The
history of Mabalacat, Pampanga during the Spanish colonization is almost
intertwined with its religious history – it started with a friar and ended with
a friar. Mabalacat started as a Mission in 1717 with the arrival of pioneer
Recollect Missionary, Fr. Andres de San Fulgencio, OAR. The Mission eventually
became a political entity called pueblo in 1768 with the appointment of its
first Gobernadorcillo, Garangan. The Spanish colonization ended in 1898, with
the murder of Father Gregorio Bueno de la Virgen del Romero, OAR the last Recollect
missionary of Mabalacat.
The Recollect Missions Tempered the Pinatubo
Aeta Raids
During the last decades of the 18th
century, the Pinatubo Aeta raids were tempered. The chain of Missions
established along the eastern slope of Zambales Mountains almost served as a
barricade which limited the movements of native Pinatubo Aetas living in the
deep forests of the mountain peaks. They were not able to stage treacherous
raids against the neighboring Kapampangans who were, by then, immersed in
Hispanic culture and religion.[1]
In time, many of the Pinatubo Aetas also embraced the Catholic faith.[2]
As a result, the route from Pampanga to Pangasinan became safer for travelers. Passages
from Pampanga to Zambales were also opened. The importance of these routes was
emphasized during the last uprising in Pangasinan where these routes were used
for the transport soldiers and arms to successfully quell the rebellion.[3]
The
Recollects patiently sustained the Mabalacat mission. By 1794, Mabalacat
remained a small town having only seventy (70) private houses. Seventeen (17) of
these were made of light materials with nipa roofs while the other fifty-three
(53) were made of rattan or bamboo walls with nipa roofs. Mabalacat had a
modest church and a convent; both were made of wood with nipa roofs. The combined
tributes of the natives and some Chinese, called sangleyes, were 123.5. The Recollect Missions of Mabalacat, Capas, Bamban
and Patling belonged to Pampanga Alta (Upper Pampanga).[4]
The
situation remained almost unchanged when Joaquin Martinez de Zuniga visited Pampanga
Alta in 1800. He realized that the district was nearly unpopulated. If there
were sparse settlements, these were actually missions. The nearest mission was Mabalacat
which had 124 tributes, a population of only 600. The other nearby missions
included: Bamban, 66 tributes, Capas, 110 tributes and its visita, Patling. These
missions were maintained by the Recollects and were managed by two priests.[5]
The
Recollects Abandoned the Mabalacat Mission
By the turn of the century, the
political situation in faraway Spain became unstable. In 1808, France invaded
Spain and popular uprising ensued. Known as War of Independence, it lasted
until the Spanish and British forces drove the French out in 1814. Restored to
the throne, King Ferdinand VII refused to recognize the democratic constitution
popularly declared in 1812. This led to another popular uprising in 1820 which
was suppressed in 1823. This political situation in Spain made it difficult for
the Recollects to recruit missionaries for the Philippines. In fact, between
1805 and 1822, only a total of 20 Recollect priests arrived in the Philippines.
This small number of Missionaries forced the Recollects to abandon Mabalacat.
They, instead, preferred to accept new assignments which were nearer – Caloocan
and Mindoro. By 1820, there were only fifty-eight (58) Recollects who tended
167,000 souls in all their missions throughout the Philippines.
[6]
In
addition to the lack of personnel, there was, during this era, a generally
increasing pressure from the so-called “enemies of the Religious” for the turn-over
of the parishes in Pampanga to the secular priests. By 1810, almost all parishes
of Pampanga were already in the hands of the Filipino secular clergy. However, Mabalacat,
Bamban and Capas remained in the spiritual care of the Recollects. [7]
To drive away the Recollects out of these missions, they were unjustly accused
of unimaginable and disgraceful crimes and were publicly treated as criminals
and traitors.[8]
Cases
like this abound. Although the primary and immediate reason for the abandonment
of Mabalacat Mission was lack of personnel, these cases somehow sealed the Definitorio
dated September 1, 1808 where the Recollects decided to abandon all its
Missions in Pampanga Alta.[9]
In
the same year, the last Recollect friar, Fr. Pedro Manchado de Sta. Rita, left
the Missions of Mabalacat and Capas.[10] Eventually, the Missions
of Mabalacat and Capas were handed to the secular clergy.[11]
The State of the Town of Mabalacat in
1818
Don
Yldefonzo de Aragon, a Spanish colonel, travelled around the Philippines in
1818 to look into and write about the conditions of the Philippine cities,
towns and villages. Among others, he travelled around Mabalacat, interviewed
some residents and took as much notes as he can. His descriptions
of the town, appeared in his books: Estados
de la Población de Filipinas Correspondiente a el Ano de 1818 and Descripción Geográfica y Topográfica de la
Ysla de Luzon O Nueva Castilla con las Particulares de las Diez y Seis Provincias
O Partidos que Comprehende. Both books were published in 1819.
