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 Municipality
Of Pontevedra |
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There are two versions about how Pontevedra got to be called
Marayo. One is that the name was derived from a bean-like
exotic plant called Marayo which blanketed the place,
growing on subsoil abounding with seashells for which
Pontevedra is known for until today. The other story was
that Marayo was a grafting of the names of the settlement’s
chief, Iyo and his wife Mara at the time of the barangays.
Before the 18th century, Marayo was inhabited by primitive
people who led a hard life in the still swampy lands.
Gradually, natives from nearby Panay came over to hunt and
to settle down, while some pushed through inland and up to
the mountains in search of agricultural sites.
When the Spaniards came, they found a well-populated Marayo.
To show their authority, they renamed the place "PontePiedra"
or "Stone Point", after a big stone jutting at the mouth of
the river. But the natives found it more convenient to
pronounce "Pontevedra", and that is how it stayed until now. |
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