the CHAMP

SAMAR: the First Philippines

The natives (Samareños) of Suluan Island were the first group of people who warmly welcomed the Magellan fleet. The ‘first mass’, contrary to what is still contested in history, was not celebrated in Butuan nor in Limasawa (more properly ‘Mazawa’, in Bisayan ‘Ma[y] sawa’, which “denotes there is a snake”). It was in Humunhon Island where the nine [unrecorded] masses were offered as it was customary in those days to celebrate the mass daily. Magellan arrived in Humunhon island on March 17, 1521, and left for Mazawa on March 25^th. In the Magellan fleet, there were three Augustinian Fathers.

Historians such as Colin have been utilizing Pigafetta’s Chronicles which was translated from Italian to French. Pigafetta’s complete original text, printed in 1895, was discovered at the Ambrosian Library of Milan.

In between 1525-1542, four more Spanish fleets appeared in this Archipelago, but only the armada of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos came to Samar. It was in Samar that the ‘Islas Filipinas’ was proclaimed in honor of King Charles’ son, Felipe II. The ‘Islas Filipinas’ was later extended to all the islands, which we now called the Philippine archipelago.

And in 1565, Spanish colonization began when the fleet of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi anchored in Southern Mindanaw and sent two brigantines to survey Humunhon, Samar, and Mazawa, Leyte. This time, the island of Ibabaw (eastern coast of Samar) was claimed by Alfarez General Andres de Ybarra on February 15, 1565, the Island of Tandaya (western coast of Samar) by Legazpi on February 23^rd, and Leyte by Felipe de Salcedo on March 8.

The chroniclers of Magellan, Villalobos and Legazpi said that the Bisayans (including the Samareños) were “warm, gentle, peaceful, kind and generous!”

SAMAR: Its Geography and Topography

The 7, 701 islands that comprise the Philippine Archipelago are generally divided into three geographical segments: Luzon. Bisayas and Mindanaw.

The Bisayan group of Islands consists of: Samar (5,124 sq.mi), the third largest island in the archipelago; Negros (4,903 sq.mi), the fourth largest; Panay (4,448 sq.mi), the fifth largest; Leyte (2,799 sq.mi), the sixth largest; Cebu (1,695 sq.mi), the seventh largest; and Bohol (1,534 sq.mi), the eight largest.

Samar had a total of 259 dependent islets: the largest is Daram with 144 square miles, followed by Humunhon with a total of 26 sq.mi.

Meaning of ‘Samar’

Samar was derived from the Bisayan word ‘samad’ (or ‘wound’). This derivation or definition is apparent to the nature of Samar’s topography especially when one attempts to cross over from the western coast to the eastern coast through the mountains and heavy forests. Rivers such as Hibatang, Katubig, Ulot and Gandara, and the surrounding seas were critical in communication and transportation.

Hill summits reached between 300 to 650 meters with Mount Kaputuan in north-central Samar with the highest peak at 850 meters (2,789 feet).

SAMAR & LEYTE: A Single Province in 1565

The islands of Samar and Leyte were a single province from 1565 until 1747. In 1747, the two were made into two separate provinces since it was very difficult to be administered effectively by the Governor in Catbalogan.

Six years later, Jesuits complained that the separation was not working well. The king approved the reunification of Samar and Leyte in 1762, which the decision was received in the Philippines in 1765. The separation for the last time was made in 1777. This re-division was considered in Madrid in 1786, and was finally approved after 22 years in 1799.

AUGUSTINIANS: FIRST EVANGELIZERS OF SAMAR

The first religious assigned in Samar were all coming from the Order of San Agustin or the Augustinian Fathers. The Definitorium of the Order assigned Fr. Alonso Velazques, Prior of the convento, and Fr. Alonso Gimenez which the Gospel was preached to the Bisayans between 1580-1595.

In 1595, Fr. Claudio Aquaviva, Minister General of the Society of Jesus (SJ), declared a Jesuit Vice-Province with the arrival of seven priests in the Philippines on June 11, 1595. Included were P. Alonzo Humanes, SJ, and Dr. Antonio of Morga who had just been named Asesor y Teniente to Gobernador Capitan General de las Islas. On the 15^th of the following month, there arrived in Leyte, Padre Chirino, accompanied by the PP. Juan del Campo, Cosme Flores, as well as a Brother Juan Garay.

