Mahanadiong, Taysan, 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 Mahanadiong in the Municipality of Taysan, 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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[Preface.]
P R E F A C E
HISTORY AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE BARRIO
MAHANADIONG
1. Mahanadiong.
2. Mahanadiong was derived from the word “hanadiongan” which means plenty of hanadiong trees. It is a kind of softwood tree.
a. Sitio of Makukak – so called because of the numerous frogs that make so much noise during the rainy season.
b. Loob – so called because it is enclosed by bodies of water.
c. May-Kahel – because of the very big kahel tree [a] long time ago.
3. Established way back in 1815.
4. Original families:
a. Lucas Barza and wife Isabel Cuartero
b. Mariano Marquez and wife Candida Bagsic
c. Gervasio Rabano and wife Eusebia
d. Sesinando Umali and wife Teodora Braz
e. Victor and Wife Candida Umali.
5. List of Tenientes del Barrio:
a. Marciano Marquez
b. Sofio Ascuna
c. Jose Macaraig – died before finishing his term.
d. Manuel Marquez Gutierrez
e. Meliton Marquez – 1939-1953.
6. See No. 2
[p. 2]
7. Historical site – the house of Dr. Jose B. Ona is an old home of a kapitan during the Spanish time and the first president of the American regime.
8. A. During the Spanish Occupation
(1) Education – purely religious, the book used was the Kartelya [Cartilla].
(2) Lives – Many died of cholera.
(3) Property – Swarms of locusts destroyed the rice fields.
B. During the American Occupation
(1) Livelihood – Weaving and connecting abaca strands for the women while for the men, farming and earning a living by working the kaingin of the rich people.
(2) After the war, there was an epidemic of cholera and the locusts destroyed the fields.
(3) Punishments were the same was those of the Spaniards only a little bit lighter. The Macabebes were the ones who [sentence unfinished]
C. World War II and Japanese Occupation
(1) Education – [The] Japanese language was introduced in the public and private schools. Books were censored. Books pertaining to the Americans were destroyed.
(2) Livelihood – Buy and sell activities.
(3) Lives destroyed – February 11, 1944, seven men from Rosario were shot and bayoneted in the Mahanadiong River. March 12, 1944, one of the descendants of the first originators of Mahanadiong was killed – Anastacio Rabano.
(4) March 12, 1944 – homes and properties were burned by only three Japanese soldiers.
[p. 3]
(5) As to the economic side, it became the commercial [center] of the town for the public market is located there.
(6) No schools were established in this place, it being located very near the town.
9. a. 1896-1900
b. 1941-1945
(1) Homes and properties were burned by the reatreating Japanese soldiers on March 12, 1944.
(2) Many people were killed by these soldiers.
(3) It may be called the reign of terror for the people had to deal nicely and with care [with] the Japanese soldiers as well as with the guerrillas, for a slight mistake would mean death or severe punishment. [The] Lives of the people was as easy as killing chickens.
10. Customs
a. Domestic
(1) At home, the Rosary is always said before sleeping.
(2) Go to Mass every Sunday.
b. Social Life
(1) Children are not allowed to go to parties.
(2) Children are not allowed to meddle with the old people and with the visitors.
(3) The guitar, the barimbao, and the alpa are the forms of instruments as music furnishings.
[p. 4]
c. Birth
(1) Children are christened after a week old.
(2) The presentation is done after the 30th day if the child is a girl and after the 40th day if he is a boy.
d. Baptism
e. Courtship
(1) Before marriage, one must serve for almost 3 years the family of the lady he is wooing.
(2) A suitor must not go upstairs at once unless he is told to do so.
(3) Suitors must kneel on both knees before the parents.
f. Marriage
(1) Carry money during the church rites.
(2) Throwing rice at the newlyweds.
(3) Eat sweets upon arrival of the newlyweds.
g. Death
(1) Kill something to be eaten during that day.
(2) Anniversaries are held called fourth, ninth and the 30th, and 40th day if a man, in which prayers are said.
h. Burial
i. Visits
j. Festivals
(1) During fiestas, people serve delicious food to everyone.
(2) During Christmas, we serve every person who goes to the house.
[p. 5]
k. Punishments
(1) Every crime has a corresponding punishment.
11. Superstitions
a. Never marry in the month of February.
b. Select an even number for a marriage day.
c. The widower must not look at the deceased body of the wife for if he does so, he will marry at once.
d. A widower must not marry before the first anniversary of his first wife [wife’s death] for if he does so, there will be bad luck always.
e. Upon arrival from the cemetery, the members of the family must not put their clothes one after the other for if they do so, another will die.
f. When you hear the owl hoot when somebody is sick, the patient will die.
12. Popular Songs, Games and Amusements:
a. Songs – Bayan Ko – La Paloma – Sa Dakong Sikatan
b. Games – Huego de Prenda, Huwego de Anillo
c. Amusements – Cockpit and patohan
13. Riddles:
a. Baboy ko sa pulo, balahibo ay pako. Nangka.
b. Kalabaw ko sa Maynila, abot dito ang unga. Kulog.
c. I opened the bamboo, I saw a Negro. Pencil.
d. A circle, a circle, a man in the middle. Centavo.
14. Proverbs:
a. Sa panay na patak ng ulan, batong buhay ay matutunaw.
b. Nang di ka maulingan, palayok ay pangilagan.
c. Ang naglulunoy sa tubig, pilit na mangangaligkig.
[p. 6]
d. Bago ka magluto ay iyo munang alamin kung mayroon kang panahog at asin.
e. Kung di mo nais ang madurog ang buto ay huwag kang bumuhat ng malaking bato.
f. Huwag mong asahang sa iyo’y magbalik ang wikang sinabi’t batong inihagis.
15. Measuring time
a. Sun, moon, and stars.
b. Birds, the sabukot and the kalo.
c. Flowers of the patola, inalasdiez and the inoracion.
d. Crowing of the chickens and the nocturnal mooing of the cow.
Measuring days:
a. The moon.
16. Folktales
San Juan de Dios
Once upon a time, there lived a widow with a son named Juan. They were very poor and lived an ordinary life.
One day, Juan’s mother earned a few pennies more than her usual earnings. She asked Juan what she liked to buy for fiesta was coming. Juan just asked his mother to buy him a kerchief and 2 playing cards. This, Juan’s mother did.
When fiesta came, Juan went to the plaza to try his luck. He brought with him his cards and his kerchief. He laid his kerchief on the ground and began to call people who were interested in gambling. Many came to gamble with him but all of them met a sad fate for Juan won very much that day. He was so lucky that when he went home, he had several sacks of money, that he asked help from the local police
[p. 7]
to escort him in going home for he was afraid that the robbers might ambush him on the way. When he reached him, his mother was very happy. Time and again, he always had luck in his gambling that he became very rich. When he was very rich already, he built a very big house at the crossroads so that every person who went to his place could see his palatial home. He had nothing to do except watch all the passers-by and invite them to eat in his home. This, he did every day until his actions and good character reached God.
One day, God summoned an angel to bring Juan to His presence. Juan went before God. God showed Juan hell and purgatory, which made Juan surprised. There, he saw many people in flames. What he did, he got his kerchief and cards and played with Lucifer. Lucifer got no money to gamble, but instead of money, Juan took all the person who were in hell. At last, all the men were saved. God was surprised at the good-naturedness of Juan, so He asked Juan’s purpose in doing so. Juan answered that every time he had done something good to anyone, he was very happy to note that they always whispered something, “Salamat sa Diyos.” God felt so happy at the attitude of Juan, so from that time on, he was called San Juan de Dios.