Sirang Lupa, Batangas (Town), Batangas: Historical Data Part II
 |
| Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines. |
PART II
PART I | PART II
[p. 8]
THE LEGEND OF SIRANG LUPA
Long ago when this place had no name yet, there lived an old couple. Their home was situated between two ravines.
One early morning, the old man pastured his carabao near his house. As his carabao grazed freely around his home, he was busy mending the fence of his garden. The old man was so busy with his work that he forgot to glance at his carabao once in a while. After about half an hour, the old man thought of his carabao. He at once looked here and there but no carabao could be found.
Noon passed and afternoon came, but his search for the carabao was in vain. So tired and exhausted was he that he decided to go home and give up his search for the next day. While he was on his way home, he happened to look into a ravine not more than fifty meters away from his home. “Oh! There’s my carabao,” he cried though he was alone.
When the old man arrived home that evening, he was very tired, hungry, and exhausted. Wearily, he said to his wife, “Oh! It’s really hard to go around in this Broken land.” (In the language of the old man, broken land means Sirang Lupa.) He related to his wife that he had to cross all the ravines, hills, and brooks before he found his lost carabao.
Since that time, his wife often related to her neighbors the story of the lost carabao of his husband, especially what the old man had said when he arrived home. That was, “Oh! It’s really hard to go around in this Broken Land” which means “Sirang Lupa.” From that time up to the present, this locality has been known as Sirang Lupa.
ALAMAT NG MAIPA
Nuong taong 1840-1850 ay sa lugal na kung tawagain ay Maipa sa nayon, ay may isang matandang babae na namimili ng palay na tumutugon sa pangalang Tandang Lucia. Pagkakapamili niya ng palay ay kanyang ipinapabayo at kanyang ipinagbibili ang bigas na may malaki siyang tubo. Maraming katataon na gayon ang kanyang trabaho. Palibhasa’y walang namimili ng ipa nuong panahong iyon ay ang ginagawa ni Tandang Lucia ay tapon na ng tapon ang ipa ng palay sa paligid ng kanyang bahay.
[p. 9]
Ang lugal na iyon ay naging kabilitaan sa ipa kaya ng magtagal ay tinawag na Maipa.
In the year 1840-1850, there lived in the place which is now called Maipa an old woman named Tandang Lucia. She used to buy palay from this barrio and from the surrounding barrios. After selling the rice with great profit, she just threw the chaff or “ipa” around her home. After so many years, the surroundings of Tandang Lucia’s house became known for chaff, called “ipa.”
The place was then called Maipa, which means plenty of rice chaff.
ALAMAT NG GINHAWA
Ang lugal na ito na kung tawagin sa panahong ito ay Ginhawa ay isang lugal na nasa kalagitnaan ng isang malapad na burol. Saan man manggaling ang hangin ay payapang dumadampi sa lugal na iyon. Palibhasa’y maaliwalas at maginhawa ang naulit na lugal ay sa katagalan ng panahon ay tinawag na Ginhawa.
Ginhawa means pleasant. As that sitio, which is now called “Ginhawa” is situated on top of a large hill where the wind could blow freely from any direction, it was known as a pleasant place or Ginhawa in the vernacular.
This place was then called Ginhawa because of its very pleasant location.
ALAMAT NG MALALIM
Ang pook na ito na kung tawagin ay Malalim sa panahon ngayon ay isang lugal na nasa lug-ok. Ang lugal na ito ay naliligid ng mga burol o dahilig.
Nuong panahon ng Kastila ay ang marami sa mga lalaki sa nayon ng Sirang Lupa ay upang makaiwas sa makahayop na pagpapatrabaho ng Kastila ay sila ay nagsisitago sa pook na ito.
Simula nuong panahong iyon ay naging karaniwan sa labi ng bawa’t isa sa nayon ng Sirang Lupa ang pook ng Malalim.
This sitio, which is now called Malalim, is situa-
[p. 10]
ted between hills. It is a deep valley.
During the Spanish regime, men from this barrio used to hide in this place to escape from the tyrannical hands of the Spaniards especially from enforced labor.
Since that time, Malalim became the popular name of this place.
Beliefs – Paniniwala
Ang mga tao sa nayong ito ay lubos na naniniwala na mayroong tigbalang. Marami silang pagkakataong nasasabi na nagpapatotoo na mayroong tigbalang. Ang isa sa pangyayari, at halos lahat ng taga nayon ay nagkakaisa dito, ay tungkol sa paaralan sa pook ng Ginhawa nuong hindi pa naaalis ito doon. May paniwala silang mayroon ditong tigbalang.
Ang isa sa mga paniwala ng mga tao sa nayong ito ay ang isang namatay na bumabalik sa sariling tahanan sa ika-apat na araw ng kanyang pagkamatay.
The people in this locality are great believers in witches. They can cite so many instances that there are really witches. As a matter of fact, nearly all the people in this place could tell that a witch lived in a schoolhouse in Ginhawa when it was not yet transferred to Sirang Lupa proper.
The old folks in this place have the belief that the spirit of the soul of the person who died returned to its house on the fourth day after his death.
Interpretations –
1. Ang ibon na kung tawagin ay Bahaw ay kung naghuhuni sa gabi ay ang paniwala ng mga matatanda ay magkakaroon ng Malaki o maraming ani sa darating na tag-ani.
