BARRIO OF AGTANGAO, Historical Data

(SGD) (Mr.) JUAN BATALLER
(SGD) (Mr.) TIMOTEO BARILA
(SGD) (Mr.) REGINO BERMUDEZ

The present official name of this barrio is AGTANGAO. It is composed of several sitios called Tandagan, Turod, Naganacan, Labnac, Inpulo, Dalnatan, and Cabayatan.

The name of sitio TAMDAGAN originated from the local dialect "matamdagan," which means overlooking other places or surroundings. During the period before the Spanish Regime, the people in these places often had wars with other groups and the sitio of Tamdagan was the place where men could stay and watch if their enemies approached.

Sitio TUROD was so called because the word "turod" means a higher place than its surroundings, but smaller than a hill, and that place is really a turod.

The word NAGANACAN in the local dialect means a place of birth, and the barrio was given that name because there was a legend that a giant gave birth at that place.

Sitio LABNAC is so called because the word "lubnac" means a place of muddy waters where carabaos wallow. The place was a lubnac before it was turned into good rice fields, now sometimes called "Alog."

Sitio IMPULO was so-called because there was once a very bad and troublesome man [who] was caught and killed in that place. The word "nagpal-lo" means ended - the place where the wicked man ended.

The sitio of DALNATAN originated from the dialect "lanat" - to put it near the fire so that it gets wilted. In that place, a man, for being so mischievous, was "nailanat," so the place came to be known as Dalnatan.

CABAYATAN is a word in the dialect which means slowest in talking. The first inhabitants of that place talked so slowly and hence the place was celled "cabayatan."

No information can be secured about the dates.

Later, the whole barrio was organized and it was called AGTANGAO. The name originated from the word "angaw," meaning joke or being fooled. During the Spanish period, the people from Patoc (or Peñarrubia) were called to work in making a bridge at Catutotan — also called San Martin Bridge — which is within the territorial jurisdiction of Bangued, and not a part of Peñarrubia. The men of Agtangao fooled the people of Peñarrubia, and hence the place was known as Agtangao.

This barrio has a natural boundary on the North by a hill, on the East by a hill, on the South by Sinalang Riber, and on the West by Catutotan Brook.

The early inhabitants of Agtangao were Tinguians or non-Christians like the people of other places, but later, during the Spanish time, the people of Agtangao became Christians and adopted the ways of life now common to Filipinos in this part of the Islands.

No personalities during the pre-Spanish period and early Spanish regime could be mentioned because no such information could be extracted from the oldest people of the barrio. But three men were the chiefs of their groups during the middle of the nineteenth century; namely, APO MARIANO BOOCAN ("Boocan" for he had long hair), APO VICTORIANO, and APO BADILLA. These were the last chieftains and it was believed that Apo Mariano Boocan had an extraordinary power in battle. He was considered the bravest and strongest of all men at that time. During the latter part of the Spanish period, the teniente of Agtangao was Lucino Barreras. He was also the teniente in 1898 at the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution, and continued to be teniente for several years. The succeeding tenientes before the World War I were Pedro Blanco, Hermenegildo Valera, Domingo Bernardos, Roman Torres, and Regino Bermudez, respectively. In 1942, Juan Bataller and Narciso Banayos were added to Regino Bermudez and the three of them are still the tenientes of Agtangao. These three are very much interested in the welfare of the barrio and their cooperation for its improvement is never disrupted.

Out of seven original sitios, none became extinct. Some, however, like Labnac, became so important that it is now the best rice field in the whole barrio; while sitio Cabayatan is the vast cornfields south of the provincial road. The number of houses and people in Impula is now less than at the beginning of the century, for many of the inhabitants there moved to other places. The population of the other sitios increased. Barrio Agtangao has now a population of 555.

The oldest historical landmark of the barrio was the bridge called San Matias Bridge, which was made out of bricks during the Spanish period, but it was destroyed during the Philippine Revolution. The ruins of this old bridge are still seen below, partly underwater.