In the same year, the Spanish Government re-distributed the regions of the archipelago to the various Orders present then.

JESUITS IN SAMAR

On October 15, 1596, the Jesuit Fathers arrived in Samar. They were Francisco Otazo, Bartolome Martes and Brother Domingo Alonso who initiated the Doctrina. The first two cabeceras (central residences) established were in Tinago (now, Tarangnan, Samar) and Catubig. But around 1612 and 1616, these cabeceras were plundered and burned by the Moros. The Catubig residencia was transferred to Palapag and Tinago’s was transferred to Catbalogan where they remained until the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768.

However, on February 27, 1767, the Real Decreto which made Conde de Aranda a celebrity, expelled the Jesuits from all Spanish dominions.

Franciscans in Samar

The Franciscans were assigned to the task of administering the 13 parishes established by the Jesuits in Samar in 1768. On September 25, 1768, thirteen Franciscans arrived in Catbalogan, Samar.

When they arrived, the Governor of Samar was in Palapag attending to the galleon just arrived from Acapulco. He arrived in Catbalogan on October 15^th. Two days after, he initiated the formal inventory of the contents of the churches and parish houses. Jesuits were ordered to Catbalogan for the transfer of authority to the Franciscans. From October 25^th until December 30^th, the Governor as well as the Fathers has travelled around the island compiling inventories and transferring control.

On January 10, 1769, the Jesuits aboard the San Francisco de Asis back to Manila.

The Franciscan Fathers assigned were: Jose Estrella, OFM (Palapag); Juan de Mora, OFM (Borongan); Melchor Claver, OFM (Sulat); Joquin Polo, OFM (Tubig, now Taft); Antonio Valdeolivas, OFM (Catubig); Jose Bonanat (Catarman); Antonio de Toledo, OFM ( Lawang); Jose Fayo, OFM, and Antonio Selles, OFM (Catbalogan); ? (Capul); Juan Salguero, OFM (Bangahon, now Gandara); Miguel Rico, OFM (Paranas [now Wright] and Calbiga); and Jose Estrelles, OFM (Humawas, now Villareal).

Giwan, Balangigan and Basay were under the cabecera of Dagami (Leyte). The reason for this was the accessibility since these pueblos were closer to Leyte by sea. But in 1795, they were turned over to the Franciscans. However, the Franciscans responded only in the year 1804 due to shortage of friars.

The 13 Franciscans assigned in Samar were few and young for gigantic challenges to them such as the rugged terrain, great and arduous distances between pueblos with scattered populace, a brand new kind of language, the intense, constant, and rampant plundering and captive-taking and burning of pueblos by the Moros of Mindanaw and the non-Muslim Sanguils and Karagas, the destructive bagyos, crop failure caused by heavy rainy season, lack of strong materials in the construction of churches, conventos, casas tribunales, schools, etc. But they were strong enough, maybe because they were very much familiar with the San Damiano event when Saint Francis was summoned by the Crucified Christ with: “Francis, as you see my house is falling into ruin. Repair my house…”

The Jesuits went into commerce and trade to help the Samareños grew in number. The Franciscans, meanwhile, refrained from engaging to commerce or trade This is due to their vow of poverty..

The friars in Samar had the usual religious duties such as celebrating mass, hearing confessions, counseling, baptizing, marrying, giving the last rites, and presiding over burials plus their socio-political responsibilities since the government relied so heavily from them being the only Spaniards in the pueblos for help in administration.

Until the late 19^th century, the Franciscans were local teachers. They also compiled censuses and dictionaries, recorded vital statistics, intermediary between government demands and Samareño grievances, testimonies, and elections, supervised and initiated road and bridge construction, introduced new crops and encouraged their commercial exploitation, etc. Indeed, the parish priest “had by necessity to be all for all”, to be present “in all aspects of social life… in all that happened” in the pueblo.