IN WESTERN VISAYAS, there are some towns named after animals:

Libacao – This place was formerly called Aglangka – from langka (jackfruit). It was said to be ruled by a woman named Abo-ab who spent her fortune on building roads and clearing the forest.

Her last possession to go was her cow, colored bulagaw (yellow). She had it slaughtered to finance her unfinished projects. Later, the inhabitants renamed their place Bulagao which in the course of time became Libacao.

Leganes – At first, the place was called Gihaman, after a destructive wild boar called Giham by the natives and which destroyed crops. When it became a pueblo, it was renamed Valencia – after the town of its patron saint San Vicente Ferrer in Spain. Later, two Valencia families quarreled, each claiming that the town was named after them. To avoid trouble the parish priest renamed the town Leganes – a “town of fools” in Spain according to him.

Mandurriao – A district of Iloilo City, it got its name from two crocodiles named by the natives as Mando and Riao. A story goes that one day, they fought each other and the natives took sides and cheered alternately Mando and Riao.

After ladies

In Negros Occidental, there are places named after ladies. They are:

San Carlos City – During the pre-Spanish time, there was a beautiful black princess named Nabingka who was famous for her mental and physical prowess. Her people loved her that when she died, they named their place Nabingkalan.

When the Spaniards came, they renamed the place after the patron saint San Carlos Borromeo.

Manapla – this town was named after Manang Pula (real name is Crispula) who was a very popular and benevolent wife of the leader of the place.

Isabela – Originally called Tinongan (for tinong – peaceful) it was changed during the Spanish time by the natives to Manacup (from dakup – to catch). During that time, the Spaniards caught the natives to work on the church. Later, the Spaniards renamed it in honor of their queen, Reina Isabela II.

La Carlota City – Before the Spaniards came, this place was called Mangkas—after a brave Ati chieftain. During the Spanish time, it was a barrio of San Enrique, a pueblo named after its Spanish head – Enrique Faminiendo. His wife was Doña Carlota after which the barrio of Mangkas was renamed.

In Iloilo, there is one – Sara – during an epidemic in the pueblo of San Juan situated at the bank of a river, a mysterious lady from nowhere came to the place and cared for the sick. After the epidemic, the poblacion was transferred to its present place and the pueblo was renamed Sara.

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