Think about it
How did Dagupan’s barangays get their names?
By Jun Velasco
“To be doing good is man’s most glorious task. —Sophocles
IN this day and age under the aegis of Belen Fernandez’s mayorship, Dagupan’s young, as gleaned from an interaction with Gonz’ Duque’s televised Serbisyong Bayan talk show, are epitome of Rizal’s hope in the country.
Off-the-cuff remarks from the girl-dominated headed by Young Mayor Mae Anne C. De Vera (Dagupan City National High School) were not only apt and appropriate.
“They are brilliant.”
The comment came from main guest, lawyer Bert Nanquil, who earlier impressed his audience in front of the Jose Rizal monument with his 28-minute tribute on the National Hero.
In the company of his pretty wife, Marilou, Nanquil merely extended his Rizal talk from his was knowledge of the hero who, he stressed, was the inspiration of Bonifacio and the Katipunan and many great world leaders including Mahatma Gandhi.
It’s heartwarming to hear young minds on PDAF which they despise, drug addiction “which must be crushed without let-up,” their (youth’s) role in keeping the country’s hope continually kindled amidst the deep damage inflicted by corrupt and unscrupulous leaders (sic), and their empathy to a romantic Rizal with unfulfilled longings for his lovers from all parts of the world.
For his part, Bert Nanquil was lavishly praised by a very impressed audience for his vast knowledge and scholarship on Rizal who even has monuments in many countries he even had not visited like Switzerland.
In our introduction of Nanquil, we shared a little info that we first met then law student Jose de Venecia Jr. during an initiation rites by a fraternity led by Nanquil, the late Gino de Vega, Antonio Villegas, Wenceslao Lagumbay, and others.
No, JdV, then a minister to Vietnam, was not a member of the Knights of the Golden Fleece (Kappa Gamma Phi); he was a “beerkada” of Gino de Vega, Augusto Macam and Nanquil.
* * * *
On the occasion of Dagupan Day, we received from Nanquil’s daughter, Ellen Maricar, a nugget of a research on our beloved city that has facts that may not be known to Dagupenos themselves. Due to space limitation we just picked a few points.
Did you know, for instance, that Barangay Tambac was so named after Spanish soldiers attacked Andres Malong’s forces and killed his men “singa ra intambak so inatey.”
Again, in his two-month rebellion, Malong’s troops were tried in now Barrio Salisay, “Diman da ra sinalaysay.”
And then some of the rebels were released in that place called Bolosan.
Pantal got its name from Pantalan or pier, then the place where ships and boats would load and unload their cargos.
Bonuan originated from its sea-shore location so that when fishing boats were locked, fisherman would bump the shoreline with their boats, “singa mangibubuno.”
The other version was that there were clashes between Dagupan natives and Muslims, who came here from Mindanao.
Pogo and Pugaro have the same root-word which means “hill” or a mound (pogo).
Karael and Kalmay which were trees are still around but Bakayaw and Dangla are now extinct. Caranglaan came from Dangla, a medicinal tree. Lucao came from “lukan” (clam).
Mangin and Salapingao came from names of fish (ayongin for Mangin), and Pingao for Salapingao.
Tebeng (bore in the ear) came from an old woman who used to bore the ear of young girls.
Malued used to have plenty of flowers and plants topped by “Lauer” a vine with pungent leaves used in beetle nuts.
Lasip is a kind of grass, while Mayombo came from Mam, which means abundance, and Yombo, a plant or a tree, which like bakayou could have born a fruit “lomboy.”
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