Getting Lost With Names - Panganiban

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There are also two towns! However, one sports the name “Jose Panganiban” while the other is just plain “Panganiban”.

Jose Panganiban town in the province of Camarines Norte (Region 5 – Bicol) is that town jutting out to the Pacific Ocean. And while it is a major fishing port, it also has its share of beaches. And there is an inactive volcano called Bagacay.

Now the other Panganiban is in the island province of Catanduanes also in Region 5. It is on the north-eastern tip of the island facing the Pacific Ocean. Ah yes, this town is where you’ll find the little heard-of Catanduanes Island Beach Resort. There are other white beaches, a waterfall, dam, lighthouse and even a small airport!

But hey, though both towns are in Region 5, their names are in honor of two different Panganibans! The one in Camarines Norte is in honor of Jose Maria Panganiban y Enverga – the propagandist and guerilla leader during the Spanish regime, while the one in Catanduanes is in honor of Jose Blanca Panganiban – who stood as sponsor during inauguration of that town by FB Harrison in the early 1920s.

I wonder... what does "pangiban" mean anyway? "Dangerous"? Maybe, since "panganib" means danger! What a surname!

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