ATTRIBUTES OF BALAMBAN

BALAMBAN IS NAMED AFTER A FISH OR A BUTTERFLY

“BALANBAN”

The town was used to be referred by most people as “Balanban” instead of “Balamban”. The said attribute was used widely until the early 1980’s. Yet it is still used by some natural-born senior citizens of the town until today, Oral tradition would say that the town got its name from a fish known as “balanban” which is said to be abundant in the town’s coastal seas in the past.¹

“Balanban” is a Visayan name for blackbarred halfbeak (Hemiramphus far). It is more commonly known today in Cebu as “suasid” or “sasa”, in Tacloban City as “bugiw”, and in Guimaras as “balitos”. Yet in Iloilo and in some parts of Guimaras, it is still known today as “balanban”.²

Until now, the said Indo-West Pacific fish is commonly found in estuaries of the coastal waters of the town. It is an indicator that Balamban is located in a high island or continental shoreline. It is also an indicator that Balamban’s coastal waters & estuaries are still rich in vegetation and sand flats.

“BALAMBAN”

Another fish associated with the name of the town is the flying fish. The flying fish is a common name for all the fish belonging to Exocoetidae, a family of marine fish in the order Beloniformes of class Actinopterygii. There are about 64 species grouped in seven to nine genera. Locally, the common name for the flying fish is “barongoy”. But the local fishermen also assigned different names according to its species like “bangsi”, “serikenyas”, “bakekehon”, “laniw”, and “baro-baro”. “Baro-baro” has an etymological relation with “paru-paro” a Tagalog word for butterfly denoting its ability to flap its fins like that of butterfly wings. 

Coincidentally in Santiago, Isabela (in Luzon), there is a folk dance which is named as “Balamban”. It is the Ibanag term for butterfly. But generally the people of that town used the term to refer the flying fish. The said folk dance either mimics the movements of a butterfly or a flying fish.³

“ALIBANGBANG”

Most names of animals in Cebuano are prefixed with “ali” which might had a forgotten connection with the Islamic hero “Ali” the legendary original owner of the Excalibur-like double-edged sword “Zulfikar” often associated with the adventures of the Islamic Filipino heroes like Lapu-lapu, Bantugan, Indarapatra & Sulayman, Abu Bakr, and a lot more including another Ali, a descendant of the original Ali, who was said to arrive in Southeast Asia to propagate Islam.

Examples of the animals prefixed with “ali” are “alimango”, “alimasag”, “alimukon”, “alimokoy”, “alitaptap”, and “alibangbang”.

“Alibangbang” is a common Visayan term for butterfly aside from “kaba-kaba”. But it is also a local name for various species of butterflyfish like the threadfin butterfly, eastern triangular butterfly, bluelashed butterflyfish, foureye butterflyfish, speckled butterflyfish, redtail butterflyfish, Indian vagabond butterflyfish, saddle butterflyfish, blackwedged butterfly, diagonal butterflyfish, sunburst butterflyfish, lined butterflyfish, raccoon butterflyfish, blackback butterflyfish, atoll butterflyfish, scawled butterflyfish, janpanese butterflyfish, spotfin butterfly, eighband butterflyfish, ornate butterfly, spot-nape butterfly, blueblotch butterflyfish, spotband butterflyfish, mailed butterflyfish, yellowdotted butterflyfish, mirrorbutterflyfish, banded butterflyfish, triangle butterflyfish, chevron butterflyfish, melon butterflyfish, Pacific doublesaddle butterflyfish, teardrop butterflyfish, vagabond butterflyfish, and Chaetodon lunulatus. ⁴

Yet, the most abundant “alibangbang” fish in Balamban in the past until the late 1970’s was not the marine butterflyfish but the cichlid freshwater fish known as the discus which has also various species. There are three species of the said fish being discovered so far: the common discus, the green discus, and the Heckel discus.

The Heckel Discus, also called the Pompadour Fish, was the first discus discovered. The red form, 'Red Discus or Red Heckel', is considered to be one of the most beautiful of all naturally occurring discuses. These fish have been known since the last century, described in 1840 by Dr. Johann Jacob Heckel. They are easily distinguished from other discus species by three bold vertical bars; one running through the eye, one through the caudal fin, and the most prominent one running down the center of the body.