Aragon
noted that Mabalacat was a settlement situated on top of a flat hill at the
foot of the Zambales Mountains. It was about an hour horse-ride from Bamban and
Capas and about two from Magalan. From San Fernando and Culiat, Mabalacat may
be reached by horse carriages via the main road called Camino Real. Road networks linked the towns of Betis, Guagua,
Sesmoan, Lubao, Santa Rita, Porac, Culiat, Mabalacat, Bamban, Capas, and
Patling. In general, the road conditions were good, although there were areas and
ravines where travelling may be difficult. A creek named Abacan served as the
boundary between the towns of San Fernando and Mabalacat.[12]
From
Mabalacat, about half an hour travel towards the west, were the foothills of Zambales
Mountain ranges which formed the boundary between the Provinces of Pampanga and
Zambales. The foothills were identified as Mt. Panialayan, Mt. Babandapo, Mt.
Monicayo, Mt. Bunagatan, and Mt. Tandioay.[13]
In these mountains, grew many kinds of wood like Sibucao (Caesalpinia sappan Linn.), Palms, Cañas Bojas, Buri and Vejucos.
These woods were good for building constructions. [14]
Wild mangoes, called pajo, with very small
green fruits were also observed to be in abundance at Mabalacat.[15]
Draining
Mabalacat were various rivers of crystal clear waters like Quitangil,
Sapangbalayan, Paruao and Mangalit. Bridges were built over these creeks and
rivers while Mangalit had a dam for water irrigation. There were also animals noted
like deer, cordos, and carabaos. There were birds such as parrots called Catatua
and other special birds. [16] A
rare bird, called Tabon (Megapodis
cumingii), which normally laid eggs on the seashore, was also observed in
the town. [17]
The
population of Mabalacat was a mixture of Indio natives and Pinatubo Aetas, sometimes
called Balogas. Many Pinatubo Aetas already embraced Catholic religion. They participated
in the town’s economy by bringing in wax and whatever forest products they can
bring. The Indio natives were engaged in agriculture, hunting deer and wild
cattle, sugar production, indigo, sesame paste and oil. [18]
Mabalacat
Mission became the Parish of Nuestra Señora de Gracia
In
1826, eight new members of the Recollects arrived in the Philippines. From this
year and up until 1841, the Province of San Nicolas de Tolentino received 72
new religious. This allowed the province to regain some of the ministries left
in the previous decades with the favor of the government which was already
mistrusting the political loyalty of the native clergy. [19]
Thus,
in the Definitorio of 1831, the Recollect Father Provincial Alonso de los
Dolores ordered the resumption of the Missions of Capas and Mabalacat. [20]
On August 9, 1831, Fr. Mariano Pascual de San Jose was named missionary of
Mabalacat and Bamban while Fr. Jose de San Agustin was named missionary of Patling
and Capas. No less than the Governor General of the Philippines, Don Pascual
Enrile, approved the assignments. [21]
Later,
on October 14, 1831, Fr. Simon Loscos de Sta. Catalina was also assigned to
Mabalacat to assist Fr. Mariano Pascual de San Jose.[22]
In
1836, Mabalacat became a parish under the care of Nuestra Señora de Gracia.
Old Bells Tell Tales
At the belfry of Our Lady of Grace Parish
at the Poblacion hang two of the oldest church bells in town. The first bell was
casted in 1835 at the foundry of Macario de los Angeles in Quiapo, Manila. The bell
was brought to Mabalacat during the spiritual administration of Fr. Jose F.
Varela dela Consolacion (1834-1843). Engraved near the rim of the bell was the dedication:
San Miguel de Mabalacat.
The
second bell was molded in 1846. It was dedicated to Nuestra Señora de Grasia
(sic), the patron saint of Mabalacat. It was also manufactured at the foundry
of Macario de los Angeles in Quiapo, Manila. The foundry ceased to be active in
1847.
A Great Town Location
In
May 1850, a violent storm ravaged Central Luzon. After days of non-stop rains
and strong winds, Mt. Pinatubo’s natural basins, already filled to the brim,
suddenly burst, flooding the surrounding valleys in minutes. Fortunately for
Mabalacat, its elevated location and its many rivers served the town well. All
the rivers accommodated voluminous currents of crystalline waters forcefully
rushing down. [23]
Except for some repairs of the Mabalacat Bridge, which in 1853, cost 658 pesos,
the storm did not cause much damage.[24]
The
situation was different in Capas and Patling. In minutes, the rivers overflowed
and the flashfloods reached as high as five yards dragging away sugar and
household equipment. Its inhabitants ran for their lives climbing tall trees
and roofs of their houses. Those who didn’t make it got drowned. In Capas, the
inhabitants followed their Parish Priest, Fr. Juan Pérez de Santa Lucia, who
sought refuge at the elevated Town Hall. But another wave of flashfloods also engulfed
the building. They scampered to the nearby higher grounds. When the floods
subsided, the town was in total misery. Many inhabitants were dead, missing or homeless.
