Like other towns in the Philippines, Bayambang and many of its component barangays are named after native flora and fauna. The very name of the town is reputed to have come from the culibangbang tree (Bauhinia acuminata) thriving in its environs. Culibangbang's butterfly-shaped leaves, to this day, are an indigenous culinary souring agent among various ethnic groups in the country, from the Aetas of Luzon to the lumads of Mindanao.
There emerged other claims saying bayambang is really this plant (Piliostigma malabaricum) or that plant (Celosia or Deeringia polysperma Roxb.) or even another plant (Amaranthus spinosus f. inermis Lauterb. & K.Schum.), so will the real bayambang plant please stand up?
Even the former name of the town, Malungguey, sounds suspiciously close to another botanical, malunggay. And if we go further back in time, another plant name comes up: Binalatongan (Bayambang's mother town that is now San Carlos City).
Brgy. Mangayao is said to be named after wild cats making some serious noise in the area a long time ago, or so the story goes. Brgy. Pugo, as the name not-so-subtly indicates, is named after a native quail that used to abound in the area. Even Brgy. Wawa is reportedly named after a bird that makes a "wah-wah-wah" sound. (What could this bird be?) Buayaen and Balaybuaya suggest the ancient presence of swamps where crocodiles dwelt. Tamaro, so the legend goes, is named after the tamaraw. (It is believed that tamaraws once roamed wild in Luzon Island.) Warding is named after kalding, the Ilocano term for goat. Other barangay histories note the presence of "scary wild animals" living in their primeval forests.
Brgy. Sapang is named after sapang (Caesalpinia sappan), Brgy. Bani after bani (Millettia pinnata), and Brgy. Telbang after telbang (dapdap, Erythrina variegata Linn.). The same goes for Brgy. Caturay (of course, after the katuray tree with edible flowers, Sesbania grandiflora), Pantol (after pantol or santol, Sandoricum koetjape), Carungay (marunggay or malunggay, Moringa oleifera), Apalen (apaling (?) tree), and Banaban (banaba, Lagerstroemia speciosa).
Other trees that used to be common are abiang (anahaw), silag (buri), and mabolo (kamagong) -- even introduced species such as kukuwatit (madre de cacao), ipil-ipil, and chesa. Among those considered as weeds but turn out to have medicinal or culinary uses are dangla (lagundi), ngalub (pigweed, eaten in salads in Middle Eastern cultures), saluyot (jute), kulitis (uray), papait (sekan), biray (local basil), sampaga (damong maria), pansit-pansitan, tawa-tawa, takip-kuhol (gotu kola), tulango (?), and kulibetbet (pandakaki puti). Growing wild in places were makahiya, amorseko, and tagumbao (jatropha).
A popular folk song with the title, "Wala''y Manok kon Taras," refers to a sulky rattling bird-of-prey called taras or taraz or brown shrike. The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a migratory species which is associated with the rice and corn harvest season, coming around by November(?).
Wala'y Manok kon Taras
Oala'y manok kon taras
Bagsit ya melamelag
Bangno mitutungtongak
siber-siber ed arap
Taras kuan kon taras
anto'y binarungan mo'd siak
ag ta ka met binakbak
dinuksan pinairap
Bangno maruksa ak
mangalmusal kay bakbak
mangugto kay basibas
tan mandem ka'y libog-lipak
Bangta marunong ak
mangalmusal kay gatas
mangugto kay prutas
tan mandem tamakay intortias.
Old folks attest to the presence of tilay (Varanus salvator monitor lizards), basakay (skink, a slinky type of small lizard), owls, wild ducks (Anas luzonica?), tikling (Gallirallus philippensis), and other endemic creatures in the woods of Bayambang.
As a young boy in the '70s, I myself have seen a quail (Coturnix coturnix), a pied bushchat (Saxicola caprata), common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), brahminy kite, assorted frogs, dragonflies (giant, medium-sized, and red-winged) and damselflies of different colors, at least ten kinds of butterflies, assorted moths including the giant Atticus, insects I could not identify, innumerable types of spiders, and snakes in the wild and in the neighborhood. There was even the occasional firefly regaling us at night! There were seasons when mayflies and winged termites would swarm under incandescent bulbs.
Among the amphibians, there was the patang or the common rice field frog that people eat, the kitat or botbotsog, a little blackish frog that bloats its stomach when you touch it, the kutattey (butete) or tadpole which we had fun catching and playing with, the talakba or the slithering type of frog that can leap like an Olympian, and other kinds. Then there was the karag or toad that everyone avoided as they were said to be poisonous. Each one of them made an interesting croaking sound when the rains started to fall.
With these animals, one is reminded of certain native expressions, such as "Singa ka akapanga'y gigang!" (You look like you just accidentally ingested a spider! -- meaning "You look like you were shocked, restless, or out of your mind."), "Singa ka akapanga'y sanggi" (a green bug that is extremely itchy to the skin upon contact), and "Puwera bwisit!" (an expression to break the spell when one catches sight of the basakay, which represents a bad omen).