The Heckel Discus is a peaceful, shy cichlid. They do best in pairs or groups of pairs and should not be kept singly. This specie comes from slightly warmer water than the other discus. They are a more delicate species and are the least popular. Those available are generally wild caught. They are also more difficult to breed. Males breed more easily than females however, so they have been bred with other species.⁵

In pre-colonial era until the late 1970’s the Heckel Discus was said to be abundant in Combado River which at that time was very wide and very deep that it could be crossed by big water vessels. Most of the old folks would say that Bangbang, a sitio of Barangay Nangka where the original town of Balamban known as Daanglungsod (Old Town) was established during the Spanish Era, was named after the Heckel Discus which was “Alibangbang”. Later on the name was shortened into “Bangbang”. But Daanglungsod was used to be called “Balangbang” after “Bangbang”. And the old name of the original town “Balangbang” (or “Daanglungsod”) was retained as the name of the new town established at Poblacion after the old town submerged in the sea. Later on, the name “Balangbang” was shortened into “Balanban” and was later corrupted into “Balamban”.

BALAMBAN IS NAMED AFTER “BALANGBALANG”

Oral traditions suggested that the town got its name from the Cebuano word “balangbalang”. “Balangbalang” is an act of forming a seat of a chair with linked-crossed arms by two or more persons.

There were two versions of the story.

THE FIRST VERSION OF THE STORY

The first one recounted that when the Spaniards came to the place where the present Balamban poblacion now stands, they found it uninhabited. It was then a vast marsh and mangrove swamp without a living soul. For the people had chosen to live in the interior, beyond the plunder of marauding Moro pirates. When the Spaniards eventually came to the village by what is still known as the Combado River, they found very cooperative inhabitants. Indeed, it was during this visit that Balamban got its name.

It is said when the white visitors came upon the river, they decided to cross to the other side. They expressed this in sign language to the natives who responded by coming together in pairs with linked-crossed arms, forming with them like the seat of a chair. They had each white man sit on their arms as they forged the knee-deep current. While they were carrying the team leader across the fellow asked them the name of the place. Thinking he was asking for the name of the manner they were brought across the river they replied, “Balangbalang” which is the native name for it.¹

THE SECOND VERSION OF THE STORY

The second story recounted that when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived at the shores of Villa San Miguel (now known as Cebu City) and bombed the village, the elders decided to keep their 60-year-old queen, Hara Amihan (christened Queen Juana), safe. They fled by way of the rivers which were part of the old route towards the northwest side of the island of Cebu. Their destination was the old Malay trade center now known as Bangbang.

When they came upon the Combado River, they decided to form a bridge by coming together in pairs with linked-crossed arms, forming with them like the seat of a chair, so that the queen could go across to the other side of the river safely without getting wet. The act of the queen crossing a human bridge was commemorated with the phrase, “Gibalangbalang ang hara ngadto sa Bangbang!” (“The queen was carried through linked-crossed arms formed like a seat of chair towards Bangbang!”)

It was said that the old town of Balangbang got its name from the shortened version of the phrase. Later on the said town after the town was transferred to Poblacion was named Daanglungsod (Old Town) and the new town retained the original name of the old town which was “Balangbang” which finally became Balamban.²

BALAMBAN IS NAMED AFTER “BALAMBANG”

It is already widely accepted fact that the Philippines had become part of the Madjapahit Empire of Southeast Asia from pre-colonial era until the latter part of the 16^th century A.D. But it was only in the early part of the 16^th century A.D. that almost the entire country had been conquered by Sultan Muhammad Bulkeiah (also known as Nakuda Ragam), the last Madjapahit Emperor who transferred the seat of government from the island of Java to the island of Borneo. It is interesting to note that Madura had played a vital role in the downfall of Singhasari kingdom and the rise of the Madjapahit Empire in the latter part of the 13^th century A.D. until the latter part of the 16^th century A.D. During this period the Malay language was used as the lingua franca of the Madjapahit Empire.¹