Mabalacat
was spared. “The delightful situation in Mabalacat with forested environs and heavily
rushing crystalline waters,” wrote the anxious Fr. Juan Pérez de Santa Lucia,
“offered me no lure for resting.” He was in Mabalacat to gather reliefs, which
poured well, and his heart was aching to go home to his poor people in Capas
and Patling.[25]
Mabalacat
in 1851
In 1851, Fr. Manuel Buzeta and Fr. Felipe Bravo,
both Augustinian Missionaries, published an encyclopedic work entitled Diccionario Geográfico, Estadístico, Histórico
de las Islas Filipinas.[26] This monumental work collated all
available information relative to the physical, political, religious and
socio-economic geography of the Philippines as of 1850. Articles on significant
islands, provinces, cities, towns, missions, visitas and barrios of the Philippines were presented
alphabetically.
The Diccionario Geográfico described
Mabalacat as a mission in the Province of Pampanga under the Archdiocese of
Manila. It is located on an irregular terrain on the banks of Sipan River[27]
and along the road that stretches from Coliat[28]
to Capas.[29]
The town was bounded on the north by its visita,
Bambang, [30]
and the Capas mission, on the east by Arayat, and on southeast by Coliat. While
the lands east of Mabalacat gently rolled down into the vast plain of Central
Luzon, the lands towards the west splintered into mountains. Among others, the mountains included
Tandivay, Binagatan, Pamalay.[31]
During
this time, Mabalacat was administered by a Recollect Priest, Fr. Cipriano Angos
del Rosario and a gobernadorcillo, Don
Miguel Cuyson. Together with its visita, Bambang, the town had 747 houses, a
town hall, a public primary school and a jail. The church and the convent were
the prominent landmarks of the town. The town had 4,482 residents who, in 1845,
paid 903 tributes.
Parish
records of 1851, however, presented slightly different figures. The town had
4,416 residents who paid 937 ½ tributes. During the year, the church
administered 177 baptisms, 50 marriages and serviced 123 burials. The 1851 parish
statistics further reveal:[32]
Class
|
Number of Persons
|
Native and mestizo taxpayers
|
1,875
|
Tax exempted by privilege
|
117
|
Tax exempted by reason of age and
health
|
21
|
Single persons of both sexes at the
age of communion
|
741
|
Single persons at the age of confession
|
611
|
Toddlers
|
1,051
|
Total Population
|
4,416
|
Mabalacat
became a Part of Comandancia Militar de Tarlac
Notwithstanding
more than two centuries of Spanish presence in the Philippines, many of its
regions and races remained unconquered and were not under the effective control
of the Spaniards. In the mountains of Zambales, there were still many Pinatubo
Aeta groups which practically eluded Spanish domination. These groups continued
to live in their nomadic ways of life almost undisturbed. In the Zambales highlands
bordering Mabalacat and other Kapampangan towns, for instance, nestled the hamlets
of thousands of Pinatubo Aetas. The Spaniards painted a horrible portrait of
them: barbarous, hostile, treacherous, lazy, merciless, shrewd, and deceitful negrito
bandits and robbers. They were armed with spears, axes, bows and arrows and
were engaged in witchcraft. The Spaniards were so horrified they were inclined
to kill Pinatubo Aetas at sight like dangerous wild beasts. So alarming was this
situation that in 1856, Fr. Juan Perez de Santa Lucia, the Missionary of Mabalacat
and Capas, had to beg the Governor General, invoking the name of Queen Isabel
II, for the protection of the Pinatubo Aetas. In nearby Capas, eleven Aetas were
murdered outright and the rest of the tribe was frightened to participate in the
resettlement and Christianization efforts of the Missionaries.[33]
On
the part of the unconquered Pinatubo Aetas, the establishment of strings of Christian
towns along Zambales Mountains, their traditional hunting grounds, was an
encroachment to their traditional territories and an undue restriction of their
free movement around the region, being nomads. These explain their attacks on adventurers
and strangers. Up until the second half of the 19th century, reports
continued to depict the constant threats of attacks posed by these independent
tribes to the Province of Pampanga.
To
quell these threats of lawlessness, especially along the vicinity the mountains
of Abo and Pinatubo, the Spanish colonial government erected the Comandancias Militares
de Tarlac (1857) and Porac (1862). [34]
Both comandancias were under the command of army officers and were dependents of
the Province of Pampanga. Albeit ill-equipped, Comandancias Militares in the
Philippines were established not only as a mode of self-defense against the
attacks of the non-Christian tribes but also to boast the military strength of the
Spanish Empire. [35] In
1860, Mabalacat, together with Bamban, Capas, Victoria, Porac, and
Floridablanca were incorporated into the Comandancia de Tarlac. [36]
Mabalacat
and the Creation of the Province of Tarlac
In
the second half of the 19th century, Spain consolidated its dominion
over the Philippines by reorganizing the provinces and establishing new ones. Spain
later realized that sustaining many newly-organized provinces proved to be financially
impossible. Yet despite the financial challenges, the colonial government opted
to convert the Comandancia Militar de Tarlac into a regular province with a politico-military
government, the Province of Tarlac. [37]
Named after its capital, Tarlac, the creation of the province was through an Executive
Order dated 28 May 1873 which was belatedly announced by the Minister of War on
21 November 1873. And through another Executive Order dated 27 June 1874,
Commander D. Julian Ocon became the first Governor of Tarlac.[38]
This time, the new province did not include the town of Mabalacat. It was returned
permanently to the Province of Pampanga a year earlier.[39]
Mabalacat
Parish gave Birth to Bamban Mission
Since
its foundation, Bamban had been under the spiritual administration of the
Parish of Mabalacat. Mabalacat and its Visita, Bamban were subsidized by the
Royal Haciendas of the King of Spain. The distance of between Mabalacat and
Bamban was three (3) leguas that was about an hour and a half travel.
