26. 12 FIGURATIVE/METAPHORICAL NAMES OF OBJECTS IN KAPAMPANGAN

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR: 
PAPA OSMUBAL(aka Oscar Balajadia) of Magalang, is a poet-artist residing in Macau-SAR, China. A graduate of Holy Angel University,  he has an MA in English Studies from the University of Macau (Highest Honor),and  a post-graduate diploma in education from Universidade de Sao Jose (Highest Honor) As an artist, he has an interest in occidental calligraphy, and has done many solo art exhibits. His writings have appeared in various anthologies and publications, online and hard copy, most recently in Subtle Tea, The Houston Literary Review, Poor Mojo's Almanac, Bulatlat and The Cortland Review. Author of the book series on the roots of Kapampangan language, O Jo Nu'Ca Menibat. A forthcoming book , "Capampangan Roots: Primitive Words and Syllables from Polynesian-Austronesian, Sanskrit, Chinese and Bahasa Languages as Roots of the Capampangan Language" will be published by the Center for Kapampangan Studies.

25. 23 OFFICIAL SEALS OF PAMPANGA PROVINCE, ITS TOWNS AND CITIES

PAMPANGA SEAL, updated version, as approved by the NHCP

A gallery featuring the great seal of Pampanga province and the official seals of its 19 municipalities and 3 cities.

ANGELES. The seal of the city features a shield divided into 4 quadrants, with the following emblems: a ‘kuliat’ vine leaf  (Kuliat was the old town name of Angeles), an American eagle (home to Clark Air Base for nearly a century), a sun with 8 rays from the Katipunan flag (Aguinaldo celebrated the first anniversary of Philippine Independence in Angeles) and two  A’s ( Angeles name is derived from Angel Pantaleon de Miranda, the town founder, and Angeles Custodios, the town patrons).

APALIT. The apalit tree (Pterocarpus indicus) stands tall in the background, with an anvil and a blacksmith’s hammer in the foreground—symbols of its metalsmithing industry for which the town is known for. Many foundries still exist in the town.

ARAYAT. The landscape-like seal of Arayat shows its most famous landmark, the legendary Bundok Alaya (eastern mountain) more commonly known as Mount Arayat, with clouds billowing yonder.  Agricultural workers—a farmer plowing the fields with a carabao,  rice planters working in the paddies—are in the foreground.

BACOLOR. Through a decree of the King of Spain on November 9, 1765, Bacolor became "Villa de Bacolor", one of the only three villas in the Philippines and was granted a Special Coat of Arms. This was in recognition for being the capital of the exiled government of Gov. Gen. Simon de Anda from 1762-64, during the British Occupation of the Philippines. The coat of arms was adapted for its municipality seal.

CANDABA. Candaba’s well-composed seal makes reference to the many roles its pinac or swamp plays in its development—a sanctuary for migratory birds, a breeding ground for fishes during the wet season, and a field for growing its sweet watermelons during summer.

FLORIDABLANCA. Floridablanca’s seal features three important elements associated with the town: sugarmill smokestacks (Pampanga Sugar Mills or PASUMIL was located in Del Carmen), flying jetplanes (home to Basa Air Base) and a white flower (English meaning of "Floridablanca"). The seal was designed by Mr. Jose D. Laxamana, an artist-musician.

GUAGUA. The industries of Guagua are represented on its seal: agriculture, fishery, carpentry (Betis carpenters were renowned furniture makers, house builders and craftsmen). The torch represents enlightenment, as the town was also a seat of learning (Colegio del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús , Guagua National Institute) , home to erudites and literati (Aurelio Tolentino, Amado Yuson, Angela Manalang-Gloria) , and many religious (including the first Filipino cardinal, Rufino J. Santos).

LUBAO. The 3-layered seal of Lubao features the belltower of its ancient 17^th century church of San Agustin on top, a representation of its vast rice fields in the middle (it is the largest rice producer of the province), and its natural water resources at the bottom, as the town is traversed by the great Gumain and Kaulaman Rivers .

MABALACAT. Stalks of rice, canes of sugar—the town’s main agricultural produce—flank the sturdy ‘balacat’ (Zysiphus zonulata blanco) tree, which once grew in production in the area, and which gave Pampanga’s newest sity its name—Mabalacat. The tableau is circumscribed by 27 stars, representing the 27 barangays.

MACABEBE. The central figure of the seal is the young unknown Macabebe warrior, often referred to as Tarik Soliman or Bambalito. He died in the battle of Bangkusay in 1571, resisting the Spaniards to the very end, thus becoming the first native to die for freedom.

