HANGLO, AN IRAYNUN FOLK HERO

Alicia P. Magos, Ph. D.

Antiqueños recall with pride and fondness the adventures of their folk heroes whose stories were told in every generation. Hanglo is the most popular of those folk heroes whose story, I first heard among the Bukidnon of Tapaz, Capiz  and Calinog, Lambunao Iloilo.  Lately, I discovered that the same Hanglo is very popular in  Laua-an, Valderrama and Bugasong, among the Iraynuns and lowlanders of Antique and had, in fact, originated here. This attest to our cultural and even blood affinity to other Panay provices.

This folk hero is told from the mountains of San Ramon, the farthest barangay of Laua-an, Antique. Hanglo (also, Anglo), a tall and  able- bodied busalian had a wife, Akiton, who was always being caught with thirst along the way.  Akiton was named as such because her strides were “ikit” meaning small and her pace were near each other.  They were always on the move being hunted by enemies. Mount Igmatongtong, now a boundary of Bugasong and Lawaan, was his permanent place  so he could have a good view of people coming from both sides of the mountain some of which could be enemies. Daplang Bato at Igmatongtong is where his footsteps could be seen  when he jumped from the other side of the mountain. His living descendants in Bunga, Laua-an mentions about his material possessions he once left. Being a busalian, he known for his natural prowess and his possession of an anting-anting which could render him invinsible from enemies. He always carried with him his bangkaw and his sanduko (sharp bladed long knife) which he uses to pierce a rock or a big stone from where water gushes out instantly when he gets thirsty, for such was a trait of a busalian. The story goes that a group of armed band, the Siyaw, walked towards San Ramon passing by the long Cairawan River looking for the elusive Hanglo. Caught overnight along the way, the group unknowingly gathered itchy leaves known as bulan-bulan to make sleeping mats. “Hanglo, must really be a brave man,” they said for they associated the itchiness they felt to the former’s tricks.

Then, they went back again to the river mouth of  the long Cairawan River which goes out to the coast of   Laua-an for they heared Hanglo had gone to Mt. Igmatongtong,  another  far mountain in  Laua-an. On the way, the Siyaw met a man fishing with his laya (net) at the other side of the river. They asked for the whereabouts of Hanglo and the man replied,” Wait, I’ll go and tell him “. He tied the pole of his fishnet and swiftly left for Mt. Igmatongtong. When he returned, he brought with him a dawa, a huge open iron bowl for cooking red sugar. He cooked a cavan of palay, making it into porridge. Still boiling, he  then sipped it  and blew it back to a nearby banana plant which burnt. Thereafter, he took his iwa(knife) and  carved a human figure from  the banana stalk and went back to the Siyaw. “ Here is Hanglo”, he shouted at the Siyaw at the other side of the river. “Shoot first,”  and the  Siyaw fired. “Some more” he added, but Hanglo was unfazed. “It’s my turn”, Hanglo retorted. He pushed aside the dummy and the iwa and the Siyaw all fell down, save for a man and a  pregnant woman. The two went home with a string of Siyaw ears, proof that Hanglo defeated the Siyaw.

Hanglo Statue in Bugasong to illustrate the hero. (Bien Nallos, 2009)

Another story  tells that the armed band, Siyaw went further to Tapaz area and did some abusive acts toward a woman. They  slept overnight by the riverbank with Lagan Lagan their fair leader who preferred  to sleep leaning by a tree. Unknowingly, Hanglo who had an encounter before with Lagan Lagan soaked overnight in the river and performed a ritual to heal his wounds. He got a smoke pipe and blew the fumes  as he said ritual prayers towards the sleeping Siyaw who were all fast asleep. Seeing the men deep asleep, he got his sanduko and chopped them all sparing no one. There are more stories about Hanglo’s deeds, his name sometimes changing  but the deeds always similar when he is told in another place. When asked how he died, the story teller answered that he did not die “nanginduraan lang” (He merely disappeared underneath the soil).

Such story of Hanglo discloses how mountain people respect brave men with prowess who can outsmart an enemy and defend the weaker sex. And what does the movement of Hanglo and his wife Akiton from place to place crossing the now political boundaries of  Iloilo , Capiz and even of Aklan signify? It simply shows the movement of mountain peoples  from one side of the mountain to another covering the geographical places of the  other three provinces of Panay. For after all, they are just one big kindred group, the Panay Bukidnons.