Missionary priests from Mabalacat regularly visited Bamban to administer
Catholic sacraments. However, during rainy days, the Parua River, which served
as a boundary between the two towns, cannot be crossed, making it difficult for
the Missionaries to go to Bamban. This resulted to the neglect of the religious
duties of the rather fragile Aeta faithful.[40]
Thus,
in 1875, the Governor of the Politico-Militar de Tarlac presented a petition
before the Vicaria Capitular de Manila for the creation of the Mission of
Bamban. The Vicaria Foranea of Pampanga and Fr. Felix Perez
dela Soledad, the Parish Priest of Mabalacat supported the petition. They explained
that creation of the Mission of Bamban was important as it would result to a
better civil and religious life for the Pinatubo Aetas. Being an old Visita,
Bamban already owned a wooden Church which was convenient for the conduct of
religious activities and a wooden Convent where the assigned Missionary priest
may comfortably stay. Bamban also collected 441 to 445 tributes from its inhabitants. This
amount, with government subsidy and sacrifice, may be sufficient to maintain a
mission.[41]
The
petition was found meritorious. On 3 February 1876, the Vicaria Capitular de
Manila formally declared the erection of a Mission in Bamban, Province of
Tarlac, separate from its mother Parish, Mabalacat, Province of Pampanga.[42]
Subsequently, on 20 May 1876, the Administrative Council of the Philippine
Islands recommended to the Governor General the grant of 300 pesos annually to cover
the expenses of the Missionary assigned to Bamban until the town’s tribute reaches
1,000.[43]
With Bamban’s separation, the collection of tributes from Mabalacat was reduced
to 1,900. [44]
On the Way to Progress
As years passed, Mabalacat
strengthened its position as a town. It was no longer an unstable frontier
settlement whose inhabitants may abandon at the blow of the slightest winds.
Unlike its beginnings, it was no longer a settlement of purely Pinatubo Aetas.
As early as 1734, non-Aeta Christian converts from the abandoned Recollect Missions of Alupay, Talimarin and Dinalupijan settled at
Mabalacat. In 1794,
there were already Chinese settlers in town. And throughout the years, migrants
from the neighboring Kapampangan towns settled at Mabalacat, making it a
predominantly Kapampangan-speaking town.
In terms of transportation and
communications, Mabalacat was no longer an inaccessible and out-of-the-way town by
1876. Of the three (3) regular carriage routes in Pampanga, the Guagua-Camiling
route passed through Mabalacat. In this route, passenger carriages commenced
travelling from the town of Guagua northward, traversing several towns towards Mabalacat
and beyond, terminating at San Miguel de Camiling, Tarlac and vice versa. Besides
passengers, these carriages also carried mails and newspapers to be dispatched
to Pampanga’s interior towns. Commercial ships carrying mails, dailies and
weeklies from Manila and other ports dropped anchor at the port of Guagua every
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. And then these shipments were
carried north by carriages to Mabalacat and other towns.[45]
Mabalacat
had also been an important stopover for Recollect missionaries bound for Bamban,
Capas and Zambales. Thus, at the Recollect Provincial Chapter of 1876,
Mabalacat Parish was nominated to be one of the Prioratos of the Province of San Nicolas de Tolentino. However, no
action was taken on the nomination. The town had been under the spiritual
guidance of Fr. Gregorio Bueno del Rosario[46]
since 1875.
And
as the town progressed, the population trebled. The church records of 1879 revealed
that the town was a home to 11,171 residents who paid 2,627 tributes. During
the year, the church administered 561 baptisms, 98 marriages and serviced 334 burials.
The 1879 parish statistics further reveal:[47]
Class
|
Number of Persons
|
Native taxpayers
|
4,857
|
Tax exempted by privilege
|
189
|
Tax exempted by reason of age and
health
|
208
|
Single persons of both sexes at the
age of communion
|
1,600
|
Single persons at the age of confession
|
1,838
|
Toddlers
|
2,470
|
Spaniards and mestizos
|
6
|
Christian Chinese
|
2
|
Newly baptized convert
|
1
|
Total Population
|
11,163 (sic)[48]
|
Ferrocarril de Manila á Dagupan
stops at Mabalacat
In
general, the lack of decent highways that link the provinces and towns hampered
the progress of the Philippines. To partly relieve the problem, the Spanish government
ordered a comprehensive study of the feasibility of constructing a railroad
system in the Island of Luzon. This resulted to a railway plan, Ferrocarril de Manila a Dagupan
(Manila-Dagupan Railway), which was approved by a Royal Decree dated 11 May 1883.
