Editors’ Note: In this 2-part series, author Abdon M. Balde, Jr. chronicles his four-year research about the Bikol epic fragment IBALONG. He intertwines elements of this ancient literature with the history, geography, and culture of our Bikol land and people. This is a must-read for students and teachers of Bikol literature, history, and culture. Part 1 was published in our August 2023 Edition. The author first posted THE SEARCH FOR IBALONG in segments on his Facebook page. Note that we feature the “HISTORY OF IBALON” in the footer section of this website written by Bikol cultural and heritage advocate Pepe Umali (click to learn more).
THE SEARCH FOR IBALONG: Part 2 – TABLE OF CONTENTS:
To the Magical Lake of Buhi
Having familiarized you on the supernatural world of the ancient Bikolanos, I return to my personal travels at ground zero in search for Ibalong. My next agenda was to research for the lakes mentioned in the narrative. The narrative told that in the time of Handiong, there occurred a great upheaval: “Hubo entonces un diluvio/ promovido per el Onos/ que el aspect de esta tierra/ por complete trastorno.” In translation: “Then came a deluge on the land/ instigated by Onos / so that the features of this earth/ were completely changed” This was caused by the simultaneous eruption of volcanoes: “Reventaron los volcanes/ Hantic, Colasi, Isarog/ y al mismo tiempo senntiose; un espantoso temblor.” In translation: “The volcanoes Hantik, Kulasi and Isarog erupted/ and at the same time was felt/ a great earthquake” This was followed by the erosion of mountains: “En Bato se hundio un gran monte/ y un sitio aparecio/ el lago, hoy alimenta/ con su pesca a Ibalon” Again, in translation: “In Bato a great mountain sank/ and in its place appeared/ a lake, which supplied/ with fish the whole of Ibalong.”
.What intrigued me at first was that Melendreras wrote another verse narrative about the legend of a flower named Tacay—not in Lake Bato but in Lake Buhi! In fact the 5th stanza of the narrative already mentioned the “deep lake where the fair Tacay was drowned.” Professor Espinas also informed me that it was only in Lake Buhi where I could find the flower named Tacay.
.And since I was already familiar with the way to Buhi, I and my wife Fe decided to visit Lake Buhi first. The town of Buhi was a fishing village that flourished into a large town. As we enter the vicinity of the town, we could already smell dried fish everywhere. We asked around the way to the lake, and someone gave us the direction to Barangay Cabatuan. As we approach the place I could see the rugged side of Mount Iriga which collapsed during the reported eruption. Huge boulders could be seen from half of the edge of the mountain and many of these rolled down on both sides of the way. My fears were allayed by the sight of moss on the boulders which attest that those huge stones have not moved for a long time. In Lake Buhi fishermen could still catch the sinarapan or tabios—the smallest commercially available fish in the world. A normal human thumb nail could hold as much as ten tabios. Fishermen catch them with a mosquito net. But the lake now is one of the biggest suppliers of tilapia in the region. The tabios have become rare because the bigger tilapias eat them.
.We came to a big resort, allegedly owned by a businessman named Cyrus Obsuna. It was a big resort, complete with a hotel, a swimming pool, cabanas, and a large display of motorcycles—mostly large vintage Harley Davidson. The resort featured an boat ride from a small pier where canoes were anchored. I hired a man to go out into the lake and look for the Tacay flower. He came back with a flower with many similarities to the lotus—but it was entirely white. Again, I looked at the other side of the 17 square kilometres lake and watched the rugged Mount Malinao—at the foot of which was Tiwi, where my wife Fe was born and grew up.
.If the lair of Oryol was at the foot of Mount Iriga, then only the lake separates it from Mount Malinao. It was right there and then that I thought: Would it be possible that Handiong, coming from a cave under Mount Malinao be able to meet Oryol under this Buhi Lake? Who knows? I must explore that possibility. But wait, didn’t the narrative cited Lake Bato and not Lake Buhi? Lake Bato and Lake Buhi are over 25 kilometers apart! It was at that time that I also remember about the legend of the water hyacinth, the north wind and the god of the whirlwinds. My next destination then must be Lake Bato!
To The Magical Mountain & The Lake of Bato
There is a legend set in the magical mountain that once stood where one could now find Lake Bato. In the magical stone mountain called Bato, there lived a beautiful maiden named Tacay who was under the care of Onos, the god of whirlwind, thunder, and lightning. She would wander around the trees and the forest at the foot of the mountain. One day, a hunter named Kanaway fell on a ravine and was on the verge of death when Tacay found him. Tacay took him in a cave and healed his wounds. To make a long story short, they fell in love with each other. Kanaway said he would go down to the village and inform his parents that he would marry Tacay. Onos learned about it and warned Tacay not to appear on the appointed day. A nymph like you cannot marry a mortal like him, he said. But Tacay was relentless. On the appointed day, Tacay went down the mountain to meet Kanaway. Before Kanaway could come near Tacay the earth began to shake and a lightning flashed in front of him. Tacay saw this and thinking Onos would not hurt her, rushed to embrace Kanaway. Lightning rained on the lovers who were in a tight embrace. This was followed with a very strong thunder, then a huge whirlwind enveloped the mountain. Suddenly, the magical mountain crumbled and in its place was a lake. A beautiful hyacinth grew and an immaculate white flower the people called Tacay float on the lake’s placid waters.
