A History of the Parish of Sto. Nino
Mabini, Pangasinan
By
Rev. Fr. Alfred T.
Viernes
Presentation: The main task of this research work is to
answer the question: How did the Augustinian Recollects arrive and evangelize our
pueblo Balincaguin[1]? To answer this question, the researcher
decided not to answer the question directly by going at once to the year
1610. In order to understand and
appreciate what happened during the founding of the Parish, it would be better
to go back to an earlier generation of events within and outside the
archipelago. Other details of history, though rich and exciting in themselves, have
been left out to fit and be more focused on our goals and purposes.
Being an amateur researcher, I relied heavily on secondary
sources. Nevertheless, the choices of
secondary sources are highly esteemed and professional historians. This opus is
far from being comprehensive and extensive.
I encourage others to investigate other areas and events which this opus
might have missed out or lacking thereof in order to have a better view and
understanding and appreciation of our past and history.
I.
The Early Beginnings (15th
to 17th centuries)
A.
From Spain to the Philippines
The Spanish Kingdom was even expanded in influence and power
through King Carlos (Emperor Charles V) and his son Felipe II, successors of
King Fernando and Queen Isabel. Spain
was the greatest empire of the world during that time. She was the leading
military power of the whole of Europe. Art, philosophy, literature and theology
prospered.
But over and above these political achievements of Spain is religion,
specifically, Catholicism. Unlike today’s politics (or any movement of the
Government), the underlying principle and motivation of the Kingdom is the
spread, preservation and defense of the Catholic faith. A renowned historian
states:
“Spain was
God’s providential instrument for the salvation of Europe, of the Indies and of
the world. The sense of confidence and of a messianic mission was to inspire
both the extraordinary military conquest of the Spanish conquistador and the
greatest mission enterprise in the history of the Church.”[2]
It was also this same crusading zeal that Spain wanted to
spread the Gospel to other lands or New World. This was the beginning of the
great overseas enterprise in America and Asia. It is also worth noting that just
when the Churches in Europe were eroding in influence due to their greed for
power and some “unpriestly acts”, the Church in Spain was already a reformed
Church long before even Martin Luther called for one in Germany. The religious
orders led the great outburst of spiritual renewal domestically and later on,
to the New World.
The Pope played an important part in the process of discovery
and sovereignty of a newly found land. Papal
Bulls were necessary in giving the discoverer’s (as a nation or Kingdom)
exclusive right and jurisdiction of territories being discovered. Thus, in
1492, Fernando el Catolico of Spain asked Pope Alexander VI to grant Spain a
Papal Bull to avoid conflicts with her neighbor Portugal. The Pope granted the
Bull a year later entitled “Inter Caetera”
with the following instructions:
…we have heard that
you had long proposed to seek out and find certain island and mainlands remote
and unknown, and never yet discovered by others, so that you might bring the
natives and inhabitants thereof to worship our Redeemer and to profess the
Catholic faith…We therefore…grant and assign, and with them all their
possessions, towns, forts, territories, cities and all the rights and
jurisdictions appertaining thereto, to you and your heirs and successors, the
Kings of Castile and Leon forever. And we make, constitute and depute you and
your heirs and successors lords of the same, with full, free and all-embracing
power, authority and jurisdiction…Moreover, we order you…to dispatch to the
designated mainlands and islands virtuous and God-fearing men endowed with
learning, experience, and skill, to instruct the natives and inhabitants in the
Catholic Faith and to instill in them sound morals…”[3]
Moreover, even before Spain could ever launch her explorers
and missionaries to the New World, Portugal had already sailed and began her
discovery and expansion. In the early 15th century, they have
reached North Africa, Angola, India (under Vasco da Gama), Moluccas and Japan
(under Francis Xavier). Spain sailed to Antilles, America (under Christopher Columbus)
and finally to the Philippines (under Ferdinand Magellan[4]).
B.
From Cebu to Manila
1. The coming of the Conquestadores
On August 10, 1519, Fernao Magalhaes, together with five
boats (Trinidad, Victoria, Conception,
Santiago, San Antonio) with 270 men sailed from Seville in search for
Moluccas. After their tumultuous voyage on the rough seas of the Pacific, three
boats remained (Trinidad, Victoria,
Conception). They unexpectedly
reached the beaches of Samar but they sailed on until they reached Homonhon
Island. Magellan went further to Limasawa Island where they had their first
mass, presided over by Father Pedro Valderrama, on March 31, 1521.
The fleet reached Cebu on April 7, 1521. Magellan met with Raja Humabon, king of Cebu,
and the latter, together with his wife and some 800 subjects, were
baptized. Contrary to popular beliefs
and histories, the baptisms were not forced or coerced upon the natives by the
conquerors. It was Magellan himself who catechized the natives and he even gave
then freedom to chose to be baptized or not.
Pigafetta, a resident chronicler of Magellan, narrates:
“the captain said many things concerning peace… prayed
God…heaven. They said they never heard
anyone speak such words, but they took pleasure in hearing them…the captain
told them God made the sky, the earth, the sea and everything else…to honor our
father and mothers…that we all descended from Adam and Eve…and many other
things pertaining to faith…the captain said that if they wished to become
Christians, our priest would baptize them…They answered that they would first
speak to their King, and that they would become Christians..we all wept with
great joy. The captain-general told them
that they should not become Christians for fear or to please us, but of their
own free wills; and that he would not cause any displeasure to those who wished
to live according to their own law, but that the Christians would be better
regarded and treated than the others.
