What’s in a place-name?

To help fill in the gaps in the history of the Moros, I embarked on extracting their ancient history through epics. In doing so, I found meaning in the very ancient municipality of Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao Province. It led me straight to toponyms or place-names, which I used as my historical tools

Toponyms as a tool can be used or abused according to the bias of the historian or researcher. However, if toponyms or place-names are established in their proper years and historical instances, a pattern of naming places can describe the barangay, towns, and provinces as they were in terms of former physical features, and even in understanding the mindset of the people. I used both as a basis for valid references

In the past, the study of toponyms was not taken seriously by Philippine scholars, except in the fictional areas of folklore and literature. But for my studies at Mayor Tokao Mastura’s domain, place-names were taken seriously by the Maguindanaoans.

I encountered far-off barangays and sitios named after what once grew abundantly, such as flowers, trees, and even birds. I identified geographical contours that even the sound of waterfalls and other bodies of water the natives traveled on indicated migrations, trade routes, and volcanic eruptions in their barangays. Every toponym led me, too, to the history of a people and their beliefs and traditions.

This year, my alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas, will publish my manuscript. Let me introduce you to toponyms from my four-year research in the ‘ Kudarat town once known as Nuling. Nuling came from the Maguindanaoan word "noli," a species of the parrot family plentiful in Nuling until the 19th century

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Entering the interior of this wooded and isolated municipality of Sultan Kudarat, you will drive by Subpangan, which means "where bodies of water meet" and also "a beautiful plain with a river." Centuries ago, boats were used to reach this area. It was in Subpangan where the sea rovers, the Samals from Johore in Malaysia, first set foot in sitio Paigwan of the town of Nuling in 1515.

"Paigwan" means a place to bathe. There, Tabunaway, who was the Manobo Timuay or chief, was baptized into Islam by Shariff Kabungsuan in the 16th century. The Samals, who arrived with Shariff Kabungsuan in 1515, served as witnesses to that conversion.

There are other names of the barangays of Sultan Kudarat that are historically meaningful. Barangay Banobo is one of them. It is where the Iranun, Samals, and Manobos all trace their ancestry. Their ancient years may vary on their living in Banobo, but the Manobos were the first inhabitants there. "Banobo" means "men of the river."

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Solon is a derivative of Sulo meaning "light" in Maguindanao. Solon was a dark and shady place, so the people used sulo or torches to light their way in Solon. In Subpangan, there are many trees named Amay Palot, or umbrella trees. There still are plenty of them at Subpangan, but they are called by their pre-Islamic name "payong," a derivative of Amay Palot because of its location, which is by the mouth of the Pulangi River ("any big river"). It is a very long body of water that drains out to Yllana Bay after traversing Maguindanao and North Cotabato towards General Santos City. Shariff Kabungsuan of Johore and his Samal companions gained entry to Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao through the Pulangi River

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Sambolawan, meaning gold, was named after a golden bamboo with yellow-green stripes the natives called mapandara. Kirkir near the shoreline was named after a vine that bore a brown, berry-like fruit. Dagurungan was named after the sound created by a waterfall. Darimbang means a place that is beyond compare. Simoay located by the seashore literally means seashore. Simoay Seashore is where I saw the abandoned grave of Sultan Kudarat’s grandson, Sultan Barahaman, covered with lush bamboo. It is the place where, during the Cory years, Governor Zac Candao, Nene Pimentel, Ustadz Abul Halil Yahya and Khagi Muhrad of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front met General Jesus Hermosa for a peace pact, which Jun Simon and I arranged

Dalumancub (invulnerable in Maguindanao) was named in honor of the huge kubla shells that were abundant in Dalumancub, Subpangan. There are none left today. It is said that the people who lived in there could not be harmed or wounded because they used the shells as protection and it made them invulnerable. Sitio Makagiling caused a kind of dizziness like "water swirling producing a whirlpool." Katawa means water lily, and Limbo is a very eerie and quiet place.

Tapayan is another barangay in Sultan Kuadarat, which means "smoke chamber." This place was the site where meat and fish were smoked once upon a long time

It was in sitio Katuli, the Maguindanaoan word meaning circumcision, where Shariff Kabungsuan converted to Islam, and the Manobo and Iranun were circumcised, a prerequisite to becoming a Muslim. There is a minaret standing there to commemorate the site of circumcision of the 16th century. Actually, the rite of circumcision centuries ago took place in a stream called Limbayanagi which is dried up now. The word "limbayanagi" means "presence of the flowers of the cogon grass." Metaphorically, it means "blossom," a word that the Moros always use in their bayok or songs to allude to a lady who is blossoming from youth to womanhood. "Limbayanagi" is the combination of the two words, "limbayan" (passage) and "gi," (a variety of grass or cogon.)

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Names of barangays, towns, streets and sitios are changed for many reasons. That’s confusing history. Like in the case of Tantawan Hill, meaning "lookout" in the old world. Many assumed its name was P. C. Hill because the Philippine Constabulary or Philippine National Police established their headquarters there in the early 20th century. The truth is that rocky hill was a tall "lookout fort" owned by Pedro Colina where the precious white sand was abundant. No royalty could be proclaimed in the 16th century unless he stepped on the white sand during his coronation rites

Another example is Simoay, which has become smaller. It is now just Simoay Seashore. The prestigious "Silangan" (east) is just a crowded area, Campo Muslim in Cotabato City. Buayan, once a great wealthy kingdom, is now an obscure barangay that belongs to General Santos City

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I think toponyms can substantiate activities, verify history, epics, legends and superstitions if interpreted in the right context of time. Toponyms can even be potent guideposts to the past

In getting to know the ancient Moro way of life – their royalty and elegance, political structure, code of laws, conquests, bravery, bayoks, kirims, epics such as Darangan and Indarapatra, musical instruments, dances, clothes, and the majestic Torogans – I simply fell in love with the Moro culture.

It’s been 25 years and more Moro studies to go