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GUINOBATAN AND ITS CHURCH
(1688-2006) (1906-2006)
By: Leonilo C. Palacio, Ph. D.;Professor, Graduate Studies and Research
REPUBLIC COLLEGES, Guinobatan, Albay
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INTRODUCTION
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THE PARISH OF GUINOBATAN DURING THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION
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REBUILDING THE CHURCH OF GUINOBATAN
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INAUGURATION OF THE CHURCH OF GUINOBATAN
INTRODUCTION
In
1672, the Parish of Guiinobatan was already mentioned in books as a
“visita” of the Municipality of Camalig. In 1678, DON FRANCISCO BAMASBAD,
chief of the “tenientes absolutos”, spearheaded the elevation of a
petition to the Governor-General through the Franciscan Missionaries that
the settlement, then a part of Camalig town, be declared an independent
municipality. After ten years, (1678-1688) the request was granted. By
virtue of Don Francisco Bagamasbad’s initiative, he was appointed
“Gobernadorcillo” and recognized as the first civil administrator of the
new Municipality of Guinobatan. Thus, DON FRANCISCO BAGMASBAD was
considered as the founder of Guinobatan.
Rev. Fr. ALFONSO DE ZAFRA was assigned as the first minister of the newly
separated Parish of Guinobatan. The town’s Patroness (from 1688 to the
present) is the OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION whose Feast falls on the 15th
of August. Hence, Guinobatan will have its 318th Fiesta
Celebration on August 15, 2006, with the local parish and religious
organizations planning for the Guinobatan Church’s Centennial Anniversary
on December 08, 2006. then, it was in February, 1814 when the church was
entirely destroyed for the first time due to the boulders and burning lava
from the destructive eruption of Mayon Volcano. A temporary church was
then built in Barrio Mauraro, which eventually became the center of the
parish. Due to constant threats of the Mayon eruptions, the parish again
transferred to the shores of Panganiran (now a part of Pioduran town by
virtue of RA3817 enacted in 1965). Later, the Guinobateños broke camp and
returned to Guinobatan to suffer again the destructive eruption of the
volcano.
In
1863, the church under the advocation of the Assumption of our lady, was
of good structure and so likewise was the parochial house. There were two
“ermitas” both of them dedicated to Saint Vincesnt. It has royal house of
stone, half-ruined, a school for primary instruction endowed by the funds
of the community and a school for girls funded by the charity of its
Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Bernardino Melendreras. The state of the parish at
the time has the pertinent data: a) Tributes – 4,067 and b) Souls –
15,566. In 1938, the Parish of Guinobatan had a land area of 29,564
hectares and a population of 31,048 with a Bicolano Parish Priest, Rev.
FR. CARLOS BADIOLA.
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THE PARISH
OF GUINOBATAN DURING THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION
The
conversion of the Philippines to the Christian Faith and the Revolution of
1896, culminated in the establishment of the First Philippine
Republic. These two events brought to shape the religious temper and
national unity of the Filipinos. It was the Revolution of 1896 that puts
in bold relief of the patriotism of some of our fellow Guinobateños that
inspires our genuine pride as Bicolanos. During the later part of 1898,
the Spaniards hauled down their flag for the last time in Guinobatan under
the mounting pressure of the revolutionary victories in Albay. The town
was as usual, so peaceful as if there had not occurred at all a change of
great importance. The church, public buildings and all the houses in the
town stood unchanged. The people went about the usual buseness with the
same Christian-spanish names in which they had been baptized. The unique
change was the complete absence of the Spaniards.
In
1899, the Provincial Government of Albay under the Malolos Government was
transferred to Guinobatan. Colegio de San Buenaventura was the seat of the
Provincial Revolutionary Government with Domingo Samson, Presidente
Provincial; Hugo de la Torre, Provincial Vice-Presidente; Thomas Almonte,
Counselor of Justice; Elias Imperial, Counselor of Revenue and Jose
Salcedo, Counselor of Police. Prior to the outbreak of the
Filipino-American war on February 04, 1899, the local Revolutionary
Government of Guinobatan was established with the following local
officials: Francisco Lukban, Local President; Eustaquio Villanueva,
Vice-President; Ponciano Obed, Delegate of Justice; Cirilo Jaucian, Sr.,
Delegate of Revenue and Martin Ofracio, Delegate of Police. The Parish
Priest at that time was Rev. Fr. Jose Natera.
After a short period of peace in Guinobatan (1898-February 03, 1899),
Filipino-American hostilities broke-out. The Americans started the war on
February 04, 1899. on January 23, 1900, the American Occupation Forces
under Gen. William Kobbe, Commander of the American Expedition to the
Bicol Region, attacked Legazpi Port. Mayon Volcano was erupting also at
that time. These two events caused again the panic evacuation of all
Albayanos to the mountain area of the province. The 4th
Regiment under Col. Howe tried to enter Guinobatan by way of the San
Francisco Bridge. The American soldiers were interested in the capture of
Guinobatan, it being the temporary provincial capital of Albay. Two
hundred “Macheteros” (Bolo Battalion) under Capt. Jose Arboleda and two
hundred riflemen were stationed in the poblacion of Guinobatan, Major
Simeon Arboleda Ola and Col. Engracio Orense’s troops were strategically
positioned in Barrio Binogsacan. Ola’s troop was to delay the entry of the
American soldiers from the northern sector of the poblacion. Ola and
Orense fought furiously Col. Dorst’s forces in Binogsacan and in Ominipus.