All cried out in one voice that they were not becoming Christians through fear
or to please us, but of their own free will.”[5]
The devote captain Magellan and 20 of his soldiers met their
cruel and bloody end when they went to Mactan Island in April 27, 1522. He tried to intervene with the feud between
Humabon and Lapu-lapu. After that, that rest of the fleet flew elsewhere. Conception was burned. Trinidad sailed towards Mexico. Victoria went to Seville.
After the partial success of Magellan and his fleet, Charles
V sent other batches of explorers like Juan Garcia Jofre de Loaysa (1525),
Elcano, Martin Iniquez de Carquizano, Alvaro Saavedra (1527), Hernando Torre
and Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, who “renamed the Western Islands to Filipinas in
honor of Don Felipe, Prince of Asturias”[6]
Villalobos died in 1546.
The coming of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi marked the decision of
Spain to permanently settle in the Philippines and to fulfill their mandate as
stated in the Papal Bull Inter Caetera, i.e.
conquest and evangelization. He was
accompanied by a group of Augustinian friars from Mexico. With the leadership of Fray Andres de
Urdaneta, they were to continue the work started by Magellan and Fr. Valderrama
which were sporadic and unsystematic.
They arrived in Leyte on February 1564 and made a pact with
Sikatuna. They transferred to Cebu on
April 26, 1565. Through patience and determined negotiations, Legaspi was able
to convince Tupas, king of Cebu island, to acknowledge Spain and accept
Christianity. Since that time and with the coming and help of his grandson,
Juan Salcedo, Legazpi began to improve Cebu through reorganization and
beautification (Spanish style or way) of Cebu Island.
Just like what he did in Cebu Island, Legaspi reorganized and
developed Manila. With some resistance
to the supremacy of Spain, the people around Manila acknowledged their power
over them. This was the beginning of a more systematic and organized way of
governance and evangelization which expanded later on to Luzon. It was actually
Juan Salcedo who spread and colonized northern Luzon. Unfortunately, he was
stricken by a malignant fever and died in Vigan in 1576. He was considered the last conquistador. The remaining untapped
lands were left to the captains but especially to the missionaries.
2.
The Coming of the Missionaries
After the establishment of Manila as the center and capital
of the new Spanish colony in 1571, the Spaniards requested King Philip II to
ask Rome to make Manila a separate and independent Diocese (from Mexico). Consequent to that request is the appointment
of a new Bishop for Manila. In February
6, 1579, Pope Gregory XIII approved the request and sent a Bull Illius Fulti Praesidio indicating that
Manila is now a Diocese separate and independent to Mexico, her mother
Diocese. The Pope also appointed Fray
Domingo de Salazar as the first Bishop of Manila. Later on, Salazar felt the need to divide the
Diocese (covering the whole Philippines) for more efficient administration in
the mission. Thus, Pope Clement VIII issued a Papal Bull Super Specula Militantis Ecclesiae effecting the creation of
Archdiocese of Manila on August 14, 1595.
The new archdiocese had three suffragan Sees, namely Nueva Segovia (covering
from northern to central Luzon) Caceres (Southern Luzon) and Cebu.
After a relatively stable governance in the Government and
the Church, missionaries started coming in. As was stated earlier, the
Augustinians came with Legaspi in 1565.
They were the first group of missionaries to systematically evangelize
the indios[8] The Order of Franciscans arrived in June 24,
1578. Jesuits came on September 17, 1581. The Dominicans came on July 21 1587.
The Recollects arrived on May 1606. These were the major religious groups that
were responsible for founding and evangelizing the vast Islas del Poniente.[9]
In fact, they were the true conquestadores
of the islands.
Just like the Papal Bulls wherein countries were given the
right to territories they find or discover and develop them, the Royal Spain
also made some divisions for territorial jurisdictions and apportioned them to
the religious orders. Although the religious orders were already starting their
mission, their mandate quite came late. The Royal
Cedula was released on April 27, 1594 containing the official division of
the provinces among the religious orders.
C.
From Manila to Zambales
According to a historian, “the Augustinian Recollect friars
were most enthusiastic ‘to undertake the arduous task of sending missionaries
to the Philippines’”[10] Fray Juan de San Jeronimo, together with nine
priests and four brothers left Cadiz and arrived in Cebu on May 12, 1606 on
board Espiritu Santo. On June of the
same year, they went to Manila. At first, they were cordially adopted in the
convento of the Dominicans in Santo Domingo. Later on, they were with the
Augustinians in San Agustin. The Governor of Manila gave them a parcel of land
in Bagumbayan where they put up their convent. In 1607, Bataan and Zambales (up
to the Western Pangasinan) were given to them as their mission territories.
Before we trace the missionary work of the Recolletos, it
would be very interesting to know how our ancestors lived. This short portion answers the questions:
what were our ancestors doing before the colonizers arrived? What were their beliefs and culture? Did they have political systems before the
Spaniards arrived? Unfortunately, we do
not have “Filipino” answers to these questions since there were no “Filipino”
chroniclers and historians at that time. The answers will be provided by our
Spanish missionaries who saw and documented their observations about our
ancestors. The question should rather
be: how did the missionaries see us when they arrived?
