"Hinup-akan" the true origin of Inopacan

This is something to ponder about.

The most believable origin of Inopacan town's name is HINUP-ACAN, coming from the Cebuano root word hup-ak, referring to the luno (slough or the skin shed off by snakes).

The town proper in 2010 
(Photo by Edgie Polistico 2010)

The place is known not only for being infested with namok from which it got its old name Kanamokan (the place of mosquitoes) but also for being an old place where snakes were commonly found. A manifestation that snakes used to abound here was the seaside cave called Bay sa has (house of snake) and the story of Inong Pak-an fighting the serpentine snake. Another manifestation of snakes is the story of Barrio Binitinan. So called, because of bitin (snake) found in this place. Binitinan is the old name of what is now known as Barangay Guadalupe. Not to mention that there are many areas surrounding the town proper where tunneling caves and other subterranean crevices can be found and these were the favorite haven for snakes. The network of underground crevices even reached Cuatro Islas and the solitaire hill of Brgy. Bontoc, Hindang, Leyte.

When snake is shedding off its skin, we call it nagluno or nanghup-ak ang panit. A shed off of slough is locally called hinup-ak or hinup-akan and the place where the slough is found or where the snake would shed their skin is called hinup-akan.

Thus, we got the origin of the name "Inopacan" from the following transformation: 

HINUP-ACAN => HINUPACAN => INUPACAN => INOPACAN

The eventual disappearance of the letter H in Hinup-akan could be attributed to the fact that in Spanish, the letter H is often silently pronounced if it is used as the first letter in a word. e.g. hora (o-ra) for time, hielo (ye-lo) for ice, etc. It was during the Spanish colonization era that the names of places in the country were officially recorded.

Moreover, during Spanish time, what sounds like "K" is written with the prominent and same-sounding letter C in Spanish. For example, they used to write camo for kamo  (you), aco for ako (I), buac for buak (broken), calayo for kalayo (fire), caldero for kaldero (cooking pot), cura paruco for kura paruko (parish priest), and many more. This explains why the C in Inopacan sounds exactly like letter K. With this, we can shorten the derivation to look like this:

HINUP-ACAN => HINUPACAN => INUPACAN =>  INOPACAN

Related posts:

• Finding the true origin of Inopacan
  
• THE LEGEND OF INOPACAN (in my years of research)
• Inong Pak-an Festival (2009) - Youtube video

Brgy. Linao

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Two kabaws (Philippine Buffalos) wallowing in this clear river of Brgy. Linao. A common sight at the deep portion of the river downstream.

 Barangay Linao got its name from the pristine water flowing along the course of Inopacan River. The freshwater would somehow settle for a while on lowly plain before it proceeds to flow downstream toward the sea in Inopacan bay. The pond of water formed by the settling water is called “linaw” in local dialect, which is basically Bul-anon (Boholano). Thus, it became the name of the place where this pond is can be found and became Brgy. Linao.

Villagers in the barangay and neighboring places would gather here for a swimming picnic, especially when celebrating special occasion in the family and other social gathering such as birthday celebration, baptismal celebration, graduation party, despedida (farewell party), bienvenido (welcome party) and during liwas sa pista (day after the barangay fiesta) for the “hugas”, which literally means “to wash” that connotes the traditional swimming in the river where remaining food in the fiesta were brought and eaten till the last piece is consumed.
 

The creek in Sitio Bacung-bacung is actually part of the smaller river in town also known by its name as the subang gamay (a rivulet). This portion  is the upstream of subang gamay that separates Brgy. Linao from the town proper of Inopacan. A potpot (pedal-powered tribike) crosses the concrete bridge (used to be a bridge made of wooden planks) that connects the Brgy Linao to Poblacion (town proper)

Another common sight in Inopacan river are groups of early morning bathers (locals and vacationers) and people washing their laundry like what these folks are doing in Sitio Bacung-bacung, Brgy. Linao.   

Locals would also fetch their drinking water from the tubod (spring) that have been dug alongside the river like the boy here fetching two gallons of potable water and the men with big plastic water container (jerry cans) for use in their houses.

Bathers, kabaws, and motorcycles (sometimes pedicabs, cars or jeepneys) are sharing the river

On ordinary days, local villagers would hunt here some fish, shrimps and tu (a species of small-sized river crabs) and baki sa tubigan (freshwater frogs) for their food, while some farmers would bring their kabaw (Philippine buffalo) for a dip when days were hot so to keep them cool. Until now, some kabaws are still seen wallowing in the river to these days. We could also find cars, tricycles and motorcycles come by for a wash at the downstream portion of the river near the Brgy. Linao bridge.

Because of Spanish influence, the spelling of “Linao” was used in some literary records and official documents in town and is still used now. Yet both “linaw” and “linao” have the similar diphthong sound in the second syllable.

  

The upstream portion of Inopacan River in Brgy. Linao that curves at the foot of a crag.

