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It is oft said that names bear meanings. Abraham, for instance, means “father of the multitude of nations” which goes true with Abraham of the Bible, and Abe Lincoln of the United States.

With the names of places we have, for instance, “Camarines” which originated from the Spanish term “Camarin” meaning “granary”. In a way this is true because Camarines Sur is the rice granary of the Bicol Region. We also have “Albay” from the Spanish “al baybay” meaning “by the bay”; Masbate, from the words “masa bati” which means “mix and beat” as in making bread; Sorsogon, from the local term “solsogon” or “follow the river”; and Catanduanes, which has its roots from Catandungan river where trees called as Tandu used to abound. Other names of places and its meanings can be accessed at txtmania.com.

Kaya lang minsan, niriribayan an magayon na meaning kan sarong lugar ki maraot na konotasyon. During the Reconstruction period up to the Marcos era, the Municipality of Polangui has been badly connotated with females who frequent salons or bars. Hence, the phrase “basta Polanguenia, salonera”. It’s non sequitor, though, for as I later found out, ginagamit lang kan ibang salonera an Polangui para pagtakpan an lugar na saindang hinalean.

Minsan man, me mga karaw na ina-associate sa ngaran kan lugar. Halimbawa, si Imelda Marcos daa, taga-Albay dahil pag may nagugustuhan ini na sapatos o kaya bado, an pirmi sinasabi “Albay this, albay that”.

Pero minsan, may mga katotohanan na dai ta naririsa. Saro digdi iyo an pinaghalean kan ngaran kan Pilipinas. The Philippines was named after King Philip II of Spain. Ok na kuta ta kita ipinangaran sa sarong hade. An problema, si King Philip II sarong notoryosong hade asin bisto sa pagiging maisog. Siya an nangenotan sa inaapod na Inquisition o ang pagpapadusa (torture, etc.) sa mga pinaniniwalaan na kalaban kan Simbahang Katoliko. Inagom niya an saiyang pinsan, hipag, asin pamangkin. Later, he died of what is described as a “mysterious disease” which symptoms modern science described as that of syphilis.

Sabi kan iba, pangaran lang yan. But if a name represents something, baka kaipuhan pag-isipan na an ngaran kan Pilipinas. Unless aksidente lang na nagkaigwa an Pilipinas ki notoryosong presidente na arog kay Ferdinand Marcos asin GMA, o presidente na chickboy arog kay Erap, o presidente na nag-agom ki saiyang pinsan arog kay Manuel Quezon.

Maray sana ta Bicol an pangaran kan rehiyon singko. Minsan me sarong bikolano na hinoholdap sa sarong notoryosong kalye sa Chicago. An ginibo kainio, nag-astang garo Bruce Lee kaya natakot su mga holdaper. Siguro dahil me eksperiensiya na an mga ini sa mga Kung Fu Masters na Asyano kaya an sabi kan mga holdaper: Be cool, man, be cool.

Simbag kan Bikolano: Lintian, mga Bikulano man palan kamo pinagti-tripan pa nindo ako. Uragon man ini, oy!