Munting Indang, Nasugbu, Batangas Part I
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| Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines. |
PART I
Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Munting Indang in the Municipality of Nasugbu, 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 MUNTING INDANG
Part One: History
1. Present official name of the barrio – Munting Indang
In the eastern part of the municipality of Nasugbu is a village which abounds with fertile lands, rich with vegetation and forest products. This part of Nasugbu is officially known as Munting Indang. It consists of four sitios. They are Tala, Bulihan, Balubo, and Kaykolastica.
2. Popular name of the barrio, past and present –
Of all the sitios of Munting Indang, Tala is the most populated. In the past, this sitio was commonly called Bangkong Anonang, because at that time, only anonang trees could be found in the place. But due to the demands for more productive lands, this thick anonang forest was cleared by the early settlers. Later, it became popularly known as Tala. Like any other place, it got its name from some popular legendary beginnings handed down from generation to generation.
Tala is the center of educational, recreational and economic activities because of its accessibility to adjacent neighboring barrios. It buzzes with activities from early dawn to sunset. The school site is located in the heart of Tala. And there, too, is an artesian well and two rice mills. Most of the people earn their livelihood by farming, and by working in the sugar central of Nasugbu. There is no noteworthy cottage industry in this village, but the womenfolk are very busy helping their husbands work in the fields, aside from their household chores. This is especially true during the milling season, when women and children alike help in the cutting and loading of sugarcane to be milled in the sugar central. They also raise vegetables and animals like pigs, chickens, and other work animals. Fruits like cashew, duhat, bananas, mangoes, and guavas are very plentiful in this place.
Bulihan is next to Tala in importance. It is so-called because palm trees known as “buli” thrive best in this place. There are about twenty houses with a hundred populace, mostly farmers. The nearness
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to the mountains and to the thick forests afford the people plenty of good work best suited for fuel and charcoal. People from Nasugbu and the neighboring barrios consume a greater part of the fuel and the charcoal produced in this place. Thus, some of the barrio folks earn their livelihood by selling fuel and sacks of charcoal.
Balubo is only a few kilometers from Magallanes, Cavite. Much has been told about how this sitio got its name. But the generally accepted belief was that it got its name from a very big old sturdy tree similar to the “mulawin.” The old natives called it “balubo,” from which its present name was derived. The tree is nowhere to be found because after years and years of lasting endurance, it was not able to withstand the fury of typhoon Jean in 1951. Its big branches were thrown down by the violent winds, leaving only the huge main trunk. The people then took turns in chopping the remaining body and uprooted roots until no more trace of it could be found.
At the eastern side of Balubo is a big river known as Lumindak River. Some barrio folks are often found fishing and washing clothes in this river.
Most of the people of Balubo were from Balayan and they are mostly related to one another. So, their family life and activities are close to one another. They, too, earn their livelihood by raising poultry and by farming.
Another well-known sitio of Munting Indang is located at its southern part. It is popularly called Kaykolastica. It was popularly known during the early Spanish period. This upland was owned by an old native named Kulas Tica. When the Spaniards inquired for the owner of the big nipa house surrounded by vast flowering vegetation, the natives proudly answered “Kay Kulas Tica.” Since then, the place was called Kaykulastica, originating from the name of the rightful owner.
About fifteen houses with a little less than a hundred populace are found in this place. The people are noted for their dexterity in wild pig hunting game. The mountain, known as Mt. Cabellion near the village, seems to be a favorite habitat of plenty of wild birds, so that it is an important source of food supply of the people.
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Bananas thrive best in this village due to its favorable warm climate. Bananas mostly found in Nasugbu market come from this place. They are brought by the natives to town by horseback.
[A] Lack of a better means of transportation and the great distance from the national road and market are the two great factors that hinder the progress of the barrio. Despite these difficulties, the people are not behind in economic and intellectual pursuits. The simple farmers have a keen interest in exchanging ideas and opinions with the teachers from religion down to politics. They are cooperative and industrious. No parcel of land lays idle. Every inch of land serves a purpose, either for grazing or for vegetable raising. Barrio Munting Indang contributes a great deal to the steady progress of its town, Nasugbu.
3. Establishment of the barrio –
During the early part of the Spanish occupation, it is said that the natives of Nasugbu inhabited the seashore. To escape the destructive Moro raids, the people fled to the mountains. They lived in groups and formed a unit of government. Clearings were done, and they gave a name to their pioneered place, which they considered their own. For several years, they felt contented with their lives. Then, as civilization progressed, several barrios were created.