After a public bidding, the concession for construction of the said railways
was awarded to D. Eduardo Sikler-Ifatt. However, by virtue of a Royal Order
dated 24 March 1884, the award was transferred to the Manila Railway Company,
Ltd.
The
first section of the railway, from Manila to Bagbag, was opened to the traveling
public on 25 March 1891. Its initial nine-month operations were extremely
successful in transporting passengers and goods. Thus, the second section, from
Bagbag to Mabalacat, was opened to traveling public on 19 February 1892 with a
total traveling distance of 86.7 kilometers . This section was extended to
Tarlac. The third and last section was from Tarlac to Dagupan. All in all, the railway
stretched to about 195.392
kilometers from Manila to the port of Dagupan, Pangasinan.
The whole project was opened to the travelling public on 24 November 1892. [49]
This
huge colonial project, amounting to 4,914, 473.65 pesos, practically placed
Mabalacat at the forefront. It completely erased the age-old notion that Mabalacat
was a remote, out-of-the-way frontier settlement where unsuspecting travelers may
be robbed or killed by barbaric Pinatubo Aetas. The opening of the Mabalacat train
station brought in new vigor to this otherwise sleepy border town. Upon the completion
railway, Mabalacat was somewhere in the midway between the colonial capital, Manila
and the important international port of Dagupan, Pangasinan. Mabalacat train station
was located at Barangay San Francisco. It had an office to attend to the needs
of the travellers and a canteen.[50]
So big was the news about the Manila-Dagupan that its opening was anticipated
even by Filipinos living in Spain.[51]
Philippine Revolution at Mabalacat
Towards the end of the more than three-century Spanish rule,
the colony plunged into decadence, corruption and widespread maladministration.
Educated natives led by Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano
Ponce and Jose Rizal, among others, advocated for reforms in Spain through a crusade
known as the Propaganda Movement. They eventually failed. In 1892, desperate citizens,
led by Andres Bonifacio organized the Kamahalmahala’t
Kataastaasang Katipunan nang manga Anak nang Bayan (Esteemed and Highest
Society of the Sons of the People) in the colonial capital, Manila.[52]
Popularly known as the Katipunan, the
primary purpose of the society was to separate the Philippines from the Spain
and establish an independent state called the Philippine Republic.[53]
Katipunan attacks were staged in Manila,
and its neighboring provinces.[54]
And as a countermeasure, the Governor and Capitan General of the Philippines, Ramon
Blanco y Erenas, on August 30, 1896, declared a state of war on the territory comprising
of the Provinces of Manila, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Laguna, Cavite, Pampanga
and Tarlac.[55]
In Tarlac, the revolution officially
started on January 24, 1897 when Francisco Makabulos Soliman staged his “First
Cry of Tagumpay” in his hometown, La Paz, Tarlac.[56]
Under Makabulos’ command was Major Servillano Aquino, the capitan municipal of
Murcia, Tarlac. The two, together with thousands of Tarlaqueños, worked
together to liberate Tarlac from the Spanish domination. Mabalacat, being a
border town of Pampanga towards Tarlac, was more affected by the Katipunan
movements by the latter rather than the former.
In
late 1897, Major Aquino and his men attempted to seize the town of Gerona,
Tarlac by attacking Spanish troops encamped in its adobe church. However, the
Spanish troops successfully drove them away. After giving his men a brief rest,
Major Aquino led them in an attack on the town of Mabalacat, Pampanga. The town
was defended by a company of Guardia Civil and a company of cazadores. Most of
these Spanish troops were killed and their arms captured. However, this also left
the Katipunan with ten members, dead and another twenty, wounded.[57]
The spirited Katipunan movement in Tarlac was only thwarted by the
intensification of the Spanish offensives in the region led by General Ricardo
Monet. Major Servillano Aquino was eventually captured hiding in San Fernando,
Pampanga. He was thrown into the dungeons of Fort Santiago, court-martialed and
sentenced to death for the crime of sedition. However, his life was spared by the
timely signing of the Peace Pact of Biak
na Bato on December 1897. [58]
Among others, the Peace Pact provided for a general amnesty for all those who
had been arrested in connection with the insurrection.[59]
The
officials of the Katipunan, led by General Emilio Aguinaldo, went to Hongkong as
exiles pursuant to the Peace Pact of Biak
na Bato. Major Servillano Aquino, after his release from prison followed them
there. In the summer of 1898, the Katipuneros slipped back to the Philippines
to resume the revolution. Major Aquino came back a colonel. Gen. Aguinaldo appointed
General Francisco Makabulos Soliman and Colonel Sevillano Aquino to lead the Katipunan
in Tarlac. Tarlac had 150 armed men reinforced by thousands of unarmed
Katipuneros who comprised the bolo brigades. There were 2,000 Spanish soldiers.
