AJ Isidro G.

Belaro 2018-09226
PHILARTS-TFG 1
Reflection on Stories of Paz
(As reported by Vea Praise Geraldo)

It is said that nature can both be benevolent and ruthless, and the loss of a loved one has a
profound power and effect on the lives of many people. This story deals with the tale of Paz and
the origin of what is now known as the Pasig River. There are three versions presented which all
deals with unfortunate deaths, deep longing and surprisingly- a dark humor.

In two of the versions of the story, it is said that the delicate maiden called "Paz" was riding
peacefully on a boat with her Spanish lover. In one of the stories, it was said that Paz was so eager
to touch a bunch of flowers floating in the river. This caused the boat to sway recklessly, toppling
over the Spaniard who did not know how to swim, until he died. Whereas, in the other version, the
man was not skillfull at rowing the boat, which is why he fell onto the river and drowned. In both
occassions, the men shouted for help for Paz, as they shouted "Paz, sigueme (come here)", which
when contracted became the word "Pazsig" or simply- Pasig.

On the third version, it was Paz who befell onto the cold and deadly hands of the river. It
was said that Paz and her mother were doing laundry by the River, when they were washed-up the
the sudden gush of water due to bad weather. The mother was able to stand ashore. However upon
seeing her daughter struggling against the force of the river, she continued to shout "Paz, sige"
until she stopped midway of her phrase when she realized that she had already lost her daughter.

Even though that the story may sound quite superficial to explain the origin of the name of
the river, it makes great use of word contractions in a literary artwork. Moreover, the story has a
great moral lesson behind it. It teaches us that we must respect the forces of nature and take extreme
precaution when needed. Aside from that, the story also highlights the impact of losing a loved
one, such that, even though a long span of time has passed, people would still find ways to
commemmorate the deceased in ways which also reverbrates to the society.

The stories of Paz may sound tragic, but this also paved way for giving identity to the
importantgeographic and historical facet of the river. Moreover, this adds to the important
compedium of legends and myths of the Philippines. I hope that the story of Paz would bring up
more awareness to the significance of Pasig River to our culture.