Title: Jesuit Missionary letters from

Mindanao | Volume 2:

Zamboanga-Basilan-Jolo Missionary out

 Short Introduction about the
Zamboanga-Basilan-Jolo Mission
 Zamboanga-Basilan-Jolo Mission
• After being expelled for over a century, the Jesuits
return to the Philippines and were assigned to
Zamboanga in 1865 in which they encountered a
mixed population of Moros, Chinese, and Spanish
army and naval personnel.
• In the island of Basilan, the Jesuits tried to block all
possible anti-Christian incursion and neutralize the
Moro Influence with the help of Pedro Cueva (Datu
Kalung)
• The beginning of the Sulu Mission began with the
last-ditch attempts to conquer and exercise effective
rule over the Sultanate of Sulu in 1876.
 Zamboanga in the 17th and 18th century
• Founded on 1635, Zamboanga became an
outpost for Spanish military expeditions
against the Moros in Southern Mindanao
and they established Fort Pilar their base
of operations.
• They were forced to abandon it on 1662
due to external threats, but on the
Spaniards decided to reoccupy the city on
1718 and reestablish their presence in the
region.
• The city serves as the base of operations
for the Jesuit before 1768.
Zamboanga as Strategic Location in
Mindanao
• Throughout their occupation
until 1899, Zamboanga serves as
the center for political and
military power for the Spaniards
in Southern Mindanao in their
attempt to conquer the
remaining Moros who refused to
accept Spanish overlord.
Submission of the Moros to the
Spanish
 “Hispanized and Christianized”
• The Jesuits did not underestimate the socio-political structure of
the Moros however they argued that it should Hispanized and
Christianized in a form of region and culture.
• Amazed with their devout to God, some Jesuit priests describes
on how the natives show their faith to God in which Fr. Garriga
states that natives in the Philippines were more religious and
respectful to priests than the people in Spain.
 Christianity and the Moros
• Jesuits priests describe that one of the
reason of why the locals in the
Southern Mindanao are refusing to be
baptized in order to avoid paying taxes
and perform forced labor.
• In the eyes of the Moros, they think of
themselves as superior compare to the
people who became Christians since
they don’t pay taxes and they don’t
answer to the King of Spain.
Obstacles to Conversion to Christianity of the
Moros in Basilan - Cavalleria
1. Moros don’t want to pay any tribute
or pay the cedula personal because
they were not subjects of the
Spanish Crown.
2. Their religious hierarchy such as
Salip, Halipa and Imams, all work to
preserve their religion.
3. Failure to hear to the Divine Word
because of constant warfare
between the Spanish and the Moros
which results to having no
missionaries in the lands of the
Moros.
Jesuits relationship with the
Newly Converts
 Jesuits and the New Converts
• Wisely, the newly arrived Jesuits in
the region did not made any frontal
attack on the local practices.
• Rather, they adopted a more personal
approach such as talking friendly and
cordiale with the people at their
homes.
Jesuits in the time of Crisis
• Fr. Foradada wrote that in own of
the towns in Basilan, an outbreak of
plague/cholera occurred in the area.
• He describes that some of the priests
and Spanish officials worked round
the clock in order to respond to the
needs of the victims in which he
would later describe those
authorities “true fathers of the
Indios”
Culture of the Moros and other indigenous
groups: Yakans and Sakmals
Tribal Warfare
• Despite some of them being
relatives and having the same
religious, there were cases of
tribal warfare between datus
and Sultan.
• This caused havoc across the
Moro Community however the
Joaquin Sancho describe it as an
advantage for the Spaniards to
interfere with the Moros and to
play them off.
Language Barriers
• The Jesuit priests in the book tried their
utmost best to learn the languages of the
Moros and other natives which also
includes Tiruray, Subanon, Yakan, Samal
Laut and Visayan.
• Some of them tried to write the letters
and the words of the Moro Language so
that future missionaries and priests can
study and master it.
Paganism
• Despite their best efforts, there
were some groups of locals in the
region were described as pagans
as they were worshipping Diwata
as their god and also have their
own respective prophets.
• This shows that Islam was not the
only religious belief in the region
during the late 19th century.
Pirates of the Islands of Sulu

