Tantor23's Weblog

The Other Origin Of Cuyo Island Palawan, Philippines

Jose — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:30:03 +0000

In the Philippines he discvered many inactive volcanoes, including sisteen (16) in Palawan. These are Aguado, Agutaya, Boctong, Bisucay, Bonbon, Canipo, Caponayan, Cocoro, Di’t, Lubid, Maracanao, Matarawis, Patunga, Paya, Tagbubuk, and Tagauyan.

If you are familier with the namesof the islands in Cuyo, Agutaya and Magsaysay, all of the above mentioned inactive volcanoes belong to Cuyo Island Group. Based on latitude and longitude, these island are all close to each other.

For many years now, people from other place had been making comments that the rocks in Cuyo are of volcanic origin and are similar to those found near Mayon Volcano. Now we can conclude that indeed, they are

unfinished but was later utilized also as a Church now known as the Parish of St. Michael

Tiny and remote as it may be, Cuyo certainly had its day of glory. In an 1879 population census , it was the most populated town in Palawan which probably justified the transfer of the provincial capital from Taytay to Cuyo. It was only in 1909 that Puerto Princesa become the capital of the province and with that declaration, all government establishments were moved from Cuyo to where it is now. However, the office of the Education Division of Palawan remained in Cuyo until 1926 and Palawan High School until 1937. To date, the oldest school in Palawan is Miller School in Bancal, Cuyo, established by the American Thomasites in 1900. In fact, one of the first American teachers merried a Cuyonon lass and died in Cuyo. His tomb is at Porok, Amianan, Cuyo near the Cuyo District Hospital.

Since there is not enough space for expansion in Cuyo and its islets, it was the cuyonon people who spread their wings and settled in mainland Palawan and now even in as far away as Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna and other nearby provinces as well as the throughout the world. It is very heartening to hear someone speak in the Cuyonon language somewhere faraway but disappointing that the younger Cuyonons in Cuyo itself are slowly losing interest in their own mother tongue and culture . Cuyonon used to be the language spoken in the whole province of Palawan but with the influx of new settlers outnumbering the “real Palaweños”, it is now sadly on the verge of extinction.

Cuyo, Island Palawan – Our Very Own Ati – ati

Jose — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:22:15 +0000

Long before the Ati-atihan of Kalibo, the Dinagyang of Iloilo and Sinulog of Cebu become well known, Cuyo,Palawan already had it’s own Ati-ati. And it is totally different from the aforementioned festivals simply because it is in Honor of St. Augustine and not the Santo Niño, and it is held every August, not January.

Cuyo, Island Paradise

Jose — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:17:30 +0000

Cuyo Island Palawan, Philippines, a simple life, simple living, a peaceful place to go for vacation and loving people around and zero crime rate..

My 外公[wàigōng] (Grandfather)Jose P. Yap (Yap chai shi) when he is 12 yrs old

Jose — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:11:06 +0000

Jose P. Yap ( March 2, 1908 – july 23 1992)

Sunset in Cuyo Island Palawan, Philippines

Jose — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:58:35 +0000

Windsurfing in Cuyo Island Palawan, Philippines

Jose — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:48:12 +0000

Capusan beach – Cuyo Island Palawan, Philippines

Windsurfing in Capusan beach – Cuyo Island, Palawan Philippines

Jose — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:16 +0000

Come and Experience the peaceful Cuyo Island Palawan Philippines and avoid crowded boracay. come and visit Cuyo Island Palawan

Come and Visit Cuyo Island Palawan, Philippines

Jose — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:46:53 +0000

are you tired in crowded boracay? come and visit Cuyo Island Palawan, Philippine.

try and experience the wind surfing in Capusan Beach in Cuyo Island Palawan

Happy New Year

Jose — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:32:37 +0000

Hi Guy’s Happy New Year, I wish you a good health, love, success and happiness this 2012 in our life. God bless everyone

THE LEGEND OF CUYO

Jose — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:05:39 +0000

THE LEGEND OF CUYO

A LONG TIME AGO THERE WAS A KINGDOM WHICH WAS RULED BY AN OLD AND WIDOWED KING. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL KINGDOM WHERE EVERY THING WAS ABUNDANT AND THE PEOPLE LIVED HARMONIOUSLY WITH EACH OTHER. THE OLD KING HAD A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER AND HER BEAUTY WAS WELL KNOWN FAR AND WIDE. SHE HAD NUMEROUS SUITORS, INCLUDING A BANDIT.

One evening, the cone-shell horn in the kingdom blared, indicating that a pirate ship had been sighted. The people went into hiding while the palace guards convened and planned their moves in order to protect the king and the princess. When the pirate ship docked at the beach, the bandit announced that he will not do any harm on the condition that the king gives him permission to marry the princess.

The king met up with the bandit and told him that he will give everything he would ask for except for the princess. The bandit insisted that there will be no change to what he came to the kingdom for – it was the princess and nothing else. That provoked a battle between the king’s guards and the pirates but they were no match for the bandit’s big and burly men. When the princess saw that her father was about to be defeated, she stopped the fighting and said to her father. “I would rather marry and go with the bandit that see you die.”

Though very much against his will, the king also thought of his kingdom and what would happen to it if he died. Since it was the princess’ decision to sacrifice herself for the sake of her father and their kingdom, the king unwillingly gave away his daughter. That night, the princess and the bandit were wed.

After the wedding ceremony, the king gave his blessings to the princess, together with a long necklace made of precious green stones. The necklace belonged to the late queen who also inherited it from her mother and was passed on from generation to generation.

The princess then joined the bandit in his ship. They were already quite far from the kingdom but the princess still refused to take shelter in the tent prepared by the pirate on the ship, no matter how much the bandit tried to persuade her. He waited so long for her to join him that he fell asleep. When he woke up, the princess was nowhere to be found. It was concluded that the princess jumped off the ship and into the sea because after all. She had already saved her father and their kingdom from the wrath of the pirates.

Many years passed, islands started growing in the area where the princess was believed to have disappeared and according to those who know the story, and these islands were the precious green stones of the princess’ necklace that was given to her by her father on her wedding night. The princess was wearing it loved her father and their kingdom very dearly.

These islands that sprouted out of nowhere in the deep blue sea are now known as the CUYO ISLANDS because as the legend goes, it looks like a broken necklace. The spirit of the princess is believe to be still lingering in the islands that is why until now, the women of Cuyo are still renowned for their beauty.

This story was taken from the play written by late Mrs. Carmencita Ponce de leaon – Palao and was presented during the Cuyo Town Fiest in 1985.

Mrs. Carmencita Ponce de leon – Palao was a teacher at the Cuyo Central School. She was the adviser of the CCS Dramatic Club and a very talented playwright. Her other works include “Ang Gegma ni Princesa Shalimar” (The Love of Princess Shalimar) and “Gegmang Cuyunon” ( Cuyunon Love), both shown in Cuyo and in Puerto Princesa during the 1980’s.