After the many flooding in the river and avulsion of riverbanks over many decades, the “linaw” eventually disappeared and what is left now is a flowing river of cool, clear water that curves at the foot of a rocky wall or crag. Though the water is no longer staying still as it used to be, the local folks and their guests would still come to have a swimming picnic in this portion of the Inopacan River.


A habal-habal motorcycle is negotiating the Brgy. Linao Bridge to cross over the Inopacan River.

Brgy. Linao is basically agricultural where some villagers are tending to their coconut farm while few are cultivating their rice fields. Other agricultural products in the barangay would include bananas (plantain), bamboos, and some seasonal fruit-bearing trees.

The place had long been accessible through one of the major rural roads in town. Jeepneys, pedicab (motorized tricycle), potpot (pedal-powered tribike) and habah-habal (a single motorcycle that offers a ride to passengers) are plying along this road. Considering that Brgy. Linao is just less than a kilometer away, one can simply walk his way to get there from the Poblacion (town proper).

These are the common mode of transportation plying the rural road that passes by the Brgy. Linao bridge. A jeepney (above), habal-habal (middle) and pedicab (below)..

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MAIN PAGE: INOPACAN, LEYTE and the Inopacnons

INOPACAN, LEYTE

Inopacan is composed of 20 barangays. Each of them has its own story to tell. If you know something on how they got their names,share it to us. You may also tell us something about their history, their people (who's who), mythologies, practices, fiestas, foods, and even personal experiences and memories, humor (or jokes), and whatever that interest you.


The following are the 20 barangays of my hometown, Inopacan:

* Apid (island)
* Cabulisan
* Caminto
* Can-angay
* Caulisihan
* Conalum
* De los Santos (Mahilum)
* Esperanza
* Guadalupe (Binitinan)
* Guinsanga-an
* Hinabay
* Jubasan
* Linao
* Macagoco
* Maljo
* Marao
* Poblacion
* Tahud
* Taotaon
* Tinago

BRGY. TAO-TAON

The name Tao-Taon is from the word "tao" or "tawo" meaning the people, and the word "taon" or "tawon" meaning to evacuate to a higher ground. 

The early settlers on this place were always bothered by the overflowing Inopacan River that forced them to move to nearby higher grounds. Thus, "Tao-taon" would mean people would take refuge to a higher ground to stay away from an overflowing river. The old river bed that traversed across barrio Tao-taon now dried up and cultivated to become an open field farm. A creek still exist of erstwhile portion of the river bed that approaches to the sea, where nipa palms and mangrove trees now abound. The river changed its course to its present channel and is being prevented by concrete dikes and ripraps from returning to its old route .

BRGYS. CABULISAN and CAMINTO

MAIN PAGE: INOPACAN, LEYTE and the Inopacnons

(Click the image to view actual size and find the location of Cabulisan and Caminto)

Brgy Cabulisan is used to be called as the "Little Baguio in Leyte" because its comparatively cold like the mountains of Baguio City in Benguet (Central Luzon). It sits on the ridge of highly elevated Mt. Sacrepante right on the foot of the mountain wall where what looks like a big ball of rock is embedded. The place is overlooking the Camotes sea in the western part and the belfry of Inopacan Parish church can also be seen from the bordering hills, and one can have a distant view of the mountains in Mindanao across the southern horizon. While on the eastern side is the magnificent mountain ranges of Brgy. Caminto, a quiet and similarly cool place.

Long long time ago, there was a couple who first settled in the area. The wife's name is "Bulisang"and her husband was "Mintong." Eventually, the couple got separated due to petty quarrel. Bulisan stayed in their hut while Mintong went down to the lower ground of the valley and built another hut for him to stay. Thus, the nearby villagers called the two places as "Ka Bulisang" (Bulisang's place) and "Ka Mintong" (Mintong's place). As time passed by, the name stuck and became Cabulisan and Caminto.

Naming a place in this manner is common in olden times, such as the Kabinak (from "Ka Binak," meaning Binak's place) a hill situated along the border of Brgy Tinago and the fishpond of Lloren's.

Edgie Polistico

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BRGY. TINAGO

MAIN PAGE: INOPACAN, LEYTE and the Inopacnons

Shown in the picture is the Brgy. Tinago Fish Port and the legendary Baysahas, viewed from the backyard port of Tudio's residence.

During the Spanish time, even before then,the sea in this place is strategically good for hiding boats and galleons from the wrath of habagat (south or southwest monsoon winds).

The cape along Baysahas, where the first fish port is constructed is the all-time port for hiding and anchorage of big fishing boats called sinsuros and occasionally by some passenger ships from Hilongos and Bato.

So called Tinago because this is the place where the ships and fishing boats would take refuge during bad weather even to these days. The people called this place Tinago from the word tago meaning “hidden.” Thus, tinago means “the hidden one.”

- edgie polistico

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