For many years, I have wondered where the name Malasimbo came from. It is the name of the beautiful mountain that stands tall in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. Tourists know it for the famous Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival, and locals admire it as part of our town’s natural beauty. But what does the word really mean? Surprisingly, “Malasimbo” has no clear meaning in Tagalog or Filipino. Even our local leaders and elders say that it has always been called that—but no one really knows why. It is not a common word, and it does not appear in most Filipino dictionaries. Some say the word might come from the Tagalog…