Bay, Laguna
Encyclopedia
Bay is a 3rd class also considered as 2nd class municipality in the province of Laguna
Laguna province
Laguna is a province of the Philippines found in the CALABARZON region in Luzon. Its capital is Santa Cruz and the province is located southeast of Metro Manila, south of the province of Rizal, west of Quezon, north of Batangas and east of Cavite. Laguna almost completely surrounds Laguna de Bay,...

, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. According to the latest census, it has a population of 60,756 inhabitants in 15,194 households. The Patron of Bay is Saint Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...

 celebrating his Feast Day during August 28.

History and Legend

Bay is one of the oldest towns in Laguna province, and was the province's first capital. Its original territory covered the areas that are now known as Los Baños
Los Baños, Laguna
The Nature and Science City of Los Baños is a 1st class urban city in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 98,631 inhabitants in 17,030 households...

 and Calauan
Calauan, Laguna
Calauan is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Laguna, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 54,248 people in 8,818 households.The town got its name from the term kalawang, which means rust...

 (in addition to its current territory). The Spaniards pronounced the name of the town “Bah-ee” while the natives called it “Bah-eh.” Either way, the similarity in spelling has led to the misconception that the town was named after Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is on the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north...

. Instead, the Spaniards named the lake after this ancient Tagalog community.

In the old Tagalog language the name Bay derives from the same phonetic roots as "baybay" (shore) and as "babae" (woman) and "babaylan
Babaylan
Babaylan is a Visayan term identifying an indigenous Filipino religious leader, who functions as a healer, a shaman, a seer and a community "miracle-worker"...

" (priestess). The name can thus be thought of either as a reference to the shore of the lake, or to a great lady. In the case of the latter, it has been suggested that the great lady might be the same as Maria Makiling
Maria Makiling
Maria Makiling, sometimes spelled Mariang Makiling, in Philippine Mythology, is a diwata or lambana associated with Mount Makiling in Laguna, Philippines...

, as her mountain was within the scope of Bay's original territory.

A more recent legend of Bay's origin says that the name Bay was derived from Datu Pangil's three daughters. After they were baptized, they were named Maria Basilisa, Maria Angela, and Maria Elena. The first letters of Basilisa, Angela, Elena were taken together and read Bae. Over a period of time, Bae became Bay.

The powerful Gat Pangil
Gat Pangil
Gat Pangil was a chieftain in the area now known as Laguna Province, Philippines. He is mentioned in the origin legends of Bay, Laguna, Pangil, Laguna , Pakil, Laguna and Mauban, Quezon, all of which are thought to have once been under his domain....

 was Datu of this already thriving community in 1571 when 18 year-old Spanish Capitan Juan de Salcedo landed with Augustinian missionaries Alfonso de Alvarado and Diego Espinar came to claim the territories for Spain. It was salcedo who took the name of the town and named the lake after it - Laguna de Bay, the Lake of the Town of Bay. Eventually, the Spanish came to call the whole province “La Provincia de la Laguna de Bay.”

In 1581, Bay became the capital of the Province of Laguna de Bay and remained so until 1688 when the capital was moved to Pagsanjan.

Barangays

Bay is politically subdivided into 15 barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

s.
  • Bitin
  • Calo
  • Dila
  • Maitim
  • Masaya
  • Paciano Rizal
  • Puypuy
  • San Antonio
  • San Isidro
  • Santa Cruz
  • Santo Domingo
  • San Agustin (Pob.)
  • San Nicolas (Pob.)
  • Tagumpay
  • Tranca

Bitin

This barangay is the boundary of Batangas Province to Laguna Province.
The word "bitin" came from the word short

Calo

History of Barangay Calo in the Spanish era were native Filipino people
leave in the jungle, Barangay Calo is known in there bird Kalaw barangay Calo is
a place where people were they often see this Kalaw bird and it is pronounce by
the Spanish authorities as Calo.

Dila

Its name came from Tagalog word dila means tongue because it is look like in the map of bay as tongue and it is the end eastern part of Bay.

Maitim

History of barangay Maitim was from Spanish era. The land and soil of this barangay
is colored black, hence people called it "maitim"(Tagalog word for black).

Masaya

The Barangay name Masaya means happy. all people in here are happy according to Spanish era.

Paciano Rizal

Name after the eldest brother of Dr. Jose Rizal the national hero of the
philppines it is told that Paciano Rizal live here and has a farm in this barangay.

Puypuy

History of Barangay Puypuy it was told that a big meteor fall in this
Barangay and native people here told to the Spanish authorities that there is a
fire falling (meteors) but in a native Tagalog word "apoy" means fire the Spanish
authorities pronounced as Puypuy that is why people in the Spanish colony times
called it Puypuy and became a barangay of Bay.

External links

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