From Bangkal to Cabangcalan

Have you noticed on how some places here in the Philippines were named of? Well, some places, not just in our country, were named after some people, some according to legend and some are after plants or trees. Yep, trees. And I bet that most of you are familiar of Talisay City of Cebu, Antipolo in Rizal, Cabuyao in Laguna and the Lucban town in Pahiyas. These are some of the many places here in the Philippines wherein it is named after a particular tree that is abundant in that certain place.

But let me tell you that there is an exception to that or maybe more. Now, I'll tell you more about this particular place, in the place where I have been. There is this tree in which it is named after a tree which you seldom see in the area.

Here in the boundaries of Cebu City and Talisay City, there is this Barangay Bulacao on each side of the two cities. And in the barangay Bulacao in Cebu, there is this sitio named Cabangcalan which is said to be named after the tree Bangkal (Nauclea orientalis).

In that place, as Aling Lucia said that she does not remember any presence of any other bangkal tree aside from one that stood proudly beside a mango tree which was located at the slope between the basketball court and the river of the place.
No one knows why it was named as such when most of the time a place is named after a plant or a tree was because it was abundant in the area and yet here is a certain sitio was named as such when a lone tree resided the area and thus became the basis of the name of the place.

On the night of the second week of November, 2001, a strong typhoon named Nanang hit the Visayan islands. One of the places that met the harsh treatment of Nanang was the place of Sitio Cabangcalan I, Brgy. Bulacao Pardo, Cebu City where it left almost a lot of plants and trees destroyed by the storm and the lone bangkal never stood a chance.


- photos from the internet