1.
The Socio-Politico-religious
situation before the colonization and evangelization.
a. Just like the other islands in the archipelago, our
ancestors had no common government. They
did not have a common consciousness of belonging to one another. Hence, they
did not constitute a nation. The settlements or barangays are mutually hostile
to each other. They were independent, self-governing, self reliant, separate
from each other. Religion was pagan and animistic.
b. Henry Scott wrote: “the Spaniards first met the
Zambals when Juan de Salcedo (died 1576) rescued some who had been sold as
slaves to a Chinese ship anchored in Bolinao. Four years later they appeared to
repay the favor when the Spaniards were besieging a Chinese invader fortified
the mouth of the Agno River. As Fr. Rada (1577) described the contact, ‘when we
were taking the field against the corsair Limahong, a chieftain of the Zambals
came to us with 100 archers, saying he wanted to go to war with us, and that he
wanted as his whole prize no more than simply the Chinese heads!’”[11]
c.
Zambal society
The origin of the Zambals.
Montemayor states: “The Zambals are also believed to be among the early
Malay immigrants who found their way into our archipelago through the so-called
land bridges stretching all the way from the South East Asia to Luzon via
Palawan and Mindoro, some 250,000 years ago.”[12]
“Zambal communities were small, and both economically and
politically underdeveloped. Their clothing was limited to G-strings, short
skirts and jackets; men shaved the front half of their heads to leave long
locks hanging, and nobody wore heavy gold jewelry…”[13]
“Men moved to their wives’ residence, and marriages were
strictly monogamous: both erring parties could be executed for adultery. They practiced infanticide if necessary to limit
their offspring to one boy and one girl. Their houses were simple enough for
Spaniards to call them huts, but permanent enough to permit the display of
human heads taken.”[14]
“Class structure was not obvious enough to attract friar
attention. There were individuals reconded in society as the descendants of
slaves, but no chiefly class with inherited right to rule and receive
tribute. Rather, chiefs were men
respected or feared for the number of heads they had taken, but they exercised
no authority outside their kin group and little within it. They could call on kin support, however, for
vengeance or payment of debts, even to the extent of handling over a lesser
member as wergild.”[15]
“Head taking was an expected part of Zambal male conduct, and
men who did not comply with the custom were treated with scorn. Head taking was
called garro or mangaw…, and skulls were fashioned into cups… A brave credited with
fifteen deaths was entitled to wear a bantakan
legband of fruit seeds, adding more for seventeen, and bright-colored siguey shells for nineteen and more, and
all of them would wrap an anahaw leaf
around the haft of their iwa digger…”[16]
d. Zambal religion
“Zambal religion consisted mainly in the worship of ancestral
spirits called anitos and individual
deities with personal names. Malyari
seems to have been the only one represented by an actual idol- a wooden head
with straw body and arms constructed and clothed by a shaman for the occasion…
Included among their deities, perhaps because
of Tagalog influence, was Bathala
Mey Kapal… There were also
fetishlike figures small enough to be held in the hand. Certain stands of bamboo were considered
sacred and therefore dangerous to cut, and omen birds were called salaksak or pasimanuken.”[17]
“Religious services (maganito)
were conducted by shamans called bayok,
male transvestites who nonetheless wore weapons at their waist like a man- a
cutlass on the left a head-taking iwa
on the right. Each bayok was
dedicated to a particular deity or spirit, and consecrated in an expensive
ceremony attended by his relatives, in which he sacrificed a pig and anointed
them with its blood, and then snipped off the ends of his long hair wound with
gold ornaments to toss into the air for them to catch. A maganito was basically a séance during which a bayok would make three holes in the ground with a spear and fill
them with wine before falling into a trembling trance to speak with the voice
of the spirit that possessed him. Bayok were paid well enough for their
services to recoup the costs of their initiation- for example, 10 taels for a
funeral ritual in which the deceased was offered rice, buyo, wine and tobacco so as not to return to haunt the living.”[18]
2.
Initial attempts of early
missionaries
Zambales and the western part of Pangasinan were already
explored by the Dominicans and Augustinians[19]
even before the end of the 16th century. The missionaries encountered many unfortunate
events such as unhealthy climate, the ferocity and savagery of the natives,
adamant refusal for change and attachments to their traditions. In fact, Fray Agustin Mino, an Augustinian,
was killed by the natives in 1591. The missions were abandoned and no authentic
and systematic evangelization took place.
If there were missionary activities in the locality, it was merely
sporadic and occasional.
3.
The Coming of the Recolletos
The Augustinian recollects must have heard of the sad plight
of the missions and missionaries in Zambales and the western part of Pangasinan. Yet, despite what happened, they joyfully
accepted the invitation of encomendero
Hernando de Avalos to go to the abandoned missions. In 1606, Fray Miguel de la Madre de Dios,
Pedro de San Jose and a brother Francisco de Santa Monica braved their way the
Zambales. Romanillos recounted:
“Their activity was astonishing. Unmindful neither of the
inhospitable terrain, nor the scarcity of food nor the vaunted ferocity and
bellicose nature of the Zambals, the unfazed missionaries crossed rivers and
creeks and climbed mountains and hills. They reduced the widely dispersed
natives in order to impart to them the rudiments of the Christian faith more
effectively and to prevent endless skirmishes.”[20]
The Recollects built their own shanties as their living
quarters. They ate rice and vegetables which greatly affected their diet. Fray
Miguel de la Madre de Dios was stoned by the angry natives. Though he did not
die at once, he was considered to be Proto-martyr of the Recollects. He was replaced by Father Rodrigo de San
Miguel and was soon followed by Fray Andres del Spiritu Santo, Fray Jeronimo de
Cristo and others.