My wife and I arrived at Lake Bato past noon in 2005. We came to a place where the fishermen leave their boats and there was a small kiosk at the end of the foot path. I interviewed some folks and was informed that the sinarapan or tabios—the smallest commercially available fish in the world have grown thin. The larger fish, the tilapia, the mud fish, and the catfish start to eat them, a fisherman said. Just like in Lake Buhi. The lake at 28 square kilometres is much bigger than Lake Buhi—which was only 17 square kilometres. I surveyed the shores of the lake, as far as I could see—and in a later time I would also go to the other shore in the town of Libon—and I failed to see a big boulder that could attest to the crumbling of the stone mountain. If there ever was a stone mountain here, there would have been traces of boulders, stones or even sandy soil. But there were none. It’s all muddy and sticky clay around the shores of Lake Bato. My presumption was that the storyteller must have confused Lake Bato with Lake Buhi.
On the other side of Lake Bato, I could see the outlines of the long range of mountains. Before those mountains would be the plains of the town of Libon. Beyond those mountains should be the sea. That would be my next destination.
Santiago De Libon; The First Spanish Garrison In Bikol
In 1571, after Captain Juan de Salcedo and Martin de Goiti reached and occupied Manila, they received reports from those who sailed with Fray Alonzo Jimenez and Don Luis Enriquez de Guzman to Gibalong in 1569 that the people in the south of Manila were wearing jewelries and ornaments of gold in their body. This prompted Salcedo to gather soldiers and they set an expedition to the south of Luzon. They passed by Majayjay in Laguna and continued to recruit warriors.
True enough, they reached the gold mining town of Paracale and raided the gold mines. However, on December 28 of that year, Salcedo’s exploration was cut short when his uncle, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi sent a messenger named Hurtado and ordered him to return to Manila. But Salcedo vowed to return to Bicol.
In early 1573 Salcedo made his second trip to Bikol, along with Alferez Pedro de Chavez by tracing the same route to Paracale. Then he continued sailing the Bikol River upstream until they reach Bato Lake. Then they trekked up the plains and set up a garrison and named it Santiago de Libong. The then Governor General of the Philippines sent this report to the King of Spain: “With the service of God and that of your Majesty in mind…I dispatched Captain Juan de Salcedo in July, seventy three with one hundred and twenty soldiers in vessels like those used by those natives, to win over and conquer Bikol River and the province of Los Camarines, on the east side of this island of Luzon. He brought under the dominion and obedience of your Majesty all that region, with about twenty thousand of its natives, with as little injury as possible.” It was a report that veiled their ulterior motive of searching for what they believed was El Dorado—the city of gold south of Luzon.
Having made enemies from the settlements along the Bikol River that they raided for gold, Santiago de Libong did not last long. In fact, it was not included among the “villas” along with Villa Fernandina in Vigan, Villa Sto Nino in Cebu, and Villa Arevalo in Iloilo. The excuse made by another report was that “…the life of Libon as a Spanish city must have been a very short one, for documents written a few years later fail to include it among the cities founded by the Spaniards at this early stage of the conquista. What probably happened is that the pacification of Bicol effected by Legaspi, though quite successful, remained in a precarious condition and could not guarantee the continuity of the little city hurriedly organized by the Pizarro of the Philippines.” In fact, Pedro de Chavez soon returned to Manila on July 24, 1574, with his hoard of gold.
There are conflicting reports as to when and where the Spanish garrison called Santiago de Libong was set up. There are some reports stating that the garrison was set up immediately after Capitan Juan de Salcedo attacked Paracale in 1571. Some other historians state that it was during the second expedition of Salcedo in 1573 that the garrison, and consequently the town of Libon was founded.
It was also reported that the garrison was made of bamboo and light materials and could not be relied on to safeguard the Spaniards in case of an attack by the aggrieved natives. Thus, because of their precarious condition, Alferez Pedro de Chavez who was entrusted by Salceda to defend it, abandoned the garrison and left for Manila. When Chavez was sent back to the Bicol Region in 1579, he did not return to Libon, he instead founded a city in Camarines called Nueva Caceres—in honor of the home city in Spain of Governor Francisco de Sande.
There were reports that a church was built by the Spaniards in Santiago de Libong. Thus, when I was looking for the remains of the garrison Santiago de Libong, I went to the site of the Church of Saint James in the center of the town of Libon and inspected the remains of the old church. I only found four old buttresses at the back of the church. The area was used as a dumping ground for garbage. I also found an old water well which rim was made of blocks of stone near the convent. An old man said that the well was used by the Spaniards during the colonization period. Sadly, this well could no longer be seen because the Parish covered it with a gazebo and installed images of angels made of concrete. Thus, an important cultural heritage was lost.
Then someone informed me that the garrison was not in the center of Libon but in a village called Linao, some 4 kilometers from the town and on the banks of the river Quiba. I visited Linao and was guided to a resident called Arturo Osorman—who told me a very disturbing tale. According to him, he bought a piece of land uphill a few meters away from his house and when he started to till it, he unearthed many old bricks strewn all over the place. Not knowing what to do with it, he looked for whoever was interested to buy it. He was able to find a buyer sometime in the 1970s and the bricks were excavated and loaded on seven 10-wheeler trucks! Where were the bricks brought? He said, he was informed that the bricks were to be used as partitions in fishponds in Cavite! Another important cultural heritage was lost.
