Ilocos Sur: Tagudin (Bien's nostalgias and how this town got its name)

After 9 long hours, we then arrived at Bien’s hometown in Rizal, one of the 43 Baranggays in Tagudin.

While I was writing this post today, I asked Bien via SMS to confirm if he really grew up in Tagudin and asked when was the time he left his native land for a job in Manila. He then replied that yes he was born there and practically grew up in Tagudin but left his homeland in 1993 to find his luck in Manila.

I guess my friend also went down the memory lane as he also shared with me that sometime in 1988, he left Tagudin to visit Manila together with his mom and sister to watch his first movie “Kambal Tuko” (starring the cute little twins – Richard and Raymond Gutierrez) in Avenida.   What’s more “nostalgic” according to him was on their way back to Ilocos, he told me that it was his first time to eat Balot (A balut / balot is a fertilized duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut_(egg)). He threw the cooked duckling in the highway hoping and praying that it would live again.  I really laughed out loud when I read his text message about it.  It just showed how “probinsyano” (someone from the province / outside of Manila,    

                                                      who is not used to city life) he was back then.

Being a Tagudinian, Bien studied at St Augustine School (built in 1910) where one of the first two sundials built in the country are located.  The other sundial stands across its Townhall.  These two timepieces were constructed in 1841 and 1848 by Father Juan Sorolla.  Amidst the modern times, these sundials are still accurate and reliable.

Tagudin,the first municipality right after the Amburayan Bridge traversing from Supiden, La Union, I may say has also been a great part of Philippine History.

But before dwelling on its significance in our country’s history, let me share with you how Tagudin got his name.

According to the locals, one day a Spaniard asked the name of the place from an old woman who was busy cleaning her yarn which she uses for weaving, (weaving or Tagud is one of the source of income in this municipality).  The old lady thought that he was asking the name of the tool where her yarn was placed and so she answered that it was Tagudan referring to the weaving apparatus.  He then wrote this in his notes.  Later on, he referred to his diary to refresh his memory but had read it as Tagudin.  So the place was then called Tagudin.