MAGALANG. The town of Magalang rests on the foothills of the great mountain of the east, Bundok Alaya, where the sun rises. Its exalted location is depicted on the seal, along with the town’s vast and extensive agricultural lands.

MASANTOL. Masantol’s seal makes references to the iconographic elements and attributes of its patron saint, San Miguel Arcanghel. A pair of angel’s wings is paired with the sword that the archangel used to subdue the devil. The blade supports two weighing pans to form a balance scale, which the saint employed to weigh people’s souls. San Miguel is also the patron of grocers and traders owing to his weighing scale), which alludes to Masantol’s important role as a trading post. 

MEXICO. The municipio or town hall of Mexico occupies an eminent place on the town seal, with nearby Mount Arayat on the right, and a representation of its strategic location that drives its commercial progress.  Then, as now, Mexico is an important crossing points between towns, hence the roads on the seal. The dove of peace flies overhead while the wheel of progress is turned by a man below.

MINALIN. The design of the Minalin seal echoes the Philippine tri-color. A chicken and her eggs occupy the red portion, an industry which has earned for Minalin the monicker “Egg Basket of the Philippines”. The fishing trade is represented by a pair of fish on the blue section. The seal is bisected in the middle by a stylized rice stalk that reaches to the 3 stars. 

PORAC. The mountainous terrain of Porac forms the backdrop of the town seal. A portion of Pinatubo is also appended to the municipality. In the foreground are its vast agricultural lands, an allusion to Porac as the biggest town of Pampanga (occupying 78,000 acres). Its primary product is represented by a clump of sugarcane  The 29 rays of the sun represent the 29 barangays.

SAN FERNANDO. True to its title as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines”, the city seal prominently features its most popular product, the Christmas sampernandu lantern, a 5-pointed star. In the center, are the city’s high-rise buildings and avenues, symbols of its industry and progress.

SAN LUIS. The hatmaking tradition of this town is depicted on the upper part of the shield. It shows a silhouette of a man wearing a hat. The lower part shows symbols of its other important industries—a plow to represent agriculture and a fish, for fishery. Grains of rice and 17 stars representing its 7 barangays, circumscribe the seal.

SAN SIMON. The San Simon seal pays tribute to its many mango farms, its fishing and rice industry. The hand in broken shackles holding the rice seedling symbolizes the peasants’ freedom from the bondage of the soil, as the town played an important role in the 'revolt of the masses'and the Huk movement.

SANTA ANA. The dove of peace descends on the verdant plains of Sta. Ana, with the majestic Mount Arayat in the background. The scene is enclosed in a shield, its perimeter lined with fourteen stars, representing its 14 barangays.

SANTA RITA. Sta. Rita’s seal is laden with imageries inspired by its many local produce: fruits and vegetables, fishes and livestock, its landmark church and famous  duman (green glutinous rice) and suman. In the center is a hand holding a sapling, a visualization of the town motto: “Sesen taya ing Sta. Rita” (Let’s nurture Sta. Rita).

SANTO TOMAS. The nationally-renown pottery industry of Santo Tomas which has consistently been a driver of the town economy is given tribute  in its seal with a picture of a large pot (banga) in the center, surmounted by the 7 rays of the sun. 

SASMUAN. Sasmuan has a unique geography in that it is surrounded by fish ponds, and this forms an integral part of its seal. A hut is shown hear a fishpond teeming with shrimps, crab and fishes. Then, as now, aquaculture has been the main industry that drives the local economy. 

24. 24 LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS ABOUT ROGELIO DE LA ROSA

November 12, 2016 marks the birthday centenary of Rogelio de la Rosa (b. 1916/d. 1986)—matinee idol, politician, ambassador. This feature pays homage to Lubao’s famous son who rose to become the first King of Philippine Movies during the golden age of Philippine cinema, and the first showbiz personality to become a successful politician, and later, a much-admired diplomat.  

1. Rogelio de la Rosa’s grandfather, Francisco, was a pure Spaniard and and surveyor.  His grandmother—Francisco’s wife—was an Ilocano belle, Marciana Dariano, of Naguilian, La Union.

2. Feliciano, Rogelio’s father, is credited with donating an artesian well to the people of barrio San Jose Gumi, pre-dating Magsaysay’s practice of giving out water pumps to barrios. Feliciano was a painter, while mother Rosario, was famed as a singer.

