One 'Miguel Perpiñan Bantugan'

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THERE appears to be a considerable number of Perpeña/Perpenia posted on the pages of Facebook, and thus, it's about time some answers are served to long-dangling questions as to why, when, how, from where and whom did this 'mysterious' surname Perpenia or Perpeña originate. 

It's not this article's intent to trace the etymology of the word/name, or seek to discover a Perpena among the list of historical figures, ancient or more recent. Just google the word, if you so need to know.

This blog's only purpose is to share the short stories, informal testimonies, anecdotes and sketches as to how Perpeña has taken roots in the small barrio of Buting in Pasig, that eventually branched out, and now dispersed in  tiny pockets across real earth and cyberspace -- although 'Perpeña' is not as widely-used or as common a surname like Cruz or Santos, Lapeña or Sobrepeña, Peña or Perpiñan.

Woven from threads of stories as told by elders, Perpenia/Perpeña took shape this way:

Then barely past his teens, Miguel Perpiñan Bantugan (who his parents were and if he had siblings: omitted) stowed away from hometown Bagac, Bataan and found refuge in suburban Manila. He enlisted in and served the Filipino Army (Philippine Scouts?) stationed in Fort William McKinley (later renamed Fort Bonifacio) sometime in the 1910's, and there started his original surname Bantugan's mis-adventure, or lost-venture.

Could Miguel Bantugan's claim to neglibile fame as he might have wished was his family name-change? Unverifiable is this anecdote: That Miguel's tiff with his father made him leave home, dropped 'Bantugan' and used his mother's maiden surname 'Perpiñan' instead. Iliterate, Miguel perhaps  might have had cluelessly accepted his new family name inadvertently misspelled, that until now reads: Perpeña.

Also in McKinley did pretty boy Miguel meet laundrywoman Beatriz Cruz Santos, native of barrio Buting, Pasig. A narrow river separates the Fort from the barrio, and as always, waterways are for journeymen and conquerors to cross in pursuit of hearts and fertile lands.

In a barrio whose edge a small river, then undisturbed, snakes by, lover boy Mike Bantugan, aka Miguel Perpeña, sowed terror, er, his seeds. And who in Bagac, or even the stow-away himself, would have had foreseen that generations later, Miguel lagalag would line-up direct descendants by the dozens, bearers of his Bantugan genes identified by his proxy, misspelled, maternal Perpiñan surname:  Perfenia, Perpenia, and Perpeña.

None of Miguel's grandchildren and present-day descendants ever met him. For sure, this soldier-of-fortune's journey from Bagac to Buting was by no means a cakewalk, and as if he heeded the archaic call "go forth and multiply," his progeny today can collectively sigh: "Lolo Migz made it look so easy."

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Isang 'Miguel Perpiñan Bantugan'

Ngayong nakatala ang marami-rami na ring Perpeña/Perpenia sa mga pahina ng Facebook, napapanahong tugunan ang malaon nang nakalambiting tandang pananong sa kung saan, paano, kanino nagmula ang misteryosong apelyidong 'Perpenia' at 'Perpeña' .

Hindi layong himayin ng mensaheng ito ang etimolohiya ng salita/apelyido, o alamin kung sino pang Perpena ang naitalang makasasaysang pigura, moderno man o sinauna. Aba'y may Google naman, ikaw na ang bahala.

Nais lamang ibahagi ng artikulong ito ang mga nakalap na maikling kwento, salaysay, tsismis at drowing sa kung paanong napunla at tumubo ang Perpeña, partikular sa isang maliit na baryo ng Buting sa Pasig, nagsanga-sanga, at ngayon nga'y may salinlahing nahasik na sa ilang sulok ng mundo at cyberspace -- sabihin mang di kasing lawak at popular ang apelyidong Perpeña hambing sa iba pang apelyido, hal., Cruz o Santos, Lapeña o Sobrepeña, Peña o Perpiñan.

Mula sa pinagtagni-tagning mga salaysay ng matatanda, ganito masasabing nagkahugis ang Perpeña/Perpenia:

Naglagalag ang noo'y binatang si Miguel Perpiñan Bantugan (ewan muna kung sino ang kanyang mga magulang at kung meron mang mga kapatid) mula sa Bagac, Bataan at napadpad sa Kamaynilaan. Sabi'y nagpalista at nanilbihan si Miguel sa Hukbong Pilipino (Philippine Scouts?) bandang 1910's sa Fort William McKinley (na kalauna'y naging Fort Bonifacio), at dito na nagsimulang maglagalag din (o mas marapat, malaglag) ang dapat ay "Bantugan" na tunay niyang apelyido.

Anu't napabantog si Miguel Bantugan sa apelyidong Perpeña? Tsismis na ang alitan ni Miguel at ama ang dahilan kung bakit siya naglayas, dahilan din marahil kung bakit minabuti niyang ilaglag ang 'Bantugan' at apelyido na lang ng ina ang gamitin: Perpiñan. Pagkat di marunong magbasa o magsulat si Miguel lagalag, nauwi ang kanyang apelyido sa Perpeña.

Sa McKinley na rin nakilala ni pritiboy Miguel ang labanderang si Beatriz Cruz Santos, taal na taga-barrio Buting sa bayan ng Pasig. Maliit na ilog ang naghihiwalay sa McKinley at sa barrio, at para sa mga mapagsapalaran at masusugid, ilog itong tinatawid  para sa kakamting puso at bagong daigdig.  

Sa baryong ginigiliran ng ilog na ito naghasik ng lagim, este, ng punla, si lover boy Mike Bantugan, alyas Miguel Perpeña. At malay ba ng layás na ito at maging ng mga ninuno niya sa Bagac, na ilang henerasyon makalipas ay aani siya ng dose-dosenang apo na may dugong Perpiñan-Bantugan,  sa  mismong  mga nagdadala o may kaugnayan sa mga apelyidong:  Perfenia, Perpenia, at Perpeña.

Wala ni isa sa mga apo ni Miguel ang namulatan siyang nabubuhay pa. Siguradong ang paglalakbay niya mula Bagac hanggang Buting ay hindi naging madali; at wari'y tumugon din siya sa sinaunang atas na "humayo at magparami,"  at ngayon nga'y masasabi ng kanyang salinlahi: "Parang di man lang pinagpawisan si Lolo Migz."