HISTORY OF aRGAO
The Name Argao
Common Name Origin Story Ask any Argawanon, whether young or old, how the town got its name, and you get a story with various details in different degrees, but the gist is more or less the same. The typical story goes like this: A fisherman from the outskirts of the town was preparing his fishing nets when suddenly he heard voices from behind. Turning, he saw three white men who were hurriedly approaching him; they later asked the fisherman for the name of the tree which they spotted in abundance near the shorelines. To make sure of his answer, the fisherman went to pick a leaf for verification. Then he went back and in a clear tone told the inquirer that the tree was Sa-li-ar-gaw. Sa-li-ar-gao, repeated the first. Sa-li-ar-gao! Exclaimed the second and repeating the word, the third approvingly said in the tongue of Cervantes, “el pueblo de Argao.” And, taking his memorandum wrote the word “Argao”. Expressing their gratitude for his service, they congratulated him and with a gentle pat on his shoulder, they went their way. Some Argawanons tell the story differently. Some would say that legends have it that three foreigners came to Argao one day and asked the fisherman they spotted what the name of the town was. This tale insists that the people who came to the early settlement in what is now Argao were not necessarily Spaniards The Great Battle story Or, another Argawanon said that when the Spaniards came to town a great battle ensued because the natives were bent on driving away the foreign invaders. Then one soldier decided to take a break from the fighting and rested under a big, shady tree where a native was also resting. Asking the native for the name of the town, the native thought the Spaniard was referring to the tree they both were resting at and thus gave the tree’s name, which was Sali-argaw. Imagine taking a break from a bloody battle and still having the presence of mind to ask for the name of the town?? The Wandering Group tale Another tale, though not as widely circulated as the other two, tells of a band of people who searched high and low for a hiding place because it is said that back in the olden days groups of people roamed the wilderness and beheaded the men they met and raped and enslaved the women. One community decided to go into hiding in the mountains, for good. After some time they ran out of food. They decided to split up to look for provisions. However, one group got lost. This group went deeper into the forest and found a huge tree which was full of fruits and which had a hollow opening at its trunk. Soon they decided to settle inside the tree, which they knew as “Sali-argaw”. When it became safer for them to leave their sanctuary, they went out of the tree but decided to make their home near it. They then decided to name their new community “Argaw” after the tree, which has, after all, given them nourishment and sanctuary for some years. The Real Story Documents written and bi-lingual dictionaries compiled by Spanish friars from as early as the late-16th century indicate that town names are simply often topographical indicators. At least, the Argao stories are right in the explanation that the town’s name came from the Sali-argaw tree (Premna odorata), an abundantly-growing plant that lined the town’s coastal areas in pre-Hispanic times. Indeed, Argao’s history has always been associated with the Sali-argaw tree, and the town was probably called Sali-argaw even before the Spaniards came. The Sali-argaw was considered a highly medicinal herb whose “heart” was boiled to alleviate stomach pains and its leaves used as an application for ugahip. It was also believed to prevent relapses, head colds, illnesses due to “bad air”, and to alleviate fever by taking a bath with it. According to the Spanish observers, during the hot season, these shady trees served as a favorite resting place for weary fishermen who went out to the sea to catch fish. Upon their return from the sea, they would stop, cook and enjoy their lunch in the cool shade of the Sali-argaw. But its greatest attribute, however, was not simply its ability to provide respite for weary fishermen; it served as a landmark and as a beacon for those out in the sea and even those near the shore and the traders on land. Even during at night or the stormy season, natives out in the sea always made use of the Sali-argaw as their guide home. Thus, the place where these plants grew abundantly in was always referred to as “Sali-argaw”. Other records also say that the name of the town is a derivation of the word “abgaw”, which may have been an even older term for the Sali-argaw tree. Similarly, the Spaniards who came earlier to the Philippines classified the Argao tree as bearing some resemblance with the willow tree, though they stressed that unlike the willow, the Argao plant grew more abundantly near the shorelines or at the edge of the sea. They further identified the plant as having valuable medicinal properties: the leaves, when boiled in vinegar, were a good remedy for fissures, and it was applicable in many other illnesses and diseases; above all, it was considered to be extremely fragrant and aromatic. Premna Odorata & Name Variants Sali-argaw leaf and seedsAt any rate, the Argao plant, which has the scientific name of Premna odorata, of the Verbenaceae family, is considered to be one of the most popular Philippine alternative medicines. It is a small tree reaching a height of 8 meters. The leaves which are somewhat heart-shaped at the base and pointed at the tip are 10-20 centimeters long. The leaves when crushed are aromatic. These are sometimes used as condiment and generally considered a good cure for cough. This tree also grows in different parts of the archipelago, thereby earning for itself several names. The Cebuano Bisayans call it Agbau. The Panay Bisayans and Bikolanos have other names for it - Abgau, Adgau and Argaw. The Tagalogs term it Adiyo while it is Agdau in Pangasinan, Agiao and Anobran in Ilokos, and Anobrang in Nueva Ecija, People in Batanes call it Ariaw, Atingi in Gaddang, Durugaw in Subanum, Guachi in Igorot, Lagau in Maguindanao,Lassi in Ibanag, Pumuhat Tangli in Pampanga, Regaw in Lanao and Tibangngen in Benguet. It is most probable that the town retained its old designation of “argaw” or “abgaw” as it is phonetically similar to the Spanish word “argao”, a not so common term that refers to a local expression pointing to a deep or sloping channel or a riverbed and is of Roman origin mentioned in the works of the historian Pliny. In the early years of Spanish colonization Argao was also referred to as “Argahao”. |
DALAGUETE |