(updated)Has anyone ever seen a Dadiangas Tree?
Has anybody among you ever seen a Dadiangas Tree, the plant from which Gen. Santos City was used to be named after?
I have. And that was just over a year ago when someone told me that one can be found near the flagpole of the Gen. Santos Park across the city hall building. I lost no time in looking for the elusive plant and upon locating it, found out a few things.
First, I discovered that Dadiangas is not actually a tree but a shrub, a very thorny shrub. Second, it has little yellow flowers and small marble-size fruits.
When General Paulino Santos arrived here in 1939 along with the first batch of settlers from Luzon, all they can see were hectares and hectares of arable land all ready to be cultivated and planted.
And of course, as the story goes, they also found out that there were a lot of these Dadiangas shrubs dotting the prairie that they decided to name it after the place.
Now, there’s just this lone Dadiangas shrub at the Gen. Santos Park which has been fenced off to protect it from peeing men and animals. It stands about 8 feet tall but you would hardly notice it because it looks like a very ordinary plant.
According to some, a few Dadiangas trees can still be found at the farms at the city’s rural barangays, mostly at the pasture leased areas.
Now, only a few people call the city founded 60 years ago as Dadiangas, preferring to call it by its modern name, GENSAN. The four downtown barangays of the city however are called Barangay Dadiangas South, Dadiangas North, Dadiangas East and Dadiangas West.
I just wish that the local government or some private group put a distinct marker near the surviving Dadiangas tree at the Gen. Paulino Santos Park so that the “generals” and visitors will easily discover for themselves this lowly-looking and thorny but historical plant from which their beloved city was first named after. Am pretty sure it will be their first time to do so.
How about you? Have you ever seen a Dadiangas shrub?
UPDATE: I just found out that the Filipino name of the Dadiangas bush is TALONGON.
Here’s more:
SCIENTIFIC NAME: SOLANUM TORVUM.
OTHER NAMES: Tandang Aso, Balbalusa, Gambol, Dagutung, Talampay, Talimbolo, Talongon, Talong-talongon, Talungkia, Taogotan
Botany
· A coarse, erect, branched suffrutescent herb, 1 to 3 m high, the branches with short scattered spines, most parts of the body covered with stellate-shaped hairs.
· Leaves: alternate, ovate to oblong-ovate, 10 to 20 cm long, wavy-lobed, acuminate, base inequilateral.
· Flowers: inflorescence lateral, usually extra axillary racemose, often dichotomous. Flowers, many, white, about 1 cm long. Corolla tube short, the limb 5-lobed. Stamens 4, the filaments short, the anthers united into a cone. Ovary 2-celled.
· Fruits: globose, yellow, glabrous, about 1 cm in diameter.
Distribution
In most islands and provinces, in wastelands at low and medium altitudes, flowering all year round.
Parts utilized
· Roots.
· Wash thoroughly and cut into slices before sun-drying.
Properties
Antipyretic, antirheumatic, antiphlogistic, anti-infectious, anti-contusion, anti-inflammation and analgesic.
Cooling natured.
Slightly toxic.
Folkloric uses
· For stomach ache, pain caused by contusion, internal bruise on the belly muscle – use 15 to 30 gms of dried drug. Boil to decoction and drink.
· Indigestion, gastric pain at the navel.
· Rheumatism-numbness, sprain contusion, lumbar muscular pains.
· Amenorrhea.
· Decoction used in some areas (Bukidnon) to lessen postpartum hemorrhage.
· Dosage: 15 to 30 gms dried roots in decoction, or processed into syrup or alcoholic suspension.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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Bariles is a Filipino word for “Tuna”, the primary source of income of the people of General Santos City which hosts 6 of the Philippines’ 8 tuna canneries and more than 80% of its tuna processing plants.
Jasper Says:
Yes I have seen Dadiangas shrubs or trees. It has a lot of thorns all over its stem. It grows to as high as 3 meters. Birds would love to build their nests on it inspite of its height because it’s thorns would protect their shelters from the attact of prey. Natives say it’s charred wood makes a very good charcoal making it vulnerable to eventual extinction. Some of these can still be found at former pasture lands in the city’s west.
This tree is very significant in the history of General Santos City. I wish that the City Government of Gensan will initiate the move to further preserve this one-of-a-kind flora. There should be a city ordinance that will prohibit anyone from cutting, burning and or utilizing any part of this precious tree in any way other than for its conservation.
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 12:18 AM
anonymouse :) Says:
Manong Avel, alam mo ba na may Dadiangas goat breed? Di kaya ang kinakain ng Dadiangas goats ay ang Dadiangas shrubs kaya medyo extinct na ang tanim na ito? ajejeje
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 12:57 AM
Jasper Says:
I stand corrected. What I mean was “…the thorns would protect the birds shelter from attack on preys.” (thus protecting them as well)
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 1:09 AM
archmykel Says:
hi bariles,
The dadiangas tree should be propagated. it is part of the history of gensan. Maybe the city can come up with a ‘DADIANGAS PARK’ in honor of the tree/shrub that first gave a name to the City.
I fully agree with you that a marker should be placed beside it so that visitors and locals alike will be able to know about its existence. Many local generals dont even know what dadiangas mean.
By the way, can you tell me what dialect was the origin of the word dadiangas ?
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 7:51 AM
archmykel Says:
i just checed wikipedia, wala ang real meaning of dadiangas. I was rediredted to General Santos City.
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 7:53 AM
jinky borela Says:
I thought Dadiangas Tree is the tree with Ipil-Ipil like leaves bearing small red flowers. There’s one before at the corner of the lot where the Central Bank Bldg is located now. We used to pass that way as we go home from school. I could still recall that there were times that it’s flowers were in full bloom and created a very bright, fire like effect from a distance. Because of its beauty, I asked a park maintenance what kind of tree was that and the answer was “Dadiangas Tree”.. . .I though that was it. . . Tnx sir vel for this info.
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 8:25 AM
bariles Says:
@Jasper – Jasper, I agree with you. The ordinance would come in handy. But first, i think that City Agriculture Office or the City Environment and Natural Resources Office should first make an inventory of the existing Dadiangas trees/shrubs existing in the downtown area, or if possible, at the rural barangays.
If Tokyo, Japan have their park for their historical cherry blossom trees, then why can’t we have our own orchard of Dadiangas?
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 9:38 AM
Rue Ramas Says:
It was always my dream to plant at least a hectare of dadiangas tree and another hectare of camachile tree. These two play a part of the past of the Pioneers of Gensan. I’ve seen dadiangas tree all over before and it camachile firewood is just next to dadiangas in excellence. Just some chips of dadiangas could cook a pot of rice. I’ve been requesting Minda Atendido and Raul Lozano to find me seedlings of dadiangas which was awash in Sinawal before. But perhaps these two think “na nasisiraan na ng bait si Rue.” Dadiangas is endemic in our place. Coya Rex has a collection of endemic trees for public viewing and study but it is in Lamcanal. I hope our CENRO would think of this. It would not cost much, it can be an environmental project too. We will support!
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 9:39 AM
bariles Says:
Anonymouse, yes I read about it while researching for Dadiangas trees. I would love to see one or even eat one. Hehehe. I love papait so much.
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 9:40 AM
bariles Says:
Hi archmykel! I agree with you. They should be propagated before they become extinct and people forget about them.
I have no idea where the word Dadiangas come from. Hey, does anybody here know the SCIENTIFIC NAME of this shrub?
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 9:42 AM
bariles Says:
@jinky borela – Jinky, hehehe! See? A lot of people here do not really know how a Dadiangas Tree/Shrub look like. Glad to be of help.
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 9:43 AM
bariles Says:
Madam Rue, mabuhay ka! This post is very timely. Why not write an official letter to the Sangguniang Panlungsod with regard to this and other suggestions in propagating the Dadiangas. Then we can lauch this project in time for the City’s 61st Foundation in February (Kalilangan 2009).
And yes, I would love to go to LAMCANAL with the rest of the readers of BARILES REPUBLIC. TOUR!!! TOUR!!! TOUR!!!!
That would be great!!!
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 9:58 AM
blackmeat Says:
Sir Avel, marami nyan sa Tambler and going to Bawing.. Magandang idea yan, Sir and Ma’am Rue.
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 1:20 PM
blackmeat Says:
..teka pwede bang kainin ang bunga?
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 1:22 PM
miko Says:
yan pala yong dadiangas tree……lagi kong nakikita yan but i dont jnow na dadiangas tree pala yan… now i know… thanks sir…!
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 1:49 PM
jinky borela Says:
hey guys, na notice nyo na ang bunga similar sa jathropa, etc.? Baka magandang source din to ng bio diesel no. . .
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 2:34 PM
bariles Says:
@blackmeat – Hi blackmeat! I remember now, marami nga doon banda. I don’t know kung nakakain ang bunga nya. Subukan mo kaya muna? hehehehe!
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 2:52 PM
bariles Says:
@miko – you’re very much welcome miko.
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 3:24 PM
bing Says:
POOR GUY! KARON LANG NAKAKITA NG DADIANGAS TREE HAHAHA REGARDS! GOD BLESS VEL!
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 4:16 PM
bing Says:
TO ARCHMYKEL,
WE HAVE DADIANGAS PARK BEFORE! I DONT KNOW NOW…IT WAS BESIDE
REYS STORE.
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 4:19 PM
sim-PAUL-guy Says:
I’ve seen that tree too. But I like the other one, I dont know what kind of tree was that. The one beside the statue of Rizal, left side when your facing at the City Hall.
That tree is shrub-like in form but its about 12 feet high. I dont see it blooms, when I was regularly attending my frat meetings in the park.
sim-PAUL-guys last blog post..Firefox Add-ons to Enhance your Web Development
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 7:44 PM
gensanite Says:
very informative post, TUNA MAN!!!
great words from ‘RUE RAMAS’ and ‘ARCHMYKEL’… we can probably ask a government agency for assistance on how to propagate the plant… probably run an information campaign regarding the dadiangas shrub… we can probably have an activity during the city’s foundation anniversary/kalilangan festival, where ‘generals’ from all walks of life would plant dadiangas in his/her own yard – or as per ‘RUE RAMAS’ suggestion, we can use a spare land area where we can plant the dadiangas, or as per ‘ARCHMYKEL’ a park for this tree… we can have this planted in our schools as well… we can also probably tap DOST and maybe find out a better way to use dadiangas… it can probably be a food source just like ‘BLACKMEAT’ has commented, or ‘JINKY BORELA’s’ assumption of fuel source may be proven – given that it has similarities with jatropha…
there are a lot of possibilities… there’s probably a scientific name to this, TUNA MAN… i’m ‘googling’ on it… does somebody know the english name of ‘dadiangas’? calling our botanist generals…
all the best!!!
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 8:10 PM
jm_21052000 Says:
me ganito rin sa school namin! (NDDU)
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 9:02 PM
anonymouse :) Says:
@Bing, baka you mean general santos park which is still IN FRONT of rey store. Ajejeje
Posted on September 13th, 2008 at 11:24 PM
archmykel Says:
@bing –
hi Bing, thanks for the info. I thought that was General Santos Park in front of Rey Store. Its Dadiangas Park pala. That is one place that is so poorly maintained. Historical pa naman yan being the identified site where Gen. Paulino Santos first landed.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 7:19 AM
orman Says:
it’s not a tree. it’s a shrub.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 10:44 AM
bariles Says:
Bing, yeah I remember that park. Too bad and medyo napabayaan na ang place na yun. By the way, don’t write in CAPITALS lahat. Masakit sa tenga. Para kang sumisigaw tuloy.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 1:42 PM
bariles Says:
Hi sim-PAUL-guy! Will try to check that one out too. Thanks.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 1:43 PM
bariles Says:
Hi gensanite! Maybe a small portion of the Gen.Santos Park across the city hall could be a good place for our Dadiangas trees. Parang rock garden or somethng.
Paging Orman and Rey Billena. Sa Heritage Village for the Kalilangan, why not exhibit some Dadiangas Trees?
Gensanite, there’s nothing in the internet on the meaning of Dadiangas or english name.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 1:47 PM
bariles Says:
Really, JM? Where exactly? Sa College campus? Lagao? You should tell your principal to put a marker on them.
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 1:48 PM
bariles Says:
Yeah, I wrote about that one. Di mo binasa whole post ano?
Posted on September 14th, 2008 at 1:52 PM
gensanite Says:
@bariles –
na-liki ang akong ulo sa pag-google sa dadiangas… significant finds would give me general santos city, and the goat which ‘ANONYMOUSE’ mentioned…
general santos park (the one near rey’s store) can be used for the planting of dadiangas… heard from people of old that this is where GENERAL PAULINO SANTOS ‘landed’ back in the day… sayang din yung park… i remembered back then that it underwent a ‘facelift’, pero napabayaan din… last time i checked (february), it was ‘bare’ – no trees, the steel fences are gone, no bermuda/carabao grass – with ‘residents’ in it… i’m not really sure if they have a residential permit… hehehe…
puwede sana buhayin ang park ulit… i remembered din back in the day na people (public officials, and the city’s who’s who) go there during the city’s foundation anniversary to celebrate a thanksgiving mass… baka puwede rin siya gawan ng paraan nga city government…
p.s.
funny how a shrub can open our eyes to our city’s long-forgotten landmarks…
Posted on September 15th, 2008 at 6:09 AM
gensanite Says:
@gensanite –
nice update, TUNA MAN…
daghan pud diay siya variety… i ‘googled’ it just now…
Posted on September 16th, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Jasper Says:
Asus, Talongon ra man diay uy… hehehe Pero maski na, Dadiangas gud kini so dapat pahalagahan nato. I have searched and it says it is also called “Devil’s fig”…wooo. But on the lighter side, its fruit is actually edible!!;-) Thanks a lot Mr. Bariles Republic!
