The Coño Boy 6: Ten Lifetimes With You

Chapter Three: The Legend of Pinag-Bayanan

Burol
Barrio Pinagbayanan
San Angel
20 May 2019
9:48 am

The vintage Vespa stops under a large Narra tree. Looking more like an odd set of mounds rather than hills about 24 feet higher than the lake's shoreline, this place is accessible via dirt road just near the highway. Drake alights the vehicle followed by Migz. From the shade of the Narra tree, Drake could see a grassy clearing dominated by three thick and very ancient wooden posts that are about three meters away from each other.

Drake: Where are we?

Drake asks Migz as he takes a few steps forward. He stops and turns to Migz, looking not quite brave enough to leave the comforting shade of the Narra tree where they just parked.

Migz: Welcome to Barrio Pinagbayanan. Part lang pala ng Barrio Pinagbayanan.

Migz says with both arms wide open like he's showing off the place.

Drake: It's a nice view.

Drake takes off his shades and starts looking around the hill and the lake.

Migz: Alam mo ba kung bakit kita dinala rito?

Migz is beside Drake now. Both, looking at the lake. It's water, with a paler bluish green tint means there hasn't been rain any rain since the one San Angel had during the first of May.

Drake: I don't know... first leg ng tour? To do ubiquitous touristy stuff?

He replies.

Migz: Dito nagsi-simula ang kuwento ng bayan ng San Anghel.

He explains to Drake.

Migz: Ang kuwento sa amin mulang nang bata pa kami, dati daw may kaharian diyan sa parteng yan sa tabi ng lawa.

Migz points to a peculiarly empty area directly below the hill where they are standing. In contrast, the stretch of empty space looks totally desolate and all one can see is a stretch of land with dark sand or dried mud; and it cuts where the slope of the hill begins to rise, where the bright grass grows ever so abundantly until it reaches the very ground the two of them are stepping on.

Drake: You mean there?

Drake points to the empty muddy shore down below.

Drake: It looks pretty abandoned.

There's no fishing boat, no makeshift shed, not even a bahay kubo within the immediate area where Migz says people once lived. Even the part of the lake that's facing it doesn't even have fish cages.

Migz: Kaya nga Pinag-Bayanan. From the name itself, Mr. Korea! Pi-nag-Ba-ya-nan... Dating may bayan.

Migz expounds on the syllables of the place's name.

Drake: Ohhhhh...

Migz: Naki-kita mo yang tatlong malalaking trosong nakatayo sa gitna? Ang lumang tawag sa parang burol na 'to ay Pagalangan. Dahil dito daw kinakausap ng mga Babaylan si Bathala at ang mga Diw-ata niya. Hindi pa nga daw San Anghel ang pangalan ng bayan namin, naandiyan na yang mga trosong yan. May mga taga-National Museum na ring nag-punta rito at tiningnan ang mga naka-tayong troso na yan. Ang sabi nila, possible nga na mas matanda pa sa Pilipinas ang mga kahoy na yan.

Drake: If this is like a cradle of civilization, what happened here?

He asks Migz as he looks at the three large wooden posts standing in the middle of the clearing.

Migz: Kung history at history lang ang pag-uusapan, merong evidence ang San Angel— maraming artifacts— yung mga nahukay na banga, tools, at porcelain na naka-display sa mini-museum sa may bayan.