The Invention of Baybayin and The Astillero of Pantao
My attraction to the town of Libon, Albay came from the 40th stanza of the Ibalong narrative: “El alfabeto fue Sural/ quien curioso combino/ grabandola en piedra Libon/ que pulimento Gapon” In translation: “And the alphabet was Sural’s/ Which he curiously combined/ And engraved in stone of Libon/ That Gapon at once refined.” So, the system of native writing, which came to be known as “Baybayin” was invented by Sural in Libon? The town is adjacent to Oas, where I was born & where I grew up. In my research I discovered that in 1954 there was an American company which applied for concessions to mine marble in the area of Talin-talin, on the southern edge of Pantao! But the operation did not push through because the initial explorations reveal limited deposits and most of which were quartz.
There is another reason: To look for the astillero in Pantao, Libon where some of the largest galleons were made which formed some of the fleet that sailed the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade from 1565 to 1815. The astillero in Pantao was chosen for three reasons: 1) the port is facing the inland sea and was protected from big waves by Burias Island, 2) it is near the San Bernardino Strait which was the exit and entrance of the galleons coming from and going to Manila from the Pacific Ocean, and 3) the abundance in the area of the Philippine molave, a specie of hardwood ideal for building galleons.
In 1667, almost a century before the huge galleon Santisima Trinidad was built in Bagatao, Sorsogon the largest galleon of its time was built in the astillero of Pantao. The galleon was named Nuestra Senora del Buen Socorro. Here was the report of the Agustinian Fray Casimiro Dias on the fateful event: “…that year the galleon Buen Socorro sailed from Albay after it was completed under it Commander Diego de Arevalo and its chief pilot Juan Rodriguez. It sailed August 28, 1667, and was in great danger for it ran aground as it left the harbour; but it was gotten easily by the great energy and skill of the commander. The galleon was the best that was ever built thus far in these islands; and its size, beauty and swiftness were amazing.”
Thus, one day on my second year of research, I fetched my childhood friend Bejamin Rances Jr. who was teaching in Polangui and we set out to visit Libon. “Where are we going,” asked Jun Rances. “To Pantao,” I said. There was a curios look of surprise in his face as he said, “Pantao? Pantao? Kadakul a ba’bu sa agyan pa-Pantao!” (There are so many rats on the way to Pantao!) “Rats” was our euphemism for the NPA rebels in the area. The boundary between Oas and Libon at the time was the sight of many encounters between the military and the rebels since Marcos’s time and in 2005 some were still known to make sporadic raids of rebels in the area. But I was determined to go, and he relented. “Swertehan man sana katon”, I said. Let fate take its way. And so, I drove my van down the winding and rough 25 kilometers road from the poblacion of Libon down to the Port of Pantao. With me, aside from Jun Rances were my wife Fe and another friend, Nilo O. Banto. After travelling over 20 kilometers I could already see the inland sea. On my left was the mountain range which included Mount Cagongcongan. From the foot of the mountain, I saw a wide flat land extending to the shores of the sea, and I had no doubt in my mind that it was the site of the Astillero de Pantao.
Pantao, even today, is the largest barangay of Libon with a population of 6,767 or over 9 % of the total population of the municipality. It remains to be a fishing village with a port still serviceable to medium size ships that sail towards Matnog, Sorsogon, passes the San Bernardino Strait and on to Allen, Samar. When we reached the poblacion, Jun Rances suggested that we fetch his friend, Leon Relorcasa who came from Oas but now lives in Pantao. The first question I asked Leon was the location of Talin-talin and if there could be a way to visit it. “No way we could go there now,” said Leon, “the sea is rough and it’s a long boat ride from this pier.” Thus, I decided to put off my trip to the alleged mine site.
My next question was, “Do you know the location of the ancient Spanish astillero?” His reply was a blank face. So, we walked around the pier, and then to the residential area. There I met an old man who told me an interesting story. He said, when he was young his elders told that during high tides the sea used to reach the foot of Mount Cagongcongan. But the plains are now planted with rice and various crops. Then the old man pointed at the top of the mountain, “See that flat area there? It’s called Kinalayo, because in olden days according to the elders, there burned a fire up there day and night.” I kept silent, but I knew immediately why there was fire up there: Kinalayo was directly above the wide plains that must be the site of the ancient astillero. The fire up there must be the beacon light, and ancient parola or lighthouse, that served as guide for the galleons that entered or left the shipyard. The shipyard was not only for building ships, but for retrofitting ships that have entered or were about to exit the turbulent waters of the San Bernardino Strait. Beyond the San Bernardino was the wide Pacific Ocean.
I left Pantao with a very heavy heart. It was sad that the people there have totally lost the memory of a time when their ancestors were able to rise from being simple farmers and fishermen to become master carpenters and artisans and sailors who made magnificent galleons and sailed the seven seas to foreign lands. Today they return to being tillers of land and builders of small boats because there was no memory keeper, no chronicler or writer among them to remind them of their rich heritage. Sad.
To The Ancient Village of Tondol
During the latter part of my research, I decided to look for the Ibalong sites near Albay. I searched for the ancient village of Tondol, where according to the Ibalong narrative Baltog planted linza. In a night of rage, a giant wild boar destroyed his plantation. So Baltog scoured the area to hunt for the giant boar until he caught and cornered it. It was indeed a giant boar—its jawbones were the length of both his arms when extended and its curling tusks were two-thirds of the shaft length of his lance. Yet, he threw his lance to the ground and faced the boar bare handed. He wrestled with the giant boar and broke its jaws. He detached the jawbones of the boar, went home to Tondol and hang it on the branch of a large talisay tree for all to see. Old hunters from as far as Panikwason and Asog were awestruck to see such a hideous and huge monster, which they called the Tandayag na Opon. They said that they saw such monster in Lingyon Hill.