3. The de la Rosas were the first family in Lubao to own the town’s first car.

4. The young de la Rosa was a zarzuelista, and along with his friend, Diosdado P. Macapagal, appeared in staged plays like “Sumpang Metupad”, “Atul ning Banua” and “Bayung Jerusalem”, written by playwright, Urbano Macapagal, Diosdado’s father.

5. After high school at the Lubao Institute, de la Rosa went to Far Eastern College where he earned a Liberal Arts degree. There, he became a superb athlete (intercollegiate welterweight boxing champ, member of the undefeated basketball Central Luzon basketball team) and a champion orator (Claro M. Recto Gold medallist  in Oratory).

6. Rogelio’s favorite books:  The Political Upheaval) (Schlesinger), Caesar and Christ (Will Durant), The Importance of Living (Lin Yutang) and Soviet Russia in China ( Gen. Chiang Kai-Shek). Favorite food: Pinakbet.

7. His baptismal name was “Regidor”; Rogelio de la Rosa was a screen name given to him by Jose Nepomuceno (“Father of Philippine Movies”), who directed him in  his first movie. She was paired with Bacolor-born Rosa del Rosario (Rosa Stagner, in real life) and their love team was alliteratively billed as—Rogelio de la Rosa and Rosa del Rosario.

8. At age 16, Rogelio made his first movie, “Ligaw na Bulaklak”, directed by Jose Nepomuceno. As it was a silent film, his lead actress mouthed lines in English,  while Rogelio spewed out sentences in Kapampangan. Fearing that the audience could lip-read, director Nepomuceno enrolled them in a Tagalog language course.

9. At his prime, de la Rosa stood 6 feet tall, weighed 184 pounds and had a 45 in. chest. In 1948, he had a fixed monthly salary of Php 2,000, and had  25% to. 33.3% share of net proceeds from his pictures, giving him a guaranteed annual income in the range of Php 150,000- Php 200,000, a substantial amount in those days.

  

10. The popular Rogelio de la Rosa-Carmen Rosales love tandem began with the 1939 musical, “Takipsilim”. They would appear together in 12 more films:  Lambingan, Señorita, Diwang Awit, Colegiala (1940), Panambitan, Tampuhan (1941), Camelia, Kampanang Ginto (1949), Maalaala Mo Kaya (1954), Ang Tangi Kong Pag-ibig, Iyong-iyo (1955), and their last movie together, Lydia (1956).

11. The actor put up his own RDR productions  with J. Amado Araneta and Placido Mapa in 1941, and produced box-office hits including: Ang Maestra, Anong Ganda Mo (1941) and Caballero (1942).

12. De la Rosa was the first Filipino actor to in a film slated for international release in 1949:  ‘Sword of the Avenger’, where he was top-billed as Ramon Delgado along with Sigrid Gurie. Produced by Eagle Films and the United Philippine Artists, it also had a Tagalog version—‘Ang Vengador’, this time, with Pacita Francisco. Shot  in Hollywood, the film was directed by Sidney Salkow,and featured the exploits of “ the swashbuckling leader of the Filipino resistance to Spanish opposition during the 19^th century”.

13. Many of the films of Rogelio de la Rosa spawned a few theme songs that became very popular:”Maalaala Mo Kaya?”, “Sarung Banggi”, “Tayo Na Sa Antipolo” and “ Ang Tangi Kong Pag-ibig”.

14. De la Rosa won two Best Actor awards for his movie “Higit sa Lahat”, earning the FAMAS Best Actor nod in 1955, and the Asia Film Festival Best Actor trophy in 1956, held in Hong Kong.

15. The very private Rogelio was already married when he was at the peak of his career. He was married during the Japanese Occupation to  Dolores “Lolita”  Z. Bayot of Masbate. Rogelio was  married a second time to a fellow Kapampangan actress, Carlota “Lota” Concepcion Delgado”, who was born in Camp Stotsenburg.

   

16. The de la Rosa children’s names all begin with the letter “R”:  Ramon, Rudolf,  Reynaldo, Roberto, Regidor (Rocky) and only girl, Ruby. His son with Bayot was also named Rogelio Jr.

17. In 1951, de La Rosa bought a 300 hectare property in Irisan, Baguio which  he developed into the RDR Dairy Farm. He supplied his city friends with eggs, pork, beef  and 225 quarts of milk daily, from his 150 cows imported from the U.S. Bureau of Animal Industry officials once tested their dairy milk and found it to have superior butterfat content.

