Talahib, Tingloy, Batangas: Historical Data

Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines.

(a) Bago (b) Pulambule (c) Talahib proper

(d) Salong (e) Tibag (f) Kalatagan

Some years after the Spanish conquistadores had occupied the islands, this barrio was founded by the Atienzas; with the late Don Escolastico Atienza as first lieutenant of the whole Maricaban Island. It was said that this barrio was the oldest barrio in this island. As to the exact date of the founding, nobody could tell.

How the Barrio Got Its Name

According to the oldest man in the barrio, who now still lives in his one hundredth birthday, this place was incidentally called Talahib because of the following fact. That as early as the establishment of the barrio, there was a portion of land extending into the water some five hundred meters to the sea which was densely covered with tall blooming talahib grass. The flowers of this grass fanned by the northeast zephyr made a beautiful sight, so that it caught the avid attention of the Spaniards. And when the natives were asked by the Spaniards about the beautiful blossoms, the natives responded, “Talahib.” That was the origin of the name of the barrio.

More than a kilometer away from the seashore, on the top of a hill where the buri plants are posting in their towering heights, lies the sitio Bago which is inhabited by peaceful families. This place is called so because the first family who settled in this place was Juan Abanto, who because of his special taste for “bago,” a kind of vegetable,

got the appellation of Juan Bago, and lately, the sitio was called Bago.

North of Bago, just a few steps from the seashore, is Pulambule. This sitio is made up of some thirty families, all living symbiotically together. This was named Pulambule after a red buri plant which grows in the heart of the sitio and which can be seen, even now, by the passers-by.

East of Pulambule, at the center of the barrio lies Talahib proper, where the house of the late Escolastico Atienza, the founder of the barrio, still stands in desolation. It is in this place where the Barrio Primary School, housing some two hundred slow-moving pupils, is located. The democratic head of the barrio lives also in this place.

South of Talahib proper, more than two kilometers away, nestling on the top of a verdant hill, lies a fertile plain called Kalatagan. This sitio he is settled by a group of some twenty families who always group together on special occasions for mutual advantage.

Just a stone’s throw from Talahib proper, on the eastern part of the barrio, is Salong, accommodating about twenty-six houses. This was once upon a time, a fishing point. An old fisherman of the barrio who owned a fishnet once built a little “toldo” or salong ask some people called it, and from the same, the sitio’s name was made.

At extreme east of the barrio is Tibag. Here, a group of houses numbering about twenty are secluded by a big rock which people of old could not cross. Because of a periodical and violent earthquake in 1911, the rock broke (or tibag as people called it in the vernacular) and from this the name was derived.

(1) Sergio Atienza (2) Francisco Atienza (3) Eleuterio Atienza (4) Ambrocio Dolor (5) Adriano Manalo

(6) Policarpio Bagos (7) Placido Axalan (8) Hilario Castillo (9) Florentino Castillo (10) Segundo Beloso

1. Teniente primero 2. Cabeza 3. Cabeza

Don Escolastico Atienza Florentino Marasigan Placido Axalan

4. Cabeza 5. Cabeza 6. Cabeza 7. Cabeza 8. Cabeza 9. Cabeza 10. Cabeza 11. Teniente 12. Teniente 13. Teniente 14. Teniente 15. Teniente

Adriano Manalo Segundo Beloso Estanislao Atienza Crispin Atienza Placido Atienza Ambrocio Dolor Doroteo Atienza Andres Beloso Demetrio Bagos Valeriano Manalo Apolonio Cataquiz Liberato Atienza

Most houses of this barrio are of the temporary type, most consist of light materials like cogon, nipa, bamboo, and buri. Howerver, some are trying to make their houses better. A few have theirs of semi-permanent type, being made of wood and galvanized iron roofing. The oldest house of Don Felix Datinggaling and that of Don Escolastico Atienza are the scenes of ruin and desolation.

(a) During the Spanish Occupation.

As early as 1800, the Spaniards came to this barrio. They were riding on boats. The Spaniards were so hostile to the natives that they later fled to thickets. They returned to their homes immediately after the departure of the Spaniards.

Farming is the chief occupation. Mat-making is the household work of the women.

In the latter part of 1800, the people suffered from famine. There was a shortage of food. Many could not afford to buy palay as the price had gone sky high. The majority depended on root crops like camotes, cassava, and others like bananas, coconuts, etc.

During the war [of] 1896-1900, there was no destruction of lives and properties. But sometime in 1944, several “batels” and “curicanan” were destroyed by mistake for the American P.T. boats thought that said “batels” and “curicanans” were used by the Japs in transporting their soldiers from one place to another.

Subli had been a popular dance of the early folks of Talahib. Subli was usually dance during fiestas honoring our patron, “The Holy Cross.” It was performed by three or four pairs of boys and girls. The girls were in “patadiong” and the boys were in “bagong Tagalog.” The musical instrument used was called “tugtugan.” This instrument was made of lizard skin and of wood. The wood was of jackfruit, preferably because it produced a better sound than any kind of wood. The boys used “calaste” known to us at present [as] “castanets.” These calaste were made of bamboo. The varieties of subli where “Subling Taal” and “Subling Sliwa.”

How the dance is performed might be something queer to us. The group is divided into two. Two pairs are at the windows of the house near the chapel (tuklong) where the Holy Cross is and the two pairs are on the ground of the said house. The pairs on the ground are kneeling, looking at the pairs at the window. They seeing those verses similar to those of Cupang.

Data submitted by:
NICOLAS BAGOS

Notes and references: