STORY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS

WHERE DID PINONAYAN GET ITS NAME? (An Etiological Legend)

STORY OF THE EARLY SETTLERS

The early setllers of Lavezares came from the eastern side of Samar and from Bicol Region. Mariano Ubas was believed to be the son and leader of the settlers who were also believed to have their first settlement along a sturdy Balite Tree in Sabang River (now Pinonayan River) which was frequently visited by bats and birds. One of the birds they liked was “Punay” because of its melodious voice. Ubas, then, conferred with the settlers to name the place “Pinunayan”.

LEGEND

(This is a legend by Melecio Cuyco which was retold by his forebears after his death and printed in the “History of Lavezares” printed material.)

There was once a man who had just come from gathering Ponay. He filled his basket with the birds. Later, a passing Spaniard asked the man about the name of the place. The man, believing he was asked what was inside his basket answered him “Ponay”. The Spaniard concluded that the name of the place was Ponay. As the time went on, the place was called Pinonayan.

LEGENDS OF SOME PLACES IN LAVEZARES

BUNGA

Long ago, there was a place inhabited by ten families. Every family’s house was far from each other that even one shouted with all his effort and energy, he could’nt be heard by other habitants from other houses. Houses wer built on the hillside; others on the seashore; and still others on the hiltop.

The place was very abundant in trees. Bunga tree was one of the kinds which stood there. In every angle and dimension, Bunga trees were seen sturdy.
When the time went on, there was a trail made on the place. The families who used to live in far areas of the place decided to build houses beside the trail and lived there. From that small community started the growth of inhabitants of the place.

Whenever the people were asked of where they dwelled, they would answer ”There, where Bunga trees are many”. From that time on, the place was called ”Bunga”.

TABUK

Once upon a time, in a place along the seashore lived the families of the cousins Mariano Ubas and Forperio Enriquez. One day, the two rode a banca to catch fish in the sea. While they were there, there was a ship called ”vinta” which came closer to them. Boarded on the ”vinta” were the Moros who sold goods to the place.

In a no definite reason, the cousins hurried their way to avoid the coming ”vinta”. While on the seashore, a woman kept on shouting ”Tabuk na! Tabuk na!”

This was the reason why the place was named ”Tabuk”.

BANI

In a distant island, there ived an old man. He always cooked ”barani” which came from the trunk of banana and fed it to his pig.

During the Spanish Era, while the od man was making ”barani”. A Spaniard approached and asked him about the name of the place. The man answered ”barani” as he didn’t undrstand the visitor’s query.

The tme came when Philppines was under the Japanese Occupation. They went to the place where the old man lived. People of the place got afraid of them and hid themselves on the mountains, except this old and brave man who kept on cooking ”barani”. A japanese asked him. ”What’s the name of this place?”

The old man, thinking that he was asked of what he was cooking answered ”Barani”.

After the Japanese came the Americans to the island. They found the old man cookng ”barani”. Like the Spaniards and Japanese, they asked him about the name of the place; but the old man still replied ”Barani”.

”Oh! Barangay Bani!” the American ejaculated.

From that time, the island was named ”Barangay Bani”.

BAROBAYBAY

Long ago, in a place we name today Barobaybay, lived an old man by the name of Jose. At first, he was happy dwelling the place for he could produce lot of oil. But having realized his being alone, he was saddened.

Until one day, many people arived on the place. They built houses and lived there. This made old Jose reconcile happiness. As Jose traited the people as his children, they traited him as their father. Strong and loving friendship was developed on them.

Those happy days in the place suffered a draw back when Jose died. However, before he left the would, he told his people to name the place ”Barobaybay”. The word came from the terms ”Baro” meaning ”mud” and ”baybay” meaning ”seashore”. Because of the people’s love to Jose, trhey named the place ”Barobaybay”.

BATTLE OF SUKHAN
(A Heroic Non-etiological Legend)

When the America invaded Sukhan, today named Villa, Americans had a good relationship with the Sukhan folks. Time came when Japanese annexed the Philippines. They went and bomed the islands of Biri and Sukhan. The people of the two islands were caught in great fear.

The Japanese predetermined that Filpinos had transferable disease, and that they feared to be communicated with the disease. The folks used this as strategy to make the invaders afraid of them. All girls of the island went out of the shores wearing no underwear. While the Japanese were approaching, the girls turned their back and faced their anus to them. Thinking that the Filipinos carried transferable disease, the Japanese desserted their way awat from the island.

When the Japanese went back to Sukhan, thay continued bombing the island. The folks solicited help from the Americans for they could not equal the force of the Japanese. Fortunately, the Americans reinforced in the battle. Amid the battle, the Japanese troop lost many of their soldiers, thus losing the battle. The left Japanese soldiers were arrested, but there was one who hid in the forest. When this man felt bored in the woods, he came out to the barrio and out of the clear blue sky, fel in love with a beatiful young lady of the place. To make the story short, the two got married and had children.

THE TALE OF HELPING
(An Ordinary Folktale)

There was a place which was too far from the town. On its way leading to the town, there located a wide river. Residents of the place found difficulty in going to the town because of the fast current of the river.