The present school building of the barrio was constructed in 1929. The walls and flooring of the school are made of stone and cemented with a mixture of lime and sand. All the materials, except the galvanized iron roof and the window shutters, were donated by the people of the barrio. Each family head gave one cubic meter of stones. The labor in building the school was done by the men of the barrio who worked without pay. This shows the good cooperation and civic spirit of the people in this place.

(a) During the Spanish Occupation

During the Spanish occupation, men from this barrio, like other places, were forced by the Spanish officials to work on the roads and bridges without pay. The men or farmers were also forced to give a ration of grass once a week for the horses of the priests, the gobernadorcillo, and the headquarters of the soldiers in Bangued. They were also required to work in turns as ferrymen at Calaba. The farmers were also obliged to plant tobacco, and when the Spanish officials found out that the fields of [the] farmers had large clods, these farmers were whipped; or if their tobacco seedlings were big and were not yet planted, they were whipped; or if the women were the ones found in the house, they were whipped on the palms by the Spaniards.

Education during the Spanish regime was not inviting to the barrio people of Agtangao. It was a very fearful undertaking, as the young people who attended schools were punished or whipped very severely if they did not know their lessons. Only a few boys and girls managed to go to school, for the others were afraid to be punished. The people were required by the Spanish Priests to go to church on Sundays, and if the Spanish officials were out on the streets and elsewhere, anybody who saw them was required to kneel down and greet them kneeling — otherwise, he gets a whipping or a slap on the face.

(b) During the American Occupation to World War II

The fimt coming of the American soldiers in Agtangao was in the latter part of 1899. The people were afraid of them, but the Americans never stayed long in the barrio during the Filipino American War. There was no destruction of lives nor properties in this place in 1896-1900.

(c) During and after World War II

During the Japanese occupation in 1941-1945, the people of Agtangao had a miserable life. Immediately after the outbreak of the war on December 8, 1941, the people in this barrio, especially those near the road, left their houses and evacuated to the remote fields or hiding places, built huts and stayed there where they supposed the Japanese soldiers could not see them, as the people were afraid of the news at first that the Japanese soldiers would kill all the people they could find — young or old. But in February 1942, Japanese soldiers came to Bangued, stayed, had their garrison in the Poblacion. Later, the people found out that the Japanese seemed friendly to the Filipinos, and they urged the people in the community to go back to their houses. The people returned; but in October 1944, they again evacuated to the hills in barrio Malita, Sappaac, Tablac, and other places.

From the year 1942 to 1944, the Japanese ruled. [In] The [barrio of] Agtangao, like other places, a HOKO system (district) was enforced as the system of the government, the head of each district was similar to the teniente del barrio. Each sitio had its head or leader of the group. It was then that the Japanese introduced the "guarding" system. In Agtangao, there were four guard houses built on the side of the road where all male inhabitants from 10 years up were required to stay and keep as sentry for a day, by turns. But in September 1944, the Japanese became more strict and very suspicious of the guerilla activities in Agtangao. When the Japanese soldiers found out that people evacuated again, the Japanese got angry. In October 1944, they burned all the houses in Agtangao, except one — the house of Mrs. Maria G. Azurin. From October 1944 to April 1945, many people of Agtangao died of sickness, mostly of malaria, while in the evacuation places because of the terrible conditions and lack of medicine.

Immediately after the Japanese left Bangued, the people went back to their empty residential lots and started life anew. Each family began to build a small shack and gradually built houses of bamboo and other materials, which could be obtained locally. Building their houses was the first step in the rehabilitation after the World War II, since all the houses in Agtangao were razed down by the Japanese soldiers

In Agtangao, it is still the custom of many parents that when a child is born, they put thorny branches of camachili trees below the floor and directly under the bed of the mother and child. They believe that this will prevent the bad spirits in going under the child to make him sick.

