MUNICIPALITY OF SAN MANUEL (PANGASINAN), History of Part II

The announcement was repeatedly made but nobody came. The king kept on liberalizing the terms to hazen the marriage of the daughters. He knew that he would soon die and before he would die, he wanted to place the kingdom in safe hands. The contenders were first limited to the nobles of the country, but because they did not their appear, the bid was opened to foreigners.

The first foreigner was ordered to capture highway bandits. He was successful, what the foreigner instead of going to the palace to ask for the first princess's hands, joined with the vanquished bandits. This sulked the king gravely.

The second foreigner was given the same task. Like the first, he succeeded, but upon seeing that the lady was not acting socially graceful, though beautiful, he made up his mind not to appear anymore to the king to ask for the second princess's hands.

The third contender was given another aaron. Instead of capturing some bandits, he was asked to slay a monster. This, he did very easily. The king gave the announcement that he was giving a great festivity the next day to celebrate the wedding of the princess to the monster-slayer hero.

The foreigner appeared to the king the next day. He marched up to the social hall. The handsome hero bowed low and greeted the king and the lady. He was determined to marry the princess

Both the king and the daughter where dismayed. In his grief, the king jumped out of the window and sustained a fractured head, from which he died. The rejoicing was a change to the general public mourning.

Respectfully submitted,

(SGD.) (Miss) INOCENCIA C. BAGAY

There were two women neighbors in a certain isolated village where life wasn't favored with a promising harvest. One was called Kind. The other was called Cruel.

One day, Kind went to the river to catch fish. There, she saw Cobra. The snake asked why she went there. Kind, who was then all a helpless trembling wreck, managed somehow to tell her errand in the most polite way she could.

Cobra said, "There is no fish in this river. But if you promise to take care of Baby Cobra, I will bring you a good catch from another river."

Kind, recovering from fright, said, "I will take care of him while you are out. Don't worry."

As soon as Mother Cobra had left, there came the big rats and other fierce animals to harm Baby Cobra. Kind, conscious of the great responsibility entrusted to her, did not rest a bit until the impending danger was under full control.

Baby Cobra was greatly pleased with the way Kind treated him. He spoke highly offer to his mother after her return from the river. Mother Cobra thanked Kind and, in return, for her services, the former gave the latter a basket full of fishes. Then, Kind bade goodbye to her friends.

When Kind reached home, Cruel met her. She saw the basket full of fishes. After Kind related the story, Cruel made up her mind to try her luck too.

The unkind woman hurried to the river. Their, she found Mother Cobra and her baby.

Without permission, she scolded Baby Cobra for talking too much and commanded Mother Cobra to get her basket and fill

Cobra took a basket and left. Cruel gave Baby Cobra some beatings to stop him from talking. To save himself, Baby Cobra ran to his mother. He told her off the beatings she had just received from the unkind intruder. Mother Cobra got mad.

To retaliate, she caught snakes instead of fishes. She filled the basket with them. When Mother Cobra arrived home, she gave Cruel the basket heavy with catch. Hurriedly, Cruel opened it to see the contents. Upon seeing the snakes, she gave a long cry and started to run away. All the snakes ran after her and bitter all over the body. They did not stop until the cruel woman dropped to the ground dead.

Respectfully submitted,

(SGD.) (Mrs.) JUANITA S. COLLADO

Once upon a time, the rice plant was just a humble and useless little weed in a muddy field. It had all the parts of a plant, what bore no grain.

One day, the goddess Kal-la send it to earth. Her roaming took her to all nooks of the Pearl of the Orient Seas where she saw with pity large numbers of brown people dying of hunger.

Her noble heart melted at the site of the suffering people. "I must do something to alleviate them," she sighed with grim resolve.

In silence, she stood surveying the surroundings. Soon, her eyes fell upon the idle plant in a muddy field. She said, "You little plant, I shall make use of you to help these hungry brown people."

She then bared her divine white bosom. With her hand, she pressed her right breast and squeezed out a few drops of milk, then she did the same to her left breast, filling the empty ears."

Happily, all the ears of the rice plant where now filled and Kal-la said, "O plant, bear thou in abundance and feed my hungry subjects!" her task done, she returned to Heaven, rejoicing in her good accomplishment.

Respectfully submitted,

(SGD.) (Mrs.) VALENTINA C. TUVERA

(1)	Pamulinawen, pusok indengamman Toy umasasug, agrayo ita saddiam. Panunutemman, dika pagintutulgngan Toy agayat, agrayo dita saddiam.
(2)	Stone hearted, hear my heart craving For thy coveted enchanting beauty Think it over and don't go deaf To the cry of one loving you heartily.
(3)	Essem diakto kalipatan Tanasudi unay a nagan Ta uray sadin di ayan Lugar sadino man No malagipka, pusok ti mabang-aran.
(4)	Smiles! Never I forget Thy sweet, sweet name For wherever I am and go My heart leaps with joy, When I think of you.
(5)	Adu a sabsabung, adu a ros-rosas Ti ad-dat ditoy, Neneng, a mabuybuyak Ngem awan man laeng ti inak pakaliwliwa-an No di dayta imnasmo ken pusaksak.
(6)	Many a flower and many a rose, Are here, Neneng, before my sight But nothing in them can give me comfort Only thy beauty and charm can.
(7)	Siasino, Neneng; Neneng, ibagamman Ti namataud toy nacana a sin-naay Masaksian ni Diego, ti nakana nga ututna, Ngem awanman laeng, ti innak kaymudingan.
(8)	Who, Neneng; Neneng tell What created this unbearable pain? Diego can vouch safe it so; However, I reap no return.

