BARRIO GLIMPSES

BARRIOS AND BARANGAYS IN ALFONSO

In some municipalities in the Philippines the barrios are belittled, underestimated and even totally neglected. This is not so in Alfonso. Here the barrios are looked upon as the “backbone” of the town. Barrio folks are not shunned by the poblacion residents, but are generally treated as equal.

Barrios in Alfonso are peaceful and quiet. Residents know one another and therefore care for each other’s welfare. Jealousy between barrios doesn’t exist. Each barrio sticks to its own peculiarities. People preserve their own traditions and cultural heritages. The spirit of brotherhood and unity is felt everywhere. They cooperate with each other in all their activities. They work for their living but they don’t forget the value of recreation.

With the advent of drug addiction, however, many barrio youth were also victimized and the usual serenity and peace in every barrio has been disturbed. There are as of this writing nineteen Barrios making up twenty seven Barangays plus five from the Poblacion or a total of thirty two Barangays.


ORIGIN OF BARRIO NAMES

The progress of a community is based not only on the typical character of the town but more so because of its barrios. Like the body that has many parts which are all important, a community is composed also of many barrios, each of which has a direct influence in its culture and tradition, livelihood and even in the continuous progress of the whole town. Each barrio in Alfonso possesses a beautiful and unique name that evolved through different and interesting manner.

AMUYONG which was established on July 17, 1969 was named after a medicinal plant which was bitter in taste. Amuyong plant used to grow wildly in the area and how they completely disappeared, nobody knows.

BILOG, which was established not very long ago was formerly a Sitio of SINALIW NA MUNTI. So called BILOG, meaning rounded, simply because its boundary forms a rounded shape.

BUCK ESTATE was the name of its previous owner, Mr. Hammond Buck, an American who was the first Tenessee volunteer during the Spanish American war in 1898. He later joined the Thomasite Teachers. That was the time he came to the Philippines. He married Dolores Angles, the beautiful daughter of Lorenzo Angeles (Gobernadorcillo-1891-1893). It was also Mr. Buck who brought the Firewalkers of Alfonso to Australia in 1921. He also donated 6 hectares of land to Cavite National High School, which is presently the site of Montano Stadium in Cavite City. Barrio Buck Estate was established in June 1, 1962 and it is now the site of Rodeo Hills.

KAYSUYO which was established in March 6, 1986 was formerly a Sitio of Bo. Kaytitinga. According to the old woman who related to me the origin of the name, it came from two words: “KAY’, meaning belong to, and ‘SUYO’ which means to appease… referring to a person who always complains so he would be appeased. Exactly the unique characteristic of the owner of the place.

KAYTITINGA is now composed of three Barangays. It was formerly known as KAYHAPAY when it was established together with the poblacion in 1859. But in 1896 this was called MAINAM because when General Mariano Trias once visited the place he asked General Hipolito Rint how they were doing, and the latter answered “laging mainam” or always well.. But as noted by Jim Richardson: The true explanation is probably that given by Santiago Alvarez in his memoir "Ang Katipunan at Paghihimagsik", chapter 44:-

"Ang pook o nayong Titingga ay pinalitan ng tawag ng Pamunuang Hukbo at Pamunuang-Bayan ng "MAGDIWANG" at ipinalit ang ngalang "Mainam", upang maging walang kamatayang alaala ng "Mainam" na sagisag sa Katipunan ng AMA ng Himagsikan sa lalawigang Kabite, Kgg. MARIANO M. ALVAREZ; unang heneral ng Hukbo, mataas na Pangulo ng Pamahalaang Naghihimagsik (Magdiwang) at Director ng Fomento ng "Republika Filipinas", sa pagkatatag nito.


When and how MAINAM was changed to KAYTITINGA can no longer be traced as there is no known record about it. But they say this was taken from the word tingga (lead), a metal that is always cold. Perhaps it was because the place was always cold due to its proximity to Tagaytay.
ESPERANZA was formerly known as TIGAS when it was still a part of Pajo. It became a barrio proper during the time of Gobernadorcillo Roman Rosel in 1868. Rev. Fr. Jose Sta. Teresa suggested the name Esperanza. It is a Spanish word, which means HOPE. It is now divided into ILAYA (South) and IBABA (North).
The real name of Bo. LUKSUHIN is PANSIN because the place, being almost in level with Tagaytay is truly noticeable (Kapansin-pansin). No one lived there before due to the existence of several wild animals in the forested area. But people from Batangas started migrating to the place and soon others, coming from other places followed.
Later people called it LUKSUHIN due to a narrow brook where people jumps (lumulukso) in going to the other side when there was no bridge yet.
On April 11, 1985, LUKSUHIN ILAYA (Mataas na Pulo) was established separate from LUKSUHIN IBABA (Pansin).

Bo. MANGGAS was established during the time of Gobernadorcillo Lucio Credo in 1883. This barrio was directly connected to the poblacion and the reason it was called MANGGAS (Sleeve) was because that was how it was related to the main part of the cloth, connected only by the “palinta”.

It was during the time of Mayor Florencio Montenegro when MANGGAS ILAYA (Southern Part) was established separate from MANGGAS IBABA (Northern portion).

MATAGBAK was one of the first barrios established in 1859. Its name was taken from the name of the plant TAGBAK which used to grow in abundance in that area. Tagbak belongs to the ginger family. It is used as herbal medicine. MATAGBAK 2 refers to PUTOL (cut), so named because it used to be only a narrow street that was cut before it could enter Bo. Palumlum.

