Name Origin of Basey

People are wondering on how Basey got its name. The word “Basey” comes from the vernacular word “Baysay” which means beauty. This is in docility to the most beautiful quondam inhabitant Bungansakit.

A competition in honor of Bungansakit on adoption of name for the new town so the original village of Balud was renamed to “Guibaysayi” which means most beautiful.

There is a presumption that the word “Basay” was pronounced by the Americans, when we were colonized, as “Basey”. The last syllable “say” was pronounced “sey” because the Americans have difficulty in pronouncing “ah”. Say means “to utter” in the English language. The locals trying to mimic or ridicule the way foreigners speak the word so Basay is popularly pronounced as Basey. People from generations to generations passed this way of reading the word Basay to Basey unwittingly.

The people of Basey decided to use Basay rather than Baysay for the convenience in conversation, in addition to, the Spanish corrupted Basay to Basey in their documentation to suit in their formal writings.“Basey” is always found in Spanish records relationg to town from early maps of the Philippines to the Church bells of St. Michael Arcangel which date back as early as 1858.

Photo Credits to : Joseph Gaw- no copyright infringement intended

 People now in Basey still tends to use Basay when conversing to others in regular chit-chats but basically, the word Basey is more predominant and more formal to use in daily operations and serviceability.

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