OF BATANGAS
HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE BARRIO (BAGONG POOK)
Part One: History
1. Present official name of the barrio.
2. Popular name of the barrio: present and past; derivation and meanings of these names. Names of sitios included within the territorial jurisdiction of the barrio.
3. Date of establishment:
4. Original families:
5. List of tenientes from the earliest time to date:
6. Story of old barrios or sitios within the jurisdiction that are now depopulated or extinct.
7. Data on historical sites, structures, buildings, old ruins, etc.
8. Important facts, incidents or events that took place.
[p. 2]
9. a. Destruction of lives, properties and institutions during wars, especially in 1896-1900 and 1941-1945.
b. Measures and accomplishments toward rehabilitation and reconstruction following World War II.
Part Two: Folkways
1. Traditions, customs and practices in domestic and social life; birth, baptism, courtship, marriage, death, burial; visits; festivals; punishments; etc.
[p. 3]
2. Myths, legends, beliefs, interpretations, superstitions, origin of the world, land, mountains and caves, seas, lakes, rivers, plants, trees, animals, sun, moon, stars, eclipses, earthquakes, lightning and thunder, clouds, rain, wind, storms, changes of climates, other natural phenomena; first man and woman, birth of twins or more, sickness, witchcraft, magic, divination; etc.
3. Popular songs, games and amusements
4. Puzzles and riddles:
5. Proverbs and sayings:
6. Methods of measuring time, special calendars:
[p. 4]
7. Other folktales –
Part III – Other Information
8. Information on books and documents treating of the Philippines and the names of their owners.
9. The names of Filipino authors born or residing in the community, the titles and subjects of their works, whether printed or in manuscript form, and the names of the persons possessing these.
Notes and references:
Transcribed from “History and Cultural Life of the Barrio (Bagong Pook),” 1953, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.
[Cover page.]
OF
HISTORICAL DATA
BARRIO OF BAGONG POOK
MUNICIPALITY OF MALVAR
PROVINCE OF BATANGAS
[p. 1]
Part One: History
1. Present official name of the barrio.
Bagong Pook
2. Popular name of the barrio: present and past; derivation and meanings of these names. Names of sitios included within the territorial jurisdiction of the barrio.
Bagong Pook means a small place which expanded and newly separated from the barrio, San Fernando.
3. Date of establishment:
Jan. 1930
4. Original families:
Eleuterio Manalo & Isabelo Reaño, with their families, first inhabited this place. [A] Large part of the land in this barrio is owned by some rich families of Lipa City. Then, several families followed them to cultivate the land to get their means of living.
5. List of tenientes from the earliest time to date:
| 1st barrio lieutenant | Eleuterio Manalo |
| 2nd barrio lieutenant | Isabelo Reaño |
| 3rd barrio lieutenant | Francisco Aguilera |
| 4th barrio lieutenant | Juan Mediarito |
| 5th barrio lieutenant | Leoncio Aguilera |
| 6th barrio lieutenant | Braulio Castillo |
| 7th barrio lieutenant | Teofilo Reaño |
None
7. Data on historical sites, structures, buildings, old ruins, etc.
None
8. Important facts, incidents or events that took place.
a. During the Spanish occupation.
None
b. During the American occupation to World War II.None
c. During and after World War II.(Mention dates, places, personalities, etc. Political, educational, economic, religious and other events and developments are to be recorded under this head.)
[p. 2]
During the latter part of World War II, the political organization or government of this place could not function efficiently due to uprisings here and there. Economic progress was already retarded because the people lost interest in earning money. Lands were left uncultivated.
9. a. Destruction of lives, properties and institutions during wars, especially in 1896-1900 and 1941-1945.
There was also destruction of lives and properties during 1941-1945. Oftentimes, the Japanese raided this place, killed the inhabitants and destroyed their belongings. So, the people left this place and took refuge in another place.
b. Measures and accomplishments toward rehabilitation and reconstruction following World War II.
In spite of the great destruction suffered during the war, rehabilitation and reconstruction took place during the liberation period. School buildings were constructed and homes were beautified.