In early July 1898, the Tarlac Katipuneros
under the command of General Francisco Makabulos Soliman and Colonel Sevillano
Aquino marched to Mabalacat, Pampanga almost unopposed. Earlier, the news of a Katipunan
raid drove the townspeople to remote places for safety. When the Katipunan
arrived, town was nearly empty. They turned their eyes on the brave priest who chose
to stay in the convent – Fr. Gregorio Bueno de la Virgen del Romero. He was a
long-time missionary priest assigned in Mabalacat. Having stayed at the mission
for twenty-two (22) years, Fr. Bueno was viewed as the ultimate symbol of
Spanish authority in town. To humiliate him, to harm him or to kill him was a decisive
expression of Filipino victory over Spain. The poor missionary was verbally and
physically abused. He became an object of humiliation in one of the trenches
built by the Katipuneros. [60] Then,
he was brought to the outskirts of the town where he suffered a cruel and
horrible death.[61] Despite
the abuses he suffered, Fr. Bueno, old and helpless, exhibited peace and
Christian serenity of mind during these difficult moments of his life.[62]
Persisting urban legends in Mabalacat revealed that Fr. Bueno left a curse that
the town will never prosper.
[1] Pedro Fabo del Corazón de María, Historia General de la Orden de Agustinos Recoletos, Tomo VI, Segunda
parte, Años 1706-1714, (Barcelona: Imp. De la Editorial, Librería Religiosa, 1927),
364.
[2] Yldefonzo de Aragón, Estados de la Población de Filipinas
Correspondiente a el Ano de 1818 (Ciudad de Manila: Lo da ad Público al
Excmo. Ayuntamiento del M.N.Y.L., 1819), 34-35.
[3] Gregorio Ochoa del Carmen, Historia General de la Orden de Agustinos
Recoletos, Tomo IX, (Zaragoza:
Imprenta Editorial Gambon, 1929), 56-59.
[4] Extracto General del Estado de
las Pueblos de esta Provincia de la Pampanga en Asunto de sus Iglesias, Casas
Parroquiales, Tributos y Casas de sus Moradores con Distinción de Gremios, 24
Enero 1794, National Archives of the Philippines.
[5]
Joaquin Martinez de Zuniga, Status of the
Philippines in 1800, 349 and 422.
[6]Angel
Martinez Cuesta, OAR, The Augustinian
Recollects: Arrival in the Philippines and Spread of Missionary Activities (Quezon
City: Recoletos Communications, Inc., 2006), 46.
[7] Tomas de Comyn, Estado de las
Islas Filipinas (Manila, 1877), 206.
[8] Licinio Ruiz de Sta. Eulalia, Sinopsis Histórica de la Provincia de San
Nicolás de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas de la Orden de Agustino Descalzos,
Vol. I, (Manila: Tip. Pont. de la Univ. de Sto. Tomas, 1925), 71-72.
[9] Licinio Ruiz de Sta. Eulalia, Sinopsis Histórica de la Provincia de San
Nicolás de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas de la Orden de Agustino Descalzos,
Vol. I, (Manila: Tip. Pont. de la Univ. de Sto. Tomas, 1925), 72. See also: Manuel
Carceller de la Sagrada Familia, Historia
General de la Orden de Agustinos Recoletos, Tomo Décimo 1808-1836 (Madrid,
1967), 175.
[10] Manuel Carceller de la Sagrada Familia, Historia General de la Orden de Recoletos de San Agustín, Tomo
Decimo 1808-1836 (Madrid, 1962), 508.
[11] Manuel Carceller de la Sagrada Familia, Historia General de la Orden de Recoletos de San Agustín, Tomo
Decimo 1808-1836 (Madrid, 1962), 578.
[12] Yldefonzo de Aragón, Descripción Geográfica y Topográfica de la Ysla de
Luzon O Nueva Castilla con las Particulares de las Diez y Seis Provincias O
Partidos que Comprehende (Ciudad de
Manila: Imprenta de D. Manuel Mimije, por D. Anastacio Gonzaga, 1819), 16.
[13] Plano Topográfico de la Provincia de Pampanga, 1819 found in Yldefonzo de Aragón, Descripción Geográfica y Topográfica de la Ysla de
Luzon O Nueva Castilla con las Particulares de las Diez y Seis Provincias O
Partidos que Comprehende (Ciudad de
Manila: Imprenta de D. Manuel Mimije, por D. Anastacio Gonzaga, 1819), n.p.
[14] Yldefonzo de Aragón, Estados de la Población de Filipinas
Correspondiente a el Ano de 1818 (Ciudad de Manila: Lo da ad Publico al
Excmo. Ayuntamiento del M.N.Y.L., 1819), 34-35.