A old woman lived on this place. One day, she went to the town. She was very careful in crossing the river. At a short distance, she saw a spider on a dead branch of the tree amid the river. It was going to fall into the water on a very short moment; and if it had fallen, it would die.
The kind-hearted old woma saved the spider from its condition. She decided to bring the spider the land where it could be safe. But on her effort to do it, the spider kept on biting her hand. However, the woman did not mind of it and continued her way.

She was able to meet a stripling and she was asked:

”Woman, why do you still help that spider even it had bitten you alredy?” the youth interogated.

”Boy, when this insect bites me, it is only natuiral for it’s its nature; and it is a nature of people to help.”

After the encounter, the woman continued her walk while the youth thought of her words.

JUAN AND THE MOROS
(A Humurous Tale)

There was once a town ruled by Moros. These Moros used to roam around the town from time to time to know the situation of the place. Whenever they did, children of the place hid themselves anywhere because they were afraid of they Moros beardy appearance.

Juan was one of the children of the place. He did all efforts just to be able to escape when the Moros were approaching.

One time, the Moros, passed by their house. Juan unnoticed they were approaching. When his mother noted him that the Moros are coming, he hurriedly hid inside his mother’s skirt. Juan didn’t last inside for he had seen a Moro with tremendous beard inside his mother’s skirt. Because of this, Juan became afraid of her mother.


THE MIRACLE OF NUESTRA SEñORA DE SALVACION
(Relegious Non-etiological Legend)

Nuestra Señora de Salvacion is the patron saint of the municipality of Lavezares. Her image is placed inside the town’s church. Trough her, the people of the place asked help for their salvation.

There was a time when a super typhoon occured. The town was flooded with rain water; several houses were destroyed; waves of the sea were strong and heavy; rain, thunder and lightning were inceasant. The people kneeled and prayed to the Blessed Virgin.

The people recognized that the image of the Virgin was not on its place, nor in the entire church building. They kept on looking for it, but with their efforts, they retreived nothing.

When the super typhoon was over, the image was found on its the same lkocation in the church. But that time, the peolple had wondered for the image had seaweeds on its gament. The people believed that it was an evidence that the Virgin has gone to the sea and stopped the waves from flooding water to the land and made the sea drew back to its great pacific. If it was not because of the Virgin’s miracle, there might be more damages and misfortune brought by the supertyphoon to the town.


THE POOR MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
(A Humurous Tale)

Once, there lived in a barrio a very poor family. They were so misfortuned that they could not even by clothes. The father had forsaken his wife and daughter for he didn’t know what to do to uplift their living.

When the daughter was of age, she always climbed the guava tree at one of the streets of the barrios. She picked and ate its ripe fruits. One day, while she was atop of the tree, a passing priest saw her. He was astonished when he saw the girl who had no underwear. The priest called her to climb down the tree and gave her twenty pesos so that she could buy underwear.

Happily, the girl went home. She had shown her twenty peso bill to her mother, and told her how she got the money.

”Mother, the priest saw me on the treetop. He asked me to get down of it and gave me this money to buy underwear”, told the daughter.

Astonished, the mother also went out of the house and climbed the same tree so that the priest would pay her the same compensation. Later, the preist was approaching the tree. The mother disguised and picked some ripe fruits.

The priest called her down. The woman was very happy as she lowered on the tree thinking that the priest would give her now the money to procure underwear. But to her dismay, the priest has given her two pesos for her to buy blade.

THE GIRL AND THE LITTLE EEL
(A Magical Folktale)

Once there was a girl who lived with her mother near the stream. Her father was no longer alive. The girl had a pet little eel which lived on the strem. Everyday, she fed it with anything she had on hand. Her mothjer didn’t knew about this. Her mother became suspicious to her being always out of their house everyday. Until one day, the mother follwed her to the stream and found out what she was doing there. The girl unnoticed her mother. Later, she called her pet.

”Kuru-kasili! Kuru-kasili!” she ejaculated.

At once the eel came to her. She fed it and waited until it finished eating. Everything was seen by the mother.

The day arrived when they had no viand. The mother talked to her daughter.

”We don’t have viand anymore let’s fetch your pet in the stream and make it cooked.” the mother suggested.

”No mother. Don’t do it!” cried the girl.

On that time the mother didn’t insisted . but she still went on the stream not letting her cheild knew. She called the eel.

”Kasili!”

Nothing appeared.

”Kasili. Kasili!”

The eel didn’t appeared to her. Now she knew her ejaculated words were wrong. She thought of the words over and over until she was able to remember it.

”Kuru-kasili!”

At once thge eel appeared. Out of the clear sky, she caught the eel and brought it home. She kept it carefully so that it wouldn’t be found by her child.

Later, the girl walked to the stream. While she was away, her mother cooked the eel and ate. She no longer waited her dauhter as she knew that she would never eat her pet’s flesh.

In the stream, the girl called the fish.

”Kuru-kasili!”

Nothing appeared to her.

”Kuru-kasili!”
The eel did not appear. The girl was frustrated and resorted to cry. Remembering her mother’s words of fetching the eel, she went back into their home.

She pnly found its bones in the dogfeed. Because she respected her mother, she did cry but didn’t utter any word. Instead, she gathered the skeleton of her pet, and got it planted on their front yard.

She always regularly visited the skeleton. Until one day, she saw it illuminating. She dug out the earth and witnessed how the skeleton turned into bars of gold. With it, the girl and her mother led comfortable and contented lives.

(From the files of Mr. Rodel Cuyco)