Natunuan, San Pascual, Batangas: Historical Data Part I
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| Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines. |
PART I
PART I | PART II
Full transcription of the so-called “Historical Data” for the barrio of Natunuan 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 Natunuan 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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A COMPILATION OF HISTORICAL DATA OF NATUNUAN
I. History and Cultural Life of Natanuan
1. Present official name of the barrio - - Natunuan.
2. Popular name of the barrio, present and past; derivation and meaning of this name.
3. Date of establishment:
4. Original Families:
b. Aniceto Rosales’s Family
c. Isidro Perez’s Family
d. Mariano Arce’s Family
e. Claudio Ramos’ Family
5. List of Tenientes from the earliest time to date:
| a. Victor Castor | h. Geronimo Panopio |
| b. Macario Perez | i. Bernardo Manalo |
| c. Isidoro Perez | j. Eligio Perez |
| d. Timoteo Perez | k. Bernardo Manalo |
| e. Basilio Cantos | l. Clemente Manalo |
| f. Leandro Panopio | m. Emilio Rosales |
| g. Agapito Perez | n. Eligio Perez |
6. Story of old barrios or sitios within the jurisdiction that are now depopulated or extinct.
7. Data on sites, structures, buildings, old ruins, etc. - - None
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8. Important facts, incidents or events that took place.
(a) During the Spanish occupation:
(1) There was no school during the Spanish regime. Religion, Reading and Writing the native dialect were learned by children through private tutors who received one cavan of rice a year from every pupil.
(2) The animal rinderpest took place on the last year of the Spanish regime.
(b) During the American occupation to World War II.
(1) The early years of American occupation made the people evacuate to places near Bauan Poblacion. Those who resented [the] evacuation were sent to jail by American soldiers and classified “Insurgents.” After a few months, the evacuees returned home.
(2) There was a cholera epidemic but the Americans checked it.
(3) The building of a semi-permanent barrio school.
(4) The interest for giving children primary education was awakened.
(5) Home industries as embroidering and loom were much developed.
(c) During and after World War II:
(1) This barrio being a remote one became the temporary home of many evacuees from different places, especially during the time the Japanese were burning houses and massacring male persons.
(2) The Japanese soldiers came to get rice, fowls and cows. Many of the men in the barrio brought them to the mountains, where the Japanese headquarters were.
(3) The prices of commodities were very high so that there was plenty of money but little to eat. Cassava, corn, and bananas became substitutes for rice. The “sinamay” made into “pinokpok” became the popular clothing of the people.
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(4) The Japanese compulsory planting of cotton by the farmers even if the land was planted to rice. The Japanese watched the farmers plant cotton between rows of rice.
(5) The surrender of all firearms to the Japanese authorities. Once a person was caught with firearms, it meant torture or even death to him.
(6) The Americans’ return meant prosperity to the barrio people. Food as rice and canned goods were rationed.
(7) The opening again of the barrio school for the children’s education.
(8) Construction of the road which made the people travel and bring their farm products to market easier than before.
(9) Many farmers took advantage of fertilizing their farms by the use of commercialized fertilizers. They realized the high percentage of increased production.
9. (a) Destruction of lives, properties, and institutions during wars, especially in 1895-1900 and 1941-1945.
1896-1900 – 1900
The death of many persons and animals was caused by the cholera epidemic and animal rinderpest.
1941 – 1945
There was only one person who was killed by the Japanese soldiers. Not much property was destructed except for the animals and rice asked by the Japanese for their food.
(b) Measures and accomplishments towards rehabilitation and reconstruction following World War II.
(2) The improvement of the barrio road which made the people progress economically.
(3) The resumption of race-horse breeding which was a progressive sideline of the farmers before the war.
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10. Traditions, customs, and practices in domestic and social life, birth, baptism, courtship, marriage, death, burial, visits, festivals, punishments, etc.
B I R T H
1. A pregnant woman who feels labor pains during an eclipse will have difficulty in giving birth to the child and sometimes may cause her death.
