THE CHURCH OF JASAAN: ITS FOUNDATION AND EARLY HISTORY

By: Rev. Fr. Florencio Salvador Jr., SSJV

Preliminary research made in Jasaan showed different dates of the establishment of the parish.
The earlier editions of Catholic Directory place the founding of the Church of Jasaan on 1771 while the
more recent editions of the same Directory, i.e., 1970 edition and from thereon, put it on 1744.
However, since the canonical records of Jasaan started in 1820, it has also been conjectured that this
parish might have begun sometime in that year. Further, the inscriptions on the old church bells suggest
other possible dates: the bell for funeral is marked S. NICOLAS D CAGAYAN ANO D 1807, while the bell
for baptism is inscribed with NR Sa D LA CONCEPCION D JASAAN ANO D 1811 (Nuestra Senora de la
Concepcion de Jasaan Ano 1811); these markings seem to indicate that in 1807, Jasaan was a Visita of
Cagayan and by 1811, it became or was already a separate parish.
This paper will try to establish the definite date of the erection of Our Lady of the Immaculate
Concepcion Parish in Jasaan. Inasmuch as the inquiry afforded an opportunity to go back in time and
investigate the extant evidence regarding the beginnings of Jasaan Parish, this will also sketch some
highlights of the early history of the parish.

JASAAN BEFORE 1830

What is now Kabitaugan in Barrio Aplaya was the original site of the Pueblo de Jasaan. Located
on a bluff, the site is with a flat land of approximately 3 hectares, bounded on the north by a precipice,
the slope of a moderate slant on the south, the steep cliff on the west side falling sher to the sea and a
gradually rising hill to the east. When this place was first reached by the missionaries and whether the
pueblo was founded on a pre-Spanish settlement, not one of the documents accessible to the present
researcher hints. It could be that the place was uninhabited when the first missionary came. Perhaps,
discovering that the place commanded an excellent view of Macajalar Bay and the lower plains, the
missionary chose this site for the reduccion of the natives.
In 1596, the Jesuts established a mission in Butuan which they maintained till 1598,
reestablished in 1611, and regretfully closed for good about 1614 because of the lack of manpower.
Considering the distance, this old site of Jasaan might not have been reached by the Jesuits of Butuan
mission. However, Luis de Jesus’ account of the early missionary labors of the Recollects in Mindanao
mentions a Dona Magdalena Bacuya, grandmother of Salangsang who was chief of Cagayan. Could it be
that there was some indirect contact between the Jesuits in Butuan mssion and other natives settled
along Macajalar Bay?
At the instance of Bishop Pedro de Arce of Cebu, eight Recollect priests disembarked at Caraga
in 1622. These eight missionaries, enthused with the conquista spiritual de Mindanao launched a
religious movement which resulted in the Christianization of the entire northeastern coast of Mindanao
as far as the Lanao border. They “set out to overrun the country, administering the sacraments,
consoling some, subduing others, and always gaining souls for the Lord.” The first eight “perfectly
organized towns” by the Recollects were Tandag, Jigaquit, Butuan, a forth pueblo fifty leagues from
Butuan, Cagayan, Camiguin, Surigao and Bislig. These pueblos served as important stations for the
propagation of the faith; they became centers for the successively created dependent towns and visitas.
In 1622, Fray Juan de San Nicolas and were already sowing the seeds of the Gospel in Cagayan. The old
Jasaan in Aplaya should have been reached by the missionaries shortly after the founding of the Church
in Cagayan. It is also noted that in 1650, the parish of Cagayan, which had a population of 1,800 souls
included Hiponan, Tagoloan and Gompot. Aplaya, being only dos leguas from Tagoloan must have been
included in the parish of Cagayan by 1650.
In 1722, Fray Juan de la Concepcion founded the Mision de Malitbog in the mountains of
Cagayan and Tagoloan. If missionary outreach had already penetrated the interior of Mindanao by 1722,
the coastal settlements along Macajalar Bay should have been reached earlier. Further, in 1726, Fray
Fernando San Miguel took over the Mission of Tagoloan and built the church and the convento. It is also
noted that Tagoloan progressed noticeably during his time. Perhaps the progress referred to indicates
the established church and the thorough evangelization in Tagoloan and its environs. However, Jasaan is
listed as a visita of Pinagavian only in 1820. It was also during that year that the canonical records of
Jasaan began. The Baptismal Register Volume 1, covering the years 1820-1830, shows that the baptisms
were administered by Fr. Valero de San Sebastian, Misionero de la Mision de Pinagavian, and, later, by
Fr. Juan d Santa Rita, Misionero Interino de Pinagavian y su visita Tagoloan. It cannot be claimed,
therefore, that Jasaan was erected a parish in 1820.

