The 'balacat' heritage

IN THE Kapampangan language, the prefix ma- means “full of” or “teeming with.” Thus a number of towns were presumably named for what was common to the place: Masantol, for the many "santol" trees; Macabebe, for the "cabibi" or shellfish; Magalang, for its very respectful citizens.
While I long assumed that Mexico was named after that other Spanish colony on the other side of the Pacific with which Islas Filipinas had the galleon trade because the timber for those ships came from here, I was told that the name actually evolved from the old Masiko. That name conjures two visions though: the town once teemed with chico trees – "siko" to the elderly Kapampangans, or the flagrant use of the elbow – "siko" too in the local language – as representative symbol for the way disputes were settled among the "barakos" and "pusakals" in the town.
Then there is Mabalacat. What the heck is "balacat" after which the town was named? With the longevity of the mayor there and the number of his kin in public office, someone who looked like the witty Perry Pangan once said the municipality would have been more appropriately named Mamorales. And he was only half joking.
So "balakat" is a tree. It is to Engineer Rox Pena of Recyclers Foundation Inc. (RFI) and the 2004 Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awardee in the field of environmental protection that we owe our knowledge of this fact. And more.
With the scientific name Zizyphus talanai (Blanco) Merr., the tree that once made a lush forest in the place – thus, Mabalacat – was most valued commercially for its large, long and straight trunk which, Rox said, reached up to a diameter of one meter and a height of 30 meters.
Balakat timber was used for general construction, as in house posts as well as for the masts of ships; furniture and sash, tool handles, turnery, household utensils, baseball bats, among a host of other goods. The branches were also used as sticks in the Filipino martial arts arnis.
With such expansive, and presumably lucrative, commercial use, coupled with the need for land for cultivation and habitation by the early settlers, the depletion of the forest of balakat trees came not long after, said Rox.
Thus it came to pass that succeeding generations of the townspeople forgot all about their heritage tree. Why, even the name they affixed unto themselves – Mabalaquenos – altogether dropped the slightest reference to their town’s origin. The town’s name is not Mabalac, so why must its people be called Mabalaquenos? Should it not be Mabalacatenos? Got to consult my seminary brother Robby Tantingco of the Center of Kapampangan Studies on this.
So, where can we find a balacat tree in Mabalacat, I asked Rox.
There is one in front of the Our Lady of Grace Parish Church, he said. But it would not be long before the town will be lush with the balakat trees again, Rox promised.
Already a memorandum of agreement has been signed among the municipality of Mabalacat, represented by Mayor Boking Morales; the DENR, with Director Regidor de Leon; and RFI, with Rox to save and propagate the vanishing species through the Balakat Greening Project.
An inventory of the remaining trees have been undertaken along with seed sourcing and propagation. For his part Mayor Boking is set to establish a municipal balakat forest park and will urge the sangguniang bayan to pass a municipal ordinance declaring the balakat the municipal tree.
Yes, it would not be long for Mabalacat to regain its core essence.