24/11/2016
THE BARANGAYS OF OSLOB
Oslob is a fourth-class municipality belonging to the Second Congressional District of the province of Cebu. It is composed of 21 coastal and upland barangays which form the local administrative units of the municipality.
Jose C. Tumulak Jr. is the 24th mayor, counting from Meliton Rendon, who serves as Oslob’s presidente municipal from 1898 to 1907. Of the town’s 21 barangays, 16 of these, including Poblacion, are scattered along the coast on the town’s eastern flank, while the rest are tossed up in the hinterlands on the town’s western border.
The names of the barangays are derived from certain peculiar geographical features, names of trees, fruits or grass that used to grow or are still found in the said places, as well as from names of persons, which may be of mythical origin, and traits for which the people of the place are known.
Most of these stories are plausible while some are best treated as a figment of the imagination.
Barangay Gawì, is the first barangay that one encounters when coming northeast from Boljoon via the National Highway. The word gawì means “trait” or “character”. Oral tradition says that the people of this place were known to possess maayong gawi (good character).
A long time ago, famine struck the inhabitants of Gawì’s neighboring villages. Starved almost to death, many of them came to Gawì to find food. The residents of Gawì gave them food and treated them kindly and respecfully. It is not known what the name of barangay Gawì was before the famine.
Gawì is composed of 14 sitios, namely, Ambakon, Tinugko, Kabukong, Kaibod, Paktay, Kangogso, kang Cruz, Manalaga, Lolokhan, Kang Awis, Kangigid, Kandakang, Linti-an and Kang-ibang. Among the earliest known groups who have settled in Gawì are the Vequiso, Figuracion, Romares, Rollon and Paragele families
Right next to Gawì is Pungtod. Old folks said, that long time ago, a white sand mound or knoll, locally called pungtod, stood on the edge of the shore. The huge sand mound was believed to have been inhabited by some spirits. With the passing of time, the waves caused the mound to disappear. Still, people were already calling the place Pungtod.
Next to Pungtod is Nueva Caceres, once a separate town formerly known as Ivisan, Ibisan or Iwisan. The name was probably derives from ibis, sometimes iwis, the local name of a fish which used to crowd in great numbers at a pond during hunasan (low tide). Iwisan Point (Yuisan Point), which is located in the same village, may have also been named after this fish.
When Ibisan became a town, it was renamed Nueva Caceres, in honor of its first parish priest, Fr. Jose Alonzo, who hailed from Nueva Caceres in Spain. Nueva Caceres was once a visita of Boljoon together with Tañong (present-day Santander) and Nigad. At present, it is the only barangay in the town that has a parish church.
South of Nueva Caceres is Bonbon, the Cebuano word for “sand.” Oral accounts tell that long ago, the shores of the village were carpeted with unusually white sand. The sand was so white that they looked like white cotton spread on the shore, and the village came to be known as Bonbon.
Following right south of the sandy village of Bonbon is Looc. The word looc, is a Hispanized version of the Cebuano lo-ok, the local name for small bay or cove. The place used to be called nalo-ok, hence its name.
Lagunde is the last of the northern villages of Oslob and thus, the first village to the north of the Poblacion. The name of the barangay is derived from a medicinal shrub, locally known as lagundi (Vitex negundo). Since lagundi used to grow in abundance in the area, the village was later named after it. After Lagunde comes the Poblacion, the center of the town.
Oslob’s Poblacion stands in between six barangays that line the coast to the northeast and eight barangays that dot the town’s southeast coast. Poblacion, a Spanish word which literally means “town,” is commonly used to refer to a central barangay of a town during the Spanish period.
Brgy. Poblacion’s former names were Catarman (or Katadman) and Lawis. Katadman, it is told, was a place or blacksmiths where bolo, blades and other tools were made. The site of the public market was a marshland in earlier times, where the locals brought their boats wherever there was a typhoon. The site was reclaimed when the new settlement was transferred to Catarman in the 1830s.
Barangy Mainit forms the southernmost border of the municipality of Oslob. Mainit or init is a local word which means “hot.” The village is called Mainit for its “hot spring” which was discovered in 1932, by Alejandro Lagare, a school head teacher.
