Conjectures

Restore Dungguan as Maribojoc’s Name

(An opinion from a native of Dungguan)

Restoring the historical or correct name of a place had  been done by many countries. Even local governments here in the Philippines had restored correct names of their towns or cities. So there’s no reason why the House of Representatives could not restore Maribojoc’s old name Dungguan if the local legislative council would pass resolutions to effect the change. Naming an aguho tree as Maribojoc tree is so absurd just to make the name official.

Why not restore its ancient name? For one, Maribojoc could be  Portuguese in origin while Dungguan has a native connotation.

Why the need to restore its old name? In the 1800 when Maribojoc had been known as Dungguan, its population was recorded at more than 18,000. Now, or 200 years later, the town’s population has remained or around 18,000 more or less. This means, the new name of Maribojoc has not contributed to its progress or popularity. People are leaving the place (including our family and other relatives earlier, that included those who founded the town of Dipolog, now a city in Zamboanga del Norte  in Mindanao) every month or every week if not every day to greener pastures.

So, inorder not stop this movement of people, why not change everything in the third-class municipality starting with its name…

In the 1950s Maribojoc was a bustling port. Ships from Manila –  those that belonged to Compania Maritima and Escano Lines –  docked at the pier. Traders from the town’s barangays including from Antequera town sold their handicrafts at the pier. San Miguel Brewery had its warehouse in Maribojoc until the commercial district was razed to the ground in 1952– the time when I was born.

If the local leadership could not make the town progressive, then make it a heritage town, just like Vigan.
But the change should start with its name–by restoring it as a  trading port  or  Dungguan. The local leadership should make the port there as alternative port to Tagbilaran. Before Tagbilaran, ships docked  at Dungguan’s port. A GI sheet factory in Cortes used the port of Dungguan as as shipment point. Cortes used to ship its woven baskets to Manila or Mindanao througn the pier in Maribojoc or Dungguan.

The local government should ask help from the Philippine Historical Institute or private benefactors to restore the old church including the old wind pipe organ, one of the three existing in Asia. It could be made popular, like the bamboo organ of Las Pinas,  by holding biennial concerts at  the church using the old pipe organ. The old bells should be returned to the belfy and the old belfry could be restored to its hispanic period.

A yacht club or boat club for Boholano sailors could be formed and make Dungguan as its home port. Island hopping could be done using the pier in Dungguan as homeport. You see, a thousand possibilities could be made by improving the image of Maribojoc–into an ancient port where trade used to flourish. Old galleon ship (replicas) could be anchored in Dungguan and could be used as restaurants or sight-seeing vessels around Bohol using the Dungguan as home port..

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Paterno Rebosura Ruaya Jr. was born on August 13, 1952 in Maribojoc. Parents Paterno Sr. and Venancia Rebosura were likewise born in Bohol.

His paternal grandparents– Fernando and Sotera Campos– were likewise born in Maribojoc, Bohol in the late 1800s. When his great great grandparents were born it could be called Dung-guan. His grandfather used to tell him the story where his parents used to bring squared stones
quarried from the sea bed every Sunday for the construction of the church. Failure meant lashes from the Spanish friars who built the church through slave labor. When the old watchtower in Punta Cruz was constructed, the word Malabojoc appeared as the name of the place. Thus the name could refer to the sitio or the barangay which which was later named Punta Cruz. Thus Dung-guan could be the name of the poblacion area where ships used to berth. Bigger ships used to dock a few hundred meters from shore. Passengers and cargoes were put first of outriggers to be unloaded again onto the ship.

The writer was early schooled in Maribojoc Elementary School  then at the Dipolog Pilot school (1965). He finished his high school at the Andres Bonifacio College (1969) and college at the Mindanao State University
(scholar) and University of San Carlos (1974). He is presently connected with the Philippines Free Press.

Tags: bohol, maribojoc, name game, poblacion