18. During the Japanese Occupation, de la Rosa joined the underground resistance movement. He also volunteered to go to the war during the height of the hostilities in Korea, to help boost the morale of the U.N. forces.

19. De la Rosa’s first fling with politics was in 1957, when he ran for the Senate and won—largely on the support of his legions of fans, mostly from the masses. His most vital piece of legislation was his sponsorship of a bill that condemned the illegal appropriation of public streams and rivers by big fishpond owners. As a senator, he met with Pres. John F. Kennedy at the Oval office when the U.S. president signed the War Bill in 1962.

20. Pres. Ramon Magsaysay designated de la Rosa as his adviser on labor, agriculture and rural development. He impressed the president so much that Magsaysay even encouraged him to run for governor of Pampanga in 1955.

21. When de la Rosa ran for the Presidency as an Independent in 1961, he chose the salakot and a pair of bakya (wooden shoes) as elements of his campaign seal.His slogan was : “We shall return to Malacañang!”, in reference to his pro-“masa” (common people) approach to governance.

22. Ten days before the election, de la Rosa withdrew his presidential bid as he realized that he would split the opposition votes against the ruling re-electionist  Carlos P. Garcia. This move generated many ugly rumors: that he was paid Php 500,000 by the Macapagal camp to withdraw, plus a key cabinet position and control of the Central Bank, and that his decision had driven his wife, Lota, to drink poison and attempt suicide.  Another rumor had it that Malacañang paid de la Rosa to run to split the Luzon votes, but when he looked headed for victory in the South, the Nacionalistas were alarmed that he could actually win the presidency. De la Rosa gave way to his brother-in-law, thus paving the way for Macapagal’s victory.

23. De La Rosa served in the diplomatic corps for 18 years, starting as ambassador to  Cambodia in 1965, where he was admired even by Prince Norodom Sihanouk, He was also assigned to the Hague, Poland, and Bulgaria and Sri Lanka. During his term, he became the dean of the diplomatic corps. He retired from the Foreign Service in 1983.

24. He ran for a position in the Batasang Pambansa under the banner of KBL in 1984, but lost, amidst mounting protests against President Ferdinand Marcos. 

SOURCES:

 The Case for Rogelio de la Rosa,  Sunday Times Magazine, 23 November 1961.

 The “Untimely Withdrawal” of Roger de la Rosa, by Quijano de Manila, November 1961

 Garcia, Jessie B., A Movie Album Quizbook, Erehwon Books and Magazine, Iloilo City. December 2004. P. 107-111.

 Rogelio de la Rosa: Matinee Idol, Icon, Patriot, Gentleman. By Tonette Orejas, Philippine Daily Inquirer.p, A2-3.  13 Nov. 2016.

Doña Sisang and Filipino Movies. Philippines: Vera-Reyes, Inc. Published by A.R. Mercado Management, Inc.

Photo sources: Video 48, The Chronicle, Sunday Times Magazine,Constantino, Ronaldo, K., ed., "Memorable Tagalog Movie Ads 1946-56" Manila: Danny Dolor Publications, 1994,  Alex R. Castro Photo Collection. SPECIAL THANKS to; Michael de Leon, for photos of RDR and Lota Delado, and children.

23. 10 KAPAMPANGAN PLACENAMES AND THEIR ORIGIN STORIES, part 1

ARANGUREN (Capas)

Aranguren, a barangay of Capas, Tarlac, is pronounced by the locals as ‘Aringoring’, leading to the myth that the barrio was named to honor a local vendor by the name of Aling Goring! In truth, it was named after Fray Jose Aranguren, the only Recoleto to become an archbishop of Manila from 1847-1861. Prior to this, he was stationed in Capas, and later in Masinloc, to help revive the Recollect missions in Zambales.

ATLU BOLA (Mabalacat)

This barrio, established in 1852,  was once a wide expanse of sugarcane fields formerly under the jurisdiction of Mamatitang. The founders were the Gomezes : Dña. Virginia, Don Salvador and son Jaime Gomez and Turing Mercado.  It is so named after the circular stone grinders or rollers in the shape of a ball. Hired laborers used these to extract sugarcane juice from sugarcanes for use in making “muscovado” sugar. Ordinary rollers would have two “bolas”, but the ones that Mercados built had three, hence, “Atlu Bola”.

BABO SACAN (Porac)

Babo Sacan, a sitio of barrio Cangatba, was already known by that name in 1939. It became an independent barangay around 1960. “Babo”means atop, while “sacan” is cultivated land, so it could simply describe that the particular area was an arable upland, located in an ascending elevation from  nearby Poblacion.

