Taliba, San Luis, Batangas: Historical Data Part I

PART I

PART I | PART II

Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Taliba in the Municipality of San Luis, 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.]

[p. 1]

HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE of the BARRIO of TALIBA

Going eastward following the provincial road from the Poblacion, one would come first to the barrio of Taliba. This is a long barrio, about two and a half kilometers in length. It is bounded by a brook to the north and a ravine to the south.

The former name of this barrio was Halang. The story of how the name of this place was changed is interesting. In 1904, our town San Luis became a part of Taal. There was a barrio in Taal named Halang. In this case, there would be two barrios in a town with the same name. To avoid confusion, a name more fitted to the place was given. It was said that in order to prevent one from jumping, which the meaning of Talon, a barrio south of this place; and to prevent one from climbing, which is the meaning of Sampa, a barrio north of this place; the name of Taliba was derived. The meaning of Taliba is to guard. Therefore, the name Taliba was given to safeguard the two barrios from jumping and from climbing.

One may notice that the houses in this barrio are in groups. These groups of houses form the sitios. “Beyong” is the eastern part of the barrio, the central part being called Taliba Proper, and the western part is named Bibingkahan. There is no data as to how Beyong got its name, but until now people living in this place are mad for giving such a name to their sitio. Taliba Proper was given for this is the central part of the barrio. Bibingkahan originated when an old woman made some cakes or bibingka in the western part of the barrio. Here cakes were well-known to the people. From that time on, the people called this place Bibingkahan, even if no more cakes are available by now in this place.

The original families of Taliba are the Atienzas, Cabellos, Lasalas, Siscars and the Marasigans. From these families came the early “tenientes del barrio,” followed by some others who came to live in this place.

The following are the names of the “tenientes del barrio” from the earliest time up to the present.

[p. 2]

Eduardo Lasala was the “teniente del barrio” when the Americans came in 1900. Marcelino Marasigan was the “teniente del barrio” during the Japanese occupation. Agustin Gahol is the present “teniente del barrio.”

During the latter part of the Spanish regime, the Filipino insurrectos were entrenched to fight against the Spaniards in Hilerang Kawayan, a place between Taliba Proper and Beyong. This is the narrowest part of the barrio, about ten meters in width. Many bamboos [were] on both sides of the ravine. There were also guards stationed at Bangas and Makati, trails going to Talon. Bangas is located in Taliba Proper while Makati is between Taliba Proper and Beyong.

The Americans came in 1898 when most parts of the country were already in the hands of the Filipinos. That was the time when the Fil-American War began. In 1900, when the Americans were conquering our province, the Filipino Revolutionary troops under the command of Lt. Ambrosio Hernandez, Lt. Buenaventura Iala, and Capt. Juan Buenafe encountered the American forces in the sitio of Bibingkahan. Because of the poor arms [that] the Filipinos had, the battle did not last long. The Filipinos retreated. After this battle, the Americans burned some houses and rice barns in the barrio, believing that the owners of these houses and rice barns were supporters of the revolutionists.

Before the outbreak of World War II, USAFFE troops were stationed in this barrio. Some occupied the coconut plantation in the western part and others occupied some backyards along the provincial road. About two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, these soldiers in Taliba transferred to some other place.

During the Japanese occupation, the people in this barrio had a hard life. They could not live conveniently in their homes. They built hiding places in the woods near the ravines. Because of these difficulties in life, the people’s minds were awakened to business and food production. They became hardworking people. They planted different kinds of crops for food. But the Japanese would all of a sudden appear in the barrio to take all these crops from the people. It was in the latter part of 1944 when some Japanese soldiers headed by Capt. Nagay stationed themselves temporarily in the barrio. They occupied the barrio school and the few surrounding houses. During their brief stay in the place, many furniture were destroyed. The people were frightened that they were even afraid to pass in front of the schoolhouses or go down from their homes at night. Men were always in their hiding places. They, the Japanese, moved to Cuenca to join the Japanese forces for the Americans were already coming.

During the period of liberation, no people can be seen in their homes or on the street. Everybody was in their respective hideouts. The people were much alarmed by the hissing

[p. 3]

of bombs cannon’s bullets and the barking of the guns coming from the two opposing troops. Some animals were killed and some injured during the shelling. The American forces were stationed again in the coconut plantation in the sitio of Bibingkahan. They occupied the place for several months.

Rehabilitation and reconstruction of this barrio was done through the initiatives and ceaseless efforts of the barrio people.

[p. 4]

TRADITIONS, CUSTOMS, AND PRACTICES IN DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE

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A. BIRTH
When a mother is giving birth, there are the midwife and a man called “salag” assisting. Very seldom is a doctored hired to assist. Only when the mother has difficulties in the delivery. It is so believed that in order that she will not take hardship, a wooden spoon called “sandok” is put on the back of the midwife and on the middle part of the head “bunbunan” of the mother is blown. After giving birth, chickens are killed, and neighbors are invited to eat. This is done because the people say that it is a means of giving thanks for the mother and the child being fine and well. The loves of the chickens substitute the lives of the mother and child.

When it is the first child, the mother is given a part of the “inunan” which is being eaten raw, wrapped in a buyo leaf so that she will be strong and will not get sick. She is given three spoonful of newly-cooked rice without drinking. After dressing, the baby is given by the midwife to one whom she thinks is intelligent or well-to-do, believing that the child will be like him or her as the case may be. The baby is carried to the mother’s side. A magazine or a thin book is used as the baby’s pillow. The baby is given sweet, or better liquid as purgative.

The baby’s “inunan” is put in a bamboo tube or in a dipper. This is buried under the stairs or in the yard east of the house. The first diaper used by the baby is not washed but buried, claiming that the baby will be neat as he grows old.

[The] Mother drinks hot water with some roots of vines and leaves until she has not taken a bath. She remains unbathed for about three weeks. Her body is heated with a stone wrapped in “sambong.” The mother takes a bath with hot water which is a conglomeration of different roots and leaves of wild trees. This is done to help the mother healthy and strong.

B. BAPTISM
Baptism is sometimes done at home or sometimes in the church. When done in the church, the godparents rush the baby out of the church after the baptism takes place, believing in something good to come. Presents are given by the godparents to the child. These are sometimes in the form of money, or jewelry, or clothes, etc. To make the celebration glamorous, the parents of the child send some of the food to the houses of the godparents as termed “pabandeha.”

PART I | PART II

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