During the time of Governor Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera (1635 – 1644), the Visayas were continually harassed by the Moros. Consequently, tall stone walls and watchtowers wer built in the different parts of the archipelago, for refuge and protection of the people from the moro aggression.
The tall walls surround the convent and the church including half of the area where the Public Plaza now is. These watchtowers were loacally known as “BANTAYAN SA HARI “ , meaning, “ WATCHTOWERS OF THE KING” “KING OF SPAIN”. The watchtowers served as look-outs for the incoming moro pirate vessels. In the course of their vigil after the moros, it became the common expression for them to say, BANTAYAN! BANTAYAN!, meaning, “KEEP WATCH! KEEP WATCH! , and that was how this island-group got its name. The presence of the relics of those watchtowers till today, attest to the well-fitting name BANTAYAN.
There are no dates to fix the time when the first people came to Bantayan, nor do we know of their places of origin. NO conscious records of their doings were left us to arrive at amuch certain conclusion. Some said, they can be traced back to Panay, others believed that the bulk of them were of cebuano origin, and still others say, they came from Leyte and Bohol.
However, there are indications that there existed some connections between Bantayan and the aforementioned places are the mixed dialects spoken by the people, the family names of the prominent old inhabitants, and their ancient culture such as cloth weaving, dances and architecture. AS to family names, the Rubios, the Arcenaces, and the Alvarezes, can be traced back to Panay, the Rodriquezes, the Ancajases, the Mansuetos and the Villacrusises to Cebu, the Villacins, The Villaflors, the Ortegas, and the Carabios to Leyte, the Hubahibs, the Garcias, the Caquilalas to Bohol. The majority of the old inhabitants, however, agree that they are a mixture of all these, a product of different blood and cultures.
THE PRE-SPANISH PERIOD
A number of social morals and institutions, even terminology, can be understood only against a background of the experiences of a people of locality. Understanding the present thru the past, however, is rendered difficult on account of insufficient documented materials. In our case, the scarcity of reliable information when we deal with life and culture before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores, the unavailability of conscious records of their doings are left to enable us to arrive at a much precise conclusion. What we know of them is gathered from the chronicles of the gossipy inhabitants, whose memory stood sharply on what they have learned from their grandparents about this island-group in the bygone years, for the information of the people of today. The following Legends supplies us with some data which we hope are accurate.
It was reported that in general, the early people were timid. They know little of nothing of places away from their homes. They wore scanty clothing for the air around them is always warm. The abundance of fish, wild games, wild fruits and tuber like BA-AY, HAGMANG, BAILACOG, and KIOT, made the people care less to make some clearings on which to plant corn, camote, or food plants. Big and small trees grow and spread their branches, shading the ground all year round with their heavy foliage. Vines and creepers climbed the trees hanging from bough to bough, thus, giving them difficulty to cultivate bigger fields. They were very ignorant on very simple arts.
THE SPANISH PERIOD
INDUSTRIES – In 1788, Don Jose Basco Y. Vargas became the Governor General of the Philippines. He pioneered many projects for the encouragement of agriculture and industries. Industries in the island – group were completely abandoned because the people were made compulsory to work on building roads, public buildings and churches.
The abundance of fish, favorable climate and virgin soil then greatly determined the occupation of the people. These geographical factors became strong stimuli for the people to be fishermen, farmers and sailors. Much later, the small clearings were expanded to fields.
RELIGION – When the Spaniards came to Bantayan, the people already had a kind of religious convictions and some form of religious worship. They easily conceived the idea of evil spirits, good spirits, witches and ghost. In order to please these creatures of imaginations, people often resorted to charms, vows, sacrifices and self torture. It was a common belief among the illiterate people of the past that cholera and other fatal diseases were caused by poison which an evil spirit put into the wells and that the people can be saved from the dreaded disease only by chanting prayer and holding processions.
DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE – In fact the Bantayanons are people who go out of their places to make strangers feel at home. For most part they are kind, lovable, polite and hospitable, regardless of race or religion of the person who called on. One almost invariably finds a warm welcome awaiting him. After one is invited to be seated, drinks or coffee is served.
Usually in parties, the guests and the hosts are seldom together for the hosts are out in the kitchen preparing elaborate foods. More often the meeting of the guests upon arrival is entrusted to friends and neighbors who are helping. Ordinarily, the guests are seated in the chairs that line the sala. If there is no music or dances, the guests wait until the time comes for them to be led to the dining room.
When necessity compels one to be a vegetarian, he eats any kind of fruit or tuber available, even if the raw state is a deadly poison. One particular poisonous vegetable or tuber is KIOT. It is yellow in color and this sliced into thin bits and soaked in salty water or sea water for two days, after which it is boiled changing the water several times until it looses its original color. In order to be sure that no poison remains, some of it is fed to a dog or cat to test if it is already safe for consumption.
It is difficult to imagine of Bantayan to be deprived of eating places for conversation, for they are a result of the characters and traits of the people who dislike solitude to eat, drink and amuse in public. These are innate impulse in them which seems to crave for an audience as a kind of stimulus to their wit, their appetites and their pleasures. It has been reported that this island-group consumes more beer than the entire province of Bohol.
Many still adhere and cling to the customs of their ancestors. A girl is a valuable asset to the family. She can be engage in marriage until a satisfactory dowry has been given for her. She is given a little chance or choice in the selection of her husband. When a boy has decided on a girl he wishes to have for his wife, he consults his relatives as to the girl’s personal qualities and the amount of they can contribute for his dowry.
Another old custom which still persist today is concerning marriages. The family of the groom is expected to bring food and any hard drink to the home of the bride, where an arrangement is entered into between the two families as to what the groom and his family should do for the household of the bride. Sometimes, such arrangement includes the payment of debts or repair of the house. The expenses of the wedding are met by the groom and his family. The relatives of the groom do the serving and entertaining of the bride’s visitor.
In business, If an individual ventures in an industry and make money out of his ingenuity, soon will find that not very few will engage in the same business to compete.
THEIR HOMES - The architecture of the average home is not complicated, being a single room which can accommodate numberless members, apparently. Usually, two door ways and two or three windows admit light that penetrates into the interior where one sees chairs or benches and other articles necessary to primitive housekeeping. Of course, the well-to-do have housed in European style, which is well furnished and up-to-date.
When the Spaniards came, few rich people built houses with thick stone walls and covered tile roof. Two of these houses still exist up to this date.
INTELLECTUAL LIFE – We express beauty as we see it, through pictures and carvings we call art. Long before Madridejos and Santa Fe, Bantayan is considered the town of sculpture. CIPRIANO CARABIO is one of the great names among the artists in this island-group. His son, SEVERINO CARABIO, is said to represent the sculptors who portrayed emotions of human feelings.
CHANGES AND RETROGRESSION
RELIGION – The cooperation between the church and the state did not last very long. Quarrels between the church and the state ensued. There was struggle for political power, from the Governor General down to the alcalde mayors on one hand and from the archbishop to the friars on the other. Because of this, projects for improvements were all paralyzed.
DOMESTIC AND SOCIAL LIFE – One good custom in the past which is almost completely abandoned by the young people of today, is to live in the approved ways of their parents. At that time, nothing from outside ever, touched them.
Another good old custom discarded by the young people of today ir for girls to marry the men when they have been betrothed not earlier than thirty years of age and the male must be two or three years older the girl.
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