“The Sun People”

of Donsol

How many are your works oh LORD!

In wisdom you made them all.

Ps. 104:24

Romancing Donsol

“In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth” ― Donsol was in it and transformed the place into a creation drama.

Unlocking History: Romancing the Events

And it was so, that the Creator peopled this chosen land now Donsol with Agtas. This land is neatly tacked at the “center-most” part of the seven-thousand-seven-hundred islands of our archipelago of big and small boundaries.

The Agtas, they of kinky black hair and burnt ochre skin, were built with spritely sturdy limbs made for hunting, and of body built reaching four feet in height. They were endowed to freely inhabit this coastal paradise of blue skies and bright sun, of verdant hills and green valleys, rich in flowing rivers, and sparkling streams ― all in their primordial state.

In the early stage of their being, there was an inherent need to fill the vacuum of spiritual life. It is said that the dominant passion of the spirit is to worship. It is looking for something to worship, message by Matthew, the Evangelist. Thus, one day while exploring their territorial domain, they chanced upon from afar an ethereal mist coming from a perfect mountain cone glowing with fire at its tip. Awestruck by its mystical sight they started to commune with this mountain by long distance in their pagan way.

This period was yet in its prehistoric state when the mark of time or era like B.C. and A.D. were still unknown signs among the indigenous inhabitants.

(This is an assumption from an undocumented account dating back to prehistoric period.)

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This mountain is now called Mayon Volcano which can be seen clearly from a panoramic view at the delta of the Donsol River and from a distance by banca ride along the coastal shores up to the Catundulan Point.

Historical Warm-up: Romancing the Events continues…

After a period of unfettered freedom in an edenic kind of life ­― a bountiful catch from the wide blue sea, a forest abounding with hardwood, and fruits of all kinds, with wild animals to catch ― suddenly, these harmless and gentle people had to share and co-exist with an upsurge of “foreign people”. They came and migrated to their little acre of land due to the cataclysmic spew of Mayon Volcano.

This happened in the latter part of the 18^th century as recorded in the historical report of the Local Government of Donsol. This band of refugees called the “Mirayas” who live within the skirt of Mayon Volcano was led by Francisco Noradi. They were natives of Guinobatan, Ligao, Camalig, Jovellar, and later on Donsol absorted their Miraya dialect.

And so, the indigenous people of Donsol blended well with the “new arrivals”.

An Identity Crisis: What is a name?

As the inflow of settlers to the land started into awareness of an identity crisis, they began to scour the land and found “dosol”, a medicinal plant growing in abundance in their midst that did healing wonders to the settlers. And so, “Dosol” carried the banner of the settlement. However, “name calling” did not stop here. Once again, the settlers convened the council of elders to seek a more plausible nomenclature to their land, and voila! “Donsolan” came to being. “Donsolan” is anvil.

The anvil made a significant change in their economic well-being. This was now the era of a stronger Spanish colonization where the settlement was already into an “industrialization phase” giving tribute to the “anvil” or “donsolan” as a symbol of might in the Donsol “economic zone” ― forging broken “weapons” for the colonizer to combat the invading “moros” and building ships in Dancalan across the deep and wide Donsol River. The ship building in Dancalan was known as “astillero”.

The “Anvil”

The importance of the “anvil” is demonstrated by the woman with an anvil in a coin designed by Melecio Figueros famous allegorical image that first appeared at the start of the appeared at the start of the American period in 1902. He was a former member of the Malolos Congress who studied in Spain and Italy. One of his designs featured a standing woman in flowing robe with her outstretched arm holding a hammer poised above an anvil. In the back ground is Mayon Volcano. In the same series was a copper coin featuring a muscular man seated near an anvil and a hammer also in the arm.

This design is in keeping with emphasis on industrialization one of the most important aspect of American colonial policy.

After having Dosol succeeded by Donsolan as names, how was it that “Donsol” came to being. It was assumed that by a quirk of circumstance or a wavering stroke of the pen, an omission was committed by the Spanish high command and “Donsol” emerged as the official name. (This is another “trying hard assumption.)

On the other hand, was it not proper then to name it that way ― “Donsol”, after all the “dons” that wielded political power in this little town was a powerhouse by itself. It is assumed that the first set of “dons” had secretly voted for this name to honor their position for all time as “gobernadorcillo”. But why the “sol” or sun to partner with their priced insignia? The sun or “sol” is another power symbol that dominated their economic well-being. All their products were powered by direct “solar system” ― drying of copra and abaca fiber; newly harvested rice; the cutting of logs from the vast forest and transporting the costly products needing dry roads; the branding of cattles and carabaos during summer; the building of boats and ships at the “astillero”; and the other by-products as “bagoong and   patis” from an abundance of krill that “butandings” or whale sharks were feasting on every summertime from the mouths of the major rivers; the loads and loads of fish that abound in its seas for “badi” or dried fish exported to neighboring towns hauled during calm and sunny weather ― all these were dependent on direct solar power.

The “dons” were cashing in on all these prodects by the power of the sun. The “dons” were a powerful block while the “sun” was taking it in to balance this power. So a compromise was made between the “dons” and the “sol” to merge their powerful titles together to dominate their little “universe” and, voila! “Donsol” came to being.

(This is another story-telling by the author wishing to bring to fore the picture of how prosperous Donsol was in that period.)

It would be fascinating indeed to call the Donsolanons ― “The Sun People”.

There are but romantic asumptions of the author as there are no data of how the name “Donsol” came to being. But wait, another name appeared in one of the maps of Donsol, this time it is “Danzol”, crowding the list of names for this town. Another wavering hand of signatory? How historical blunders can leave riddles for scholars to argue over since the mark of time.

“These are some of the fascinating episodes that lend color to the heart and being of Donsol.”

But wait! Heard about a place called “Ibalon”? Read on.