THE PROUD AND GALLANT HERITAGE OF TABACO by Ex-Cong. Edcel C. Lagman

Strategically nestled between the foot of Bolcan Magayon and Causwagan Bay was Barangay Pagcanmoot, a thriving community sturdy, dauntless, peaceful and proud pre-Spanish people of Malay stock.

Centuries before the advent of the Spanish colonization, the people of Pagcamoot lived in enviable harmony with nature.

The Pagcamootans were principally farmers, weavers, fisherfolk and seafearers. Their farms were fertilized by the regular convulsions of the Bolcan, which dominated the landscape. The bordering ocean was a pristine hunting ground for aquatic catch.

The majestic volcano was held sacred by the Pagcamootans believed that their ancestors were born out of the volcano in one of its eruptions. They held annual colorful festivals in reverence to Bolcan Magayon, which they considered as their Patron, the veritable source of life and fertility.

The Pagcamotans protected the vegetation around the volcano by an inflexible self-imposed rule that not even a twig in the forest should be cut. In turn, the volcano nourished the lands where abaca, coconut, pili, paroy (rice) and the ubiquitous lada (chili) grew in endless abundance.

Natong (gabi) leaves and stalks mixed with lada were cooked with coconut milk as a regular fare, a dish (pinalopag) which is believed to be the forerunner of the "Bicol Express" and "Pinagat", both well-known Bicol Delicacies.

The women were adept weavers of abaca fiber for garments and other native products for local use and trade. The clothing materials principally produced were tinuctoc, guinaras, sinamay. Up to today, the abaca cottage industry has survived, albeit shakily.

Much later, during the Spanish regime when the "Tobacco Monopoly" was imposed. Bicolanos bartered guinaras for cigars. In 1883, the American Consul in Manila adnmitted that "plantain bark" (abaca) was "the article of most importance to the commerce of the United States."

Abaca is the source of a fiber of great utility, flexibility and elasticity. For a long time, abaca products, including Manila hemp, Manila paper and ropes, were top dollar earners.

The crisp durability of the Japanese Yen is enhanced by its abaca component. South Korea shown keen interest in using abaca fiber for its legal tender, the Won. It is discouraging that our own Central Bank started using only this year abaca fiber for the Philippines Peso when it issued a limited quantity of abaca based P 1,000.00 bills.

Abaca is also used in the manufacture of varied products like tea bags, stencil and the casing of imported hotdogs and bologna.

It is an indictment of government's inordinate neglect that for almost a quarter of a century the virus known as "bunchy top" infesting the abaca plants has not been eradicated, like the cadang-cadang ravaging the coconut trees for many decades.

Because of this virus. Abaca production in the Bicol region has been marginalized at the time when there is a worldwide campaign to jettison synthetic fiber in favor of natural fiber like abaca.

The pili tree, a massive wndbreaker, was as important as the coconut and the abaca. This indigenous nut, many say, is more delicious that the Persian pistacio which is now widely produced in California and the Australia macadamia which has found a new home in Hawaii. The pili, however, principally remains in its native environs.

The story goes that were there a pili tree in the Garden of Eden. It would have been a pili fruit instead of an apple which could have tempted Adam and Eve and transformed them onto mortal man and woman.

The Pili is a prolific nut. But it is not only a nut. The pili fruit has multiple uses. The pulp of the unpeeled fruit with silvery black coat (lantahon) after it is immersed for several minutes in hot water until it is tender, is a nutty, fleshy and delicious appetizer or even viand. The nut (ilog) which is housed in a sturdy shell (bagting) can be eaten raw or processed in sweetened, salted or peppery confectioneries.

The tender nuts (bulaga) are strung into garlands and one can eat the garlands, too. The cracked shell (binagtingan) is a choice fuel for bakeries. The uncracked shell is used by children for playing camino or sensito, games which enhance a child's agility and accuracy. The oil extracted from the nut is an excellent component of perfumery and cosmetics products. A sticky substance extracted from the pili trunk is used as ingredient in anumber of commercial products. It is also said that pili is an aphrodisiac.

Another source of sustenance and commerce was the sea. Causwagan Bay, which is the location of the present Port of Tabaco-one of the first international ports of entry of the Philippines - was a busy center of commerce and trade. The Bay is a natural harbor. It is several fathoms deep and is protected from torrential winds by the Sab Miguel Island.

It is told that during stormy weather, Chinese junks and assorted vessels would take refuge at Causwagan Bay.

The daily catch of the fisherman then consisted of baraca (lapu-lapu), baolo (talaquitok), banculis (yellow-fin tuna), sibubog (galong-gong) and many other species which have now dwindled because of marine despoliation due to cyanide and dynamite fishing.

Some of the Chinese traders who came to barter their products for the abaca fabric, particularly sinamay, were enchanted by the Pagcamootan maiden and decided to stay for good. This accounts for today's sizeable number of Chinese mestizos and a fairly large Chinese community in Tabaco City.

Circa 1587, Pagcamoot was evenly ruled by a middle-aged Barangay Chieftain, datu Maisog. The seat of local governance was in the vicinity of what is known today as Natunawan, which was devastated by Typhoon Trix four centuries later in 1951 resulting in the death of hundreds of iinhabitants, some of whom most probably descended from Datu Maisog.

Magayon, a namesake of the volcano and the only daughter of Datu Maisog, was bethrothed to a distance cousin, Makusog. Their nuptial was set in an evening ceremony of a full moon.

In the early morning of the day Magayon and Makusog were to be married, while the Pagcamootans were preparing for the big event, fully armed warriors of a strange race, accompanied by a couple of men garbed in priestly robes carrying large crosses, landed at Causwagan Bay to the surprise and dismay of the inhabitants.

As the invaders approached the house of Datu Maisog and the other houses bordering the seashore, the menfolk shouted to their wives: "Itaomo sacoya an tabac co!" ("Give my my bob or bolo!"). The Spanish invaders thought that the people were shouting the name of the locality, which they understood as "Tabaco".

The Pagcamootans were peace-loving people but they defended their freedom with courageous intensity. They had successfully repelled other invasions before from neighboring tribes and pirates. But the new invaders were vastly different: they were tall, white-skinned and equipped with superior arnaments.

Datu Maisog, himself is a descendant of great warriors, was reaqdy to defend his land and people. He had another equally overriding reason: he had to save his only daughter from the clutches of strangers on the very day of her wedding.

Datu Maisog, together with Makusog, led his men in confronting the invaders in a bloody encounter. After a fierce battle, Datu Maisog lay mortally wounded on the sand and at his side was a lifeless body of the lead conquistador. Scores of Datu Maisog's men were killed and the rest held captive.

The wounded Makusog sought his beloved Magayon. Together they ran to the volcano and returned to its leaping into the crater in an eternal embrace.

On the night of the envasion, Bolcan Magayon erupted with fury never experienced before. Even Mother Nature is offended by oppression.

After centuries of freedom, the Pagcamootans were subjugated even as their ancestral domain was renamed "TABACO" by the Spanish colonizers.

This is the proud and gallant heritage of the City of Tabaco, which every Tabaquenos must cherish and uphold.