Other accounts credit a Spanish priest as the one who first discovered the hot spring. Mainit comprises six sitios. Plameña is the only sitio found along the coast. The rest, namely, Takuling, Calunasan, Banahaw, Biyabas and Kagbalangday are scattered on the uplands. The earliest known settlers of the village are the Cuerda, Janamjam, Sabandal, Autor, Pagao and Samson families.
Barangay Bangcogon lies directly north of Mainit. Oral tradition tells that cogon grass (Imperata cylindrical) used to grow thick there, almost covering the entire village. Later, the village was named after this grass.
Right next to this “grassy” village is Tan-awan, its name probably given at the height of Moro attacks. Tan-awan or lantawan (“a place from which one looks out”), probably referred to the flat top of a huge rock, which allows a full view of Sumilon island and from where sentinels used to watch out for approaching enemies.
Kubong, Cangcua-ay, Bagakay and Jumangdal are among the sitios of Tan-awan. The earliest known groups that settled in the village were the Cuerpo, Susada and Osoresco families. The Hudars, Guarens, Vasquezes, Talaubs, Trapas and Miramonteses, are among the common families in the barangay.
North of the “lookout” village of Tan-awan is Luka. Old folks trace the origin of the name of their place to an unknown huge tree, which was allegedly uprooted (naluka). Despite having fallen and being partially uprooted, the tree was believed to have remained alive over a long time.
Another possible origin of the name of the barangay, is an indigenous accessory called luka, a kind of indigenous shoulder bag used by men. It is made up of two short bamboo tubes, each measuring a little over six inches (around 15 cm.), which are fitted against each other on the open ends. Serving as its sling, is a synthetic strap or rope made of maguey fibers, the ends of which are fastened to the top and the bottom of the joint tubes.
Next to Luka towards the north, is Alo. A popular story tells of a man named Carlos whose nickname was Alo. Alo was believed to be the greates and most famous chieftain of the barangay. He was known to be very soft-spoken and humble. He treated his people kindly, especially the poor, so that he earned their admiration and love.
When the chieftain died, the people changed the name of their barangay from San Isidro to Alo in his honor. Still another story says, that Alo refers to a tree, locally known as alom which once flourished in the place. Among the earliest settlers in Alo were the Miramar, Doro-on, Vasquez, Mirasol and Lirasan families; as well as the Yraudas, Luzadas and Colubios.
Hagdan, is the Cebuano word for ladder. The barangay of Hagdan is located above steep shoreline edges. According to oral tradition, a long time ago the settlers of the place found it very difficult to get water from a spring on the edge of the shore because they had to pass by a cliff.
So they carved a ladder or a pathway out of the rocky cliff. Since the steps were a very prominent feature, the place came to be known as Hagdan.
Calumpang comes right north of the “ladder” village. Calumpang is the name of a very big tree that once grew in the village, most probably the Calumpang nut tree (Buchanania latifolia).
Immediately south of Poblacion is the historic barangay of Daanlungsod (old town), considered Oslob’s oldest settlement. It was formerly known as Pasungan and later as Bolocboloc, and still much later was called Nigad. Nigad trees can still be seen today in the shores of Daanlungsod.
It is presently referred to as the Daanlungsod Grotto, where the statue of the Virgin Mary is enshrined; the spring water flowing in the rocks is supposed to be miraculous. Prominent families in the barangay include the Jugadors, Trapilas, Laurentes, Lunas, Abistados, Lirasans, Cuerdas Labistes and Gumbans.
On the western borders of Oslob, are six scattered mountain barangays. On the northwest border is found the extremely steep mountain called Cansalo-ay from where the name of the barangay originates. Loay or laay refers to the fatigue or exhaustion that one experiences during an uphill climb towards the place. Rising about 800 meters above the sea, Cansalo-ay is Oslob’s highest peak.
Oral tradition says that a long time ago, there lived in the mountain a widowed mother named Mangluay. She had a daughter who looked very much like her husband. Mangluay had developed such intense love for her daughter that she did everything in order to provide for her.
The industrious mother soon became known and came to own a good number of precious things including pieces of jewelry which village folks used to borrow on wedding occasions. From then on, the people who lived in the coasts referred to the mountain place right above them as Cansalo-ay in honor of the woman named Manglu-ay.
Cansalo-ay is composed of the sitios of kangandong, Bandera, Tinakluban, Gining, Tigib and Kamanahan. The earliesst known settlers of the place were the Linawan, Estinor, Geturbos, Cabilin and Cabanlit families.
