Daragang Magayon

In the town of Daraga, in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region,
lays the most beautiful volcano in the Philippines- Mayon

volcano. Its picturesque view may have been what inspired the
natives to come up with one of the most exceptional Philippine
alamats - the legend of "Daragang Magayon" of the Bicolanos, or
"Dalagang Maganda" (beautiful maiden) in Tagalog.
The story is about a princess with beautiful face and character. She is
the daughter of the generous and intelligent Datu Makusog (King
Makusog). She possesses exceptional beauty that all men in their
kingdom, as well as in the neighboring kingdoms, dream to have her
heart.
It has been a hobby of Daragang Magayon to secretly take a bath in

the Yawa River every morning at the break of dawn. It was one
morning when a traveler from the faraway kingdom of Laguna
accidentally saw her secret ritual. He was a young lad named Ulap
(cloud). Upon seeing the beautiful maiden, Ulap was instantly
hypnotized by her beauty.
Ulap eventually decided to show and introduce himself to the maiden.

Not for long, the two became inseparable lovers and their
relationship was happily blessed by King Makusog. Ulap asked
permission from his lady love to go home to Laguna and fetch his
relatives for the pamamanhikan (prenuptial get together).
Meanwhile, the news of the soon-to-be wedding spread like fire in

the nearby kingdoms including the Kingdom of Iraya which is
reigned by Patuga. This news enraged him and brought back the
pain incurred by Daragang Magayon's refusal of his love proposal.
He convinced his people to set a battle against the Kingdom of Rawin
by telling them that Daragang Magayon's marriage to a foreign man
is an insult to their maleness. They agreed to capture King Makusog
and ask for Daragang Magayon as a ransom.
The Kingdom of Rawis is busy in the preparation for the arrival of

the people from Laguna. This was used by Patugo and his army as an
opportunity to attack them. The people of Rawis were so stunned by
this sudden attack that the king was effortlessly captured. The festive
mood was instantly replaced with doom. Daragang Magayon offered
herself as a ransom for the freedom of his father even if this was
against her will. Just then, their expecting visitors, Ulap and his clan
from Laguna, arrived and helped in fighting the enemies.
Under the heat of the sun, behind the dusty wind, swords and bolos
were ravagely swished against each other. Daragang Magayon's heart
beated outrageously because of the suspense brought about by the
battle. A bloody body fell on the ground, and the maiden's heart
skipped a beat thinking that this might be his lover's. She ran closer
and reveled when she saw that instead of Ulap, the lifeless body
belongs to Patugo. She turned around and saw Ulap with his arms
wide open. She joyfully ran towards the waiting arms of her lover. As
the two passionately embraced each other, a deadly flying arrow
came from one of the enemies and struck their entwined bodies. The
sky was covered with gloom as the two lovers slowly fell on the
ground.
The whole Kingdom of Rawis grieved upon their loss. King Makusog
proclaimed that the two shall be buried together since it is not right
to separate what death has united as one.
As they say, true love is hard to bury. Like a strong current, it will
eventually struggle and resurface. Daragang Magayon's love is as such.
It is said that because of the strong love of Daragang Magayon for
Ulap, her grave mounted into a towering mass of volcano as if an
emblem of her undying love. Raging lava even came out of it as a
symbol of her overflowing affection. This volcano which surfaced
from the grave of Daragang Magayon is now known as the Mayon
volcano. Daragang Magayon is what they claim as the Mayon.
Many version of the story occurred in this generation. The story of

Daragang Magayon was written by Mr. Abdon Balde. Balde was born
in Busac, Oas, Albay in the Bicol region. He finished a degree in civil
engineering and worked as a construction engineer for thirty-three
years, after which he retired to pursue a career as an author.
His writer career bloomed and critics noted his unique raw talent. He
concentrated in writing creative short stories, poems and novels. He
received his first literary award in 2003 and has since continued to
win acclaim for his work.
Today, he is a councilor of the organization Lupon Sa Wika, a

member of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
and director of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL;
English: Writers' Union of the Philippines).
His version of Daragang Magayon was created for the Daragang

MAgayon Festival of Albay. He created the story for the theater play
on the festival to be the highlight of the event.
The Daragang Magayon legend gives the Bicol achievements and it
attracts tourists to know the mythical stories of Bicol Region.
The official government of Albay grabs the opportunity to use the

mythical story to be one of the attractions and one of the best shots
in Albay. Aside from the destinations, foods and attractive tourist’s
spots- the Bicol Legends is preserved and well taken care of by the
Government of Albay headed by Gov. Joey Salceda.

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In the town of Daraga, in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region,

lays the most beautiful volcano in the Philippines- Mayon

It has been a hobby of Daragang Magayon to secretly take a bath in

Ulap eventually decided to show and introduce himself to the maiden.

Meanwhile, the news of the soon-to-be wedding spread like fire in

The Kingdom of Rawis is busy in the preparation for the arrival of

Many version of the story occurred in this generation. The story of

Today, he is a councilor of the organization Lupon Sa Wika, a

His version of Daragang Magayon was created for the Daragang

The official government of Albay grabs the opportunity to use the

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