About Kulibangbang (Bauhinia/Piliostigma malabarica)

About Kulibangbang (Bauhinia/Piliostigma malabarica)

Old residents and reference materials routinely claim that the name of the Bayambang town in the province of Pangasinan came from the colibangbang o culibangbang tree which used to thrive in the area.

Research has shown that this name refers to a certain species of Bauhinia, B. acuminata or B. malabarica, or what is called alibangbang parang in Tagalog. What causes some confusion is that there are other species of Bauhinia that are referred to as alibangbang in Tagalog and other languages and are also called culibangbang in Pangasinan: for instance, B. purpurea and B. variegata, both introduced species that have been favored as garden plant. (Note that Bauhinia species have been renamed as Piliostigma.)

For purposes of clarity and precision, B. acuminata or B. malabarica is the one being referred to as culibangbang or kulibangbang by Bayambangueños, as it is the one being traditionally used as panselar or pangsigang (souring agent), specifically its flowers and shoots, which taste sour. What distinguishes it from the other culibangbang species is its simple white little flower, red leaf stalks, and a leaf shape that is rounder and less butterfly-shaped than that of B. purpurea.

In contrast, the other variety has a pink, orchid-like flower and reportedly inedible shoots, and is of foreign origin and believed to have been planted in the '70s or earlier for ornamental purposes then later spread throughout the town.

It must be noted that culibangbang is an Ilocano word meaning butterfly, and butterfly in the Pangasinan language is not culibangbang but kumpapey. The Ilocano people were not in Pangasinan until they came migrating en masse during the Spanish regime.

Another claim is that there are awarans (ancient narratives) that mention balangabang as the precursor to the name Bayambang, balangabang being the true indigenous term for the native species of culibangbang or alibangbang. This hunch, of course, is not far-fetched at all, as it is more commonsensical and thus far more plausible.

The official website of the Pangasinan provincial government has a slightly different version, though: "The name of the town, according to the legend, came from the name of a plant called balangbang. " To locals, however, balangbang is the native term for "hip," although it could also be a variant of balangabang.

Today, the kulibangbang is a rare sight in the town of Bayambang where it previously thrived in abundance. It must be noted, however, that kulibangbang trees have been planted as a little reminder in the heart of the town plaza upon the initiative of then Councilor Gerry de Vera during his term, so locals will not forget where the name of the town came from based on the oral tale passed on from one generation to the next.