The next upland barangay is Manlum, whose name comes from the word lalum (deep, low), a lowland village enclosed by mountains and hills.
Barangay Canangca-an comes next and is named after a fruit-bearing tree called nangka (jackfruit) which probably grew abundantly in the place. A long time ago, folk accounts say, there lived a white monkey as tall as a man.
The monkey was so fond of jackfruit that it did not eat any other fruit. One day, it spread jackfruit seeds at the edge of the farmers’ fields. These grew tall and big and eventually bore plenty of fruits. The monkey guarded the trees jealously, but it died before the fruits could be harvested.
With the monkey gone, the people harvested the fruits and ate them. The fruits tasted very sweet and delicious so that the people kept and planted the seeds. Soon after, jackfruits abounded in the place. Hence, the area was called Canangca-an, which means a place where jackfruits grow abundantly.
Canangca-an consists of four sitios, namely, Campari, Nagbalik, Kanteras and Kampatisio. The earliest known residents of Canangca-an were the Figuracion and Komahis families as well as the Rizons, Undaks, Ventics, Figueses, Pioquintos and Belocuras.
Barangay Can-ukban is a small upland village. Its small population of almost 600 people grow corn, vegetables, fruit trees and raise livestock. The word can-ukban refers to a place where several ukban trees grow. Ukban is a variety of loose-skinned orange fruit.
In the past, this place was popularly known as Kabadiangan or Agutay. Kabadiangan and Agutay are now component sitios of Can-ukban. Legend has it that the first inhabitants of the place were Esco and Eriang. The two were lovers who did not believe in the sacrament of matrimony.
They were believed to have eloped and secretly lived in this place until they bore children. Their respective parents thought that they had both died. The Oyapocs, Angulos and Mayolas were among the earliest settlers in Can-ukban.
Cañang is a mountain barangay which serves as the southwestern limit of Oslob. The place, tradition says, was named after the gigantic maiden Kan-iyang believed to be the first inhabitant of the place. Most probably, kan-iyang was derived from the manner mountain lolks refer to ownership or control of a piece of land.
Kang and iyang both refer to a state of personal possession (“his” or “hers”), but iyang may also be a nickname for Maria, the gigantic maiden who owned the land. The Aniñon, Belocura, Dinopol, Gerodias, Autor, Hisola, Rosario and Tulabing families are believed to be among the early settlers of Cañang.
Tumalog, another upland barangay, is nestled on top of Luka. The name tumalog is a corruption of a local word sungalog, “a strong and bubbly stream.” This stream can be found today running through a narrow but very deep valley known as Kawasan or Mag-ambak.
Sungalog, which also means “a strong downstream movement of the river,” probably referred to two big bolocboloc springs that feed the Mag-ambak Falls. According to legend, many years ago, there lived a man at the edge of the falls. He was known to have tended several native goats, which grazed on the grassy but steep side of the adjoining Hinglabayan Valley.
It was told that the Spanish priest who made periodic visits to the chapel of Tumalog used to see this man on his way up. Most probably, the Spanish priest made his difficult way up to the barrio, by following the river valley from its mouth on the shores of Luka.
Barangay Tumalog, is arguably the most developed and important mountain barangay of Oslob. Due to its natural springs, the barangay supplies potable water to the town’s coastal barangays including Poblacion. It is known for Banaybanayan, a natural swimming pool where numerous folks including those from other villageslearned the rudiments of floating on water.
A chain of hermitages, mistakably known as retreats for erring priests, can be found at the heart of the village. The barangay covers six sitios, namely, Cawasan, Cadaatan, Piligason, Can-umay, Himaypayan and Cansabud.
Some of the first settlers of Oslob probably lived in the Tumalog Plateau, where the Bolocboloc Springs are located or somewhere near the Mag-ambak Falls. This is very likely because the place boasts of a good supply of drinking water and fertile soil.
Far from the coast which is vulnerable to Moro attacks, the place might have been a safe refuge where food was abundant. Known old settlers in Tumalog include Miramontes, Doro-on, Serna, Mayola, Luzano, Ferrer, Novo, Benitez, Yrat, Flores, Luzada, Cuerpo, Benigay, Dalumpines, Mirasol and Yrauda families.
Source: The History of Oslob, Cebu, Philippines by Jiolito L. Benitez
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