BOHOL is truly and incomparably a gem. On a tranquil Friday afternoon after enjoying a flavorful, hearty meal in observance of the town fiesta of Cortes, in the comforting residence of Neil and Jessa Renegado Bibat, I was able to capture a quiet spot that increased my appreciation for my home province. You see, we decided to explore two spots after lingering in the Renegado-Bibat residence.
A snippet of Cortes, Bohol
According to published records extracted from the Bohol Provincial Library, “During the first two years of the Spanish regime, many friars were sent to the Philippines to Christianize the pagan natives. One of them was Rev. Father Jose Santa Maria.” When Santa Maria arrived in Manila, he had to hit the ground running as the Bishop of Cebu directed him to establish the parish of Malabago in Bohol.
By 1771, a parish of the Roman Catholic Church was founded in the Camayaan-Bahian area, now Rosario. The legend of the Lingganay Ugis (Silver Bell) started there. When Father Juan Barriero replaced Santa Maria, he changed the name of Malabago to Pamingwitan, because the native’s way of fishing, “pamingwit,” delighted him. Interestingly, during that time, the residents spoke a conglomeration of Ilonggo and Waray. Fascinating!
Records show that by 1850, “The whole town was Christianized. A Church was built at the present site of the Cortes Catholic Church under the jurisdiction of Antequera.” Following Barriero’s term, Father Juan Ruiz took over. Ruiz initiated the construction of the Cortes parish church from 1870 to 1896, where “carpenters, masons, artisans, and ordinary laborers worked feverishly to fashion out of stone the living memento of the Spanish epoch.”
“It was during the construction of the church that Malabago or Pamingwitan and Dayhangan—There were occasions that the seat of local government transferred to Dayhangan, in the highlands of Dihong, now Salvador, by the Bakong River, owing to raids along the offshore lands of Abatan River done by pirates from the South. However, the permanent seat of government and the parish was at Pamingwitan—were welded into one completely centralized township – the “Pueblo de Cortes,” derived from the Spanish “Cortesimo,” meaning most courteous. I didn’t know that.
“It must be noted that between the incumbencies of Fathers Barriero and Ruiz, the first town fiesta (January 16), in honor of the Patron Saint, Señor Santo Niño, was held, following the traditional fiesta of Cebu, Cortes being a mandated parish by the Recollects of Cebu. The second feast was for San Roque, the second patron saint, held on August 14, 1898, by Father Mariano Baluyot.” Baluyot became the first Filipino priest to be appointed as the parish priest of Cortes.
Lingganay Ugis (White Church Bell) of Antequera
(antequera.bohol.gov.ph/history/)
From the website of the province of Bohol, the legend began during the early Spanish settlement in Bohol. As recorded, the first churches built by the Jesuit priests in the province were the churches of Loboc, Baclayon, Panglao, Viga, and Tubigon. However, from these first five churches, the church of Viga no longer exists. These churches were deliberately constructed in these areas because they were already thickly populated, together with Viga, the kingdom of Tamblot.
Records indicate that during this period, Tamblot was not just a Datu but also the highest priest of the kingdom. His rank was equal to that of the present-day Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. Wisely, “the Jesuit friar, to gain favor from Tamblot and the natives, entrusted the whole church to Tamblot and gave him a silver church bell, the ‘Lingganayng Ugis’ for use by the church.”
As any relationship goes, a “feud began when the priest found out a new settlement led by Malabago, a contemporary of Tamblot, in the upland territory of the present-day Cortes, Bohol.” The priest constructed a church in the area and decided to get the Lingganayng Ugis from the church in Tamblot’s kingdom. Naturally, Tamblot resented this and did not allow the bell to be taken.
A challenge followed between the priest and Tamblot, and when the priest lost, unfortunately, he could not accept defeat; he decided that he would get the bell. So, one day, Tamblot climbed the hill where the bell was installed and, lifting the heavy silver bell by himself, stood overlooking the people and yelled, “To be fair, no one should own the bell but the waters of this land. If anyone tries to get the bell out of the river, I will have this place flooded.” Thereafter, he threw it into the deep river of Bahian, a sitio in Viga, near the place where the church was built.
Well, many modern thinkers would probably consider the story a myth, as do I, but accordingly, by the early 1900s, as testified by many folks, when the bell was still visible, nobody could explain why, despite efforts to extract the bell, a flash flood would occur, and the river would turn muddy. Remarkably, as the article goes, the Viga church ruins still exist today, but resemble some rocky ruins of a crudely-made temple. Hmm. We should investigate this, Delora Sales!
Maribojoc Wharf
One spot that provides a captivating view is Maribojoc Wharf. It provides a scenic panorama of the Maribojoc mountain range and the mangroves dotting the seashore. According to the town website, the Maribojoc Port Development is a P28-million project implemented by the Philippine Ports Authority, aimed at making Maribojoc Wharf an alternative to the Tagbilaran Port. The Maribojoc port rehabilitation and expansion project was completed in June 2021, which restored and improved the wharf following the devastating 2013 Bohol earthquake. I can attest to its improvement since I set foot in the area. For now, it provides the locals with a space for walking, exercise, leisure, and even dating, haha!
Finally, another gem I discovered is the centuries-old staircase at the back of Maribojoc church, like the stairway I found at the back of the grandiose Loon church, only shorter. I kept a mental note to return to the place, explore, and photograph. It certainly resonates with my romantic side.
Since this is the second church that I discovered with staircases leading to the shore, I would surmise the Spaniards built pathways in the form of stairways for churches located near the shorelines. I can’t help but imagine the troves of treasure the local slaves carried from the invaders’ gigantic ships anchored nearby, carefully lifting and storing the same in a bodega or huge casa, presumably, to adorn the churches once construction was completed.
The history of Bohol is indeed deep and trickled its way into the Boholanos’ psyche and blended into the locals’ way of life, centuries after. Maybe we should have stuck with Spain, huh!
***
The writer hosts Woman Talk with Belinda Sales every Saturday, 10 a.m., at 91.1 Balita FM Tagbilaran City. Email at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Follow us on X @ShilohRuthie./PN
