Maugat, Tanauan, Batangas: Historical Data
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| Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines. |
Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Maugat in the City of Tanauan, 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 MAUGAT
Part One: HISTORY
1. Present official name of the barrio: MAUGAT.
2. Popular name of the barrio, present and past; derivation and meanings of these names. Names of sitios within the territorial jurisdiction of the barrio:
Past name – Ambulong
Present name – Maugat
When this part of the community came into existence, the early settlers just learned that the name of the place was Ambulong. There were only about thirty houses and most of the inhabitants were far apart from each other so that the site became a part of the already existing barrio called Ambulong, which is only more than a mile away from the place.
It was not until 1893, when an inhabitant by the name of Leon Mendoza became the teniente of the place, that the site got its new name, Maugat. The Cabeza de Barangay during that time was the late Aseclo Mabuyo, a native of this place. His territorial jurisdiction covered five more barrios aside from Ambulong. The promihinito [?] was the late Lorenzo Landicho, also a native of Maugat. From 1893, when Aseclo Mabuyo, Lorenzo Landicho, and Leon Mendoza were Cabezas de Barangay, the promihinito and teniente, respectively, up [to] the time this portion of the municipality bore the name of Maugat.
According to some old folks, Maugat owes its name to the early fishermen of the place. During the rainy season, especially in the month of August, fishermen from the place used to shelter under the protruding roots of big trees when they were caught by the rain on their way, thus naming the place Maugat because of the benefit they derived from the roots of the trees. “Maugat” in its literal translation means “rooty.” “Ma” means “so much,” “ugat” means “root.”
3. Date of establishment: About 1820.
4. Original families:
| Teniente | Date | Matanda sa Nayon |
| Leon Mendoza | 1893-1895 | Aseclo Mabuyo |
| Aseclo Mabuyo | 1895-1896 | Aseclo Mabuyo |
| Regino Mabuyo | 1896-1900 | Adriano Mabuyo |
| Brigido Carandang | 1900-1901 | Luis Ariola |
| Lucio Marqueses | 1901-1905 | Severo Carandang |
| Angel Mercado | 1912-1914 | Severo Carandang |
| Mario Gonzales | 1914-1917 | Monico Carandang |
| Pedro Marqueses | 1917-1920 | Apolinario Aala |
| Lope Gonzales | 1920-1924 | Apolinario Aala |
| Ignacio Tolentino | 1924-1927 | Lope Gonzales |
| Alejandro Miranda | 1927-1933 | Julian Marqueses |
| Silvino Gonzales | 1933-1936 | Andres Landicho |
| Vicente Mendoza | 1936-1953 | Alejandro Miranda |
| Leodigario Carandang | to date | Ambrosio Marqueses |
6. Story of old barrio or sitio within the jurisdiction that are now depopulated or extinct: None.
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7. Data on historical sites, structures, buildings, old ruins, etc.:
a. Buildings: The barrio chapel was burned twice, first in 1913, then in 1931. Houses with cogon roofing were totally demolished. The school building called “tribunal” was also burned.
b. Old ruins: Sugar cane mills owned by Capitan Casimiro Garcia of Tanauan, Batangas.
a. During the Spanish occupation:
2. Construction of Bilog-bilog-Maugat-Talisay road.
3. Killing of Commandante Valentin Mabuyo, a native of this barrio, by the Spaniards.
4. War between the natives and the Spanish soldiers with the Civil Guards.
b. During the American occupation to World War II:
2. All inhabitants who could afford to pay five pesos or more for their taxes and former tenientes were allowed to vote for their candidates.
3. A camp was established by the Filipino Constabulary serving under the Americans.
4. The American soldiers, together with the Filipino Constabulary, used to invite the natives to dances (sublian-pandanggo) during their stay in the area. Sometimes, all the young woman and the young men who knew how to dance were brought to different places and there they performed a sort of competition, giving prizes to the winners.
5. Fighting for freedom and liberty, again the natives took up arms and became rebels to the newly-organized government. Col. Juliano Panganiban led the rebels. Their general was the famed Gen. Miguel Malvar, the last Filipino general to surrender to the Americans. Some of the rebels who actually fought against the Americans were as follows:
| Sgt. | Andres Landicho | Living |
| Cpl. | Antonio Sipida | RIP |
| Cpl. | Mario Gonzales | " |
| Miguel Alvarez | " | |
| Alfonso Mendoza | " | |
| Nicasio Marqueses | " | |
| Agaton Enriquez | " | |
| Angel Mercado | " | |
| Gregorio Tolentino | " | |
| Matias Magbuhat | " |
2. Men were commandeered to work in the landing field at Malvar, Batangas.
3. Young men joined the guerrilla organization. There were several encounters between the guerrillas and the Japanese soldiers. Casualties: Guerrillas – five dead; Japanese – three dead, five wounded.