1. Though seated peacefully, he is being punished.

2. Bamboo kiling can never be touched. Bamboo bayog can never be shaken.

3. Long and elongated, flag of the world.

4. I have a shaggy dog sitting on thorns.

5. I have a horse with a short tail. He subsists on shells but not on grass.

6. Asino? What do you think? It is modified earth. You should know because I have already mentioned it.

7. While walking, though locked in a box, it can carry its home.

8. A slice of lemon fruit reaches the firmament.

9. A sweet lady has a thorny seat.

10. The house of Old Ines is full of shellfish.

11. What has God created that possesses three heads?

12. I have troubled far and wide but I have only two footprints.

13. While still a baby, she has a skirt, but when she has grown old, she dispenses with it.

1. Name a spice that gives taste to every food.

2. I had four pigs. If all of them jumped, how many are left?

3. There is a meadow in the midst of an ocean. In the middle of the meadow, there is a tree heavily guarded by soldiers. What shall I do to get even one of its leaves?

4. Suppose you are riding in a banca with your husband and wife. If the banca capsizes, which one will you save?

1. If both your eyes move very often, it is indicative that a relative of yours will die.

2. A pregnant woman is not allowed to take a walk from twilight up to nighttime because if she does so, she may encounter difficulties in her upcoming delivery.

3. A complaint about an itchy anus is a very bad omen. It means that the person will soon lose a grandfather.

4. A woman, during conception, must never dare eat joined fruits, for if she does, she will give birth to twins.

1. When a firefly enters a house at night, soon the occupants of the house will have colds, it is said.

2. A spider falling from the ceiling is a sign that somebody in the house will die.

3. It is bad to eat fruits in the morning.

4. It is dangerous to cut your fingernails on Tuesdays and Fridays.

5. Sneezing before a person who is starting on a journey is a sign of bad luck.

6. If you are walking along the street and a snake crosses your way, continue on your errand because it means good luck.

7. If a cat washes its face, get ready for very soon, you will have a visitor.

8. It is believed that a bathed cat hastens rain.

9. If you are walking along the street and a snake crosses your way, that means good luck. [This is also repeated in the original scan.]

10. You make the sign of the cross before sleeping to safeguard you from the devil.

11. The cackling of hens at night means that there is a disgraced lady in the place.

12. If you go to the market to sell and you meet a boy, that means a promise of good luck.

13. If in a dream you lose one tooth or any of your belongings, it means death.

14. If you dream that you found a peso or any white coin, it means that you will have ringworms.

15. If somebody is starting on a journey and you are eating, turn your plate before he starts.

16. If you plant corn, first see if there are plenty of stars at night before you sow the seeds so that the corn will have full grains.

17. The first fruits of tomatoes or other kinds of fruits and vegetables should be picked by a man to retain good shape.

Many, years ago, our ancestors did not know anything about watches and clocks. They told the time in different ways. Some depended on the sun for the time; some depended on the leaves and others depended on the cats. There was no such numbering of the time such as seven o'clock, ten o'clock, etc.

Those who depended on the sun just said, "The son was only four feet high from the top of the mountains when we left home." Others looked at the sun, and when it was exactly above their heads, they said that it was time for lunch; and when the sun had set in the west, they said that it was already time for cooking supper; and after supper, they went to bed because it was already dark.

Those who depended on the leaves for time just watched the leaves. When leaves closed, they would say that darkness was approaching and everybody should keep busy cooking and feeding their pets, to that they would be ready to rest immediately after eating. When the leaves opened for the next time, they would say that it was an announcement of the coming of a new day which would end again when the leaves closed for the second time, announcing that night rest had come.

Some people also believed that the time could be estimated by the eyes of a cat. Early in the morning, the pupils of a cat's eyes are big in order to allow more light. When the sun goes higher and higher, the pupils of a cat's eyes become smaller and smaller. When the sun is high above our heads, the pupils of a cat's eyes are in their smallest size. When the sun begins to go down, the pupils of a cat's eyes will again become bigger

Other people measured the length of time by comparing the length of time consumed in doing other pieces of work. There was a common saying which ran thus: "How long did you stay in the market? I had cooked a big pot of rice and still you have not come."

Science has already changed the old methods of determining the time with the clocks that are now hung on the walls and the nice watches that are carried by men and women to adorn their wrists.

Respectfully submitted,

(SGD.) (Mrs.) ANATOLIA MACARANG

Transcribed from:

History and Cultural Life of San Manuel, Pangasinan, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections. The pagination in this transcription is as they appear in the original document.