The troops of Gen. Jopse Ignacio Pawa fought the American invaders from
the south.
While the fight was going on, Gen. Pawa ordered his bugler, Captain Mesias
pimentel to burn Colegio de San Buenaventura and other big buildings in
the poblacion in order to prevent the Americans from occupying these. The
old church was also burned. What stands today of the Franciscan Seminary
of Colegio de San Buenaventura are its ruins and was never rebuilt. It was
constructed in 1895 through the initiative of the last Agustinian Bishop
of Nueva Caceres. Most Rev. Arsenio M. Campo, who channeled its
construction through the initiative of the last Agustinian Bishop of Nueva
Caceres. Most Rev. Arsenio M. Campo, who channeled its construction
through the Franciscan Missionaries. It was, however, Rev. Fr. Carlos
Cabido, Franciscan parish Priest of Guinobatan, who personally directed
the construction of the college and let its solemn inauguration on January
07, 1895. With the Colegio de San Buenaventura, the church and other big
buildings burned, most of the people took refuge in Barrio Malobago. The
commander of the Revolutionary Forces in Albay, Gen. Vito L. Belarmino and
his men retreated also to Malobago. Rev. Fr. Jose Natera temporarily
established the church in the house of Captain Mariano Ope, the father of
Msgr. Julian O. Ope. In 1903, the first Guinobateño Parish Priest who
secceeded Rev. Fr. Natera was Fev. Fr. Julian Ojeda Ope. The early
historical development of Guinobatan and its church had been closely
linked to the events of the Philippine Revolution and the Mayon Volcano
eruptions. The mobility of Guinobatan and its church, so to say, had been
made possible due to the consequences of a hostile environment and
perseverance and sacrifices of its people. These consequences happened due
to the Revolution of 1896, the Filipino-american War 91899-1903) the Mayon
eruptions and other natural and man-made calamities.
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REBUILDING
THE CHURCH OF GUINOBATAN
Out
of the havoc of war and natural calamities, Msgr. Julian O. Ope, was
determined to reconstruct the burned church of Guinobatan. As he viewed
one morning the vast ruins of the Colegio de San Buenaventrua and the
church and as far as the ruins of San 9Rafael, Msgr. Ope’s desire to
rebuild the church of Guinobatan was firmly developed in him. Msgr. Ope
then, religiously and constantly appealed to his fellow Guinobateños for
patience and perseverance in the reconstruction work of the church. The
Guinobateños, considering the deep and solid foundations of the culture
and Catholic religion engrained in their hearts, which Spain had left as a
legacy to them, unanimously rallied behind Msgr. Ope’s project of
rebuilding the church. It was said that every member of the families in
Guinobatan, be they children and adults were seen in long lives to the
direction of the church site bringing stones, bricks, sand and other
building materials they could freely contribute for the reconstruction of
the church.
However, all the rest of the materials were provided by Msgr. Julian O.
Ope out of his own funds and that of his brothers’ and parents’ property,
just to bring the reconstruction of the church to completion. It was also
revealed that most of the Ope family’s property was exhausted for the
reconstruction of the Guinobatan Church.
INAUGURATION OF THE CHURCH OF GUINOBATAN
On
December 08, 1906, after all the sacrifices of Msgr. Julian O. Ope and his
constituents, saw the fruits of their labors – the completion of the
reconstructed church. From then on, the church of Guinobatan emerged from
its transferable status to a stationary one. It has survived to stay put
in its present site and probably never to be moved again to other places,
although it had undergone some repairs during the time of Msgr. Carlos
Badiola and even up to the present. Originally, the old church had three
main doors. At present, it has five main doors. It is likewise hoped that
the murals (painting in the ceiling) be restored due to their religious
and historical significance.
Way
back on December 08, 1981, it could be recalled that the Guinobateños
celebrated pompously and solemnly the Diamond Jubilee Year of the
Guinobatan Church. The challenging question at that time was – “Do we
still possess these traits of the Guinobateños during the time of Msgr.
Ope seventy-five 975) years ago, wherein everynone had a hand in the
reconstruction work of the church?”
Well, two parish priests earlier assigned in Guinobatan parish took turns
in the renovation of the church when it was again destroyed by successive
strong typhoons in the area. Msgr. Juan B. Binlayo and Fr. Bert Crisol
made tremendous improvements of the Physical aspects of the church.
Through the creation of the church’s Commission on Temperarilities, the
whole-heated support and cooperation of all religious organizations and
parishioners, the Guinobatan Parish Church of Guinobatan appears to be
well-renovated as it approaches its hundred years of existence come
December 08, 2006. When that Centennial Celebration of our Church
Anniversary (February 16, 1867 – February 16, 2006) and 80th
Death Anniversary (December 10, 1926 – December 10, 2006) of the
BENEVOLENT BENEFACTOR OF THE GUINOBATN CHURCH – MSGR. JULIAN OJEDA OPE.
