The name of the town Madalag was taken from the name of the brook, called “Madaeag” or “Maearag”, which traverses the Western part of the original Poblacion proper. This brook derives its name from the word madaeag of the local dialect, which means “dark yellowish”. Madaeag or dark yellowish was the color of the substance appearing on the banks of the brook at the time; hence it was called Madaeag.
Another version tells that during the early part of the Spanish regime, a squad of guardia civil or Spanish constables arrived in this settlement. The squad leader ordered one of his soldiers to inquire from the natives about the name of the place. The soldier approached one of the natives by the bank, of the brook and, talking in Spanish, asked for the name of the place. Thinking that he was being asked about the brook, the native replied, “madaeag”. Thinking also that the word uttered by the natives was the name of the place, the soldier in turn informed the squad leader and shouted: “Madalag!”. Since then the place was called “Madalag” by the Spaniards and this became the name of this town.
According to traditions of Madalag, however, the name of this town was derived from the word daeag which is the local dialect refers to the dark yellowish old leaves fallen from the trees of the forest. That was during the regime of the barangays long before the coming of the Spaniards. In those days the site of the settlement was thickly forested along the banks of brook. In summer time the daeag or the dark yellowish old fallen leaves of the trees litered the banks and satured the bed of the brook; hence the brook was called “madaeag” meaning “with plenty of daeag”. This term “madaeag” gradually became the name of the brook eventually, the setllement about it was likewise named “Madaeag”. During the Spanish regime, the name was adopted when this settlement was created a barrio of Banga. Since the Spaniards could not pronounce the letters combination of “ea” or “eag” in the last syllable of the original name madaeag.
(These context came from the Festival Program during Tinuom feast dated July 29, 2018)
