Historical background
It is believed that the Silmugi River played a big part during Borbon’s formulation as a town because when the rainwater was cascading from the mountain barangays and flowed into the Silmugi River, it got so big and wide that a boat can travel by it.
No wonder that in the list of Borbon folktales, the Salmugi River is a favorite subject circulating among locals. As the story goes, one day a boat load of exploratory Spaniards reached the shores of Borbon right where the Silmugi River meets the sea. As they disembarked from their boat, they inquired from the natives the name of the place. Not understanding the language being spoken, the Spaniards resorted to some hand gestures and pointed to the ground that they stepped on. So the locals answered with a smile that it is “BONBON”, a term given to the soft clay part of the soil along the shore. Hence, the Spaniards took the name “BORBON”.
Another story circulating on how Borbon got its name is that when the Spaniards landed in the place, it didn’t have a name. So they asked a local couple what the name of the place was but unfortunately the couple did not understand what the Spaniards asked, so they answered by giving their nicknames, “Bor” and “Bon”. So, that’s how the place came to be named Borbon.
According to the Panublion publication, Borbon was established as a parish on 15 September 1862 and had San Sebastian, martyr, as patron saint. Today, St. Sebastian’s fiesta is celebrated every January 20th. Borbon was formerly a visita or an extension community of the town of Sogod. That is why many of the very first settlers of Borbon are families with roots that can be traced back to relatives in Sogod.
In addition, Redondo (1886, 163) describes the Borbon church made of wood and tabique resting on a base of mortar, dimensions 22.5 fathoms long, 7.5 wide. The church was thatched with grass. The original church mentioned here is believed to be one of the oldest churches in Cebu prior to its burning during World War II.
Source:
1) Borbon Fiesta flyer
2) The Panublion is a multimedia project focusing on the cultural heritage of the Visayan Islands in central Philippines which seeks to inform about sites and places rich in history and expressive of the best in Philippine culture.
Topics:
Borbon Facts and Figures |
3 Comments »
Wow! It’s very interesting and educational site for Borbonanons locally and abroad. I salute to the moderator for doing such a nobles task. Nagpasabot ra gyud ni ang Borbonanons… wherever the four winds will bring them, still never lose ground to their very humble roots and origin. I admire the gesture that the moderator wants to impart to other Borbonanons.
The likes of us dwelling in the land of sands and camels “Middle East”, this site really brings BORBON closer to us. Cheers and KUDOS to every Borbonanon in our town and around the world.
It is true that some of us didn’t have enough knowledge about our hometown and creating this site bequeath the opportunity to discern some relevant piece or pieces of information about BORBON that we may not be familiar with.
Mabuhi ang tanang Borbonanon. God Bless and More Power.
garbo gyd kung magpa ila nga lumad borboranon ang akong pinakapinangga nga lugar mao ang campusong borbon diin ang barangay kong namat an ug mahayag diin karon adunay dakong kalambuan ubos sa paningkamot ni mr. aaron salogaol aduna kami brgy. national high shcool ug tanan sitios nakatagamtam sa mga proyekto sa kagamhanan
[...] why Borbon’s festival is named Silmugi. According to oral history, it is named after the Silmugi River located in between the barangays of Poblacion and Cadaruhan. The river played a big part during [...]