4. Remodeling the chapel.
5. Repair of the barrio road.
9. a. Destruction of lives, properties and institutions during wars:
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10. Traditions, customs and practices:
a. Birth:
After the child is born, the umbilical cord is cut and then hung somewhere, but usually in a high place.
b. Baptism:
At the fourth day after a child is born, [the] baptism of the child is usually held. The child is brought to church with the godfather and godmother together with some invited guests and baptized by the priest. The godfather and the godmother invite some of their friends to go with them to the church. They are the ones who buy the clothes for the child and are also the ones responsible to pay for the baptismal fee. Sometimes, they still give a gift (pakimkim) to the child.
c. Courtship:
When a man courts a girl here, he must be polite. He must serve and help the parents of the girl, otherwise he will not be appreciated by the old.
d. Marriage:
When the boy wants to marry a girl, his parents request a go-between in order to have an understanding with the girl’s parents. To go-between will then convey to the boy’s parents what they have agreed upon and what steps they are going to take. At the first meeting, the parents of the boy, together with the go-between, will go to the girl’s house bringing with them presents for the girl’s parents. They, they will tell the girl’s parents the purpose of their giving those gifts. If the parents favor the boy, they will tell his parents the necessary things to do before marriage. The boy serves the girl’s parents in accordance with the understanding made between the parents of both the groom and the bride. Sometimes, the fiancé is asked to serve the girl’s parents for only one week or more. When the date for the marriage arrives, they are married in the church or in the barrio chapel by the priest depending upon the situation. They have with them their sponsors limited to only one. At the eve and after the marriage, there is a luncheon in the girl’s house. The boy’s parents shoulder all the expenses. The giving of dowry to the girl’s parents is still in practice. When the luncheon is about to be finished, the bride and the groom stay at each end of the table and a “sabugan” is performed. The relatives of the fiancé place their voluntary contributions in the form of money in front of the girl and each one of them is given cigarettes in return. The same was done by the relatives of the bride. Only, they place their contributions in front of the groom. After they have given their contributions, the total amount of money received by each would be compared
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to find out whose relatives had given more. The bride will then proceed to the groom’s house and the fiancé will be left in the house of the bride. At the second day, the groom will fetch his wife and will then live together forever.
e. Death:
When one dies in this barrio, the relatives of the dead see to it that they do not let the dead stay more than a day in the house. In some occasions, a “doplohan” is done in the house. If a boy below seven years old dies, there is a celebration in the house at the fourth and ninth day. Prayers for the soul follow. If a boy dies below ten years and not below seven years old, celebrations are also held during the fourth, ninth, fortieth and half the year.
f. Burial:
Anyone who dies in this barrio is dressed with his best clothes. He is placed inside a coffin and after serving some prayers for his soul, he is brought to church and finally to the cemetery.
g. Visits:
Whenever visits are made, due courtesy and politeness on both sides are extremely exercised.
h. Festivals:
The barrio fiesta is held annually. The people make a grand preparation; bands and even stage shows are hired.
11. Beliefs and superstitions:
a. When earthworms and ants come out from their hiding places, rain is predicted. When frogs make sounds at night during the dry season, it is going to rain.
b. When an expectant mother eats twin fruit of any kind, it is said that she will have a twin baby.
c. When a dog howls at night and somebody happens to be seriously ill, the person is going to die.
d. When someone is going to an engagement and he happens to see or meet a black cat, snake or any fierce animal, it is a sign of bad luck.
12. Popular songs, games and amusements:
Among the popular songs of the people are the kundimans, the balitaw, and the danzas. Of the games, the young men are very much interested in softball, cockfighting and playing cards are some of their amusements.
13. Puzzles and riddles:
a. Aling bagay dito sa mundo ang laging lumuluha sa harap ng santo? – (kandila)
b. Pantas ka man at marunong, ito’y turingan mo ngayon. Aling kahoy sa gubat nagkakasungay, walang ugat? – (usa)
c. Itagilid mo, itiwarik, hinde maligwak ng tubig. – (tubo)
d. Tubig na pangpala, wala makakuha kundi bata. – (gatas ng ina)
e. Bulsikat si kaka, punong-puno ng lisa. – (kalamansi)
14. Proverbs and sayings:
a. Di man magsabit magbadya, sa lagay ay nakikilala.
b. Kapag ang dagat ay maingay, asahan mo’t mababaw.
c. Lahat ay makakamtan ng matibay na kalooban.
d. Taong matipid, mangusap ay hindi nakasusugat.
e. Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa.
f. Ang taong may magandang asal ay minamahal ng kasamahan.
g. Kung sino ang matiyaga ay siyang nagtatamong pala.
15. Methods of measuring time; special calendars:
During the early days, the old folks had different methods [of telling] time. They used [the] sun and the length of the shadows by daytime. At night, the people made use of the stars, the moon and other heavenly bodies. The old folks say that when the “sabukot,” a kind of brown bird, sings, it is four o’clock in the morning; when the kalo (hornbill) sings, it is twelve o’clock midnight; when the kuliglig, a kind of insect, makes its sound, it is five o’clock in the afternoon. When the roosters first crow at night, it is about ten o’clock; second crow, around three o’clock in the morning.
There were no special calendars used by the people in the early days.
16. Other folktales: None.
17. Information on books and documents treating of the Philippines and the names of their owners: None.
18. The names of Filipino authors born or residing in the barrio, the titles and subjects of their works, whether printed or in manuscript form and the names of persons possessing those: None.