Like other barrios in the municipality of Nasugbu, Munting Indang was created together with the municipality of Nasugbu in 1901, during the American occupation. Under it were the sitios of Tala No. 2, Bulihan, Balubo, and Kaykolastica.
There has been no information with regards to the barrio’s old name. But at the outset, this place was a virgin forest inhabited by hospitable natives. A wealthy man from Indang, Cavite, who was then an owner of this old barrio, bought this place from the natives with only two pieces of gold called “hilis-calamay.” Being [a] fertile plateau and smaller than the town of Indang, Cavite, the new proprietor called it “Munting Indang.”
In 1902, a school was established. This was run by private teachers which continued for many years. In 1935, a public school was established in the sitio of Tala. At present, Tala is becoming the seat of the barrio activities, and is presumed to be the barrio itself and Munting Indang as the sitio.
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4. Original families –
Munting Indang has fertile green fields that fascinated the people of the neighboring towns and barrios to explore it. The family of Melecio Bayoneto, who had land controversy in Pook Balayan, became the first immigrant. After a few years, another group of families were incited to live in it. They were the families of Gaspar Bayoneto and Juan Cortal, also from Pook Balayan. When other families heard their comrades were successful, they followed them. They were Silvestre de Torres, Catalino de Jesus, Eustaquio Ilao and Segundo Pasiona. At present, the descendants of these families, with a mixture of people from Tuy, Magallanes and Nasugbu, comprise the populace.
5. Tenientes from the earliest time to date –
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6. Story of old barrios and sitios that became extinct. There is no existing information whatsoever about places that had become extinct.
7. Historical sites and destruction of the place. Findings reveal that new facts can verify as to the destruction of the historical sites.
8. Important facts that took place –
The destruction wrought by the early Spanish conquistadores, the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the resistance against Japanese imperialism and the victory of the American liberation forces serve as living memoirs to the barrio folks of Munting Indang. The import of the early Filipino resistance against the colonial domination of Spain was greatly felt in this place.
A. On the early part of the Spanish occupation, the Jesuits dug irrigation ditches and canals from the huge Lumindak River down to Tala. They proposed to make an irrigation dam to irrigate the rice fields of the plains. It was later abandoned on the belief that this would inundate the town. Remains of this plan can still be found in Tala.
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During the Spanish occupation, in Kaysungkad, a nearby sitio of Tala, there was held a duel test of two parties for their strength and power. The natives emerged victorious over the duel. The sitio of Tala then became the hideout of the resisting freedom-loving Filipinos. It became the center of subversive activities under the leadership of one of the residents of the place.
The Spanish authorities, upon knowing the activities of the resistance movement, sent forces to Tala. The natives were warned of the approaching danger. Thus, a battle took place. But the natives, despite their preparations, were outnumbered by the Spanish soldiers. A few of them were killed, while the others sought refuge in the mountains. The dead were buried in Halang, which is very near Tala. Since then, the southern part of Tala became a cemetery, where both the dead Spaniards and Filipinos were buried. The few natives who fled to the mountains organized themselves to a bigger and stronger unit. But their efforts, however, were of no avail for they were spied by some Spanish soldiers. They fought again but the resistance of the natives proved futile. Some of them were captured by the Spaniards and were severely punished. The Spanish occupation made only a little effect on the lives of the natives.
B. In 1901, the residents of barrio Munting Indang encountered another difficulty. War was waged with bitterness on both sides. Unlike the Spaniards, the Americans made a brilliant offensive and defeated the Filipinos. In addition to the havoc of war and robberies, the people suffered from smallpox. Many natives suffered from famine, too. The guerrilla warfare continued their resistance which greatly affected the progress of the new government. The latter delighted the Filipinos. After years of disappointment, they thought that at last the day which they had long expected had come. Democratic ideas were in the air.
C. After several years, the Second World War broke out. The Philippines, for almost four years, were under Japanese domination. Many natives of the town fled to the barrio of Munting Indang including its sitios. It became again a hideout of the guerrillas. Due to this, the place was not freed from zonification. This was held in the early morning of
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9. Measures of reconstruction and rehabilitation –
PART II – FOLKWAYS
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