I first learned about Baltog and Tondol over 57 years ago—in 1965 when I illustrated the narrative of Prof. Merito Espinas about how Baltog slayed the Tandayag na Opon. He published it in the Legazpinian, the college paper of Legazpi College. I rendered a pen and ink drawing of Baltog wrestling the giant boar. “An Tondol, Dong, ay Tagaytay na ngonian na nasa Camalig.” Tondol, Dong (he used to call me Dong) is now Tagaytay in Camalig, Albay, was his reply to my inquiry about Tondol. There is a sitio Tondo in Camalig, but he insisted that it was Tagaytay. Thus, in 2005 I requested my writer friend from Camalig, Raffi Banzuela to accompany me in searching for the place where Baltog might have planted linza. Linza is a tuber, which belongs to the taro family—almost the same plant which leaves the town of Camalig is famous for making pinangat. Pinangat is a delicacy made of dried fish and a lot of sili wrapped in taro leaves and slow cooked overnight in earthen pots.
Camalig is the town in Albay which poblacion is nearest Mayon Volcano. The town center was once relocated several times due to the repeated devastation brought about by the eruptions of Mayon Volcano. In the early Spanish cartography, the town was known as “El Pueblo de Camarines”. It was alleged that when the troops of Don Luis de Guzman reached Gibalong in 1569 some of his men continued to explore the inlands and some of them reached a place of wide rice plantations and their grains and tools were stocked in small huts or granaries they called “Camalig”—thus the name Camalig. Fray Marcos de Lisboa who was assigned to the area in 1600 wrote the meaning of “camalig” in his Vocabulario de la lengua Vicol thus: “un pueblo de esta provincial de Camaries, que se llamaba Camalig, donde tomo el nombre de Camarines, esta provincia.” In translation: a town of this province of Camarines called Camalig where the name of this province Camarines, is derived. On April 3, 1574, the whole province was assigned by General Guido de Lavezares as an encomienda under Juan Guerra. Camalig became the cabesera of the Catholic evangelization which started in 1578. Its first visita was the town of Cagsawa—which was totally destroyed by the eruption of Mayon Volcano in 1814.
I drove my van with only Raffi Banzuela as my passenger until we reach the place named Tagaytay. It was a few kilometres from the poblacion, past level fields planted with rice, past a railroad track, until we enter the hilly area with a twin hill still lush with vegetation and coconut trees. We went up a hilly area and aske around for direction. We walked on top of a ridge and looked down to the valleys now planted with coconuts, cacao, wild bananas and other plants. From there I imagined myself as one of the men of Baltog living on tree houses and watching the underlying plains. I think at the time I was able to situate myself properly in order to be able to write authoritatively the missing segments in the life of Baltog and his men.
To Lingyon Hill, The Lair of The Tandayag Na Opon
Anyone in Legazpi City who looks up to Mayon Volcano cannot miss seeing Lingyon (Ligňon in the Spanish ortography) Hill. Some say it is older than Mayon Volcano. The reason to justify why Mayon Volcano is not mentioned in the Ibalong narrative, yet Lingyon Hill was cited as the lair of the giant boar—the Tandayag na Opon. If it was the lair of a boar, then there must be a cave there, somewhere, and indeed there is. I first found out about the cave from a friend who said that in the 1970s they were hired to make the cave appear as a Japanese tunnel to attract tourists. Though I doubt if it was indeed used by the Japanese soldiers, being so close to the runway of the old Legazpi Airport. To this day, interested tourists still visit the cave, though there is nothing inside.
There used to be folk tale about Kulakog and Tilmag. Once upon a time there was a very lazy giant named Kulakog who lived & slept all day in Kapuntukan Hill. During hot days he used the Kapuntukan Hill at the edge of the port of Legazpi as his pillow and let his huge body float on the waves of the Gulf of Albay. During cold season, he would place his body over the plains and sleep. His wife Tilmag was a normal size woman. Whenever he is hungry all he would do was extend his arm to the crater of Mayon Volcano so Tilmag could run on his arm and get fire for cooking. One windy day Tilmag slipped and dropped the fire, startling Kulakog. Kulakog tried to catch Tilmag but there was a thick forest where she fell. On the forest where Tilmag fell grew Lingyon Hill. Thus, on looking at Mayon, Lingyon and Kapuntukan would see the alignment of the three mountains.
When I was young, my father used to bring me to Tagas, Daraga, Albay to the house where he was born. The village stood at the foot of Lingyon Hill. When I lie on my bed at noon time, I could see Lingyon Hill through our window and see the remnants of the small houses built on its slopes. My father used to tell me that those houses once were quarters for lepers in what was then a sanitarium cum leprosarium. Where did the lepers come from? This is an interesting story: In mid-18th century, the Franciscan friars assigned in Bikol believed in the curative powers of the bubbling waters in the Tiwi hot springs. So, they built huts around the Naglagbong Hot Springs and gathered all the lepers they could get in Bikol. The lepers had their daily baths, until the Spaniards left in 1898 as the Spanish colonization period ended. When the Americans reached Tiwi, the first thing they did was to transfer the sick and the lepers to the Daraga Camp which they named Regan Barracks. Later, the American medical missions on orders of General Leonard Wood in September 19, 1929 thought of building quarters for the sick and the lepers on the slopes of Lingyon Hill—thus establishing the Bicol Treatment Station, to be renamed Bicol Sanitarium in 1946. On April 19, 1949 and to this day the Bicol Leprosarium is at San Pedro, Cabusao, Camarines Sur.