Posted on September 17th, 2008 at 2:55 AM
blackmeat Says:
Ngee! Kaw jud Sir.. pag sure ba? Ahehe! Talongon? Kaya pala wild eggplant.. Kay talong.. Ahehe!
Posted on September 17th, 2008 at 11:27 AM
orman Says:
it’s about time that the lgu create a PARK ADMINISTRATION OFFICE. sa america, big deal talaga yan. big department with big budget. ibig sabihin mahalaga talaga ang mga parke kasi yan ang PUSO ng bawat lugar. yun lang.
ormans last blog post..My Christmas Countdown
Posted on September 20th, 2008 at 9:07 AM
archmykel Says:
Hi orms i agree with u that the city needs a “parks and playgrounds adminitration office”.
Posted on September 23rd, 2008 at 12:52 PM
vir lauzon Says:
avel,
as per my former father’s account, Dadiangas came from the Bilaan word which is Diangan. He’s a former employee of NLSA, a gov’t agency headed by Gen, P. Santos. a street in BRGY. Lagao is named.
vir lauzons last blog post..NDD Batch ’73 joins Bowling Tourney
Posted on September 24th, 2008 at 10:31 AM
bariles Says:
Hi vir! Diangan? Wow! Thanks for this tip. But what does Diangan mean?
Posted on September 24th, 2008 at 10:46 AM
eduardo Says:
@bariles -
Posted on October 16th, 2008 at 3:22 PM
anonymouse :) Says:
@Manoy Avel, iba man ang flower ng talongon dito sa url na ito: http://www.globalpinoy.com/pinoyhealth/ph_gamotpinoy/tandang-aso.htm
are you sure of your info source? kasi kung true ito, then dadiangas is not indigenous dito sa atin.
question: bakit hindi listed ang “dadiangas” as one of the local names ng talongon?
Posted on November 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 PM
Improved General Santos City Park to be unveiled August 7, 2009 | Bariles Republic's GenSan News Online Mag Says:
[...] Kagandahan GenSan Office, including the improvement of the area where the park’s two Dadiangas Trees are [...]
Posted on March 12th, 2009 at 2:50 PM
updated Has anyone ever seen a Dadiangas Tree Bariles | Wood TV Stand Says:
[...] updated Has anyone ever seen a Dadiangas Tree Bariles Posted by root 1 hour 45 minutes ago (http://www.gensantos.com) Natives say it charred wood makes a very good charcoal making it there one before at the corner of the lot where the central bank bldg is located if tokyo japan have their park for their historical cherry blossom bulilit tv ad ushers in the new quot camel Discuss | Bury | News | updated Has anyone ever seen a Dadiangas Tree Bariles [...]
Posted on June 1st, 2009 at 7:05 AM
Prima Hower Says:
Hey Avel,
Great article and photos of Dadiangas tree. It’s nostalgia time for those good old days in Dadiangas and Lagao.. Do you know that Lagao is named after a tree also? Alagao it is commonly called. Call my brother Tito. I think he has a tree in his yard. With names such as these, no wonder “the sons and daughters” like you and Orman, are sturdy citizens of our respective barrios. Your website is a veritable source of history and a site to a history buff like me. Keep up the good work! In Notre Dame …prima
Posted on August 30th, 2009 at 11:47 PM
harlem jude Says:
hehee.. hindi pa talaga ako nakakita ng dadiangas shrub..hehe.. siguro i just saw it but didn’t recognized it.. curious ako jan after the play na sinalihan namin kung saan sumayaw lang naman kami nun..hehe,yung ginawa ang DADIANGAS: Kapangalandem sa Minukit (A reminiscence), The combined Ireneo High School and City High School this year lang kasabay ang celebration ng Kalilangan..ayun dahil nabanggit nga na madami daw Puno ng Dadiangas noon dito kaya nga ipinangalan sa punong yon ang lugar..haha,ngayon ko lang nalaman na yan pala ang dadiangas shrub..hehe..(–,), thanx sir avel.. manul kog dadiangas,ingna nalang gud..mag four years nako sa gensan karun pako kailag dadiangas! wahahaa..
Posted on September 8th, 2009 at 9:32 PM