Most of the time, when other people come to our place, they would ask why our barangay’s name is Bulalacao. They would say it’s a Tagalog word and thought that it must have been found by a Tagalog speaking man.
I remember how my father narrated the story before he passed away, one of the oldest man in our place, my father Juan, “Lakay Tundak” his popular name to many, gave a vivid picture of what really is the mystery behind the name Bulalacao.
In a thickly – forested area which was partly cleared by few inhabitants during the colonial years, a unique phenomenon happened that every resident in the place couldn’t forget. It’s already a part of their history.
“In the olden times, the old folks sat around an “Ato,” a fireplace where the nanakay discuss important matters and at the same time just to pass the time away. The “Ato” was socialization and political arena in the olden times,” my father stated.
One evening as the old folks sat around the “Ato,” their attention was caught by an elongated fire around the atmosphere of their barrio. They were still superstitious that time and were thinking that the unidentified flying object was sent by Kabunian to give them a message. The UFO came from the east, where the sun rises.
“The fiery flying object showed itself for several nights alerting the folks, my father said. The people tried to find out what the fiery object was and they went to look where it landed.
Then the old folks discovered that it landed on the west part where there was plenty of water where the carabaos of the Lakay Sab-it wallowed.
The old folks believed that the fiery flying object was an old eel believed to be a pet of the anitos.
“That eel was said to have been sent to bless the place so everyone will live in abundance, he added.
The old eel when it flies at night seems to burn because of its luminous scales. It might have been a meteoroid but the old folks were adamant of what they saw.
The place was then called Bulalakaw. Old folks told the event to everyone they met.
Today, Bulalacao is one of the 12 barangays of Mankayan and one of the prosperous agricultural barangays of the municipality. It is also known for its elephant – shaped Mt. Posdo. By: Johnny M. Anno
The writer assures that the contents of this article are free from plagiarism and copyright infringement. Any copyright violations are the sole responsibility of the writer. The opinions, recommendations, and suggestions are soley of the author and does not necessarily reflect the stance of Herald Express management and staff and does not replace professional advice.