JASAAN ERECTED INTO A PARISH

The latest entry in Baptismal Register Volume 1 is a baptism on February 4, 1830 by Fr. Juan de
Santa Rita, Misionero Interino de la Mision de Pinagavian; the first entry in Volume II is a baptiam on
May 23, 1831 by Fr. Jose Casals de la Santisima Trinidad, Cura Propietario de pueblo de Jasaan. There
are no records, therefore, of baptism between the dates February 4, 1830 and May 23, 1831. Faced with
this deficiency, perhaps, Fr. John Pollock simply wrote in his memoirs that Jasaan “had been founded as
a parish in 1831”. Further, Francisco Sadaba, in his Catalogo of the Recollects (1906), reports that this
Fr. Jose Casals de la Santisima Trinidad was in-charge of the Pinagavian until May 22, 1831 when he took
the “newly created parish of Jasaan”. This suggests, therefore, that Jasaan was erected a parish shortly
before May 22, 1831.
Three documents bring to light the definite date of the establishment of the parish of Jasaan:
1) Estadistica de la Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino de PP. Agustinos Recoletos de
Filipinas en 1850 por el R.P. Provincial Fr. Juan Felix de la Encarnacion, (Manila, 1851).
2) Provincia San Nicolas de Tolentino de Agustinos Descalzados de la Congregacion de
Espana e Indias, 1834-1879, por el R.P. Patricio Marcellan de San Jose, (Manila: Colegio de
Santo Tomas, 1879).
3) Breve Resena de lo que fue y de lo es la Diocesis de Cebu en las islas Filipinas por el PBRO.
D. Felipe Redondo y Sendino, Fiscal Eclesiastico de dicha diocesis, (Manila: Colegio de
Santo Tomas, 1886).
These three documents are agreed that Jasaan, under the Patronage of Our Lady of the
Immaculate Conception, was erected into a parish, independent from the mother parish of Cagayan,
in the year 1830.
The account by Fr. Felix de la Encarnacion is valuable in that it came out in 1851, barely 21 years
after the establishment of the parish. Further, the author, being the Father Provincial of the Recollects,
must have been well informed of the developments in the territories administered by his confreres.
Both the estadistica of Fr. Felix de la Encarnacion in 1851 and the account of Fr. Marcellan de
San Jose in 1879 report that Jasaan “is founded on a narrow, flat land, atop a hill, near the sea.” The
pueblo de Jasaan was transferred to the present site shortly after November 23, 1886. The fact,
however, that Fr. Marcellan de San Jose repeated the description of the old Jasaan in the earlier
estadistica does not betray that he was ignorant of the transfer of the pueblo. Neither does this point
out that he composed his account without investigating the actual site of the parish, for the description
of the local of the old Jasaan corresponds exactly with the present site: a narrow flat land, atop a hill,
near the sea. Moreover, while the earlier estadistica states that Jasaan is cuatro leguas from Cagayan
and dos leguas from Tagoloan, the later account reports that Jasaan to Cagayan is siete leguas and to
Tagoloan tres leguas. It appears, therefore, that Fr. Marcellan de San Jose was apprised of the
developments of the parish and tried to be exact with the data in his account.
The third document, also, has significant weight in that D. Felipe Redondo y Sendino was, then,
the Fiscal Eclesiastico of the diocese of Cebu; therefore, the records of the documents of the parishes in
the dioceses were available to him. Further, he himself had visited the parish of Jasaan for the
inspection of the canonical books, as indicated by his signature in the Baptismal Register, Volume VII
(covering the years 1880-1887). His Breve Resena was published in 1886, therefore, after he had
verified records of the parish of Jasaan.
The strongest evidence, however, confirming the claim that Jasaan was established as a parish in
1830 comes from the manuscripts which the present writer has dug up from the Philippine National
Archives, filed in the collection Ereccion de Pueblo: Misamis (1808-1838), leg. 120 – No. 7. This
collection contains a copy of the letter of petition of the principals of Tagoloan, Jasaan, Balingavay
(apparently, Balingasag) and Bagacay, asking that these visitas be separated from the parish of Cagayan
and that a priest be set apart to minister to the people of the parish thus created. It also contains the
