Kinalaglagan, Mataasnakahoy, Batangas: Historical Data

Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines.

Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrios of Kinalaglagan in the Municipality of Mataasnakahoy, 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.

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HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE BARRIO OF KINALAGLAGAN
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* PART ONE: HISTORY *
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1. Present Official Name of the Barrio

2. How It Got Its Name

3. Date of Establishment

4. Original Family

5. List of Tenientes from the Earliest Time to Date

6. Important Facts about this Barrio

[p. 2]

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* PART TWO: FOLKWAYS *
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PEDRO AND THE FAIRIES

[page torn] along the banks of Kinalaglagan River, there once lived a couple who had an only son. Pedro was his name. He was a strong and robust lad of twenty and was such handsome. He was a dutiful son and was a great help to his father who, like the rest of the men in the village, was a fisherman. Every morning, Pedro and his father took their banca and went out to sea to fish.

One day, while they were fishing, a dense fig [?] arose, and they lost their way. They paddled in every direction, but they could not find the land. At last, they became very tired and they were ready to give up when they heard a voice. They rowed in the direction of the sound and, to their surprise, they saw a ball of fire. His father was so excited, but Pedro only laughed at him. He paddled nearer to see what it was and, to his great astonishment, he saw a very small cow.

At the moment, a strange thing happened. Dark clouds covered the sky and [a] terrific storm swept from the lake. Pedro and his father were so excited, so they prayed to be safe from the frightful storm.

After a few moments, the storm stooped and, to their surprise, they found their way home. This time, they remembered the so-called “fairies.”

THE ORIGIN OF [THE] GABI PLANT

Many years ago, there lived a brave rajah by the name of Matapang. He had only a son and named him Gavino. Unlike his father, Gavino [was] meek and gentle, but he was strong, too.

In those days, fighting among tribes was prevalent. Rajah Matapang was one of the powerful rulers during this time. Every time he went to war, he always returned victorious. Because Gavino was peaceful and loving, he did not join the men when they went to war. Rajah Matapang was very much disappointed with him, for he was scored and called a coward by the young men of his tribe.

One day, Rajah Matapang and his men went on an expedition. Gavino did not join them. He said he would look after the women and children, who were left behind. While the fighting men were away, an enemy sneaked upon the village of Rajah Matapang. They ransacked the houses and carried away the women and children. The old men who were behind were easily overpowered but Gavino fought valiantly until he was mortally wounded and fell dead. When Rajah Matapang and his men returned, they found Gavino among the dead with his shield and sword beside him. Rajah Matapang and his men realized that Gavino was not a coward and that he was more a hero than they. The Rajah had his son buried in his garden with his sword and shield.

One day, Rajah Matapang visited his son’s grave. He was very much surprised when he saw the strange plant growing on it. The leaves looked like shields. He named it “Gabi” after his son’s nickname. At last, the people discovered that the plant was edible, so they cultivated it in their gardens.

TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS AND PRACTICES IN DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE

1. The Marriage Customs –

* - Read page 5, The Marriage Customs

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2. Beliefs in Baptism –

3. Popular Songs –

4. Games and Amusements –

5. Proverbs and Sayings –