Today, what remains wild and roaming around free among the large- and medium-sized animals are clearly the birds. Local bird names such as lalawigan, titikot (?), bilitsina (?), taraz, dulakak, arokotok, and palekpek indicate that locals have long distinguished between local bird species. A visiting birder or bird-watching enthusiast won't come home empty-handed when 'birding' Bayambang, for there are dozens of species that thrive in the hills, farms, undisturbed grasslands, ponds and lakes, rivers, and woods in the area. Here is a list of sightings among the fruit-bearing trees and in the sky, mainly in the yards of homes in Upper Cadre Site, except as otherwise indicated:
Maya, Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus)
Taraz, Taras, Brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) - seasonal visitors
Lalawigan, Philippine pied fantail (Rhipidura nigritorquis)
Yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)
Golden-bellied gerygone (Gerygone sulphurea)
Olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)
Asian glossy starling (Aplonis panayensis)
Bilitsina?, Lowland white-eye (Zosterops meyeni)
Arokotok, Zebra dove (Geopelia striata)
White-eared brown dove? (Phapitreron leucotis)
Palekpek?, Red turtle-dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)
Colasisi? (Loriculus philippensis) - heard only
Long-tailed shrike (Lanius schach)
Titikot?, Maya, Chestnut munia (Lonchura atricapilla)
Maya, Scaly breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata)
Java finch (Lonchura oryzivora) - maybe an escapee from private cages
Night heron? (Nycticorax nycticorax) - associated with bad omen, so a sighting is met with an oracion to break the spell ("Baoninam! Awit mo'y asin! Awit mo'y barang!")
White egret (Ardea alba)
Dulakak?, Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica)
Grey heron? (Ardea cinerea)
Black-winged stilt? (Himantopus himantopus)
Barn swallow? (Hirundo rustica)
A brown-color tern-looking bird (maybe Sooty tern - Onychoprion fuscatus?)
Philippine pygmy woodpecker? (Dendrocopos maculatus) - suspected only, based on trilling sound
White-collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)
Martinez, Crested mynah (Acridotheres cristatellus)
Pied triller (Lalage nigra)
Red-keeled flowerpecker (Dicaeum australe)
Striated grassbird? (Megalurus palustris)
Pygmy flowerpecker (Dicaeum pygmaeum) - seasonal
Blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis) - spotted in Manambong's sorghum fields
There emerged other claims saying bayambang is really this plant (Piliostigma malabaricum) or that plant (Celosia or Deeringia polysperma Roxb.) or even another plant (Amaranthus spinosus f. inermis Lauterb. & K.Schum.), so will the real bayambang plant please stand up?
Even the former name of the town, Malungguey, sounds suspiciously close to another botanical, malunggay. And if we go further back in time, another plant name comes up: Binalatongan (Bayambang's mother town that is now San Carlos City).
Brgy. Mangayao is said to be named after wild cats making some serious noise in the area a long time ago, or so the story goes. Brgy. Pugo, as the name not-so-subtly indicates, is named after a native quail that used to abound in the area. Even Brgy. Wawa is reportedly named after a bird that makes a "wah-wah-wah" sound. (What could this bird be?) Buayaen and Balaybuaya suggest the ancient presence of swamps where crocodiles dwelt. Tamaro, so the legend goes, is named after the tamaraw. (It is believed that tamaraws once roamed wild in Luzon Island.) Warding is named after kalding, the Ilocano term for goat. Other barangay histories note the presence of "scary wild animals" living in their primeval forests.
Brgy. Sapang is named after sapang (Caesalpinia sappan), Brgy. Bani after bani (Millettia pinnata), and Brgy. Telbang after telbang (dapdap, Erythrina variegata Linn.). The same goes for Brgy. Caturay (of course, after the katuray tree with edible flowers, Sesbania grandiflora), Pantol (after pantol or santol, Sandoricum koetjape), Carungay (marunggay or malunggay, Moringa oleifera), Apalen (apaling (?) tree), and Banaban (banaba, Lagerstroemia speciosa).
Other trees that used to be common are abiang (anahaw), silag (buri), and mabolo (kamagong) -- even introduced species such as kukuwatit (madre de cacao), ipil-ipil, and chesa. Among those considered as weeds but turn out to have medicinal or culinary uses are dangla (lagundi), ngalub (pigweed, eaten in salads in Middle Eastern cultures), saluyot (jute), kulitis (uray), papait (sekan), biray (local basil), sampaga (damong maria), pansit-pansitan, tawa-tawa, takip-kuhol (gotu kola), tulango (?), and kulibetbet (pandakaki puti). Growing wild in places were makahiya, amorseko, and tagumbao (jatropha).
A popular folk song with the title, "Wala''y Manok kon Taras," refers to a sulky rattling bird-of-prey called taras or taraz or brown shrike. The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a migratory species which is associated with the rice and corn harvest season, coming around by November(?).
