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.

TAN OSTING: FOLK SUPERMAN

 Eric Dumile  P.  de la Vega

Antiqueño folk supermen whose travails are still fresh in the consciousness of the older folks, are called the busalians. The busalians existence in Antique could be traced back as far as the time of the Bornean Datus stretching until the pre-World War II years.  According to folk history these gifted men possessed varied supernatural powers ranging from the ability to make water sprout from the ground with a mere thrust of a spear,  to enormous  strength and ability to fly, invulnerability to bullets, invisibility and a  number of extraordinary feats. These folk heroes and their adventures were important themes of folk oral narratives especially among the inland municipalities of the province. They served as community leaders, protectors against colonial oppression, brave defenders during piratical raids as well saviors during the time of famine.

In the towns of Sibalom and San Remegio, there lived a busalian who was not an ordinary folk. He was educated, influential and a brave gobernadorcillo whose deeds agitated the Spanish authorities.  Branded as an outlaw, he was respected and revered by his townsfolk. He was Don Agustin Rafael de Baladjay or Tan Osting, once a gobernadorcillo of Sibalom.  His social prominence and affluence was handed down to him by his grandfather Don Agustin Baladjay and father Don Pedro Baladjay who both served as gobernadorcillos of Sibalom.

                Tan Osting’s popularity during the second half of the 18^th century made the colonial authorities in Antique concentrate in Sibalom, the dwelling of the famous busalian.  Many believed Tan Osting obtained his supernatural abilities from a matiw’s (a giant spirit being) cigar whom he befriended. He first displayed his power from smoking the magic cigar by lifting the heavy stones used at the construction of Sibalom’s iglesia where men were required to render the polo y servicios. Once a Spanish officer visited Sibalom, and, upon seeing Tan Osting requested him to graze his horse while he was having his conversation  with the Padre Cura.  After finishing his long conversation with the friar, he was angered to know that Tan Osting did not heed his request.  The officer, a big man, was so mad that he dragged Tan Osting to the river to drown him.  But the busalian smoked his cigar and reversed the situation drowning the officer instead.  The incident enraged the governor and ordered the arrest of Tan Osting who was later incarcerated in the stone prison house of San Jose.  But, Tan Osting was able to escape prison with the help of three hundred indios montescos. That incident made him “wanted” by the authorities.

From his jail break, it was said that Tan Osting stayed in Iglusong, a plateau at the side of the thickly forested Mt. Porras that divided the town of Sibalom from San Remegio.  Iglusong is within the the vicinity of Maw-it River where the bandits from the towns of Tubungan, Maasin and Igbaras (towns of Iloilo) passes through to and from their lawless activities. Tan Osting once halted a group of bandits passing by his dwelling.  The bandits ignored his stern warning and continued following the trail to their next loot. Angered by the hardheaded bandits, Tan Osting picked a handful  of rice  labhang (rice chaffs) from his lusong (mortar) and threw it to the bandits.  It turned into a swarm of bees and attacked the bandits.  From then on, no bandit ever dared passed his dwelling area.

Another folk narrative  that circulated in Egaña, Sibalom states that, when the Spanish Military Governor of Antique was invited to a banquet in the house of a maestra (teacher),  Tan Osting, being a local dignitary, was also one of the visitors.  Knowing that Tan Osting was wanted by the Spaniards, the maestra and all people in the house pleaded him to leave for the governor with his guardia civiles were coming. But the latter did not move. As the cavalry of the governor approached,  Tan Osting took out  some match sticks and threw it to the ground.  To the amazement of those present, the matchsticks were transformed into armed soldiers.  The brave Tan Osting commanded his soldiers to fire at the governor.  Caught unprepared, the governor’s group turned back to evade the raining bullets while Tan Osting was laughing to his delight.  He then left the banquet and returned to his mountain dwelling. 

Once Tan Osting was pursued by Spanish soldiers. He stopped to gargle a tabo (water container) of water and blew the water to the air.  Suddenly, heavy rain fell making the unpaved roads muddy that forced the Spanish soldiers to retreat for their horse can no longer endure the sticky mud. And who has heard of instant popcorns? Once, Tan Osting passed by grains of corn being dried along the road, he bunched his shirt hem, picked up a handful of corn grains, put it on his shirt and shook it. A few seconds, the corn grains began popping, crunchy and ready munch.

 Though Osting feat sounded fantasy, the truth he really existed as a historical figure whose name can be found in the archives of Spanish history in the country.