correspondence of the Father Provincial of the Recollects, the Governor General, the Corregidor
(Military Governor) of Misamis and the bishop of Cebu relating to the said petition.
The Letter of Petition, addressed to the Father Provincial of the Recollects, Fr. Miguel de Jesus,
is undated. It was formulated by the Assembly in Bagacay of the principals from the above-mentioned
visitas. In it, the principals, earnestly asked the Father Provincial to look at their situation, and “to have
pity” on their souls, and their parish priest (of Cagayan). The reasons they put forward for the separation
of theses visitas from Cagayan were not only convincing but also indicative of the concerns of their
people as Christian communities and of their view towards a priest or the church. First, there was this
concern for the spiritual nourishment of the people in their pueblos. Cagayan was so large a parish with
a great number of inhabitants scattered in thirteen pueblos. Because of the vastness of the territory, the
Cura of Cagayan could no longer attend to their necesidades espirituales; many of the sick died without
receiving the sacraments. Second, they brought to the attention of the Father Principal their fines
temporalis (temporal concerns): they begged for a priest to assist them in their civil and political
government and to protect them from moro attacks. Why they turned to the Father Provincial for these
‘secular’ matters is very suggestive of what a priest or the church has come to mean for them. Third,
there was the missionary concern, an indication of a mature church. They asked that attention must be
given to the natives, living in the mountains just within the confines of their territories but have not yet
heard the gospel being preached to them.
The letter of Fr. Miguel de Jesus endorsing the petition to Jose de Santarromana, the Corregidor
de Misamis in Cagayan, imploring the latter for his approval to elevate the petition to the governor
general, is dated March 12, 1830, informing Fr. Miguel de Jesus that the case was dispatched to the
Governor General on that very day. In his letter to the Governor General, the Corregidor reiterated the
valid reasons from the principals and entreated for a favorable consideration of the supreme
government ‘for the good of their souls”.
On November 10, 1830, the gobernador y capitan general (Governor General) Mariano Ricafort
referred the proposal to Bishop Santos Gomez Maranon, O.S.A. of Cebu for his approbation. The bishop
of Cebu was convinced of the “absolute necessity of the erection of a new parish separated from
Cagayan, which would comprise the visitas of Tagoloan, Jasaan, Balingasag y of Bagacay”. Ascertained
that the new parishwould be financially capable to support the resident parish priest, the bishop
approved the proposal on November 12, 1830. Finally, on November 18, 1830, Ricafort formally
sanctioned the separation of these visitas from Cagayan, asked the Father Provincial of the Recollects to
designate a priest of his order to take charge of the new parish thus established, and on the same day,
dispatched an official letter to the Corregidor de Misamis in Cagayan. The official letter was
acknowledged by Jose de Santarromana in February 20, 1831.
Although none of these manuscripts specified to what patron the new parish would be
dedicated, and where the cabacera would be founded, there is no doubt that the parish thus erected
was the Immaculate Conception Parish in Jasaan. None of the sources consulted by the present writer
indicates an erection of a parish in 1830 or 1831 other than Jasaan. Further, as the baptismal records
clearly disclose, Tagoloan, Balingasag and Bagacay, when separated from Cagayan, became visitas of
Jasaan. Even Pinagavian was incorporated into the new parish.
Briefly, therefore, the separation from Cagayan and the establishment of the Immaculate
Conception Parish in Jasaan (including Tagoloan, Balingsag and Bagacay) was approved by Bishop
Santos Gomez Maranon of Cebu on November 12, 1830 and officially sanctioned by Governor General
Mariano Ricafort on November 18, 1830. The first Cura Parroco, Fr. Jose Casals de la Santissima
Trinidad took charge of the parish on May 22, 1831.