Thus, one sunny day I went up Lingyon Hill. A road has been built winding up to the top where the past governor built an observation post. Since then the top was cleared, a park was constructed and around it restaurants and souvenir shops has sprouted. Tourists either walk up to the top or drive their vehicles to the top. The activities on top included a zipline and a hanging bridge that sways to test your balance. As I look at the surroundings, I see the river at the back that winds to the north, becomes the Yawa River as it exits to the sea at San Roque. From where I stand, I could clearly imagine where exactly would Baltog wrestle with the Tandayag na Opon.
To Mount Malinao & The Fabled Crystal Cave
When I was infrequently visiting the town of Tiwi, I would meet friends who were culture enthusiasts such as Dan Pinto, Mario Limpo and Edgar Competente and on some drinking sessions they would mention the fabled crystal cave where the magical crystalline waters of the underground river flow—the very reason why the mountain was named Malinao (clear). The three are all dead now, but the stories they told remain alive in my memory.
During these days when I was searching for Ibalong in different places of Bikol I was desperately looking for a place where Handiong and Oryol might have met amiably—where Handiong might have convinced Oryol to join his fight against the monsters. And where Oryol might have fallen in love with Handiong. It was then that I remember the tale about the fabled crystal cave. So, whenever I was near Malinao I would ask around where there might be a cave in the mountain. I was told that it was the lair of the NPA rebels and that it would be dangerous to go up or near the mountain.
Mount Malinao is closer to Tiwi than to the poblacion of Malinao. One looking up the mountain these days would be wondering about the white smoke rising up its thick forests and vegetation. These are boreholes done by the Tiwi Geothermal Plants operating around the mountain—the first of its kind in the country. In 1964 to 1967 the Philippine Commission on Volcanology began exploring the possibility of building a geothermal plant on the fringes of Mount Malinao, near the town of Tiwi. Geological mapping and surveys as well as test drillings for underground temperatures were undertaken during that period.
On September 10, 1971, the Philippine Government thru its state-owned National Power Corporation (NPC) entered into a contract with Philippine Geothermal Inc. (PGI) to explore the geothermal resources of Mt. Malinao near Tiwi. The PGI was actually a foreign company clothed in a local business name. It was actually the Union Oil Company of California (Unocal), an American energy exploration company which had environmental desecration suits and corrupt practices cases in Burma (Myanmar) and other Asian countries. It was invited to come to the Philippines by the cronies of then President Ferdinand Marcos. NPC built and operated the Tiwi Geothermal Power Plants while PGI merely provided the technical expertise. The first power plant with a capacity of 275 MWe (megawatt electrical) became operational in 1979. Later, Tiwi Geothermal would be the first plant in the Philippines to generate over 160 MWe. The production field of Tiwi Geothermal covers about 13 square kilometres in 4 geographic areas: Naglagbong, Kapipihan, Matalibong and Bariis. Commercial production in the Naglagbong and Kapipihan started in 1979 with the commissioning of the first 110 MWe power plant (Units 1 and 2). The big producers then were the Matalibong and Kapipihan sectors. Units 3 to 6, each 55 MWe began generating electricity in January 1980, March 1980, December 1981, and March 1982, respectively. Nearly 200 wells have been drilled throughout the field. The deepest well has a measured depth of 2784 m (9130’) while the shallowest is 938 m (3078’). The irony of this is that electrical power is now purchased from the power plants in Laguna, while the power generated in Tiwi is being supplied to Metro Manila, thus the kilowatt price of electricity in Albay is the highest in the country at almost P19 per kilowatt. The people Albay will not miss the Tiwi Geothermal Plant if its operation will stop and the operators move out elsewhere. The Geothermal Plant has lost its appeal and usefulness to the local people. What would probably be missed were the small favors received by some local officials, if any. When calamities come, the people will remain in the dark, powerless and helpless—with or without the geothermal power plant.
Then in late 2005 thinking of visiting the Lagonoy Gulf, where according to Prof. Merito B. Espinas, Baltog sailed southwards we chanced upon a waterfall in Barangay Misibis, Tiwi called Bugsukan. Its water coming from the slopes of Mount Malinao jumped directly to the seashore or to the waves of the Lagonoy Gulf. It used to be a tourist attraction in the early 1960s, however visitors were usually turned off by the steep and slippery stairs and the lack of area improvements and amenities for visitors who would like to enjoy the cascading waters. We went down the over 100 steps to the seashore. I was with my wife Fe, Dan Pinto and Mario Limpo. Near the rocky shores where the water fell, were thick vegetations of coconut, talisay and bamboo grooves. I met a young man who told me that there used to be a cave near the waterfalls. Together we climbed up the craggy slopes of the mountain until we reach an area partly covered by the roots of an old tree. The young man said that his elders saw a cave there long ago. But now it’s covered with huge boulders eroded by earthquakes and floods from above. Standing on the probable mouth of the cave I looked down the shoreline where the waves lap the rocky cliff. What I saw was the panoramic view of the Lagonoy Gulf up north where I could barely see the Atulayan Island and down south the Albay Gulf where the promontories of Tiwi and San Miguel Island were blurred by the glow of the rising sun. At that moment I believed I have found the entrance to the crystal cave and the magical underground river of Mount Malinao. All that I need would be a clear imagination of the plausible meeting between the good and the evil.
To Maningkarog & The Mountain That Must Not Be Named
How did Baltog reach the village of Tondol? It was not in the Ibalong narrative. But speculations, mostly from Prof Merito Espinas abound. The three heroes Baltog, Handiong and Bantong all came to Bikol via the mouth of the Bikol River at Calabanga. Most possibly near the Inarihan River. How then did Baltog travel southwards to what is now part of Camalig, Albay?
