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Esteban
Rodriguez of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi’s 1565 expedition was
the charge with leading a small party to explore the islands of
Pamilacan, Negros, and Siquijor. Siquijor fell under the care of the Recollects
who in 1768 had taken charge of Bohol after the departure of the
Jesuits and had taken charge of eastern Negros together with the
seculars of Cebu. The Recollects remained until 1898, establishing
all the parishes in Siquijor except Enrique Garcia.
In
1904, the Aglipayans established themselves in Siquijor, the Seventh
Day Adventist in 1909, and by Presbyterian missionaries from Silliman
University in the 1920s. In 1969, the Sub-province of Siquijor, Province of Negros
Oriental was created and Republic Act No. 6398, dated September
17, 1971, which provided for the separated Siquijor as a regular
province, composed of the municipalities of Enrique Villanueva,
Maria, Lazi, San Juan, Siquijor, and Lorena.
In 1972, the capital was transferred from Lorena to the town
of Siquijor. Dedicated
to St. Francis of Assisi, Siquijor was created a parish independent
of Dumaguete in 1781 (other sources say 1780, but this is the year
when approval was given). It was the lone parish in the island until
other parishes were created out of it.
Its church (said to have been built in 1774) was made of
stone, cruciform and had a nipa roof.
It had generous proportions. Being 198 x 42 feet and 24 feet
in height. The adjoining convento was likewise made
of stone rubble. Heritage
site: The bell tower of Siquijor stands independently
of the church in the middle of the plaza. This arrangements suggests that the tower
also served as a defensive structure—a watchtower to warn
the people of approaching danger. |
Erected
a parish on 14 September 1863 with the advocacy of San Agustin,
San Juan, formerly called Macapilay, was once part of the Siquijor
parish. Redondo (1886,
191) describes the church as in dilapidated condition and made of
tabique, the convento likewise of tabique was in better condition. The first parish priest Fray Nicanor Archiniego
was responsible for building the church and convento as well as
the casa real and the escuela.
He opened roads to Siquijor and to Lazi.
Formerly
called Tigbawan, Lazi was made a parish, independent of Siquijor
on 8 August 1857 with the advocacy of San Isidro Labrador.
It had old church of stone and mortar, however, a new church
was in the process of being completed and the convento was in poor
condition because its wooden members had deteriorated, reports Redondo
(1886, 192). By 1884, Lazi had a new church and in 1891 a new convento.
Both are attributed to Fray Toribio Sanchez who began working
on the convento in 1887 using coral blocks and hardwood.
Other constructions initiated by the Recollects were the
casa real, escuela, bridges and irrigation system.
Heritage site: Built at the initiative of the Recollect friars, the church belonged to the chaste neoclassical style. The convento has the distinction of being one of the largest built in colonial times. To raise funds for the convento, a public subscription was launched among the parishes and missions of the Recollects. A poster seeking for donations for the Lazi convento is kept in the archives of Xavier University’s Museo de Oro in Cagayan de Oro. The unusual size of this convento, a oversized bahay na bato, with an arcaded first floor, was probably intended as a regional rest house or sanitarium for missionaries in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Formerly
known as Cano-an. Erected a parish on 14 June 1836 with
the advocacy of San Vicente Ferrer, and formerly named Canoan was
once part of the Siquijor parish.
Redondo (1886, 189) describes the church as made of tabique
and having a nipa roof, the convento was likewise thatched with
nipa and made of wood. The Recollects remained until 1898 and
left behind a church and convento both of which burnt and have been
replaced by modern constructions.
Erected
a parish on 16 October 1880 with the advocacy of Nuestra Señora
de Providencia, Maria (formerly Cangmeniac) was once part of the
Siquijor parish. Redondo (1886, 192) describes the church as dilapidated and
made of tabique with a nipa roof; the convento was even worse made
of thatch and wood.