LA TRASLACION DEL PUEBLO

The incidents relative to the transfer of the pueblo can be reconstructed from the manuscripts
preserved in the Philippine National Archives, under the file Ereccion de Pueblo: Misamis 1859-1891,
leg. 122 – no. 4. This collection includes the letters of Governor (provincial) Jose Laureano de Sanz dated
July 30, 1866, of a certain L. Villarino (probably the secretary of the governor) dated August 16, 1866, of
the Consejero Ponente (chairman of the advisory council to the governor genral) and of Governor
General Jose de la Gandara on November 23, 1866. As these letters denote, the Cura Parrroco of Jasaan,
Fr. Ramon Cabas del Patrocinio was one of those who advocated the transfer of the pueblo. The
reasons for the transfer given in the report of Villarino on August 16,1866 to the consejo de
administracion came from the information sent by Fr. Ramon Cabas.
The reasons presented were the following: the population of Jasaan has greatly increased that it
was simply impossible to remain in the narrow site of the old pueblo; water supply was becoming
scarce; the hurricanes brought down huge stones from the mountains, destroying the houses so that the
populace was “always in anguish”. These were a cause of concern for the parish priest because they
were “impediments in the solemn celebration of feasts, in the implementation of justice and even in the
administration of the sacraments”. The sitio Cabulig was proposed as the new site of Jasaan for its
“fertile land, good water and anchoring ground for big and small boats”. Of further significance is that
the people pledged todos los ausilios que sus fuerzas permitan (all help that their capacities permit) to
transfer the church, the government building and the convent.
The report of Villarino further notes that the bishop of Cebu, having no idea of the locality could
not give reasons for or against the transfer of the pueblo; however the bishop saw no obstacle for the
said transfer to be carried out. The letter of the Consejero Ponente to the Governor General on October
29,1866 informed the latter that all members of the council and he himself was agreeable to the
transfer of the pueblo. Consequently, Governor General Jose de la Gandara decreed the transfer of the
pueblo of Jasaan in the second district of Mindanao to the sitio of Cabulig, as asked by the inhabitants.
None of the sources consulted, however, indicates when the actual transfer was brought about; it can
be presupposed that the transfer was effected as soon as the word of approval from the supreme
government reached Jasaan.

JASAAN WHEN GIVEN TO THE JESUITS

 A sketchy treatment can be given about the condition of Jasaan parish when this was entrusted
to the Jesuits. The last years of the Recollects in Jasaan were characterized by an intensive missionary
outreach towards the hinterlands. The most prominent figure was Fr. Mateo Bernad de San Miguel who
labored “with great zeal’ for the reduccion of the natives in the mountains. As the Catholic Directory
points out, it was this Fr. Bernad who laid the foundation of the church in Linabo and Sumilao. The
Catholic Directory further narrates that Datu Abat of Linabo and Datu Manvino of Sumilao were
baptized by Fr. Bernad and their Christian names were Sebastian and Miguel, respectively. Accordingly,
these two datus were considered “hermes of the desert” in that they were “instrumental for the
diffusion of the Gospel”. Thus, it was noted by Marcellan that in 1879, Jasaan parish had two visitas,
Tagoloan and Santa Ana, and twenty-five Rancherias far-off in Bukidnon. The old visitas to the east of
Jasaan were, at this time, included in the new parish of Balingasag, which had been separated from
Jasaan in 1849.
The Royal Decree of July 30, 1860 ordered that Mindanao would be entrusted to the Society of
Jesus. The Recollects in these territories, however, were less willing to surrender their curacies to the
Jesuits. The reasons for such unwillingness as narrated by Pastells give light to the condition of Jasaan
Parish at that time: the richness of its lands and the bounty of its seas, free from the incursions of
Muslims and pagans, away from the typhoon zone. And close to the more developed regions. The Parish
of Jasaan was one of those "very flourishing parishes in the second district of Mindanao”. The Jesuits
were very eager to take Jasaan because this parish was deemed to be “the necessary key to establish
themselves in that region”. On May 5, 1887, Fr. Juan Ricart asked from the Vicerreal Patrono the parish
of Jasaan. After some ‘resistance’ from the Recollects, Jasaan was given to the Jesuits on June 28, 1887.
The first Jesuit Priest was Fr. Pablo Pastells, who inherited from the Recollects six thousand Christians, to
be increased greatly a few years later.