[15] Yldefonzo de Aragón, Descripción Geográfica y Topográfica de la Ysla de
Luzon O Nueva Castilla con las Particulares de las Diez y Seis Provincias O
Partidos que Comprehende (Ciudad de
Manila: Imprenta de D. Manuel Mimije, por D. Anastacio Gonzaga, 1819), 10.
[16] Yldefonzo de Aragón, Estados de la Población de Filipinas
Correspondiente a el Ano de 1818 (Ciudad de Manila: Lo da ad Publico al
Excmo. Ayuntamiento del M.N.Y.L., 1819), 34-35.
[17] Yldefonzo de Aragón, Descripción Geográfica y Topográfica de la Ysla de
Luzon O Nueva Castilla con las Particulares de las Diez y Seis Provincias O
Partidos que Comprehende (Ciudad de
Manila: Imprenta de D. Manuel Mimije, por D. Anastacio Gonzaga, 1819), 13.
[18] Yldefonzo de Aragón, Estados de la Población de Filipinas
Correspondiente a el Ano de 1818 (Ciudad de Manila: Lo da ad Publico al
Excmo. Ayuntamiento del M.N.Y.L., 1819),
34-35.
[19] Angel
Martinez Cuesta, OAR, The Augustinian
Recollects: Arrival in the Philippines and Spread of Missionary Activities (Quezon
City: Recoletos Communications, Inc., 2006), 47.
[20] Padre Licinio Ruiz de Sta.
Eulalia, Sinopsis Histórica de la
Provincia de San Nicolás de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas de la Orden de
Agustino Descalzos, Vol. I, (Manila: Tip. Pont. de la Univ. de Sto. Tomas,
1925), 72.
[21] Padre Licinio Ruiz de Sta.
Eulalia, Sinopsis Histórica de la
Provincia de San Nicolás de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas de la Orden de
Agustino Descalzos, Vol. I, (Manila: Tip. Pont. de la Univ. de Sto. Tomas,
1925), 73.
[22] Francisco Sadaba del Carmen, Catalogo
de los Religiosos Agustinos Recoletos de la Provincia de San Nicolás de
Tolentino de Filipinas: Desde el Año 1606, en que llego la Primera Misión a
Manila, hasta Nuestro Días, (Madrid: Imprenta del Asilo de Huérfanos del
Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, 1906).
[23] Manuel Carceller de la Sagrada Familia, Historia General de la Orden de Agustinos Recoletos, Tomo Undécimo
1837-1866 (Madrid, 1967), 779-780.
[24] Sobre consulta del gobernadorcillo y principales de Mabalacat por las
construcción de un puente, Pampanga, 1853, Legajo 57-3059, Philippine National
Archives.
[25] Manuel Carceller de la Sagrada Familia, Historia General de la Orden de Agustinos Recoletos, Tomo Undécimo
1837-1866 (Madrid, 1967), 779-780.
[28] A sitio of San Fernando,
Pampanga later known as Angeles.
[29] Capas, Tarlac.
[30] Referring to Bamban,
Tarlac.
[31] Referring to the mountains
of Tandioay, Bunagatan and Panialayan. See Plano
Topográfico de la Provincia de Pampanga, 1819 found in Yldefonzo de Aragón, Descripción Geográfica y Topográfica de la Ysla de
Luzon O Nueva Castilla con las Particulares de las Diez y Seis Provincias O
Partidos que Comprehende (Ciudad de
Manila: Imprenta de D. Manuel Mimije, por D. Anastacio Gonzaga, 1819), n.p.
[32] Juan Félix de la Encarnación, Estadística
de la Provincia de S. Nicolás de
Tolentino de PP Agustinos Recoletos de Filipinas (Manila: Imprenta de los
Amigos del País, 1851), 48.
[33] Juan Perez de Santa Lucia, Particular
to Gobernador General, 1 April 1856, Erecciónes de Pueblos – Pampanga, Philippine
National Archives, Manila, legajo 55, no. 77. For
translation, see Lino L. Dizon, “Archaeology of Reducción and (Re-) Settlement
Narratives among the Recollect Missions in Upper Pampanga, 1712-1898,” Alaya 5 (2007-2008): 66-68.
[34] Mariano
A. Henson, The Province of Pampanga and
Its Towns (A.D. 1300-1955), 2nd
Ed. (Mariano A.
Henson, 1955), 83. Henson cited Legajo 95, Parte 2, Folio 52, National Archives
of the Philippines; Francisco X. Branera, S.J., Compendio de Geografía de las Islas Filipinas, Marianas y Joló
(Manila: Establecimiento Tipográfico de Ramírez y Guardiera, 1880), 38.
[35] Francisco de Borja Canella y
Secades, Filipinas: Reorganización de su
Ejercito Gobiernos y Comandancias Politico-Militares; Isla de Mindanao (Córdoba:
Imprenta y Papelería Catalana, Ayuntamiento, 1895), 26-27.
[36]
Mariano A. Henson, The Province of
Pampanga and Its Towns (A.D. 1300-1955),
2nd Ed. (Mariano A.
Henson, 1955), 83.
[37] Francisco de Borja Canella y
Secades, Filipinas: Reorganización de su
Ejercito Gobiernos y Comandancias Politico-Militares; Isla de Mindanao (Córdoba:
Imprenta y Papelería Catalana, Ayuntamiento, 1895), 27-28.
[38] Ignacio Salinas y Angulo, Legislación
Militar Aplicada Al Ejercito de Filipinas, vol. 1 (Manila: Establecimiento Tipográfico
de Plana y C., 1879), 12.
[39] Mariano
A. Henson, The Province of Pampanga and
Its Towns (A.D. 1300-1955), 2nd
Ed. (Mariano A.
Henson, 1955), 83.
[40] Felix Perez, letter to
Gobernador Eclesiástico de este Arzobispado de Manila, 15 Diciembre 1875,
Philippine National Archives, Manila.
[41] Vicaria Foránea
de la Pampanga, letter to Señor Vicario General Gobernador Eclesiástico del
Arzobispado de Manila, 18 Diciembre 1875, Philippine National Archives, Manila.
[42] Remedios, Luis, letter to Excelentísimo Señor Gobernador Vice Patrono Real, 3 Febrero 1876, Philippine
National Archives, Manila, Memorias de Pampanga, 221-222.
[43] Consejo de Administración de las Islas Filipinas, letter to Excelentísimo
Señor Gobernador General, 20 Mayo 1876, Philippine National Archives, Manila, Memorias de Pampanga, 227-229.
[44] Vicaria Foránea
de la Pampanga, letter to Señor Vicario General Gobernador Eclesiástico del
Arzobispado de Manila, 18 Diciembre 1875, Philippine National Archives, Manila.
[45] Agustín de la Cavada, Historia,
Geográfica, Geológica y Estadística de Filipinas, vol. 1, (Manila: Imp. De
Ramírez y Giraudier, 1876), 158.
[46] Fr. Gregorio Bueno dela Virgen del Romero
[47] Provincia de San Nicolás de Tolentino de Agustinos Descalzos de la
Congregación de España e Indias (Manila: Imprenta de los Amigos del País,
1851), 107.
[48] This is erroneous. The
actual total is 11,171.
[49] Misión de la Compañía de Jesús en Filipinas, El Archipiélago Filipino, Tomo I, (Washington: Imprenta Del Gobierno, 1900), 322-323.
[50] Misión de la Compañía de Jesús en Filipinas, El Archipiélago Filipino, Tomo I, (Washington: Imprenta Del Gobierno, 1900), 322-323.
[51] La Solidaridad
Quincenario Democrático, 15 Diciembre 1891, Año
III, núm. 69, 625.
[52]
Artemio Ricarte, Memoirs of General
Artemio Ricarte (Manila: National Historical Commission of the Philippines,
2012), 3.
[53] Nick
Joaquin, The Aquinos of Tarlac: An Essay
on History as Three Generations, (Manila: Cacho Hermanos, Inc., 1983), 39.
[54]
Artemio Ricarte, Memoirs of General
Artemio Ricarte (Manila: National Historical Commission of the Philippines,
2012), 7 et. seq.
[55] Governor and Capitan
General of the Philippines, Declaration of State of War, 30 August 1896, Felina
Mapa (trans.),Views on the Philippine
Revolution, Vol. I (Quezon City: Teresita Antonio Alcantara Publication,
2002), 37-39.
[56]
Nick Joaquin, The Aquinos of Tarlac: An
Essay on History as Three Generations, (Manila: Cacho Hermanos, Inc.,
1983), 31.
[57]
Nick Joaquin, The Aquinos of Tarlac: An
Essay on History as Three Generations, (Manila: Cacho Hermanos, Inc., 1983),
39.
[58] Nick
Joaquin, The Aquinos of Tarlac: An Essay
on History as Three Generations, (Manila: Cacho Hermanos, Inc., 1983),
41-42.
[59] Artemio
Ricarte, Memoirs of General Artemio
Ricarte (Manila: National Historical Commission of the Philippines, 2012),
61-63.
[60] Licinio Ruiz de Sta. Eulalia, Sinopsis Histórica de la Provincia de San Nicolás
de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas de la Orden de Agustino Descalzos, Vol.
II, (Manila: Tip. Pont. de la Univ. de Sto. Tomas, 1925), 397- 399.
[61] Licinio Ruiz de Sta. Eulalia, Sinopsis Histórica de la Provincia de San Nicolás
de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas de la Orden de Agustino Descalzos, Vol.
II, (Manila: Tip. Pont. de la Univ. de Sto. Tomas, 1925), 397- 399.
[62] Francisco Sadaba del Carmen, Catalogo
de los Religiosos Agustinos Recoletos de la Provincia de San Nicolás de
Tolentino de Filipinas: Desde el Año 1606, en que llego la Primera Misión a
Manila, hasta Nuestro Días, (Madrid: Imprenta del Asilo de Huérfanos del
Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, 1906), 475.
