Ana Kalang Rebuilt Nagcarlan

Captain Juan de Salcedo and his men marched downhill towards a rolling plain, which was Gat Laquiao’s village. Instead of a welcome party similar to the one that met Salcedo in the other villages, Laquiao’s warriors in formation armed with spears, bolos, and bows and arrows met Salcedo’s troop. When Salcedo raised his hand for a greeting, a loud boom from Laquiao’s cannon from Borneo shook the village. Mothers and elders herded children to safety.

The blast cut down a tree. A flock of birds fluttered their wings as they fled in terror. Water buffaloes broke loose from their ropes and scampered for safety. A barrage of arrows followed the explosion. The Spanish captain realized it was not a welcome salvo. “Caramba!” Salcedo shouted. “En la bosque a todos!” (In the forest everybody) Salcedo’s men retreated to the forest and hid behind trees.

The natives vigorously cheered and waved their weapons, but the battle was far from over. It was just beginning. From behind the trees, Salcedo’s men loaded their muskets and fired. Warriors fell one by one, as rice stalks blown by furious winds.

The mayhem in the village left nothing but the ruins of battle. Salcedo’s men burned whatever remained. Then the conquistadores marched towards Malay Barangay.

From the vestiges of his assemblage of homes rose another community through the efforts of a wealthy native woman called Kalang Panalangin. When this woman converted to Christianity, she was renamed Ana Kalang or Ana Panalangin. Villagers greatly revered the wealthy woman. The well-heeled lady was famous for her gold tipped “Salakot” and cane gilded with elaborate patterns made of solid gold, a sort of a fashion statement during the period.

After Spanish missionaries converted the whole village to Christianity, a parish priest was assigned to the village− Padre Cristobal Torres. When he learned from the villagers that the community was to be renamed, He proposed to call the village Ana Kalang, to honor the wealthy and charitable woman who helped rebuild the village.

The name Ana Kalang passed on, from one Spanish priest’s tongue to another Spanish priest’s tongue. The name spread from the native’s Tagalog tongue to another Spaniard’s tongue. In the same manner, the name was written and re-written, some in Tagalog’s “Baybayin” characters, others in Spanish. Natives enunciated the name with the local accent and the Spaniards in Spanish articulations until it became, as it is known today….Nagcarlan.