Anything under the Sun
Origins of place names (15)
After Spanish Governors
There are three towns named after Spanish governors, thus:
Carles – Formerly named after the Malay sky-god Bolokawe, it was renamed during the Spanish time after Don Jose M. Carles, the Spanish governor of Iloilo responsible for making it a pueblo.
Zarraga – this town was named after the Spanish governor of Iloilo, Don Pedro Zarraga who was responsible for its township.
Barbaza – originally, this place was called Nalupa, but later, it was renamed in honor of the Spanish governor of Antique, Don Enrique Barbaza.
Moreover, Iznart Street in Iloilo City – named after Governor Iznart of Iloilo.
Named by the Atis
The aboriginal Atis of West Visayas have named several places here. Usually they added the prefix "ig" to mean "there is."
The only town in the region named by them was Igbaras, Iloilo which means "There is sand (baras)." Most of the places named by them are barrios in Iloilo like Igcalayo (fire), Igcadios (black beans), Igtambo (bamboo shoots), Igbato (stone), Igtuba (tuba – coconut wine), Igpajo (mango) and Igdalapdap (dapdap tree) in Guimaras.
In Antique are Igcabugao (pomelo), Igbobon (well), and Igbankal (bangkal tree) and Tigbagacay – old name of San Remigio (bagacay – a kind of reed). The last appears to be a variation.
In Capiz, the Atis used the prefix "Ag" as in Agdahon (leaves), Agbulak (flower), Aglanot (abaca), Aglangka (jackfruit), Agbatuan (batuan tree) and Agbato (stone).