2. Sa panahon ng tag-ulan ay kapag ang tubig sa isang ilog ay wala pa sa dating ayos o hindi katulad ng ayos sa panahon ng tag-araw ay kahit na maraming ulit na kababaha ay nahuhulaan ng matatanda sa nayong ito na babaha pang muli bago dumating ang tag-araw.
3. Kapag ang isang tanyag na dalaga o binata ay namatay, ay ang paniwala ng matatanda ay marami
[p. 11]
mamatay agad sa loob ng madaling panahon.
1. Whenever the bird called “Bahaw” makes so much noise by calling “Ba-haw. Ba-haw” in the midst of the night, the old folks in this locality have the interpretation that there will be a good harvest during the year.
2. During rainy days, though a certain river had been flooded many times, the old folks in this locality could foretell that there would be another flood to come whenever the river’s water has not returned to its former place during the dry season.
3. When a distinguished or a popular maiden or a young man dies, it is the belief of the aged people in this place that there will be many more who will soon follow.
PUZZLES AND RIDDLES
1. Sampagang di bumubukad, sira-sira’y di walat, at buayang di nangangagat. (Sampaga, Sirang Lupa, at Buayahan)
2. Dutasti, butasti ay butas din ang itinagpi. (Bakid)
3. Tubig sa digan-digan, di mapatakan ng ulan. (Niyog)
4. Puno’y kalban, sangay anos, bunga’y gatang, lama’y lisay. (Papaya)
5. Isang panyong parisukat, pag nabuka ay nakakausap. (Sulat)
PROVERBS AND SAYINGS
1. Huwag ng payayayatin kung tuturuhin din.
2. Walang yumaman sa lupa na hindi nagpaduka.
3. Walang nahipo ng palyok na hindi nauulingan.
4. Walang masamang tabako sa magaling manguwako.
5. Pag mahuna ang tulay ay ang bahala ay ang nadaan.
6. Marunong man ang matsin ay napapaglamangan din.
7. Asahan mo at pag nag-ahon ay maglulusong.
8. Hindi pagkaka-isda ang dañgat.
[p. 12]
9. Hindi lulubog ang araw kundi husto ang maghapon.
10. Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo.
METHODS OF MEASURING TIME
1. Lulubog na ang araw kapag bumukad na ang bulaklak ng patola.
2. Ang bituin na kung tawagin ay balatik, ay kapag ang tayo ay alas dos (2 o’clock) kung sa araw ay nalalaman o nahuhulaan ng mga matatanda na iyon ay alas kuatro na nang umaga.
3. Ang bituin na kung tawagin ay tala sa umaga ay kapag sumikat na ng husay ay nahuhulaan ng mga tao sa lugal ng nayong itio na ang oras ay alas kuatro na ng umaga.
4. Ang bituin na kung tawagin ay kruz na bituin ay kapag timbang na timbang na ang tayo ay nahuhulaan na ng mga tao na ang oras ay alas dose ng gabi.
5. Kung tag-ulan at masama ang panahon at ang alapaap ay pabalandis ang takbo ay nahuhulaan ng mga tao na babagyo.
6. Kung tag-ulan at ang mga manok ay umaalis na sa silong o kanlong ng bahay at payapang namamasyal na sa looban o parang ay nahuhula-hulaan na magpapatuloy na ang pagtigil ng ulan at gagaling na ang panahon.
7. Kapag ang dahon ng talong ay patungo o pataob ay iyon ay isang babala na may darating na bagyo.
8. Kung tag-araw at ang palaka ay humuhuni ng madadalang isa rin iyong pangitain na malapit nang umulan.
9. Kung tag-araw at ang bulati magsilabas sa kani-kanilang bahay o butas ay iyon ay isang babala na maguulanin.
10. Kung tag-ulan at ang mga ibong layang-layang ay magliparan sa papawirin ay iyon ay isang babala na titigil na ang ulan at magtatag-init na.
Translation:
1. When the flowers of the patola begin to open its petals, it is a sign that the sun will soon set.
[p. 13]
2. When the star locally known as “balatik” assumes the same position in the sky of the sun at two o’clock in the afternoon, the old folks know that it is four o’clock in the morning.
3. When the morning star shines clear and bright in its usual place in the heavens, it announces the hour of four in the morning.
4. When the Southern Cross is directly overhead, it is midnight.
5. It forecasts an impending storm when the clouds are blown in different directions on a bad weather day.
6. When chickens stay away from under the houses on rainy days and instead roam in the open fields or backyards, it is a sign that the wet season is nearing its end and that the weather will soon be fine.
7. When the leaves of the eggplant droop or are inverted, a storm is said to be approaching.
8. When frogs croak occasionally during a hot day, it forecasts the approach of the rainy season.
9. When the earthworms creep out of their holes during summer, it is another indication of the approaching wet season.
10. The beginning of summer days is announced by the appearance of the swallows in spite of the rain.
PART III – OTHER INFORMATION
1. Information on books and documents treating of the Philippines and the names of their owners.
2. The names of Filipino authors born or residing in the locality, the titles and subjects of their works, whether printed or in manuscript form, and the names of the persons possessing them.
[p. 14]
author of this history humbly says that he can write poems, playlets, or dramas in one act, two acts, and three acts. As a matter of fact, he still possesses poems and playlets which are suited for Christmas gatherings, barrio fiestas, closing exercises in schools, and in some occasions. (Mr. Anastacio Perez, History of Sirang Lupa)
PART I | PART II