Tangob, Lipa City, Batangas: Historical Data

Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Tangob in the City of Lipa, 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.

[Table of Contents.]

T A B L E    O F    C O N T E N T S

The Present Official Name of the Barrio The Tenientes of the Barrio from the Spanish Time to the Present	1 1
IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE
Spanish Time American Period World War II After World War II	1 1 1 1
TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, AND PRACTICES IN DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE
Birth Baptism Marriage Death and Burial Fiesta Beliefs and Superstitions Measuring Time Popular Songs Proverbs and Sayings Riddles The Cultural Aspects of the People	1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3

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THE PRESENT OFFICIAL NAME OF THE BARRIO

The present name of the barrio is Tangob. The popular name of the barrio is “Tangob na Bata,” which was derived from Tipakan, that was formerly called “Tangob na Matanda.” The said barrio was established during the Spanish time.

The tenientes of the barrio from the Spanish time to the present are the following:

1. Victor Llabres 2. Isidoro Reyes 3. Anacleto Reyes

4. Jose Austria 5. Anastacio Reyes 6. Pedro Delgado

IMPORTANT EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE

Spanish Time – The people of the barrio did not suffer any punishment from the Spaniards. The people in the town evacuated to this barrio.

American Period – Most of the people feared the Americans because the American soldiers destroyed the houses of the people.

World War II – The people of the barrio suffered much during the war. Food and clothing became very scarce. Many evacuees from Lipa and other barrios sought refuge in the barrio.

There were also some who were killed by the Japanese.

After World War II – After hearing the news that the war was over, the people returned to their homes in the barrio. Upon reaching their homes, they discovered that the properties and other belongings were gone.

TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, AND PRACTICES IN DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE

Birth – A mother after her delivery of the child is forbidden to do manual labor and eat sour fruits. She cannot take a bath for a month.

Baptism – When a child is born, the parents of the child will select the godfather or the godmother. Then, the child will be baptized at home. The call this baptism at home “buhusan.” The parents of the child prepare food and drinks. They invited their neighbors to join the merrymaking.

After the “buhusan,” the child will be baptized again in the church with the priest officiating. Then, there is another preparation at home. The godfather or the godmother sometimes gives money or jewelry to the child which is popularly called “pakimkim.”

Marriage – When a man falls in love with a young woman, he will first serenade the young girl. Then, he sends her a love letter and visits her in her home. Sometimes, he helps the parents of the girl in their work. The parents of the young girl and the man will have an understanding as to when their children will be married. They fix the date of the wedding. Their marriage is often solemnized by the priest. The families of both the bride and

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the groom invited their relatives and friends to attend the wedding ceremony. The preparations for the wedding is done in the home of the bride.

When the couple arrives home from the church, a boy and a girl or the relatives of the couple meet the newlyweds at the stairs and offer them desserts and water. As soon as they come up the house, both of them kneel down before their mother and father to receive their parental blessing. The sponsors give a certain amount of money to the couple as a gift or “pakimkim.”

The first table set for the meal will be for the couple and all their companions who accompanied them to the church. As soon as the serving is through, there is what they call “sabugan.” After the “sabugan,” the parents of the boy bring the girl to their home.

Death and Burial – When a man dies, he is placed in a coffin. Before taking the dead to the cemetery, the relatives say a prayer for the repose of his soul. Then, the dead is taken to the church to receive the blessings of the priest. The members of the family and close relatives are in mourning. From the date of the death of the person, they have to make a nine-day novena. They have a little celebration on the fourth day. Another celebration is made on the ninth day. All the members of the family must mourn for a year. Their mourning ends after when they call “babaang-luksa.”

Fiesta – The barrio folks also celebrate their barrio fiesta. Before celebrating the fiesta, they make a nine-day novena to the patron saint. Then, on the eve of the fiesta, they have a sort of entertainment like the “Huego de Anillo.” On the day of the fiesta, there is a mass followed by a procession in the afternoon.

Beliefs and Superstitions – The early people of the barrio believee in superstitions and bad spirits. They believed that some diseases were caused by bad spirits.

The old folks believed that if the children played with their stilts, they would have a good harvest. They also believed that if the frogs croaked in the evening, the next day would be a sunny day.

Measuring Time – The common means of measuring time is by looking at the sun. Another is through the help of the crowing of [the] roosters. They say that if the roosters crow at night, it is already ten o’clock. Some determine time by means of the upo plant. If the flowers of the upo plant are closed, it is four o’clock in the afternoon.

Popular Songs – The kundimans are the most popular songs in the barrio. Some of the other songs are “Wala na sa Mundo,” “Nasaan Ka Irog,” “Nayaaluialui,” etc.

Proverbs and Sayings:

1. Huag kang kasi-siguro

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2. Kung mayroon kang isinuksok 3. Ang puri ng dalaga kung pahahalagahan 4. Nasa Diyos ang awa 5. Ano ano mang gagawin

Riddles

1. Aso kong si puti 2. Isang tibuhos na kawayan 3. Bahay ni Ka Huli

4. Hugis puso, kulay ginto. (mangga)

5. Kung maliit ay minamahal 6. May isang prinsesa 7. Ako ay nagtanim sa taluktok ng bundok 8. Pantas ka ma’t bihasa sa patutura’y balita ka

9. Hithot hihot, lumabas ang kulot. (pinagkataman)

10. Tubig ko sa digan-digan

The Cultural Aspects of the People

The community is divided into two rural community groups, the well-to-do and the poor.

The well-to-do group is engaged in business enterprise. They stay in town and have their children pursue their studies.

The poor group has poor living conditions. Their children cannot even finish the elementary grades and the highest education acquired by this group is the primary course.

So, these two groups of people have different tastes in the following:

1. Art Appreciation

2. Literature and Music Transcribed from “History and Cultural Life of Barrio Tangob” 1953, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections.