1. BUCANAN, Magalang
A barangay in Magalang owes
its foreign-sounding name from a modern
sugarcane crusher made in England with a “Buchanan” brand, owned by a local
haciendero. These imported steel crushers made sugar processing easier, helping
modernize the industry.
2. BUNTUK BABI, Concepcion
The contemporary name of this
barangay is Sta. Monica, but its old name, Buntuk Babi (Hog’s Head), is still
fondly remembered. The name, as the story goes, was a tribute to a Negrito
chief who hanged pigs’ heads as trophies of his achievements. Another version
had it that the name came from the locals’ tradition of hanging a “buntuk babi”
in their veranda during their fiestas. The barangay was once visited by Felipe “Apo
Ipe” Salvador, a religious cult leader of Sta. Iglesia.
3. CALANTIPE, Apalit
Barangay Calantipe in Apalit was
named after a local wetland bulrush or grassweed, that grew in profusion in the place. Belonging
to the genus Scirpus, the calantipe plant has grass-like leaves, and clusters
of small spikelets.
4. CASTULI, Macabebe
The flowering plant (hibiscus
abelmoschus) that looked like a gumamela gave its name to an Apalit barrio
still known today as Castuli. The perennial herbaceous plants, which can grow
up to two meters tall, bears 5-petalled white or yellow flowers, with a red or
purple spot at each petal’s base. Castuli has medicinal and culinary uses, Abelmoschus
is now recognized as a separate genus from hibiscus plants.
5. CONSUELO, Macabebe
“Maniup” was the old name of
brgy. Consuelo, owing to a story of a ghost that haunted the area that blew (“tiup”)
wisps of cool air at people who passed by. But when a wealthy entrepreneur
moved in to set up a liquor business there, many locals found gainful employment
at his gin factory. As business flourished, the population of the barrio grew
as migrant workers streamed in. The barrio prospered even more, and the
residents enjoyed lasting “consuelo” (kuswelo, in the vernacular)—contentment and
happiness—at last.
6. MABUANBUAN, Sasmuan
The riverine barangay of Sasmuan—Mabuanbuan---got
its name from a specie of fish that thrived in their waters called “buanbuan”,
which Bergaño describes as “a delicious fish, spiny and with white scales”. Thus, “Mabuanbuan” means a place flourishing
with buanbuan fish. Surprisingly, Tagalogs call it “bulanbulan”. Buanbuan is a
kind of tarpon fish, found in brackish
or freshwater, can measure more than a feet long, and can be fished all year long.
7. MALATUMBAGA, Magalang
A sitio of San Vicente, Magalang
used to be called “Malatumbaga”, a
hardwood lumber tree similar to molave. The durable malatumbaga is used in
house constructions, for making posts, window sills, floors, sculptures,
frames, railroad ties and ship-building. In turn, the malatumbaga tree gets its
name from a hard, reddish bronze metal called “tumbaga”, used for jewelry.
8. MAMATITANG, Mabalacat
Mamatitang used to be a vast
sugarland with prime sugar haciendas owned by rich Mabalacat people. Mascup
River ran through one of its sitios, a popular resort destination. Mamatitang was named after an early female
Baluga settler named “Titang”. “Mama” was an appellation used to address old
people and the two words became one.
9. PAGUIRUAN, Floridablanca
The name “Paguiruan”, sometimes
spelled as Pagyuruan, came about due to a local industry that began in the
small Apalit barrio. Years ago, people used to go to the place to harvest fruits
from buri plants which grew thickly in the area. They were able to manufacture a certain type
of sweet-tasting delicacy called “yuruan”.
It soon grew to a lucrative business for the people, who, in trun, renamed
their barrio into “Pagyuruan”, a place where “yuruan” is made.
10. SUCAD, Apalit
Formerly called Sta Lucia, barrio
Sucad derived its name from “sucad”, meaning “to measure, so as to indicate a
boundary”. Town lore has it that menfolk from Sucad distrusted male visitors
from nearby San Simon who came to their barrio to serenade the local maidens. To
prevent possible trouble, the San Simon men were called to inform them that
they cannot overstep their bounds. A demarcation line was agreed on to define
their barrio’s boundaries, which cannot be trespassed by both sides—“angga
mu queni ing ‘sucad’ yu”.
SOURCES:
Historical data papers: Floridablanca, Candaba, Floridablanca,
Macabebe, Magalang
Bartolo, Lou Aldrin L., The Magalang Book, NCCA, Center
for Tarlaqueño Studies, 2015.
Dizon, Lino L. Amlat, Kapampangan Local History Contours
in Tarlac and Pampanga,
Center for Tarlaqueño Studies, Tarlaca State University,
2000.
Sibug, Edgardo C., Porac, A Rancheria at Batiauan
1594-2004, published by the Municipal Government of Porac.
Vocabulario de Pampango en Romance y Diccionario de
Romance en Pampango. The English Translation of the Kapampangan Spanish
Dictionaryy written by Fray Dego Bergano of the Order of St. Augustine, first
published in 1732. Holy Angel University Press.
PHOTOS:
All maps: googlemaps, unless otherwise noted.
Bucanan: pinterest
Buntuk Babi:
Calantipe:
Consuelo:
HDP, Macabebe
Mabuanbuan,
Malatumbaga:
Mamatitang:
Castro, Alex R. Scenes from a Borderton and other Views,
2006, privately printed.
Paguiruan/ Pagyuruan:
HDP Floridablanca
Sucad: HDP Apalit
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