10 Names of Places That Are Actually Filipino Words
What's in a name? Cliche as that question may send, there's some sense in knowing the logic behind the name of a place: after a town's patron saint, a historical figure, the name of a flower or a color, and so on.
Sometimes, names signify the physical characteristics of the space. This is true in the Philippines, where topography is diverse, from banks near our many rivers to rugged terrains of valleys and hills.
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Here are places in the Philippines that are named after its physical space and topography:
Tagaytay
Tagaytay with a capital "T" (proper noun) and tagaytay with a small "t" (common noun) are one and the same. The city in Cavite, also known as Tagaytay Ridge, is well—a ridge that's part of an upland mountainous area stetching from Mount Sungay to Mount Batulao and overlooking Taal Lake. Its name can't be more apt since "tagaytay" is a Tagalog word that translates to "ridge." Or to be specific about it: "mahabà , makitid, at nakaangat na rabaw ng lupa; o tanikala ng mga gulod," according to the Filipino dictionary.
Parang
Parang, with a stress on the first syllable (pá-rang), is an old Tagalog word that means meadow or prairie (i.e. "malawak na kapatagan, karaniwang madamo at tiwangwang"). Parang is also the name of a barangay in Marikina. It stands in the foothills zone, based on the city's physiography classifications.
Barangka
Barangka is the Filipino variation of the Spanish word "barranca," which means canyon and often means steep and hilly terrain. It is synonymous to "bangin," which is defined as "makitid na lambak na may matarik na gilid, karaniwang bunga ng pag-agnas ng rumaragasang tubig." Barangka is one of the oldest barangays in Marikina, and the Marikina River borders the town to the south. Similarly, one of Mandaluyong's original five barrios includes Barangka. The city now has Barangka Drive, Barangka Ibaba, Barangka Ilaya, and Barangka Itaas, which all reference these barangay's location near Pasig River.
Hulo
The dictionary definition of hulo (hu-lò) is "bahagi ng isang bayan o komunidad na nása gawÃng pataas ng isang bundok o libis ; o nása ibabâ naman kung pababâ at malapit sa ilog o dagat." Incidentally, Hulo is a barangay in Mandaluyong and it's located right at the banks of the Pasig River.
Tullahan
Tullahan or Tullahan River is a 27.1-kilometer river that starts at the La Mesa Reservoir in Quezon City and flows through Caloocan, Malabon, Valenzuela, and Navotas before emptying into Manila Bay. Back when it was still clean enough, the river served as home to freshwater clam or "tulya," thus the name.
Ilaya
Like "hulo," the definition of "ilaya" depends on the topography of where it is used. It can mean the upper part of a town (synonymous with "hulo"), or it can also mean the direction from which the river comes. In the Visayas, it can also mean inland, upland, highland, or rural. There are plenty of cities that use Ilaya, like an interior barangay in Dapitan (Zamboanga del Norte), which makes a reference to its inland location. In Las Piñas, it's the name of a barangay in the northern part of the city.
Navotas
Navotas is literally "nabutas," or "pierced through" in Tagalog. It is said that Navotas was originally part of Malabon until the waters of Manila Bay eroded a piece of land near Tondo, Manila. Seawater continued to flow through the opening and carved out a waterway that eventually became the Navotas River.
Tugatog
Tugatog is a Filipino word for summit or peak. It is also a barangay in Malabon.
Malanday
Malanday is an adjective formed from the prefix "ma" and root word "landay." The dictionary defines it as: "may balangkas o rabaw na nakakurba palabas, gaya ng eksteryor ng anumang bilóg o espero." Malanday also a barangay in Valenzuela. If you look at its shape in the map, Malanday looks like a cove or a part of a curve
Caloocan
Part of Caloocan, colloquially spelled as Kalookan, is an innermost area in Metro Manila. Its name comes from "kalook-lookan" or "kaloob-looban" (innermost).
Source: UP Diksiyonaryong Filipino (2001)