D.
From Zambales to Bolinao
What really happened to the missionaries and their transfer
to the northern part of Zambales can be seen in the official report of Fray
Jose dela Concepcion to their Superior General.
We will quote the whole report (translated from the original Spanish by
Fr. Santos):
(fol.
173) Year 1609
“21. This year, the
above-mentioned Venerable Father Vicar Provincial decided to continue our
glorious enterprise of preaching the Gospel intending to reach up to the end of
the coast of Zambales and its mountain rage, which is the island known as
Bolinao. It is more than fifty leagues
north of this city. Our Augustinian
Fathers had earlier been in the island, but, due to the ferocity and savage customs
of its inhabitants, who were idolaters, sorcerers, soothsayers and witches, and
who threatened to kill the ministers of the Gospel, (the latter) abandoned this
island, as the expected little or no fruit from it, and they gave up the idea
of making it part of the fold that is the Church.
For this reason, upon the request of the Very Illustrious
Lord Governor-General and captain –General of these islands, Don Rodrigo de
Rivera (fol. 174) and of the Very Illustrious and Venerable Dean and chapter of
the Holy Metropolitan Church of Manila, our above-mentioned Venerable Fathers
Friar Cristobal de Cristo and Friar Andres del Espiritu Santo to convert the
infidels of the above-mentioned island of Bolinao. Friar Andres was the one who
had converted and founded the Pueblo of Masinloc. These two religious moved into Bolinao determined
to mollify the ferocity of its inhabitants and to soften their stubborn, stony,
harder-than-diamonds hearts. They were
nourish only with herbs from the fields for some months until even this
nourishment was unexpectedly taken away (fol. 174v) by those barbarous indios in order that they would starve
to death or that they would find it necessary to move or leave them alone with
their bad customs. This was what would
happened if God our Lord had not assisted them with His holy grace, as He does
during the most trying times.
22. The religious carried on and patiently endured the
innumerable hardships and miseries for some time, until the Lord took pity
of the laborers and He so disposed things that, though their preaching, those
barbarians were won over, because, having seen the religious to be
long-suffering, humble and gentle and with such extraordinary forbearance, they
realized that (those missionaries) could not be right in what they were
teaching and preaching to them. By this means and for this reason, (fol. 175)
many submitted themselves to the sweet yoke of the Gospel, received the Christian
doctrine and were baptized very happily and contentedly. The number of those
who were baptized was 1600, and, with them, the said Fathers founded, in the
above-mentioned island, the church, convent and pueblo of Bolinao.
Here, something happened similar to that which happened to
the Venerable Father Friar Rodrigo de San Miguel in a grove which I narrated in
number 17 and 18. The religious
missionaries learned that all or almost all the indios of the pueblo had gone to a sugarcane field, not very far
away, to pay homage to it and worship the canes like gods. The religious pursued them and, when they
found the indios absorbed in their
blind ritual, (fol. 175v) they urged and prodded them to cut down even just one
cane, (but) however insistently (they did so), the indios adamantly refused, because the devil had convinced them that
anyone who dared to cut down a cane
would, right then, drop dead.
The religious, with the help of a boy who was their guide,
began to cut down and crush the canes.
The indios raised their voices
and, as they shrieked and screamed, they expected the Fathers to drop dead,
influenced as they had been by the deception of the devil. When all the canes
had been cut down and what the indios believed would happen did not, their
faith in Christ became stronger that when they first received it, and they
preserved in Christianity more contentedly and with more conviction. They have
since kept going with such devotion and a Christian (spirit) that It is now the
best, (fol. 176) the largest the most orderly, trustworthy, loyal and devout
pueblo which the recollects have in the entire length of the Zambales mountain
range.”[21]
E.
From Bolinao to Balingcaguin
After the daring yet successful missionary work in Bolinao,
Fray Andres del Espiritu Santo and Fray Cristobal de Cristo expanded their
reach to Balincaguin. An old official
document (1851) done by Juan Felix de la Encarnacion narrated the following
details (translated from the original Spanish by Fr. Santos):
(page
37) Town of Balincaguin
“This town owes its foundation to the missionary work done in
1610 by the Venerable Father Friar Andres del Espiritu Santo, collaborator in
the spiritual conquest of the inhabitants of the town Masinloc, and the
Venerable Father Cristoval de Cristo near and in front of the island of
Bolinao, in the mainland of Zambales, crossing the silanga which separates the
two lands. The town was placed under the patronage of the Most Holy Name of
Jesus[22].
It is near the mountains. The ground on the plain is
frequently flooded during the season of rains, while the elevated portion was
rugged. And so, (page 38) the air is humid. There are frequent rains from June
to October. (Balincaguin) is two hours away from the sea, (which is) in the
north.
Among the fruit-bearing trees which are grown in the
vicinities of the town are coconut, oranges (naranjas) and Seville oranges
(cajeles). In the countryside, you find all kinds of vegetables.