There were theories that there was an attempt to transfer the seat of the Madjapahit Empire to the island of Cebu, as the new Madura in particular and the new Java in general, in the early part of the 16^th century A.D. Thus a Malay settlement was established along the east coast of the island, in Mantawi (now Mandaue) particularly in Kabangkalan. This Malay settlement was extended westward towards northern Cebu via river tributaries beneath the mountains. These settlements were named after its chiefs or elders. Hence there were places along this curve named as Cambinucot (“Kang Binukot” which meant “belonging to Binukot”), Can-irag (“Kang Irag”, “belonging to Irag”), Cantipla (“Kang Tipla”, “belonging to Tipla”), Cambagocboc (“Kang Bagokbok”, “belonging to Bagokbok”), Cansomoroy (“Kang Somoroy”, “belonging to Somoroy”), Cantibas (“Kang Tibas”, “belonging to Tibas”), Cambuhawe (“Kang Buhawe”, “belonging to Buhawe”), and Cantuod (“Kang Tuod”, “belonging to Tuod”). If traveled via land route, the said curve of settlements was the blueprint of the present Cebu Trans-Central Highway.²The said curve of settlements led to another Malay settlement in the northwest coast of the island which was named as “Balambang” now known as Balamban. The national records would affirmed that Balamban was called as “Balambang” until the American period.³

It is interesting to note that there is a place in the east coast of Madura Island, Java which is also called Balambang and in the northwestern coast a place called Bangkalan. “Balambang” is a hatue (male) Malay word synonymous to the bawi (female) Malay word “bangkalan” which both means “to base upon”.⁴ In the Malay psyche, a hatue word which exists in ordinary speech but generally designated as belonging to the sacred speech of basa sangiang is more important than a bawi word which is specifically found in ceremonies and mythology.⁵ Based from this perception it could be concluded that Balambang in Madura which was converted from Hindu-Buddhism to Islam was considered more important than Bangkalan in Madura which had retained its religion. It was likewise the same with the case of Balambang and Kabangkalan (Mantawi) in the island of Cebu. From this perspective, Balamban could be a Muslim settlement, which after being conquered by Sultan Muhammad Bulkeiah was used as a naval base in conquering Selurung (Luzon) in the north. This would explain the fact why there is a tribal war dance of victory in the Cordilleras called “Balambang”⁶ and why there is a sitio in Beckel, Benguet called “Balangbang”.

Further on, the said colonization had reached as far as Pangasinan which in fact there is also a municipality there named as Bayambang. The said town according to local legend got its name from the name of a tree called “balambang” which is also called in their dialect as “balangbang”, “kulibangbang”, and “alibangbang”. The said tree grew abundantly in the area in the past. It was used in making pickles and salad. Yet, it is very interesting to note that along its sea-coast there is an existing dialect very much similar to Cebuano language and very much different from Pangasinense and Ilocano languages which are prominently used by the majority around the said province. Since the local were fond in replacing “l” to “y” the place now is called “Bayambang”. Most probably, the said municipality was part of the areas conquered by the Visayans under Sultan Muhammad Bulkeiah (Nakuda Ragam) and perhaps the said municipality like Balamban and the said tree was really named after the original Balambang in Madura, Java. 

The said tree is actually the Bauhinia malabarica. It is locally known as “balambang”, “balangbang”, “kulibangbang”, “alibangbang”, “alambangbang”, “balibamban”, “kalibangbang” and “kalibanbang”. This indigenous & medicinal tree is very common on open, dry slopes in regions subject to a long dry season in Luzon (Ilocos Norte to Laguna). It also occurs in India to Indo-China, Java, and Timor. It is a small-sized but stocky tree reaching a height of 8 to 10 meters, with yellowish-brown, checked bark. The branches are freely rebranched, forming a dense crown, the ultimate ones being smooth. The leaves (broader than long) are 5 to 10 centimeters in length, heart-shaped at the base, and deeply notched at the apex. The flowers are white and rather large. The pods are long, narrow, and flattened, being 20 to 30 centimeters by 1.8 to 2.5 centimeters. There are few sightings of this tree at the riverbank near Tu’tu’ Cliff in Cabagdalan, Balamban, Cebu.