Ilat, San Pascual, Batangas: Historical Data

Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines.

Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Ilat in the Municipality of San Pascual, 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.

[Note to the reader.]

At the time when this document was created, the barrio of Ilat was still a part of Bauan rather than San Pascual. The latter did not become a separate municipality until the year 1969, after the passage of Republic Act No. 6166.

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HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE OF ILAT

1. Present official name of the barrio.

The present official name of this barrio is Ilat. As far as everyone could remember, this name “Ilat” has been used in the past and at the present.

2. Derivation and meaning of this name.

This barrio is almost surrounded by deep ravines in almost all directions. Probably, this is how it got its name. According to some resource persons, some of these ravines were always filled with rain water that served [as] swimming pools for naughty boys in the community. Once or twice, these ravines got several casualties for both human and animal lives though they supplied good drinking water for cows and other working animals in the barrio.

This barrio has been organized into several sitios named Tubog, Pook ng Buhangin, and Pook ng Kupang, which are inhabited by busy farmers and small traders that play in the neighboring towns.

3. Date of establishment.

According to some sources of information, nobody could trace back the date of its establishment and how it was established.

4. Original families.

Some wealthy families like Gonzales, Boo, Karaan, Aranas and Magbojos were [the] early and original inhabitants of the barrio. They are also politicians and better law-abiding citizens of a community.

5. List of tenientes from the earliest time to date:

1. Mateo Abrugena, who died blind but had been a good quack doctor.
2. Juan Castor, who was too young for a barrio lieutenant.
3. Venancio Gonzales, an old timer who died many years ago. He had been a model father, too.
4. Ambrocio Gonzales was also an old timer who died many years ago.
5. Victorino Gonzales, a model head of the family who is still living in the midst of his honestly accumulated wealth in spite of his ambition to educate extensively his children according to modern ways of living. He is fortunate to see

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the dawn of independence of the Philippines, and is the only lone survivor of [the] veterans in the community.
6. Anastacio Bulanhagui was also a teniente of this barrio.
7. Honorato Boo was another teniente who is making good enough in his business affairs.
8. Laureano Boo had been a teniente del barrio, too. He did not stay long enough in this position. He would rather be a farmer or a businessman than a politician.

6. Story of old barrios within the jurisdiction that are now depopulated.

There has never been a place in this barrio that has become depopulated or extinct. Instead, these places are becoming more populated and houses are growing more in number due to the increase of population since liberation in 1945.

(Prepared by Miss Agatonica Panganiban)

7. Data on historical sites - - - Unknown.

8. Important facts, incidents or events that took place:

a. During the Spanish Occupation.

b. During and after World War II.

9. a. Destruction of lives during wars – 1896-1900 and 1941-1945 - - None.

10. Traditions, Customs and Practices in Domestic and Social Life.

The traditions and customs from the past still exist. But some have slight changes.

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a. BIRTH

A man who used to call a midwife need not be accompanied by others or else the baby to be born will lose his way in the forest by means of bad spirits.

b. BAPTISM

“Buhusan” of a newly-born baby will receive the first baptism in the house. In this occasion, people gather in the house of the child and drink beverages. This will take place before the baby receives baptism in the church.

c. COURTSHIP

Courtship, as I have observed here in this area, is very much different from those in the town. Here, two to three gentlemen stay in the house of the girl and wait for their turn to talk with the girl. “First come, first served,” goes the saying, meaning to say that the man who comes up first would be the first one to talk with the girl.

d. MARRIAGE

“Marriage.” This man has to court the girl before the man calls his father to talk with the father or parent of the girl. After the agreement, the “patubig” or bringing [of] water takes place till the date assigned is reached. The man must bring water to the relatives of the girl. The man also has to repair the house of his fiancée to be more good to the parent [likely means “to earn the parent’s favor”]. He also gets wood and sometimes helps in the farm work.

11. Myths, Legends:

A. Origin of the World:

12. Popular songs, games and amusements – The people were born musicians. Ages before the Spaniards came, they had already their musical instruments, tribal songs and folk dances. The greatest musical instrument was the kudyapi, a guitar-like instrument which has since become the symbol of Filipino poetry and romance.

The people had an extensive collection of songs for every occasion. Their songs, of which the greatest is the kundiman, a tender song of love. They also had picturesque folk dances for all occasions. Their most popular dances were the “balitaw,” the “kumintang,” and the “fandango.”

13. R I D D L E S

1. Tungkod ni San Juan, hinding-hindi mahawakan. (ahas) 2. Ha bilog, ha pandak, ha mata, ha dilat. (atis) 3. Nagtago si Isko, labas din ang ulo. (pako) 4. Isang supot na uling, naroo’t bibitin-bitin. (duhat) 5. Isang bias na kawayan, puno ng buhukan. (mais) 6. Sa pitong magkakatoto, lima ang naging santo. (Lunes hanggang Biyernes Santo) 7. Limang magkakapatid, tigitig-isa ng silid. (kuko) 8. Dalawang batong maitim, malayo ang nararating. (mata) 9. Binti ng Kastila, puno ng ligata. (pipino) 10. Nariyan na si Kaka, pabika-bikaka. (gunting)
11. Haba mong kinakain, lalo kang gugutomin. (purga)
12. Bumili ako ng alipin, mataas pa kay sa akin. (sombrero)
13. Nagsaing si Kapirit, kinain pati anglit. (bayabas)
14. Lumalakad walang paa, lumuluha’y walang mata. (pluma)
15. Buto at balat, nguni’t lumilipad. (saranggola)

PROVERBS AND SAYINGS

1. Ang hipong natutulog ay nadadala ng agos.

2. Walang matimtimang birhen sa magaling manalangin.

3. Walang mailap na pugo sa matiagang magsilo.

4. Lumakad ng matulin, matinik man ay malalim.

5. Sa taong panot, walang masasabunot.

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6. Huwag kang maniniwala

7. Ang mahinhing dalaga, sa kilos nakikilala.

8. Ang taong nagigipit

9. Walang matigas na tutong 10. Nang ika’y nakabili ng damit na payong

Proverbs and Sayings

They fear no man under the sun and for fatherland and freedom, they are ready to fight and die.

One cannot insult a Filipino and get away with it for he would fight unto death rather than to swallow any form of dishonor.

Critics of these people have written lots of articles and booms [?] about their defects, such as their love for nice clothes, their obsession for gambling, oratory, and politics. Their fatalistic philosophy of life as expressed in their saying, “Bahala na,” “Saka na.”

15. Methods of Measuring Time:

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