People here dedicate themselves to agriculture, an enterprise
which to their satisfaction, is rewarded with good harvest of palay. They also cultivate cacao, although in small
quantities. Add to this is the many horses, carabaos and cows which they set
free in meadows with excellent fodder and also the different species of wood,
such as yacal, banaba, mangachapuy, camagon, and ebony, which are found in the
luxuriant forests here. All this offers them the opportunity to engage in
active and lucrative business.
In this parish, there are two visitas which can already form
two towns independent of the mother, namely, San Vicente de Dasol and San
Isidro de Potot, the former in the south, two league away, the latter in the
southwest, one and a half league away. The two are one league apart from each
other.
In the areas between this town and the visita of Dasol, there
is a mine which, according to an investigative body, seems to be copper. All the land surrounding the town can be said
to be made up of uninterrupted stone quarry similar to granite (berroquena),
very white and superlatively fine-grained.
It has common boundaries with Santa Cruz in the south, seven
leagues away, and Agno in the west, six leagues away. In the north is Sarapsap,
a league and a half away.”[23]
By the grace of God and through the patience and endurance of
the missionaries, the whole missionary
efforts were a success. Romanillos
quotes:
“In 1618, the Royal officials of Manila took cognizance of
the profound transformation the province had undergone since the advent of the
religious: ‘they had reduced the province of Zambales to the political life and
to the fold of the Church, as the first conquestadores of these savages who had
earlier slain all those who arrived in their territories and who – through
these fathers’ hard work – are now among the safest in these islands.”[24]
By 1645, there were only six priests in Zambales: two in
Mariveles, two in Masinloc and two in Bolinao.[25]
The towns were only visited by the missionaries twice a year due to the
difficulties in transportation, climate and some dangers in the mountains. One
of the two missionaries – sometimes both of them – would periodically leave the
central mission residence and visit other communities and settlements that
dotted the shoreline and mountains where majority of the people continued to
reside.[26]
But this success did not last very
long. In 1661, the missionaries were temporarily
recalled from Zambales due to the uprising of Sumulay, a Zambal leader and Andres
Malong, a Pangasinan leader[27]. They joined forces in suppressing not
necessarily the missionaries and their work but the Spanish Government[28].
The Recollects in Manila sent some reinforcements to help the troubled
towns. But the damages were too much to bear
that despite the efforts of Fray Juan Blancas de la Madre de Dios, Fray
Bernardino de la Conception and Luis de San Jose, they were withdrawn by their
superiors in Manila.
They came back to continue their work in 1666. Three more priests were added through the
office of the Recollectos Provincial Cristobal de Santa Monica in 1671. Since
then, their work was very successful that it aroused the envy of the Dominicans
who administered the eastern side of the mountains (Tarlac and Pampanga).[29]
The Dominicans appealed to Archbishop
Felipe Pardo, their conferrer who happened to be the Archbishop of Manila at
that time, to give Zambales missions to them.
Jose de San Nicolas, the Provincial of the Recollects, obeyed and
withdrew his friars from Zambales and went instead to Mindoro in 1679[30]. The Recollects felt betrayed by the action of
the Provincial superior. They appealed their case to the Council of the Indies
to reverse the decision of exchanging their “beloved ministries in Zambales,
first-born offspring of their spirit”[31]
to the Dominicans. After decades of
litigation, the Recollects returned to Zambales in 1712.
II.
18th and 19th Century
Developments of Balingcaguin
18th century marked the start of secularization in
the archipelago. While the Spanish
missionaries and government taught us many things like religion,
infrastructure, culture and civility, they also unknowingly helped us be
ourselves as Filipinos. This created systematic resistance and revolt in the
provinces (like the Palaris revolt in 1763 in Western Pangasinan and northern
Zambales).
The Church was not spared from the Secularization
movement. There was a clamor to have
secular priests to take care of the parishes.
Yet it did not prosper easily due to the might of the Spanish Rule the
reluctance of the uninformed Filipinos. There was a time when the parish
priests of Balincaguin took care of the parish of San Jose de Zarapsap
(Alaminos) from 1776 to 1833. They had assistants who were most likely secular priests (like Fr.
Torribio Raymundo (1778), Fr. Torribio de Victoria (1815) and Fr. Ramon Aquino
(1818), Fr. Domingo Mangilinan (1819)[32].
Montemayor notes: “ but
because of a notable increase in population, and considering the great distance
the roving missionary had to travel every week to commute between the two
towns, the town of Casborran (another name of Alaminos) urgently asked and
agitated for a resident parish priest.”[33]
On 1800, San Vicente de Dasol, a visita or anejo of Balincaguing, separated from
the parish and existed as a separate parish with her own resident Parish
priest. San Isidro de Potot (Burgos) followed and became a parish in 1876[34].
When San Vicente de Dasol became a parish, a report on
Balincaguin said:
“Balincaguin, as per
records, began to exist as a town in the year 1800 under the leadership of Don
Isidro Puzon. In those days, the head of the town was called “capitan”, which
is equivalent to the position of the town mayor today. It had a population then of 770 families,
majority of which were Ilocanos who migrated to the Municipality to settle
permanently due to its fertile soil. These settlers grouped themselves on a
plain situated near the mountains and called the site “conventa”. They produced superior quality of rice which was
marketed to Manila and even to China. Other agricultural products were corn,
sugar, cane, cotton, etc. aside from agriculture, there were home industries
like saddle-making, knapsack-making and hat-weaving. They also engaged in
raising cattles, carabaos, horses and goats. During those days, numerous bats
inhabited the town and this drove the people to catch them. The catching of
bats continued for many years until in finally in 1930, these winged creatures
had gone deeper to the forests.”[35]
We find an interesting documentation (1850) from Manuel
Buzeta and Felipe Bravo regarding our parish[37].