It is also still a practice of some parents to choose the bride or groom for their daughter or son; and sometimes, even if the daughter or son does not like the choice of the parents, she or he is forced by the parents to accept. But now, many of the young men and ladies are allowed to choose their partners. If the marriage is arranged by the parents, the father of the male party first sends a letter to the parents of the lady, asking permission to go and talk with them. If the parents of the lady admit [accept], then the parents of the male party go to the lady's home and there, together with close relatives of both parties, arrange the matter. The parents of the bridegroom present the dowry and the parents of the bride will ask as much more dowry as possible, such as pieces of land, work animals, money, or other property. If the parents of both sides agree on the amount of the dowry, then the day will be set and the kind of marriage arranged and most of the expenses will be borne by the parents of the groom.

When anybody is dead, it is the custom of many people in this place to give some personal belongings which will be buried with the corpse, such as extra clothes and some jewelry, etc., in the belief that the dead will wear them later in the other place of life.

There is still a superstitious custom of many families in Agtangao to perform what is called "Ininnapet." Some families have this "In—in-na-pe" at the beginning of the rice harvest, or just after harvesting rice, as a form of thanksgiving, or if the farmers undertake improvements of their farms, they have ininnapet so that, as they believe, they will not become sick. If a member of the family gets sick, they have ininnapet so that the sick one will get well. In doing this ininnapet, they need malagkit rice and common rice, a pair of chickens or a small pig, some eggs, and coconut. The rice is cooked with the coconut milk used for water in cooking. The eggs are hard-boiled and the chickens or pigs are dressed and then half-cooked by boiling without any spices. Then these are put out on dishes. The viand which has broth, is dished out in prepared coconut shells and served with the rice in rows across the middle of the floor. Some of the rice, chicken, buyo, and tobacco, and part of the eggs are put in the shell of the coconut that is used in cooking and put outside somewhere in the yard. When this is prepared, then the old man or woman of the family goes outside on the yard around the house and calls everybody to come up to eat. But what he is calling is supposed to be the spirits only and not real persons.

No approsan ti bulong ti unas ket adda bukona, daydiay bilang ti buco isu met ti bilang ti hagulo iti dayta nga tawen.

2. No ti iro ti dalican wenno banga ket sumsumged, caawatan nga adda visita.

3. No agmulatayo iti parria, saan tayo nga agtabaco tapno ti bungana saanto a napait.

4. No agmulatayo iti saba, saan tayo as tumangtangad no madame nga icalcali, tapno saan nga agtayag unay.

6. Origin of earthquakes — One time, Bernardo met a man on the road. Bernardo was very proud of his strength and he challenged the old man to wrestle (gabbo) with him. They wrestled with force, and the old man lifted Bernardo and forced him down so strongly on the big rocks where his feet were stuck. Now, whenever Bernardo tries to free himself, the earth shakes. That was the origin of the earthquake. The old man is believed to be God.

7. The big piles of earth caused by the big waves during the flood in the time of Noah are the mountains now.

8. Sickness — The bad spirits riding on horseback during the night are the ones spreading sickness during an epidemic.

Some of the most popular songs are the Condiman and Pamulinawen. Here are the words of the Condiman:

1. No pumatengngaca, saca igumintang,

Coro: 2. Isanggolmo, neneng, ta macanawan nga imam; 3. Dica, aglicud, Ay Condiman,

The old traditional game of the young people is the Sampedro, which is played on moonlit nights. Among the adults, men go to cockfights on Sundays and legal holidays, for their amusement.

1. Maysa nga natay impasiarna ti adu nga nabing. 2. Paltuogan ni natay ket agbing. 3. Nagmulsac ti cayo idlay igid ti ilitayo 4. Nagmulaac ti bulo idiay igid ti ilitayo 5. Nagmulaac ti cayo idiay igid ti ilitayo, 6. Nagmula ni tatang ti cayo,

1. No cayatmo ti bumacnang, anusam ti agasin a mangan.
2. Ti macaturog macamucat, ti nasalucag isu tiagbiag.
3. No dackel ti pacaringgoram, umapay met ti guin-awaan.
4. Saanca nga makiringgor no dimo cayatti madunor.