BAHAY PARE (Candaba)

A barangay in Candaba with a name that makes a reference to a religious person is known as ‘Bahay Pare’. It is named as such—instead of the Kapampangan “Bale Pare”, because of its proximity to Bulacan. The priest alluded to is Fray Aniceto de la Merced, born in nearby Baliwag, and known for being the author of  Pasyong Candaba written in 1858, one of the four versions of the Pasyon found in the Philippines. He built a house and a small chapel in the area, and his place of residence was called--“Bahay Pare”—which has since become the name of the barrio.

CANSINALA (Apalit)

Cansinala’s old names included Caingin or Taram (blade, or sharpness, the last, referring to clandestine blacksmith shops which operated deep in the forest, making bladed weapons for use in fighting the Spaniards, and offered ‘sharpening’ services of old dull, blades  (“taram”). The once densely wooded place was so dark that when Spaniards cleared the area—the place became bright and clear (“sinala”)—and so it was quickly settled.

CUAYAN BUGTUNG (Candaba)

During the colonial times, when Spaniards began exploring the central plains for expansion, they ventured into this area where nothing grew except for a lone bamboo tree. Thus the name “Cuayan Bugtung”—solitary bamboo. A barangay in Mindoro Occidental shares the same unusual name as this old Candaba place.

LANDING (San Fernando)

Two places in San Fernando—near barrio Maimpis and Lara respectively, and one in Porac (in barrio Babo Sacan)  are known by the name, “Landing”. They have a common origin story—that the sites were once secret airfields used by Americans during World War II. However, Fr. Venancio Samson, a Kapampangan scholar and translator, cites a 1913 map that shows the same area in San Fernando indicated with the name “Landing”. As aircrafts were rarely seen in 1913, it could be that the placename could mean something other than the more obvious airplane “landing field”.

MATALUSAD (Concepcion)

Barangay Santo Cruz in Concepcion has a sitio goes by a vividly descriptive name--Matalusad (‘slippery”). It is so called by travellers and passengers , because during the rainy season, the gravelly road becomes very slippery, causing spills,  accidents, and slowing travel. The road has since been cemented, but as recent as 2 July 2016, a motorcycle rider slipped and fell into a canal, causing his death.

PANGCLARA (Candaba)

Pangclara, often pronounced as “Pangcalara” by town oldies, started out with the name “Calauitan”, from “lauit”, meaning extreme. The barrio is at the extreme end of Pampanga, near the Bulacan boundary. When the Hispanization of barrio names began, the barrio was placed under the patronage of Sta. Clara—hence,”pang-Clara” (for St. Claire).

TELABASTAGAN (San Fernando)

The border barrio of Telabastágan literally means “frame-like”. A “bastagan” is a frame  or a wooden mount to stretch a fabric for sewing, embroidering or weaving of fishnets or mats, which, most likely, was similar to the shape of the barangay when mapped.

Sources:

Historical Data Papers (HDP) of Candaba, Apalit, Mabalacat

Sibug, Edgardo: Porac" A Rancheria at Batiauan 1594-2004. Municipal Government od Porac. 2006.

"Etymology of Place Names in San Fernando", Tarebalak Discovery, tarebalakadiscovery.blogspot.com, blogger Joel P. Mallari

Dizon, Lino L. , AMLAT, Kapampangan Local History Contours in Tarlac and Pampanga, Center for Tarlaqueño Studies, Tarlac State University, 2000.

Dizon, Lino L. East of Pinatubo: Former recollect Missions in Tarlac and Pampanga (1712-1898), Museo Archivo Recoletos,  Center for Tarlaqueño Studies, Tarlac State University, 1998.

Photo Sources:

Aranguren:.Jose Aranguren: Retrato Photo Archive of the Filipinas Heritage Library

www.retrato.com.ph

Atlu Bola: Sugarmills: www.123rf.com

Babo Sacan: Babo Sacan Elem. School

Bahay Pare: Nipahut,  created by De Montaland. www.bigstockphoto.com

Cansinala: wallpaperweb.com

Cuayan Bugtong: bamboo,  www.rgbstock.com

Landing: P-47 Thunderbolts: www.pinterest.com

Matalusad: Slippery when wet sign: www.creativesafetysupply.com

Pangclara: Catholic saints from a-z: spreadjesus.org

Telabastagan: free clip art