2. A candle should be lighted and all doors of cabinets and aparadors should be opened when a pregnant woman lies on the bed in the act of giving birth, so that she will not suffer much the pain.
3. Nobody is allowed to stay at the doors of the house where a pregnant woman is living.
4. The first cry of the baby when very loud means its godmother or godfather will be from a far place.
5. The first cut nails of the baby is adhered to the ladder of the house with wax to prevent the baby from falling when he or she grows older.
B A P T I S M
1. The baby’s godmother or godfather is well-chosen because it is the belief that the baby inherits the characteristics of his godparents.
2. After the baptismal ceremony, the godparent carries the child hurriedly out of the church so that the child will always be alert and industrious.
C O U R T S H I P
1. A young man, to win the love of a lady, helps in the work in the lady’s house. He usually carries water and wood to the lady’s home. He helps feed the working animals of his in-laws-to-be. Sometimes, when there is a need for a repair of the house of his in-laws-to-be, he brings carpenters who will repair the house. If it is the time of weeding and planting season, the courting man brings many workers to work on the lady’s field.
2. A man who is admired by her in-laws-to-be is regarded as a member of their home. The man eats and works in the lady’s home.
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3. To show that a man likes to marry a woman, usually on one evening, the man and companions carry many cans of water to the woman’s house. When they reach there, they put them in the containers. The young man kneels in front of the young woman’s parents. Then he asks for the palay to be pounded. If he is liked by the parents, he is granted; if not, he is told to quit bringing water to them. After several days, the man’s parents or elders are called for to arrange the marriage. Before the marriage arrangements are done, gifts are sent to the woman’s house. Usually, the gifts are butchered whole pig or four of the largest fishes in the market, several plates of “kalamay,” and a bundle of “kakawate” firewood. These gifts, received by the woman’s parents, are distributed to her relatives. Later, the man’s elders make a call on the woman’s home to make arrangement for the wedding.
M A R R I A G E
1. Several days before the marriage, the couple to be wedded should not do hard work and go to far places because disaster may befall them.
2. The bridal clothes should not be worn until the wedding. These should be kept first by the groom’s relatives in the groom’s house. The is done for in the belief that the bride will be in harmony with her in-laws when she is married.
3. During the wedding ceremony, the groom should step on his bride’s foot so that he will not be dominated in the home by his wife.
4. The couple’s candles lighted in the church during the wedding ceremony should be twisted together to make their love lasting to the end.
5. The bride, upon reaching her parents’ in-laws’ home, should put out the fire in the stove so that there will be no heated discussion or trouble that will come between her and her in-laws.
6. Usually, the first work done by the woman after her marriage is making knitted abaca (“dinugtong”) to foster the couple’s relationship and increase their wealth in the future.
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D E A T H
1. The near relatives of a dead person do not take a bath until the fourth day.
2. Green leafy vegetables are not cooked by the relatives during the first four days of a death of a relative.
3. During the first nine days after the death of a person, his relatives do not place used dishes after eating one on top of the other. There is the belief that this will prevent the early death of another person related to the dead one.
P U N I S H M E N T
The old folks believe that punishment of an erring child by tying with a rope is not good because when this child grows old, he will be imprisoned for an act done.
DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE
1. Taking a bath and cutting of fingernails are not done on Tuesdays and Fridays.
2. Sweeping the yard is not done at dusk, and sweeping the floor with [a] broom is prohibited in the evening.
3. The family which has moved to a newly-constructed house prepares soft-boiled malagkit rice with coconut milk and invites its neighbors and relatives for the party.
4. There is always food served with coconut milk, usually beans or mongo with coconut milk after a farmer and his first sowing of his rice to his farm.
5. A married girl refrains for attending dances and parties.
6. When a late suitor comes to visit a girl, the early suitor gives way to the late one.
11. Myths, legends, beliefs, interpretations, superstitions.
The Legend of Malbarosa
During the days when bolos and spears were used by the Filipinos as their weapons, the leader was known as Sultan. Sultan was the administrative
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