In the early days, the people of Agtangao measured their time of the day by the call of the big bird called Calao, a hornbill. It is believed that the calao calls every hour from six o'clock in the morning till late in the afternoon.

Idi tiempod dagiti Cacastila adda maysa nga ubing nga adu ti aywanna a pato. Canayon nga aldaw nga daytoy nga ubing agyan iti igid ti waig tapno aywananna dagiti pato nga aglalangoy. Naminsan limnabas ti bacnang a nagcaballo. Nagsaludsud itoy ubing, "Oy Ubing, adalem daytoy wais?” Insungbat di ubing, "Diac ammo, Apo, ngem mabalin nga ababaw tadagiti aywaneco a pato dida met lumtep ket ababa pay ti sacada. Kitaem, Apo.” Binato di ubing dagidi aglalangyoy a pato ket nakitana nga ag-agabacrangda.

"No casta, maballasiwco met; agsacayac pay ti caballo.” Simmacay di lacay, impatapugna di cabalona, idi cuan di met matucod di caballen, napuros di bacnang, ket no coman awan ti agcacalap nga nangalaw, mabalin a nalmes coma. Indarum di bacnang daydi ubing.

Daydi bacnang sinaludssudna no adda payla amana daydi ubing, no adda pay la ni inana ken cacabsatna, ken no sadino ti napananda sacbayna nga sinaludsudna no ababaw daydi waig. Idi maidatag daytoy ubing iti pangocoman, kinona daydi Ocom kencuana, “Oy, ubing, sapay nga inrubom daytoy bacnang idi caiman? Nagistayda nalmes idi caballena. Sapay a casta ti inaramidmo? Ania ti sinaludsudna kenca?”

“Apo Ocom,” kinona daydl Ubing, "ni Apo bacnang sinaludsudna no adda ni tatangco ket insungbatco met nga napan nagaramid ti ‘macapasa-o.’ Ket nilianengco, insungbatco nga napan naglaco ti 'macaparangrang;’ ket ni Manangco ‘napan nagiuloy ti pangtedna iti caiman.’

“Ani ti caipapanan dagita nga sina-om?” kinona di Ocom.

“Daytay, cua, Apo Ocom,” intuloy di Ubing ti nagsao, “ni tatang napan nagiuto ti basi. No uminomca ti basi, Apo, mabartecca, ket nalaingca a suma-o."

"Ket ni manangmo ania dayta pangtedria ii calman."

“Idi sangaldaw, Apo, naan nagconfesar; di na cad apan ituloy ti napan agcomulgar iti sumaruno a bigat.”

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ania daydi sinaom itoy bacnang?”

"Sinaludsodna no adalem, Apo, ket kinonac met a diac ammo, ngem pagarupco nga ababaw ta di pay lumtep dagitay patoc ket adaba met ti sacsacada. Binatoc dagidi pato, Apo, ket nakitana nga agagabacrangda. Ket nagpataray metten nga timmapug idi danum.”

Nagsiddaaw amin a nacangeg. Daydi ocom binabalanna ti saan a pinagparunot daydi bacnang. Awan ngarud ti basol daydi ubing.

Ket cas liwliwa ken gunguna daydl kinasaririt nga imparangarang daydi Ubing a naidarum, iniccan daydi Ocom ti lupot ta nakitana ti kinacacassi ti pinagbiagda.

(SGD) JUAN BATALLER
(SGD) TIMOTEO BARILA
(SGD) REGINO BERMUDEZ

Submitted by:

(SGD) (Mrs.) NATIVIDAD S. BISQUERA
Teacher in Charge

Transcribed from:

History and Cultural Life of the Barrio Agtangao, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections. The pagination in this transcription is as they appear in the original document.