Bulalacao The History
Bulalacao's origins are unclear in documented history, but most accept the story of the forefathers arriving from Panay Island to the South - probably about the time the Datu's from Borneo started to expand beyond Panay and explore their friendly neighborhood. However, as the indigenous Mangyan population possesses handed-down knowledge of the the Tagbanua in Busuanga and the Aeta from parts of Luzon, that pre-date any Datu from Borneo, it is possible that the arrival of peoples from Panay may have displaced or assimilated older inhabitants, including the Mangyan. What is certain is that, as the new peoples came to settle in the lowlands and valleys, many of the Mangyan retreated into the rainforest covered hills and mountains. It is still possible to find active Mangyan villages in the rainforest today; although "modern" education is delivered to the villages, the Mangyan still also pass on their centuries of forest farming knowledge to their children.
What is documented history, from as early as the tenth century, is that Chinese and other Asian traders would visit what is now Bulalacao to trade with the Mangyan and to replenish their water barrels with the sweet water from the natural springs that are apparent year-round along Bulalacao's coast.
According to reports in Bulalacao's archives, Bulalacao did not get its name until a series of sicknesses befell the original community whenever an extinct (mythological?) bird with fluorescent wings appeared. In an act of faith the community adopted the name of the bird - known to them as bulalacao - and, so it is said, in turn the sicknesses faded and neither the bulalacao bird nor sickness have returned.
The original location of the settlement known as Bulalacao was set at the East end of what is today Tabuk Beach. The location was chosen because it was relatively protected from marauders by the river that splits somewhere in the mangrove forest behind and passes either side of the settlement - in the native dialect, 'tabuk' means to step/jump over (the river). In 1844 the Spanish colonial community was nevertheless all but destroyed by the wrath of Mother Nature, who sent a spate of typhoon driven tidal surges and an earthquake into Bulalacao Bay. The ruins of the abandoned church and other minor dwellings can be seen today - forsaken for the alternative safety of higher ground.
Every year the history of Bulalacao is played out in parades, dance and song during the Biniray Festival on 28th-29th June. During the Biniray Festival: fishermen decorate their boats to celebrate the bounty of the rivers, farms and seas and then parade around Bulalacao Bay, creating a colorful and flamboyant spectacle; street dances portray the essential elements of community life, from its roots in Mangyan culture to the modern day adoration of St. Peter and St. Paul - the patron saints of Bulalacao. The two-day long Biniray Festival celebration involves the entire community, with every barangay and school contributing to the festivities.