In ancient times the fastest means of travel was by water. Travel by land was fraught with difficulties and danger because there was no road network, the hills and mountains and forests were rugged and infested with wild animals and monsters. Travel by waters was easy with sails and oars and if you are lucky, you are aided by the wind. My friend Edru Abraham, in a night of brilliant discussions in Ilawod Café, Daraga, Albay, said that in olden times “waters unite us, mountains divide us”.
Thus, it was easy to speculate that Baltog travelled by sailing southeast to the Lagonoy Gulf, down to the Gulf of Albay and anchored (nagsawang) at Sawangan—the old name of the fishing village of Legazpi City. He most probably entered the mouth of the Makabalo River. Why Makabalo? Because in olden days the most prosperous place was Binanuahan (town center) for two reasons: 1. Fishermen anchoring at Sawangan trade their products in the town center, and 2. On the banks of the Makabalo River was the chief source of potable water—a spring called Buragwis. In fact, an old friend told me that Buragwis was the source of drinking water for most of what is now Legazpi City and the Albay District.
I was thinking of Buragwis and drinking water when I remember the Bugsukan Falls on the fringe of Mount Malinao. When sailing through the Lagonoy Gulf, it was impossible for Baltog and his men not to see the freshwater cascading down the side of the mountain—spring water pouring direct to the sea! So there was a strong possibility that Baltog and his men stopped by the Bugsukan Falls to get drinking water. And while they were resting on the edge of the waterfalls, what would they discover? The opening of the Crystal Cave leading to the magical clear stream under Mount Malinao! The segments of the story are quickly falling into their proper places!
Now to the case of the absence of Mayon Volcano in the Ibalong narrative. How could a mountain as beautiful as Mayon be not seen by anyone in the vicinity? Initially, I was told by Prof Espinas that maybe Mayon was not yet there. Then how come the Lingyon Hill was mentioned? Well, maybe Lingyon Hill is older than Mayon! Is it possible? Yes, it is—said the geologist Chris Newhall sometime in 2014 when I met him in the office of then Governor Joey Sarte Salceda. According to Chris Newhall, Lingyon Hill and Inascan Hill in Guinobatan may be older than Mayon. In fact, Inascan could be the mother of Mayon, said he.
But I met Chris Newhall 8 years after I wrote my NCCA award-winning essay on “How to Complete the Ibalong Epic.” What did I write in my essay? I speculated that Mayon Volcano was already there—a young Mayon, not yet as tall as it is now, but already showing the form of an almost perfect cone. But the elders foretold that the beautiful mountain “must not be named—else it will have its own life and wreak havoc on the land of Ibalong!” (Ang bundok na hindi dapat pangalanan dahil pagka nagkaroon ng pangalan ay magkakaroon ng sariling buhay na magsasabog ng lagim sa kalupaan!) Thus anywhere that it is visible, people look up the beautiful mountain with awe, but kept their mouth shut for fear that it might come to life and cause a lot of suffering to the people living near its crater. So there— “The Mountain That Must Not Be Named” in the midst of Ibalong!
How the mountain acquired its name is a matter of speculation. In our place, in the third district of Albay, any mound or hill was called “ma’yong”. It is a generic description for a mound or a pile that grows. Even the small mammary gland or breast of a young maiden was called “muro-ma’yong.” So it is not named after “Daragang Magayon”? Personally, I think the legend of Daragang Magayon is a contrived tale written in the modern times. The name of the characters—Daragang Magayon (Beautiful Maiden), Ulap/Panganoron (Cloud), Pagtuga (Eruption), Linog (Earthquake), Datu Makusog (Strong Chief), Dawani (Rainbow) are common and not proper nouns. So unlike the character of Ibalong—Baltog, Handiong, Bantong, Oryol, Tacay… which are so ancient it is so difficult to trace its etymology. Thus, I believe that even to this day the name Mayong is a general description of the mountain and not like the proper names of its neighboring mountains—Isarog, Masaraga, Asog—or the sites in Ibalong: Ponong, Malbogong, Gibalong, Panikwason, Tondol, and on and on…
Tandayag Sa Busay & The Legend of Kapuntukan Hill
I was speculating on what adventure I might create for Baltog in order to establish his leadership traits and prove him worthy of becoming a real chieftain, I noticed the waterfalls called Busay near Cagsawa in a sitio now called Cullat ( Cullat is in the Spanish ortography but locally pronounced “kulyat). Kulyat is the name of a sturdy native tree. Busay is the generic Bikol name for a waterfall—so in fact Busay Falls is a redundancy. If Baltog and his men rowed upstream towards Camalig where Tondol was, they would discover that the river flowing out of Makabalo River in the old Sawangan (now Legazpi City) came from the waterfalls at Busay. The stream of that river winds on the edges of the old Cagsawa town, flows down the rear of Lingyon Hill and exits to the sea as Yawa River in Rawis.