“The Town with a parish and a mayor, in the island of
Luzon, province of Zambales, Archdiocese
of Manila…it is
exposed to the
prevailing winds that hit real hard. The terrain here is rugged. The climate is
temperate and healthy.
[This town] was founded in 1610
by the recollect Fathers. At present, it
has 1,110 houses of the simple type that is common in this land. Among these
are the parish house and the community hall or ‘tribunal’. There is a prison
house and a primary school, [the latter] with several students and wit the
support of the community funds. It has a
parish church under the care of a parish priest belonging to a religious order.
Falling within the civil and
ecclesiastical jurisdiction of this town are its two visitas or anejos, namely,
San Vicente de Dasol, and San Isidro de Potot. Not far from the church is the
cemetery, which is well kept and breezy.
This town communicates with its
neighbors through ordinary roads. It receives the local mail once a week on
days that vary. It has common boundaries with the above-mentioned visitas. Its area is quite large.
On its mountains, one can find
[a lot of] excellent wood for construction different kinds of palms and
rattans, an abundance of game, big and small, such as buffaloes, wild boars,
deer, cocks, turtledoves and so on, as well as honey and wax deposited by bees.
The farm land is quite fertile. Its products are rice, wheat, corn, cotton,
indigo, sugar cane and all kinds of vegetables, and fruits common to this land.
Its industry is made up of the
benefits from its natural and agricultural products, hunting, fishing and
weaving. Business is limited to the
exploration of surplus from their products and of importation of goods produced
elsewhere and from the markets of Manila.
Its population is 6,680 souls,
426 tributes, which reached up to 14,240 reales plata, equivalent to 55,600
vn.”
Another tragedy struck our Church in 1852. According to a
report: “sometime in 1852, the Catholic Church was struck by lightning and was
burned down. The Church, although with concrete walls, used to be sheltered
with cogon grass which was known to be a friend of fire once it is dried”[38]
An 1878 report from Patricio Marcellan de San Jose states:[39]
[page
69] Town of Balincaguin
The foundation of this town is a
result of the labors and preaching of Father Friar Andres del Espiritu Santo,
who moved from the island of Bolinao to the mainland of Luzon, where he
gathered many Christians and constructed a Church under the patronage of the
Holy Name of Jesus. The town is near the mountains. It gets flooded during the season of rains.
The farm products of the place
are rice and fruits, which are found in abundance because the soil is fertile.
Animals meant for work or food multiplies fast because of good pasture. The
forests offer excellent wood, which is exported to other places. Its parish
priest, a nominee of the vice-patron, is Father Friar Silverio Leon de la
Conception, 33 years of age. A Profile of the Parishioners (Estado de Almas de
la Parroquia):Natives paying tributes (2112);Exempted by privilege (133);Exempted
due to age and sickness (120); Single, male and female, 13-18 years old (299);Single,
male and female, 8-12 years old (658); Children (317); total number of souls
(4138) (but should be 3639); Tributes (1122 ½).
Sometime in 1881, a second great flood devastated
Balincaguin. A report states:
“…forty nine
years later after the first flood devastated the town, another one
occurred. It had a more disastrous
effect to livestock, human lives, and properties than the first one. I was
popularly called as “The Flood of Don Nicolas” because the head of the town at
that time was Capitan Don Nicolas Rivera. The 20-meter hill that is commonly
called “Olumbuaya Hill” which means “Crocodile’s head” was almost under water.”[40]
The revolutionaries in 1898-1899 were a period of more
killings of friars. On March 6-7, 1898,
our Recollectos Parish priest, Fray Epifanio Vergara, was killed together with
Fray Manuel Azagra (Bolinao), Fray Mariano Torrente (San Isidro), Fray Andres
Romero (Alaminos), Fray Juan Navas (Dasol), Fray Julian Jimenez (Poonbato). A
detained report states:
“At about 11:00am of the same day, reports reached Gen.
Manalang that most of the Towns under his command were already liberated from
Spanish rule. Balincaguin fell into the hands of the insurgents (Katipuneros)
as early as 9:00am, March 7, 1898. The calzadores and the civiles there were
wiped out. The parish priest of Balincaguin, Fr. Epifanio Vergara, fought on
the side of the cazadores against the insurgents and was slain in the fight.”[41]
III.
20th to 21st
Century Developments
1.
Changes in civic territories and
renaming of the town
The early years of the 20th century marked the
changes and reorganization of the territorial jurisdictions between Zambales
and Pangasinan. On November 21, 1903, the northern part of Zambales was annexed
to Pangasinan. By virtue of USPC Act No. 1004, Balincaguin, together with
Dasol, San Isidro de Potot, Bolinao, Zaragoza, Alaminos and Infanta became part
of Western Pangasinan. Bani, Anda and Agno also became part of Western
Pangasinan on December 19, 1903[42].