Wala'y Manok kon Taras
Oala'y manok kon taras
Bagsit ya melamelag
Bangno mitutungtongak
siber-siber ed arap
Taras kuan kon taras
anto'y binarungan mo'd siak
ag ta ka met binakbak
dinuksan pinairap
Bangno maruksa ak
mangalmusal kay bakbak
mangugto kay basibas
tan mandem ka'y libog-lipak
Bangta marunong ak
mangalmusal kay gatas
mangugto kay prutas
tan mandem tamakay intortias.
Old folks attest to the presence of tilay (Varanus salvator monitor lizards), basakay (skink, a slinky type of small lizard), owls, wild ducks (Anas luzonica?), tikling (Gallirallus philippensis), and other endemic creatures in the woods of Bayambang.
As a young boy in the '70s, I myself have seen a quail (Coturnix coturnix), a pied bushchat (Saxicola caprata), common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), brahminy kite, assorted frogs, dragonflies (giant, medium-sized, and red-winged) and damselflies of different colors, at least ten kinds of butterflies, assorted moths including the giant Atticus, insects I could not identify, innumerable types of spiders, and snakes in the wild and in the neighborhood. There was even the occasional firefly regaling us at night! There were seasons when mayflies and winged termites would swarm under incandescent bulbs.
Among the amphibians, there was the patang or the common rice field frog that people eat, the kitat or botbotsog, a little blackish frog that bloats its stomach when you touch it, the kutattey (butete) or tadpole which we had fun catching and playing with, the talakba or the slithering type of frog that can leap like an Olympian, and other kinds. Then there was the karag or toad that everyone avoided as they were said to be poisonous. Each one of them made an interesting croaking sound when the rains started to fall.
With these animals, one is reminded of certain native expressions, such as "Singa ka akapanga'y gigang!" (You look like you just accidentally ingested a spider! -- meaning "You look like you were shocked, restless, or out of your mind."), "Singa ka akapanga'y sanggi" (a green bug that is extremely itchy to the skin upon contact), and "Puwera bwisit!" (an expression to break the spell when one catches sight of the basakay, which represents a bad omen).
Today, what remains wild and roaming around free among the large- and medium-sized animals are clearly the birds. Local bird names such as lalawigan, titikot (?), bilitsina (?), taraz, dulakak, arokotok, and palekpek indicate that locals have long distinguished between local bird species. A visiting birder or bird-watching enthusiast won't come home empty-handed when 'birding' Bayambang, for there are dozens of species that thrive in the hills, farms, undisturbed grasslands, ponds and lakes, rivers, and woods in the area. Here is a list of sightings among the fruit-bearing trees and in the sky, mainly in the yards of homes in Upper Cadre Site, except as otherwise indicated:
Maya, Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus)
Taraz, Taras, Brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) - seasonal visitors
Lalawigan, Philippine pied fantail (Rhipidura nigritorquis)
Yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)
Golden-bellied gerygone (Gerygone sulphurea)
Olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)
Asian glossy starling (Aplonis panayensis)
Bilitsina?, Lowland white-eye (Zosterops meyeni)
Arokotok, Zebra dove (Geopelia striata)
White-eared brown dove? (Phapitreron leucotis)
Palekpek?, Red turtle-dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)
Colasisi? (Loriculus philippensis) - heard only
Long-tailed shrike (Lanius schach)
Titikot?, Maya, Chestnut munia (Lonchura atricapilla)
Maya, Scaly breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata)
Java finch (Lonchura oryzivora) - maybe an escapee from private cages
Night heron? (Nycticorax nycticorax) - associated with bad omen, so a sighting is met with an oracion to break the spell ("Baoninam! Awit mo'y asin! Awit mo'y barang!")
White egret (Ardea alba)
Dulakak?, Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica)
Grey heron? (Ardea cinerea)
Black-winged stilt? (Himantopus himantopus)
Barn swallow? (Hirundo rustica)
A brown-color tern-looking bird (maybe Sooty tern - Onychoprion fuscatus?)
Philippine pygmy woodpecker? (Dendrocopos maculatus) - suspected only, based on trilling sound
White-collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)
Martinez, Crested mynah (Acridotheres cristatellus)
Pied triller (Lalage nigra)
Red-keeled flowerpecker (Dicaeum australe)
Striated grassbird? (Megalurus palustris)
Pygmy flowerpecker (Dicaeum pygmaeum) - seasonal
Blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis) - spotted in Manambong's sorghum fields
Little spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra)
Oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis)
Now and then, depending on the season, other species keep turning up if one looked and listened hard enough. Because Bayambang is neighbor to the forestland of Mangatarem town, if one is lucky, one may even spot a scale-feathered malkoha, black-faced coucal, or any of the random wild doves (other than the ones on the list above) visiting. Their distinctive calls, silhouettes, and moves, especially flight patterns, give them away.
***
Local wildlife and biodiversity enrich our culture by forming an important part of our songs, poetry, lore, rituals and beliefs, everyday expressions, and even identity.
Threats to these irreplaceable resources include paltik- (slingshot) and eskopita (airgun)-wielding hunters, lack of enforcement of Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, deforestation, urbanization, and pollution due to pesticides and uncontrolled industrialization.
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