IBALON

Long ago, the land of Ibalon, known as Bicol, was a land of lush and virginal
beauty, but no one lived there.

One day, a mighty warrior called Baltog came upon the land. The richness and beauty
of the region made him decide to take his family and his workers to this wonder
place. Here they lived in peace and prosperity.

But one day, the tranquility of their lives was threatened by a huge man-eating
wild boar. The ferocious beast destroyed the linsa or gabi plants and other crops
as well. It also killed people. Soon, vast areas in Ibalon were reduced to waste,
and countless people were either killed or maimed. Baltog was dumb-founded as he
surveyed the depredation wrought on his kingdom.

Leaving his home under the cover of the night, he went to the muddy fields to wait
for his enemy.

Baltog waited for long, long time. Finally, when the moon was bright, the man-
eating boar came snorting and tearing crops as it went along. Baltog hid under the
bushes. When the boar came within reach, he sprang at it. Man and beast tumbled to
the ground in mortal combat. Fortunately, Baltog was able to pin down the beast and
summoning all his strength, he finally subdued the boar, not with a spear, but
breaking its super-sized jaws with his own strong arms. Baltog’s victory put an end
to a terror that had ravished his kingdom for a time.

Ibalon, however, saw few years of peace. One day, huge carabaos followed by winged
sharks and giant crocodiles rushed to Ibalon. Every mortal was in fright: death and
destruction took a heavy toll. The mighty Baltog could no longer defend his
kingdom, for years had sapped his strength. Defenseless, Ibalon had become an easy
prey.

Luck, however, was still with Ibalon. On that tragic day, Handiomg, a mighty
warrior of the neighboring kingdom, happened to pass by Ibalon. Handiong came to
the rescue.

Handiong and his brave seasoned men threw themselves at the stampeding and winging
wild enemies. For untold hours, Ibalon saw mortal combat. Blood flowed freely over
the land and the streams. One by one, they slew the beasts.

Only one monster escaped Handiong’s mortal blows. This was Oriol., the serpent who
could transform itself into a beautiful woman. With her seductive words, she
enticed him. But Handiong pursued her through the forest without rest. To save
itself, the she-snake struck an alliance with Handiong. She promised to drivethe
evil spirits out of the mountains if Handiong would leave her alone. And at last,
peace came to Ibalon again.

Handiong encouraged the people to plant, invent farming equipments, build banca and
houses. Under his wise administration, Ibalon became rich and peaceful again.

Outside Handiong’s domain, there appeared another threat to his kingdom. This time
it was Rabut, a far more terrible monster, for under its spell, mortals could turn
to stone.

Handiong called his friend and companion, the mighty Bantong, to deal with the
enemy. Together with a handful of men, Bantong raided the monster’s lair. He found
the enemy taking its nap. With a cat-like agility, Bantong delivered a mortal blow
at the monster’s neck. The wounded monster cried in agony, and in his struggle for
breath, the earth cracked and the water in the sea rolled landward.
Ibalon underwent great physical change. New island beagn to dot the water near the
peninsula. Finally, a tall and perfect cone reared its head to lord over the
leveled ruins. This perfect cone is now known as Mayon Volcano.