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Region 8: Eastern Visayas ••• Leyte Abuyog A
revolt in 1588, against the Spanish encomendero of Abuyog is recorded,
long before the Jesuits began evangelizing Leyte.
In
1613, Sanguils and Caragas plundered the village of Abuyog and it
was not until 1655, that the Jesuits began a permanent mission in
Abuyog dependent on Dagami.
In 1718, the Jesuits built a church, as Abuyog had been constituted
a parish that same year. Renovations
on this church are recorded though their extent is uncertain. According
to Artigas, Fray José Herrera and Cipriano Barbasan restored
the church, convento, school, and casa real.
Huerta reports that the Abuyog church was of nipa (and wood/bamboo);
however, Redondo describes a more substantial church and convento
of masonry, with a galvanized iron roof and wooden floor. Repetti suggests that the Abuyog church comes from the Jesuits. Heritage sites: Church—Redondo’s information seems to more correct than Huerta’s because the single-naved church of 1718 seems to be the same one that exists today, although incorporated as the transept of a cruciform church. The old fabric is massive—it has thick walls, highly placed windows, and a simple flat façade with triangular pediment. There are hardly any decorations on this Spartan façade. An old sacristy and remnants of the wall still stand. 
In
1580, The Augustinians first landed in Leyte town. The Augustinians
may have actively evangelized Leyte for it is reported that before
the Jesuits arrived the Augustinian Fray Miguel Perpiñan
was captured by Moros as he was busily engaged at work.
In
1595, Leyte was ceded to the Jesuits, becoming a visita of Carigara. The Jesuits may have built a church in
Leyte before the year of expulsion (1768). But it was not a permanent
one since Huerta reports that Leyte had a church of nipa, dedicated
to San Pedro de Alcántara, a Franciscan saint. In
1851, Leyte was separated from the mother town of Carigara, and
seculars took charge; in 1871, The Franciscans took charge of the
town. Then, in 1877, A new church, convento,
and town school were built by Fray Cela.
This church destroyed in 1881 was restored a decade later
by Fray Fulco Machuca. Redondo
(1886, 194) reports that the church of wood and tabique pamapango
(wattle and daub) was in a dilapidated state.
Also
called Pambojon. In
1580, The Augustinian Fray Alonso Velázquez founded a mission
in Barugo.
Prior
1649, the year of the Sumoroy uprising, the Jesuits had built a
church because it was one of those reported as burnt and looted. In 1768, Barugo was ceded to the Augustinians and during this
same year was created a parish. Redondo
reports that the oldest parish books as of 1884 were dated 5 June
1784. In 1833, Tantuico asserts that Barugo was erected as a town at this time. In 1843, the Franciscans took charge of Barugo. Assigned as its first Franciscan pastor was Fray Timoteo Calderón. Huerta reports that “the church under the advocacy of St. Joseph the Patriarch, is a camarin of nipa.” Apparently the Jesuits did not build a permanent church in Barugo but the Franciscans may have because Redondo describes the Barugo church as made of lime rubble with a central aisle flanked by wooden colonnades. The central aisle had a zinc roof while the side aisles were covered in nipa. The façade in the neogothic style was probably made of wood because Redondo describes it as being divided by five wooden arches. In 1947, it is reported that an earthquake destroyed the church belfry.
So
called because it was halfway between the mountains and halfway
to the coast; “alang-alang” in Visayan means neither
here nor there, not enough, too short.
In
1596, The Jesuit Cosme Flores began evangelizing Alang-alang. Although Alang-alang was an important
site in the early years of Jesuit evangelization, it assumed a secondary
role when the Jesuits consolidated their personnel in a few residential
after 1600. Alang-alang was among the settlements
ruined by the Muslim raids of 1600.
In 1611, a typhoon and flood destroyed the village. Alang-alang
was raised to the status of town in 1710. (Other dates given are
1748 and 1771 [Jorde Pérez 1901, 825].)
In 1768, the town was ceded to the Augustinians. In
Late 1700s, Fray José Olmo transferred the town to the other
side of the Mainit River, abandoning the old site. In
1809, the visita of Alang-alangwas elevated to status of parish.
However, Huerta asserts that Alang-alang remained a visita until
1851 when it was separated from Barugo; while Redondo claims it
was reestablished as a parish on 10 December 1851. The confusion
of dates may have been caused by the transfer of the townsite. In
1863, The Franciscans took charge of Barugo. In
1883, a flood leveled the town and in 1885, The town site was transferred
once more probably because of perennial flooding. In
1887, Fray Crespo built a church of timber. Huerta
reports that the church under the advocacy of the Most Holy Trinity
had a church and convento of nipa. He may be referring to a provisional
church and residence built after the Augustinians transferred the
town to a new site. Huerta gives no indication if the Jesuits built
a stone church and convento. And at present there are no remains
to indicate that they did.
In
1700s, Jaro was a visita of Barugo, ceded to the Augustinians
in 1768. In 1810, it was raised to the level of
a municipality, then to a parish separate from Barugo in 1851
under the seculars. (Braganza gives this same date but does not
say if the parish was then under the seculars. 1772 is another
date given for the foundation of the parish. The Augustinians
were responsible for this initiative.)
In
1863, The Franciscans took spiritual charge of Jaro. In
1865, Huerta reports that the church was of nipa, so was the convento.
The parish was under the advocacy of St. Matthew the Apostle. In 1889, Fray José del Olmo built
a church of wood and zinc roofing to replace the older one of
bamboo and nipa thatch. There
are no Jesuit remains in Jaro. |