1. Traditions, customs and practices in domestic and social life; birth, baptism, courtship, marriage, death, burial; visits; festivals; punishments; etc.
Baptism – [The] Mother of the child will not go to the church during the baptismal ceremony.
Courtship – 1. Courtship was arranged by the parents.
Marriage – 1. The bride should not wear any kind of jewelries during a wedding ceremony because they are a sign of tears.
Deaths – 1. Relatives of the deceased should wear black clothes for about a year as a sign of mourning.
Courtship – 1. Courtship was arranged by the parents.
2. [A] Dowry or “bigay-kaya” & lover’s servitude in the girl’s house for a period of time were the two prerequisites to marriage.
Marriage – 1. The bride should not wear any kind of jewelries during a wedding ceremony because they are a sign of tears.
2. The man should step [on] the foot of his wife after the wedding ceremony so that he may not be a hen-pecked husband.
Deaths – 1. Relatives of the deceased should wear black clothes for about a year as a sign of mourning.
2. Relatives and members of the family should not eat vine vegetables unless four days had elapsed after the time of death.
[p. 3]
2. Myths, legends, beliefs, interpretations, superstitions, origin of the world, land, mountains and caves, seas, lakes, rivers, plants, trees, animals, sun, moon, stars, eclipses, earthquakes, lightning and thunder, clouds, rain, wind, storms, changes of climates, other natural phenomena; first man and woman, birth of twins or more, sickness, witchcraft, magic, divination; etc.
Legends – Bagong Pook means a small place which expanded and newly separated from the barrio San Fernando.
Beliefs – People of this place believe in one God, Supreme Almighty. They believe in life after death.
Witchcraft – 1. They believe in witches such as the asuang, who assumes the form of a dog, a bird, or any other animals and devours human flesn.
Magic – 1. They believe in [the] magic powers of amulets or charms such as: [the] anting-anting which is believed to make its possessor invulnerable to iron weapons.
Beliefs – People of this place believe in one God, Supreme Almighty. They believe in life after death.
Witchcraft – 1. They believe in witches such as the asuang, who assumes the form of a dog, a bird, or any other animals and devours human flesn.
2. The mangkukulam who causes people to die or be sick.
3. The manggagaway.
4. The tianak.
5. The tigbalang
3. The manggagaway.
4. The tianak.
5. The tigbalang
Magic – 1. They believe in [the] magic powers of amulets or charms such as: [the] anting-anting which is believed to make its possessor invulnerable to iron weapons.
2. Gayuma – a love potion which can arouse an adamant woman’s affection.
3. Popular songs, games and amusements
Popular songs – Kundiman & Kutang
Games – 1. Juego de Anillo
Games – 1. Juego de Anillo
2. Juego de Prenda
4. Puzzles and riddles:
1. One, two, three before I reach the sea.
2. Pedro is hiding, but the head is seen.
3. A riddle, a riddle, a man in the middle.
2. Pedro is hiding, but the head is seen.
3. A riddle, a riddle, a man in the middle.
5. Proverbs and sayings:
1. Tell me who your companion is & I will tell you who you are.
2. Barking dogs seldom bite.
3. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
4. Birds of the same feather flock together.
2. Barking dogs seldom bite.
3. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
4. Birds of the same feather flock together.
6. Methods of measuring time, special calendars:
1. Measuring time –
1. Position of the sun
2. Crowing of the roosters
3. The stars
2. Crowing of the roosters
3. The stars
[p. 4]
7. Other folktales –
None
(Materials on these topics may preferably be written in the local language and should be accomplished with the English translation, either literally or free, whichever is more effective in conveying the idea embodied therein.)
(Materials on these topics may preferably be written in the local language and should be accomplished with the English translation, either literally or free, whichever is more effective in conveying the idea embodied therein.)
8. Information on books and documents treating of the Philippines and the names of their owners.
None
9. The names of Filipino authors born or residing in the community, the titles and subjects of their works, whether printed or in manuscript form, and the names of the persons possessing these.
None
Notes and references:
Transcribed from “History and Cultural Life of the Barrio (Bagong Pook),” 1953, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.