On the local level, the name of the town “Balincaguin” was
changed to “Mabini” by virtue of Act No. 3552, 8th PL, 2nd
Regular Session[43]
effective November 23, 1929. This was
due to the great and prevailing nationalistic spirit of the whole country when
our heroes, especially the Great Paralytic Apolinario Mabini, the Brains of the
Katipunan and chief advisor of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, achieved what they were
longing and fighting for: the Declaration of Independence from the Spanish Rule
(June 12, 1898).
2.
Changes in the ecclesiastical
territories and jurisdictions
While towns were being realigned to different civil
jurisdictions and territories, the Diocese and her parishes were doing the same. Now that Mabini was part of Western
Pangasinan, she now belonged to the newly created Diocese of Lingayen on May
19, 1928 with Most Rev. Cesar Maria Guerrero as Resident Bishop. Diocese of Lingayen became independent from
the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia due to the growing number of parishioners in Pangasinan,
La Union, Nueva Viscaya, and Nueva Ecija. The Diocese was renamed
Lingayen-Dagupan and it became an Archdiocese on February 16, 1963. The new Archdiocese only covered the whole of
Pangasinan. Most Rev. Mariano Madriaga was the Archbishop. In January 12, 1985,
Diocese of Alaminos (to which our parish now belongs) and Diocese of Urdaneta
were created and became separate from the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. Most
Rev. Jesus Cabrera is the first Bishop of the Diocese of Alaminos.
3.
Other Significant events in the
parish
Another great flood devastated Mabini in 1957. Those who
survived believed that it was the most destructive of all the floods that
struck Mabini (and the neighboring towns) to this date. A report said:
This flood was called “the flood of Don Osting” because the
mayor at that time was Don Justo de Guzman, Jr.
the Olumbuaya Hill was totally submerged and the people were caught
unaware of the impending disaster because it was past midnight when the
flashflood occurred. More than 700 people living in the low valley and other
low-lying barangays perished and approximately 80% of their homes and animals
were swept away by the rampaging water and were carried away by the strong
current towards the next town and into the China Sea. Because of this event,
some of the affected families decided to move to another place to reside
permanently.”[44]
When heavy rains and floods occur in Mabini, the Church was
always used as evacuation center due to its elevated location and the feeling
of security of staying inside a building made of “adobe”. That was until the
early morning of December 12, 1999. The
old Sto. Nino Church (built in 1830) was torn down by a strong earthquake. Majority of the stone walls, the façade and
the altar collapsed. With the basic
structure and foundation of the old Church still intact, the people of Mabini
decided to repair and restore the old and beloved Church of Sto. Nino and was
blessed on 2005.
There had been quite a few vocations to the priesthood in the
parish. Many enter the seminary but, by God’s mysterious plan, they go out and
pursue another vocation. Not until on
1998 when Fr. Rey Jose Ragudos was ordained to the Order of Presbyterate. Thus
far, he is the only priest that this parish has produced. At present, he is now the Vicar General of
the Diocese.
There were two Christ the King (Cristo Rey)celebrations that
were held in the Parish. The first was
on 1981. It was a provincial occasion since there was only one Diocese for the
whole province of Pangasinan. The second
was on 2001. Aside from the spiritual
benefits of the occasion, the people sought to hold the Diocesan celebration in
order to solicit more funds for the restoration of the century-old Sto. Nino
Church which was destroyed by an earthquake on 1999.
The old convent and the parish office were transferred on the
other side of the Church on 2006. The
present location of
the new convent and office was used to be the temporary church (or chapel)
which was no longer being used due to the fact that the newly restored Church
was already operating.
The old Municipal hall was also renovated in 2008. It now
stands beautifully and was blessed in 2009.
Most Rev. Marlo Peralta, DD, the present bishop of the
Diocese, chose Sto. Nino Parish to be another recipient of the Partnership of
the Dioceses of Alaminos and Limburg (Germany).
The partnership has been in the Diocese since her birth. The aim of the
partnership is sharing of faith and life among the two Dioceses. St. Joseph
Cathedral Parish (Alaminos), Immaculate Conception Parish (Bani), Our Lady of
Lourdes (Salasa) are already benefiting from this Partnership. On the occasion of the Quadri-centennial
celebration of the parish on January 14, 2010, our German friends visited us.
With the rich past of our parish and the present fruits of
our ancestors, we are very hopeful, with the guiding hand of the Sto. Nino (who
holds the globe in His palm), for the things to come in the future!
[1]
This is the old name of the town of Mabini.
It is a combination of three Zambal words: bali lan caguin (abode of
bats).
[2]
John N. Schumacher, SJ. Readings in
Philippine Church History, 2nd edition, (Quezon City: Loyola
School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila
University, 1987) p.1.
[3] Op.
cit. pp. 3-4.
[4]
Although he is a Portugese, Magellan obtained his Spanish nationality in order
to serve the Spanish Crown so that he could try to find a westward route to the
Spice Islands of Indonesia, cf. Wikipedia, “Ferdinand Magellan”
[5]
Op.cit. p. 12-13.
[6]
Pablo Fernandez, OP. History of the Church in the Philippines (1521-1898).(Manila:
National Bookstore) p. 12.
