BALTANGAN

Baltangan is the name of an old village near the northwest boundary of San Fernando. Its old
dictionary definition includes
(a) crossing (crossroads); and/or
(b) along or across the border, edge, margin, bank, shore or in some extent against the breeze
or moving wind.
(c) The old site of this village covers part of Sto. Domingo (of Angeles City) down to Essel
Park Subdivision and Telabastagan (of San Fernando) and Calibutbut (of Bacolor). At the
heart of this old site now runs the polluted old river known as the Sapang Aslam among
the people of Sto. Domingo, Angeles City. This river once supplied residents with
freshwater bios such as parusparus, susung balibid, bia etc.

BARRIOS WITH PLANT NAMES

Alsas- apparently derived from the tree alsas of the balti family.
Balti- basic term for all the strangling figs, of Ficus family. Some of the known species
include not only alsas but also buku-bukuan, pakiling, auili, and the common baliti varieties.
Bulaun was named after the bulaon tree (molave or smallflower chastetree). This type of tree is
known as lagundi in Guam and the famous molauin in Tagalog. It is one of the preferred wood
materials for making balutu (canoe type boat), lunas of sarul (plowshares base), furnitures etc.
Callut-one of the oldest barrios in San Fernando,
-named after an erect tree about 8 m high with oblong leaves, axillary inflorescence, and many
seeded fruits known locally as kalult. This tree is a decoction for its bark; fresh leaves are
administered in fevers.
-It is also known as anabiong and anubing by the people in the Kapampangan-Tagalog
boundaries and anardong among the Ifugaos.
- It is a favorite material for wood carving for its softwood character just like the sacred bulul
figures of the Ifugaos. Old folks say one would spend about 6 days just to fell one matured tree
of this kind.
Lra- one of the lesser populated barrios
-located near the boundary between Porac, Bacolor and Angeles City.
-The name of this barrio was derived from the plant name lra. This plantname is a generic term
for all types of local chilis (in English) or sili in many languages of the Philippines.

Barrio Sguin- named after the banana fruit.

-The Philippines was once recognized as the number 1 exporter of bananas in the world
-varieties of sgin are known to local Kapampangans such as paltikus, saba, latondan, matabia,
seniorita etc
-the fruit has also a special place on the Kapampangan table as pesa, sisig pusu, sigang,
putchero, barbekiung sging
Bartan- is an old barrio whose name was derived from a kind of grass, green forage, or horsefodder known as barit, sakate or kumpay, which proliferated in the area due to the pipita
(waterlogged areas).
Plungbulu- came from the compounded words plung (forest of) and bulu.

RIVER CULTURE
San Fernando River- collects its waters from the network of small rivers flowing from the
barrios of San Jose Matulid, Sabanilla, San Miguel and Balas of Mexico and rivers such as
Sapng Calulut (of San Fernando and Mexico) and Sapa Creek of Mexicos southwest section.
Kabalasan (or Mabalas) River- a major tributary of Sapang Balen from Angeles City.
- runs its waters on the southeastern part of the city joining the Sapa Calulut River and Sindalan
River before it loses much of its water towards Maimpis as the smaller Maimpis River.
-called Kabalasan River because this part of the river was sandy, or mabalas in Kapampangan.
Malino River- one of the many small creeks
-derived from the word malno, meaning clear as the location is close to the headwaters
The barrios of Sindalan, Maimpis, and Malino are apparently named after the association
of each barrio to the various behaviors and characters of their respective rivers.
Pandaras and Pandaras River- named after the adze or adze-like tool, daras, used for making
the old-fashioned, canoe-type boat known to old Kapampangans as balutu.
Del Carmen- following the downstream direction of the Maimpis River, one can observe riverrelated toponyms of sitios, from Dungan, Pangulu, Centro I & II, Pigulut to Mauli I & II.
Dungan- port, the place where boats and ships dock, load and unload
passengers and goods;
Pangulu- headwater
Centro- hispanized term pertaining to the middle part of the river (or
riverbank)

Pigulut- literally means as back end (of the bending river)

Mauli- downstream section of river flow.
The sitios names describe the significant influence of the river on the lives of
early settlers (or passersby) in the old area of Del Carmen.
Ponduan- near the present location of the public market, the cityhall and
the pisamban. Ponduan literally means stock areas, usually located along
port areas just like the dungan.

BARRIO PATRONS
De La Paz Norte, De La Paz Sur, Del Carmen, Santo Rosario, Dolores and Lourdes- named
after the Blessed Mothers various titles
Del Rosario- named after a historical figure
San Agustin (St. Augustine), San Felipe (St. Philip Neri or the Apostle?), San Isidro (St.
Isidore), San Jose (St. Joseph), San Juan (St. John the Evangelist), San Nicolas (St. Nicholas
of Tolentine), San Pedro (St. Peter the Apostle), Santa Lucia (St. Lucy), Santa Teresita (St.
Therese of Lisieux) and Santo Nio (Holy Child)
Juliana- named after Juliana Santos, daughter of the property owner Mariano Leon Santos y
Joven (Municipal President of San Fernando, 1902 1903)
Butarul- another old village name which means waterway.
Landing
Fr. Venancio Samson (translated Bergaos dictionary)
-landing may have an earlier provenance not necessarily associated with airplanes landing
fields.
landing can be compared to words like lande (bamboo splits used as floors and walls), landi
(immodesty), etc
Pasbul (door or gate)- unexplained etymology
Lunac is the old name of De la Paz
Panipuan
(a) pipaniplan or pipalutan (the place for harvested ricefield);
(b) pipanipunan which means a collecting area or a place of gathering;

(c) the root word puapu, a kind or type of a paduas (fishing implement with hook, string and
rod) used for fishing or for frog catching since the place conveniently has several
headwaters of small rivers and creeks;
(d) the plant ipo, a term common to Kapampangans, Tagalogs and Bisayas..

Magliman
-conjugation of the rootword liman. Magliman (or mangaliman) is the verb used by an
infanticipating woman when she asks a favor, usually for something to eat
-maglimas, that is, to get rid of the water
Makabakle - root word is bakle (Sp. atravesado, obliqued or crosswise) means lying across
Malpitic- abbreviation or corruption of the word malapitik: mala means like and the rootword
pitik means any of the following: (a) flick (with a finger); (b) carpenters or boat carvers line
marker; (c) spark and its sound (as in ignition), like pisik; (d) the sound of sudden tension or
waving (of cord, rope, bridle, whip etc.); (e) smarting pain on the skin, or muscular numbness
due to exhaustion
-salpitik, which is the Kapampangan for graded paper or brave person.
Quebiawan- came from the noun kebiauan meaning a place where sugar cane juice is
extracted.
Surplus- name with a World War II provenance. Discarded military vehicles, uniforms and
paraphernalia probably littered the place after the war, or were traded there.
Telabastgan literally means frame-like;
Marlboro- Old folks of Marlboro simply knew and obviously true that their place was at one
time became associated to a famous cigarette brand, Marlboro.