• Moro pirates were a frightful sight to the

Spanish and Hispanized natives especially
in the 18th century where they former
conducted raids on Luzon and Visayas.
• It is again mentioned in some of the letters
as being described as a terror among
merchant ships between Sulu and Borneo
and at the same time some of the Moros
considered this as a livelihood for their
families.
Christians & Moros: The Tale of Two
Cultures in the eyes of the Jesuits
Military Clashes against the Moros
1876 Sulu Expedition
1876 Sulu Expedition
• In the letters of Fr. Baranera, he describes
the bombardment and assault conducted
by the Spanish marines and soldiers as
they stormed to beach and drive the
remaining Moros from the beaches.
• The combine sea and land assault
encountered fierce resistance from the
Moros and all the forts leading to the
capital of the Sultanate of Sulu were
destroyed and Jolo, was later captured.
Attacks of the Juramentados
 Juramentados
• According to Father Cavalleria, not until 1881
the Juramentados were not a threat to the
Spaniards and other Hispanized natives.
• The Juramentados according to him were the
effect of spreading radical maxims of Islam
which were preached by some Moros such as
Datu Aliubdin and imams.
 Juramentados
• In one of the attacks, Fr. Foradada
described the fanaticism of the
Juramentados in attacking a town.
• The citizens especially the Christians
were prepared for this attacked by
arming themselves since they
developed a siege mentality in some
parts of Mindanao where Moro and
Juramentados conducts surprise
attacks.
The 1896 Revolution in
Mindanao
The Revolution Spreads
• The outbreak of the revolution of
the Katipunan reached Mindanao
but there were no large-scale
uprisings.
• Instead just like what stated in
the letters of Gaspar Colomer
that there were isolated groups of
mutinous soldiers.
 Loyalty of the Natives to Spain
• In a declaration before the • This declaration were read throughout
Governor of Basilan by the Isabela in the presence of Fr. Cavalleria
Principales of Isabela, they stated and it is also been one of the actions of
that they will remain loyal to the Spaniards in gaining the loyalty of
Spain. the natives.
• They acknowledge that the
rebellion that is spreading to
different parts of the country is
unfortunate and lack of gratitude
for the part of the rebels.
The Revolution Spreads
• In 1898 and with the arrival of the
Americans, the letters that were written
by Father Bitrian states that the
revolution is spreading throughout
Visayas.
• The priest noted that several key
provinces in the Visayas were lost to the
revolutionaries and the consequences of
this tragedy the arrival of refugees, both
soldiers and civilians in Zamboanga.
 Beginning of the End
• Salvador Vinas describes that
there were some 200 loyal natives
in Mindanao were sent as
reinforcements to Visayas.
• However, some of the Spanish
exiles in Mindanao such as Don
Prudencio Garcia began to
organize the locals and some
soldiers
Beginning of the End
• The rebels tried to seek sympathy
from other towns, but they failed as
most of them continue to remain
loyal to the Spaniards.
• For some of the authors, they feared
that the situation is still manageable
unless the rebels received
reinforcements from the Tagalogs,
whom are the main agitators of the
1896 Rebellion.
 Beginning of the End
• A false report reached the people of
Zamboanga which they thought the
Caroline Islands were the only ones
that were going to be given to the
Americans in the Treaty of Paris.
• The result of this is that the Spaniards
celebrated because they fear that all of
the things and policy that they have
done for the people of Zamboanga and
Spain will all be lost.
 Beginning of the End
• With no hope of receiving reinforcements and with their fleet
destroyed by the Americans, some areas in Visayas fell to the hands of
the Filipino revolutionaries as the Spaniards abandon it as a result of
the Treaty of Paris.
• By the end of 1898, Zamboanga is becoming a refuge site for the
remaining Spanish forces in the country in which it clearly states that
Spain will leave the islands.
• Victoriano Bitrian is worried for the of the achievements of the Spanish
and the Jesuit priests in Mindanao since he doubts if the Americans
can sustain the effort especially that some of them might remain in the
country.