RELEVANCE

Significant points can be gleaned from the early history of the Immaculate Conception Parish in
Jasaan. These are of special relevance to Jasaanons as a Church and to the priests as servant-leaders.
Firstly, the fact that Jasaan has been a parish since 1830 can be a challenge for the Christian
community of Jasaan. If Jasaan has been a parish for so long, she should now “produce” priests and
missionaries from among her children. While in 1830, the Jasaanons begged to be sent a priest separado
de Cagayan, now is the time for Jasaanons to “send”.
The old Jasaanons showed concern for the spiritual nourishment of the community and the
evangelization of the infieles. The old Jasaanons willingly offered los ausilios que sus fuerzas permitan
for the construction of the church in the new site of the pueblo. Should the parishioners today be less
involved in the building up of the Christian community in Jasaan? Should not their Christian faith be
more mission conscious, in thanks and praise to the “Divine Providence which has guided the faithful
people before us and which has built from living stones a temple to his glory”?
Secondly, the natives of old Jasaan begged for a priest to minister to them in their necesidades
espirituales, to asisst them in their fines temporalis, and to aid the contras los moros. The transfer of the
pueblo was advocated by the cura because in the old Jasaan, the people were in continua zozobra. The
priest, then, to the natives was their protector, defender, engineer, dispenser of the sacraments; the
priest “became all thing” to the natives.
A true priest, according to Vatican II – Gaudium et Spes, is one who is in solidarity with the joy
and hope, the grief and anguish of the human family; the solicitudes and zozobras of his people are also
his own. In fact, for all followers of Christ, i.e., servant-leaders and lay members, “nothing that is
genuinely human fails to find an echo in their hearts”. United in Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, and
moving on towards the kingdom of the Father, “Christians cherish a deep feeling of solidarity with the
human race and its history”.

LIST OF THE PRIESTS WHO SERVED IN JASAAN

(Reconstructed from the Baptismal Registers)

The Recollects:
Jose Casal de la Santisima Trinidad 1831-1836
Manuel Martinez de Santa Rita 1836-1842
Vicente Dolores 1842-1847
Gregorio Logronio del Dulce Nombre de Maria 1844-1850
Liverato Caras 1849-1850
Angel Martinez del Carmen 1850-1850
Fernando Ramos de la Encarnacion 1850-1852
Severo Mendoza 1852-1852
Manuel Navarro del Rosario 1852-1852
Ramon Cabas del Patrocinio 1852-1873
Mateo Bernad de San Miguel 1872-1882
Mariano Lasa de Jesus 187 -1876
Benigno Jimenez de la Concepcion 1882-1887
Celestino Ballestero de la Virgen del Camino 1882-1882
Nemesio Llorente de San Jose 1887-1887

The Jesuits:
Pablo Pastells 1887
Juan Terricabras 1887
Gregorio Parache 1887-1888
Juan Casellas 1888
Juan Herras 1888-1915
Jose Rius 1915-1915
Jaime Valles 1915-1927
Joseph Lucas 1927-1928
Assistants and Substitutes:
Joseph McGowan 1928
Patrick Rafferty 1928
Frederick Henfling 1928
James O’Neill 1928
John Pollock 1928-1935
Walter Hamilton 1931
Joseph Reith 1931
Vincent de Paul O’Beirne 1935-1936
Vincent Kennally 1935
Andrew Cervini 1936-1938
Harold Murphy 1938-1950
Joseph Lucas 1943
Frederick Henfling 1943
Boyle 1948
George Kirchgessner 1949
 Clarence Martin 1950-1952
James Collins 1951
E. Sullivan 1952
Horgan 1957
Arthur Shea 1952-1957
James Collins 1951
Fenton Fitzpatrick 1955
Joseph Stoffel 1957-1958
The Diocesan Priests:
Alejandro Mejia 1958-1973
Alfeo Villanueva 1973-1976
Bartolome Llenas 1976-1983
Elpedio Alilin 1983-1985
Alfredo Heyrosa (Administrator) 1985
Romeo Alavanza 1985-1988
Pedro Baricuatro 1989-1995
Rolando Pabellan 1995-1999
Allan Chavit 1999-2001
Elcon Magtrayo 2001
Archbishop Jesus Tuquib 2001-present
William Salva (Priest-in-Charge) 2001-present
Ronald G. Gadrinab 2007
Filomeno P. Cabulosan 2007-2010
Neil B. Limbaco 2010-2013
Jose Ramer Colanse 2013

LIST OF JASAANON PRIESTS

Alejo Regalado, SJ (deceased)

Florencio Cuerquiz, SJ
Rodolfo Roa
Luis Regalado
Gil Escalante
Florencio Salvador, Jr.
Raul Dael
Nemesio Pacana
Rolando Salvana, SJ
Renerio Sabuga, Jr.
Toto Bola
? from Aplaya
Charlie Zayas
Rutenberg Develos
Lyndon Zayas