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The Makahiya

Once there lived a rich couple, MangDondong and AlingIska who had

a twelve-year-old daughter named Maria. Being dutiful, obedient and kind,

Maria was loved by everyone. But shyness was one of her distinct feature,

due to which she avoided interacting with people and used to lock herself in

her room. Maria had a beautiful flower garden which was well known all

over the town. She took care of her plants tenderly and patiently, as the

plants was her source of happiness and enjoyment.

One day a group of bandits raided the village and killed every man

they found for money. When MangDondong noticed the arrival of the

bandits, fearing his daughters safety, he decided to hide Maria in thegarden. Aling hid herself in the house. She trembled with fear and prayed

Oh my God! Save my daughter. Then suddenly the door opened and the

bandits entered the house. They hit MangDondong on the head, due to

which he lost consciousness and fell on the ground. Aling tried to escape but

was also hit by them on the head. The bandits pillaged the house and took

away the money and jewelry. The bandits left the house to plunder some

other village.

When Mang and Aling regained consciousness they ran to the garden

to look for Maria but she was not there. They searched again and again but

Maria could not be found. Then suddenly something picked Mangs feet and

he saw a tiny plant closing its leaves. Both Mang and Aling knelt at their

knees and took a closer look at the plant. After looking at the plant for a

long time, they came to know that the plant was there daughter Maria.

Indeed, to save her from the bandits, God transformed her into a plant.

Aling wept uncontrollably, and to their surprise, every tear got transformed

into a small and rosy flower of the new plant that they found in the garden.

After that, Mang and Aling tended the plant with immense care, as

they knew that in reality the plant was their child Maria. The plant was as

shy as Maria, so they named it Makahiya, which in Tagalog means shyness.

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Edward Sumendap I-Andromeda 07/12/10

Origin%DJRER0LQGDQDR

In the beginning there lived one man and one woman, Toglai andToglibon. Their first children were a boy and a girl. When they were oldenough, the boy and the girl went far away across the waters seeking a goodplace to live in. Nothing more was heard of them until their children, theSpaniards and Americans, came back. After the first boy and girl left, otherchildren were born to the couple; but they all remained at Cibolan on MountApo with their parents, until Toglai and Toglibon died and became spirits.Soon after that there came a great drought which lasted for three years. Allthe waters dried up, so that there were no rivers, and no plants could live.

Surely, said the people, Manama is punishing us, and we must goelsewhere to find food and a place to dwell in.

So they started out. Two went in the direction of the sunset, carryingwith them stones from Cibolan River. After a long journey they reached aplace where were broad fields of cogon grass and an abundance of water,and there they made their home. Their children still live in that place andare called Magindanau, because of the stones which the couple carried whenthey left Cibolan.

Two children of Toglai and Toglibon went to the south, seeking a

home, and they carried with them womens baskets (baraan). When theyfound a good spot, they settled down. Their descendants, still dwelling atthat place, are called Baraan or Bilaan, because of the womens baskets.

Therefore, two by two the children of the first couple left the land oftheir birth. In the place where each settled a new people developed, and thusit came about that all the tribes in the world received their names fromthings that the people carried out of Cibolan, or from the places where theysettled.

All the children left Mount Apo save two (a boy and a girl), whom

hunger and thirst had made too weak to travel. One day when they wereabout to die the boy crawled out to the field to see if there was one livingthing, and to his surprise he found a stalk of sugarcane growing lustily. Heeagerly cut it, and enough water came out to refresh him and his sister untilthe rains came. Because of this, their children are called Bagobo.6RXUFH0DEHO&RRN&ROH3KLOLSSLQH)RON7DOHV&KLFDJR$&0F&OXUJDQG&RPSDQ\SS

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Edward Sumendap I-Andromeda 07/12/10

The Legend of Mount Mayon

Once there was a princess named DaragangMagayon (Daraga means

lady, Magayon is beautiful) who lived in Bicol. She was so beautiful. She

came from the family that reigns over the entire Bicol.

Because of her beauty and influence, warriors, princes and datus from

different parts of the country desired to have her as their wife. But Magayon

fell in love with a warrior named Handiong, a prince who came from a tribe

that was, unfortunately, the rival tribe of Magayon. The two suffered so

much from their respective familys attempts to separate them that they

finally decided to flee. Unfortunately their families found out and fought a

bloody tribal war. This caused the young couple so much pain they decided

together to commit suicide.

The tribes buried the lovers separately. Months passed when

Magayons tribe saw a volcano growing in the place where Magayon was

buried. They named it for DaragangMagayon.

BulkangMagayondescribing its perfect shape like their beautiful Daraga.