Now here comes the importance of knowing the ancient names of places—names tied up to history and to the culture of the people living within the vicinity. I noticed places with old names such as Kimantong, Kidaco, Kiwalo and Kilicao. So I consulted Prof Merito Espinas and asked him about the names of these places. His reply: “Dong, kaitong panahon an mga lugar ipigngangaran sa pamayo o pinaka-prominenteng tawo sa lugar na iyan” (Dong, in olden times places are named after the head or the most prominent person in that place.). Then I asked what Kimantong means. His reply: “Dong, gustong sabihon kan mantong pamoso.” (Dong, Mantong means famous.) Thus, I found my story! Here is the story I created:
Baltog and his men rowed from the Makabalo River upstream until they reach shallow waters at a place called Kilikaw—and the head of that village welcomed them. Immediately, Baltog knew why the place had such name: the chief was so bow-legged that a pig might freely pass between his legs without him noticing it. The word “likaw” in Bikol means “detour”. In a show of hospitality, Likaw offered Baltog and his men food. After the mini feast, Likaw told Baltog of the problem that beset his village. He said that the river that came from Busay and was supposed to flow to their fields and irrigate their plantations were diverted by the nearby upstream villages. This, according to him, was the reason why the river at Kilikaw was shallow. The nearby villages were ruled by Mantong, Walo and Dako. Mantong of Kimantong was a very vain yet famous man. Walo of Kiwalo had his two fingers bitten off by a wild animal so he had only eight hand fingers. Dako of Kidako was known for being well endowed and a womanizer.
So Baltog and his men went up to Busay—which at that time was a mighty waterfall with the water cascading down the very tall cliff. But what bothered Baltog was that the great volume of water falling was not all flowing out as a river for the nearby villages. Baltog concluded that water must be escaping somewhere to another village or to the sea. Great volume of water was lost. Baltog sent divers to investigate. The divers found out that there was a Tandayag as huge as a mountain living under the waterfalls. A Tandayag was an ancient animal that over the years has grown enormous and hoary it could hardly move on land. Thus, it crawled to the sea or any body of water where it was buoyant and could occasionally float.
Baltog called Likaw, Mantong, Dako and Walo to a meeting and plotted on how to kill the Tandayag under the waterfalls. Baltog advise them to use huge trunks of trees which pointed tips were spiked with the venom of serpents called rimoranon and designed catapults to launch the trunks as missiles. A wise old man advised them to aim at the eyes and the head—the venom will blind the Tandayag and disintegrate its head. On the appointed day, all the sturdy men of the four villages were united under the command of Baltog in slaying the monster under the water. When the head of the Tandayag started to disintegrate, it writhed and thrashed in pain and escaped through a secret cavern under the waterfalls. The thrashing of the huge monster generated a large tremor that caused the hill of the waterfalls to crumble to what it is nowadays—a small waterfalls. But because the cavern was closed, the water that flow was sufficient to irrigate all the farms of the four villages! The villages had their sufficient supply of water. Thus, Baltog was hailed by all as a true hero and became the chieftain of the entire area!
What happened to the Tandayag? Many people at Sawangan say that the huge monster from Busay surfaced—without a head—near its shore at noontime the day after it was slain by Baltog and his men. Thus, it was called Kapuntukan because it appeared when the sun was on top of their heads. It floated there for a long, long time, got petrified and fossilized and became the Kapuntukan Hill near the Port of Legazpi. This became the mountain used as a pillow by the giant Kulakog.
How Baltog Slew the Giant Wild Boar Barehanded
Now that we are in the realm of speculations, I might as well tackle how Baltog slew the Tandayag na Opon bare handed. After the wild boar destroyed Baltog’s linza plantation in Tondol, the enraged Baltog scoured the area in search of the boar. He heard from some folks that the boar was often seen near Lingyon Hill, and he learned from someone else that there is a cave at the base of the hill which could be the lair of the monster.
An elder told him that the jawbones of the monster was the length of two human hands extended. Its tusks were as long as half the handle of his spear. In addition, there were tales about the boar having very thick skin that no spear could penetrate. As if that was not enough, he was told that any man could get killed by a simple scratch from the monster’s venomous spikes.
Baltog took his time to find a way to kill the Tandayag na Opon. He knew that his spear would be of no use to him. He must find a way to kill the boar with his bare hands. When he made up his mind, he went to Lingyon Hill and found the mouth of the cave. Then he planned his moves. About a hundred meters from the cave, he found a sturdy tree which was exactly the size of his torso. He cut the branches and leaves of the tree until it was just as tall as he was. Then he looked for a rock of the right size and placed it near the base of the tree.
When he was ready, he walked to the mouth of the cave and shouted invectives to the monster. In no time, the huge Opon emerged from the shadows. Baltog was startled at how big it was. The Opon was similarly surprised to see a man so stupid to challenge him with a simple spear. Lo and behold! The monster was more astonished to see the foolish man threw his spear away and stood steady as if ready to wrestle with him.
The monster kicked the ground under him and jumped at the man. But Baltog swiftly turned around and ran as fast as he could towards his chosen tree. Then he turned around, placed his back firmly against the tree and faced the monster, which did not hesitate to attack him. Just before the snout hit him, Baltog bent and picked the stone. He heard the loud thud above him as the snout hit the tree. The brute force of the monster nearly felled the tree, but it stood its ground, right between the monster’s tusks.
As the monster was trying to extricate its snout from the tree, Baltog forced the rock into its mouth such that the boar choked with it and could not close its jaws. Baltog held its mouth as wide as he could so the rock went deep into its throat, and it could hardly breathe. The tusks remained entangled on the sturdy tree. With a short prayer, Baltog implored the help of the good god Gugurang and with all his might, he broke the monster’s jaws and hurl the monster to the ground. The Tandayag na Opon slumped on the ground bleeding profusely, until it died. Baltog recovered his spear, cut the monster’s jawbones, and hung it on a huge Talisay tree near his home in Tondol for all the folks to see.
This feat of Baltog is consistent with the element of an epic where the hero must show unusual bravery and great strength against a formidable and terrible enemy. Thus, it was also necessary for him to take the monster’s jaw home as a trophy in order to show to the people his heroic feat and be recognized as a great leader.