[7]
They were called reyezuelos by the
Spaniands. Cf. Lucio Gutierrez, OP. the Archdiocese of Manila, a pilgrimage
in Time (1565-1999) vol. 1. (Manila: The Roman Catholic Archbishop of
Manila, 1999) p. 2
[8]
This word is used not in a derogative way.
It is to distinguish indigenous Filipinos of Malay blood and
Philippine-born Spaniards. “Filipino” as we now use it, can only have its full
sense with the rise of national consciousness in the latter half of the 19th
century. Cf. Schumacher, p. x.
[9]
The Spaniards called the Philippines by this name.
[10]
Emmanuel Romanillos. The Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines,
Hagiography and History. P. 103 quoting from Francisco Sabada. Catalogo de los religiosos agustinos
recoletos de la Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino de Filipinas desde el ano
1606, en que llego la primera mission a Manila, hasta nuestros dias, Madrid
1906,17.
[11]
William Henry Scott. Barangay, 16th century Philippine Culture and
Society (Manila: Ateneo de Manila university Press) p.250.
[12]
Felix M. Montemayor, Alaminos, Achievers All, 1983.p. 35
[13]
Scott. p. 251
[14]
Ibid.
[15]
Ibid.
[16]
Ibid.
[17]
Ibid. p. 252
[18]
Ibid.
[19]
Cf. Montemayor, P. 36-37
[20]
Romanillos, p. 118
[21] Report
of Fray Joseph de la Conception entitled “Origen,
Progresos y Estado de la Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino en las Islas
Philipinas y de Religiosos Recoletos Descalzo de Nuestro Padre San Agustin
hasta el presente ano de mil setecientos y cincuenta”. Cf. Edilberto V.
Santos. Western Pangasinan: Earliest Beginnings 1572-1898 as Told by Primary
Sources. Vol 1 (Alaminos City: Diocese of Alaminos) p. 8
[22]
This name Santissimo Nombre de Jesus, was also the patron of Cebu which was
retained up to this present age.
[23] A
report by Fray Felix dela Encarnacion to his superiors in Spain entiled “Estadistica de la Provincia de S. Nicolas
de Tolentino de PP. Agustinos Recoletos de Filipinas. Cf. Santos, pp.12-13
[24] Cf.
Romanillos, p. 120.
[25]Op.
cit, p. 121.
[26]
Op. cit. p. 122.
[27] A
rebel from Binalatongan (San Carlos City today) Pangasinan. He rose In arms
against the Spanish Governemnt in December 1660. He was arrested by a joint
Filipino-Spanish force and executed in his town a year later. Cf. Romanillos,
p. 121.
[28]
Cf. Schumacher, p. 100.
[29]Cf. Romanillos, p. 122-123
[30]
Cf.Fernandez, p. 25
[31]
Ibid. p. 123
[32]
These priests were assigned in Zarapsap but they were not in the records of the
Augustinian Recollects. Most likely, they were secular priests.
[33]
Montemayor, p. 41
[34] The
2008-2009 Catholic Directory in the Philippines (Manila: CBCP and Claretian
Press) p.2.
[35] A
written speech delivered by Vice Mayor Alimar Briana during the State of the
Municipal Address (SOMA) 2009
[36]
Ibid.
[37]
Diccionario Geografico, Estadistico, Historico de las Islas Filipinas, cf.
Santos, p. 43.
[38]
Ibid.
[39]
Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino de Agustinos Descalzos de la Congregacion
de Espana e Indias, cf Santos. Pp.32-33.
[40]
Briana, SOMA, p.2
[41]
Montemayor, p. 69.
[42]
Cf. Rosario Mendoza Cortes, Pangasinan, 1901-1986: A Political, Socioeconomic
and cultural History (Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1990), p. 20.
[43]
Op. cit. p. 20. See also endnote.
[44]
Briana, SOMA, p. 3.
Bibliography
John N. Schumacher, SJ. Readings in Philippine
Church History, 2nd edition, (Quezon City: Loyola School of
Theology, Ateneo de Manila University,
1987)
Pablo Fernandez, OP. History
of the Church in the Philippines (1521-1898).(Manila: National Bookstore)
Lucio Gutierrez, OP. The Archdiocese of
Manila, a pilgrimage in Time (1565-1999) vol. 1. (Manila: The Roman
Catholic Archbishop of Manila, 1999)
Emmanuel Sunga, Ruperto
Santos, Armando de Jesus, The Archdiocese of Manila, A Pilgrimage in Time
(1565-1999) vol. II. (Manila: The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Manila,
1999)
Emmanuel Romanillos. The
Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines, Hagiography and History.
William Henry Scott. Barangay,
16th century Philippine Culture and Society (Manila: Ateneo de
Manila university Press
Felix M. Montemayor, Alaminos,
Achievers All, 1983
Edilberto V. Santos. Western
Pangasinan: Earliest Beginnings 1572-1898 as Told by Primary Sources. Vol 1
(Alaminos City: Diocese of Alaminos)
The 2008-2009
Catholic Directory in the Philippines
(Manila: CBCP and Claretian Press)
Rosario Mendoza Cortes,
Pangasinan, 1901-1986: A Political, Socioeconomic and cultural History (Quezon
City: New Day Publishers, 1990)
Rosario Mendoza Cortes,
Pangasinan, 1572-1800 (Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1990)
Vice Mayor Alimar
Briana, State of the Municipal Address (SOMA) 2009