MARAHAN is as old as KAYTITINGA. This is directly adjacent to the poblacion on the western side. So named MARAHAN (slowly) because wherever one riding a horse came from, he must slow down when he arrives at the areas so as not to disturb the poblacion residents specially the guardia civil that time.

There is now MARAHAN 2 (BALUBAD). Balubad plant belongs to the cashew family that used to grow in that part of the old Marahan.
used to stand at the northeastern part of that barrio. Pajo is separated from the poblacion by a little brook called LITLITAN due to a vine with that name that used to grow around the river bank.

Bo. PALUMLUM was established on January 11, 1998. This was formerly a Sitio of Matagbak. Up to the time I am writing this I haven’t met someone who could give me a better explanation on how this barrio was so named. It is however, interesting to note how one resident presumed that the name probably was rooted in the word LILIM (shadow) brought about by many big shady trees in the place that offered wide area of “Palilim” specially during summer months. The word Palilim was eventually corrupted to its present name Palumlom. I could accept that.

Bo. PULYOK (Sta. Teresa) was formerly part of SINALIW NA MALAKI. It was called Pulyok because to reach the place one has to do a turn-around (LUMILIYOK). This is one of the newly established barrios. Also known as Bo. Sta. Teresa, after its Patroness, St. Therese of Avila.

MAYBALON was called this way because of a big well (Balon) in between Esperanze and Luksuhin that served as its landmark. It remained part of both barrios until Nov. 3, 1965 when it was formally established as a separate barrio that they called SIKAT (popular) as suggested by one influential resident. He argued that because for a long time they have been “buried” in the well, it was about time they should rise to popularity. There was a time when it was also called ANLUWAGE (Carpenter).

The word SINALIW started from the word SALYO (detour) because it was far from the main road then. It was therefore SINASALYO or SINASALIO for one to reach the place. When Tagalog words ending in “O’ but sounding as “W” were corrected, the word SINALIO became SINALIW.

On Nov. 8, 1960, when the Mayor was Angeles Hernais, Bo. Sinaliw was divide into 2 parts. SINALIW NA MALAKI (The Big Sinaliw) which was adjacent to Matagbak and SINALIW NA MUNTI (Little Sinaliw) which was adjacent to Kaytitinga. Later Bo. Pulyok or Sta. Teresa was separated from Sinaliw na Malaki.

On November 5, 1960, Bo. SULSUGIN was fully established. Its name was rooted from the word SULSUG (To walk to a more difficult but shorter pathway).

TAYWANAK IBABA (Taywanak Malayo) is the northern portion of Bo. KAKAWATIHAN, so called due to many “Kakawati” trees. It was so called MALAKING BAYAN (Big Town) because when it was cleared they realized that it was the meeting point of Indang, Maragondon, Alfonso and Bailen (now General Aguinaldo).

The word TAYWANAK originated from TAYWAN, a kind of plant that possibly came from Taiwan.

The old Taywanak was composed both of IBABA (Kakawatihan or Malaking Bayan or Taywanak Malayo) and ILAYA (The true Taywanak or Taywanak Malapit) until lately when the two were finally separated.

In 1945 one of the Sitios of Bo. PANSIN known as UPLI was established into a barrio proper. The word UPLI came from a specie of ASIS (a plant with coarse leaf surface commonly used in cleaning dishes) because of one big Asis tree that was its landmark then. Same place was also previously called HAWILIAN from Hawili plant and SWANGGI for unknown reason.

Varied and different are names of people, places and things and whatever is the name of whatever thing could change through a simple process. But “What is in a name?”, asked one writer. “A rose in any other name smells just as sweet”.
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ADDITIONAL BARRIO DATA:
1. KURAL (Manggas 2) was so called because of a former “Kural” (Stable) owned by a certain Vicenteng-Uray.

2. SARAY – a winding trail from Manggas to Esperanza was so called because walking through it tires one so much that at the end one almost gets dizzy going to different directions (PASURAY-SURAY).

3. KATUTAY – a sitio in Barrio Matagbak. Its name was coined from the word “KATUTAK” which means immeasurable extent, because it occupies a big area. (Isang KATUTAK ng luwang).

4. MATAAS NA PULO (Luksuhin 2) is self explanatory (elevated island).

5. PAGONG in Pajo is shaped like a turtle (pagong).

6. Other peculiar names with still unexplained origin:

 BALIDBIRAN – part of the road between Marahan and Matagbak.

 TAMAK – a site in Barrio Marahan.

 BUNDAGOL – Also in Barrio Marahan.

 KANTURIS – a trail from Manggas to Esperanza.

 KATMON – a site in Pajo.

LOMANG MUNTI, LOMANG MALAKI, SANTUNISAN, PULONG INGGA, ANAGATLI. PALATUNGTUNGAN, IMUS NG SANGGALO, PANIKIHAN, MUSON, PINAG-INSIKAN, PASONG KABAYO, PASONG BABOY, PASONG KILING, PILIPIT, PINAGREALAN, IMUS NG KASTILA, IMPIYERNO, BIGTASIN, KALANGITAN, BALISONG, KAYTUHOD, BASAHAN, “BANGLADESH”, PINAGREGLAHAN, ETC.

From the book TINGKORAW: Alfonso's History and Legend by jett e. avinante, m.d.