The Death of Baltog
Another element of an epic is the glorious death of a hero. In most epics, the hero dies after successfully accomplishing his mission. Beowulf, after wrestling ang killing Grendel died in the hands of Grendel’s mother. Siegfried, after slaying the dragon died when Hagen speared him in his only vulnerable spot. In the Iliad, the great Achilles was slain by Paris with an arrow accurately aimed at his heel. Lam-ang died. Bantugan died. So Baltog must also die.
.How did Baltog die? Again, I consulted Prof. Merito Espinas while he was alive. His only reply was, “Dong, si Baltog nagpasiring sa Habagatan, nagbalyong dagat, nagadan sa sarong pulo harani sa Masbate.” (Dong, Baltog travelled southward, sailed and died in an islang near Masbate.) I was not able to find out what was the basis of his speculation. Why would Baltog sail towards Masbate? I needed to create a story to ensure that Baltog had a glorious, heroic death.
This was the story I wrote: Before Baltog faced the giant boar, an elder warned him first about the sharpness of the boar’s tusks, about how thick it’s hide, how sharp and itchy its hair, then about the venomous blood of the monster.
In fact, I wrote a short verse on how the old man warned Baltog:
Gaya ng aking pataan/ Ang lahat may kahinaan/ Walang puntahan ang tapang/ Kung hindi pag-iisipan. // Itong Opon na tandayag/ Kung tingnan nakakasindak;/ Kung umatungal ang lakas/ Ang tapang ay walang sukat. // Ang Opon bâgo harapin/ Pagmasdan ang mga ngipin,/ Ang mahahaba na pangil/ Ingata’t napakatalim. //Huwag kang masusugatan/ Ng ngipin, pangil, saan man/ At walang lunas na alam/ Sa dugo ng tampalasan. // Balahibong matatalas/ Makati at matitigas/ Kahit matulis mong sibat/ Ay hindi makakasugat. // Walang ibang kahinaan //Kundi tanging sa harapan / Nguso kapag nahawakan/ Panga’y mapaghihiwalay.
When Baltog wrestled with the boar, its tusk scratched his side, a shallow wound, yet when he hurled the monster to the ground, its body rolled with him, he was pinned under and he was so tired, he failed to notice the boar’s blood that oozed to his body, to his wound! He was able to go home to Tondol and hang the monster’s jaw on the branch of the talisay tree. The following day his wound began to fester. He kept it from his men, except a trusted one, who told him to go see a healer in Donsol. He was told that the healer has migrated to the island of Tikaw, near Masbate. Tales told about how Baltog sailed to the island of Tikaw, guided by the giant whale-shark Butanding. Some even told that Baltog reached Tikaw on the back of a Butanding—on orders of Magindang, the god of the sea. These are the kind of tales that are perfect for ending an epic.
And yet, like Beowulf, the tale did not end with the death of the Tandayag na Opon and of our hero Baltog. Grendel’s mother would avenge the death of his son. The same is true with Ibalong. There were other monsters still prowling in Bikol. So the people continued to pray for assistance from the good god Gugurang. And the evil god Aswang in Gagamban was much enraged with the death of one of his monsters. He now plans to unleash more monsters, including his daughter Oryol. On the side of the good gods in Kamurawayan, they learned from Baltog’s adventure that sending men like him would be much effective in battling evil, because now the people saw that mortals as they were, they have the capacity to fight the monsters, even bare handed—for as long as they use their brains and develop the determination to fight.
Like Kadunung, the narrator of the Ibalong narrative, I am suspending my uploads in this already over-extended series. I have done a lot of other travels and readings, mostly about the sites related to Handiong and Oryol. But my narrative will deal mostly in speculative fiction. I will continue in due time. Thanks for your following my adventures in search of Ibalong.
Note: Images featured in this article have been provided by the author.
About the author:
ABDON “JUN” M. BALDE JR. is the Poet Laureate of Albay and presently the consultant for Cultural Affairs of Albay 2nd Congressional District under Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda. He served as Head of the Historical-Cultural Section of Albay and Komisyoner of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. He is active in leadership roles of writers organizations: Writers Union of the Philippines, Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society, Wika ng Kultura at Agham, Kabulig Bikol Writers Organization, and Albay Writers Group. He is a consultant of the National Bookstore.
Jun Balde is a recipient of the 2012 Outstanding Albayano Artist Award for Literary Arts, the 2010 Ani ng Dangal Award, given the 2009 South East Asian Writers Award by the Royalty Thailand, the 2009 Bikol Regional Jesse Robredo Artist Award for Literary Arts and the Arejola Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in Literature. He has written and published 26 books, four of which won the National Book Awards. He wrote the libretto for “Sayaw kan Tulong Bulod” for the Daragang Magayon Festival and the dramaturgy of “Daragang Magayon, An Istorya ni Mayon” staged in CCP February 2013. He won the 2012 NCCA Writers Prize for “Ibalong, Pagbuo ng Epikong Bikol,” the 2003 Palanca Memorial Award for Literature and, in the same year, the “Rokyaw Ibalong Most Outstanding Bikol Award for Literature.”
He was born and raised in Busac, Oas, Albay by farmer parents. He studied in St. Michael Academy of Oas. He graduated with a civil engineering degree in Legazpi College, now University of Santo Tomas, Legazpi. He had a 33-year career in construction projects engineering before shifting to literature. He lives in Tiwi, Albay, with his wife, a daughter, a son, two grandsons, and three dogs.