Supplemental Topic, Series of 2014: 17th May Lakbay-PananampaIataya SJBP

ageIIan discovered our archipelago in 1521. But

there was no serious attempt to take possession
of it until 1565 when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the
conquistador, was sent by King Philip of Spain to an
expedition with four hundred soldiers and sailors
accompanied by six Augustinian friar-missionaries.
Legazpi based in Cebu then sent Martn de Goiti and
Juan de Salcedo ahead to explore other regions.
Eventually, Manila was conquered.
Legazpi founded Manila on June 24, 1571 and he became the country's
first Governor-General. Manila was bestowed the title "Insigne y
Siempre leal Ciudad de Espaa" (distinguished and ever loyal city of
Spain) by King Philip in 1574. t was called ''Intramuros'' (walled city)
and later, ''Ciudad del Feliz Romero'" (city of happy travelers).
Early on, despite an alliance forged with Rajah Sulayman, the ruler of
Manila at that time, the well-armed Spaniards faced a stout battle against
the resisting natives. Manila's conquest was concluded with the defeat of
the defiant Sulayman in the battle of Bangkusay. Lagazpi formed a peace
pact with the native rulersRajah Matanda and Rajah Lakandulaand
organized a city council with two mayors, 12 councilors and a secretary. That
was deemed an incipient civil government of Manila. Erstwhile Tondo
province formed part of the central government of Manila, and today currently
exists as a congressional
district of the city.
Mani l a and t he whol e
ar chi pel ago became a
Spanish colony for more than
300 years. However, in his
book titled The Friars in the
Philippines, published in 1899,
Rev. Ambrose Coleman, a
Dominican, contended that
"there was no conquest in the

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strict sense of the term.The Spaniards in most places simply showed
themselves to the natives; and the missionaries of religious Orders who
accompanied the conquistadors and soldiers persuaded the untutored savages
to submit to the King of Spain, through whom they would obtain the two-fold
blessing of civilization and Christianity."
Manila rose as the capital and seat of the Spanish colonial administration in
the country, the entire Asia-Pacific and the rest of the East ndies
(Philippine archipelago, Guam, Palau, Micronesia, for a time
some parts of Formosa, Sabah, and parts of Moluccas).
Manila proudly stood like a European medieval city with
cathedral and churches, palaces and administration hall built
in the Hispanic baroque style. Manila was about to catch up
with the New World, the modern Americas we know today,
whose civilization and Christian faith was introduced by
Christopher Columbus, a navigator-explorer in 1492.
Manila was placed under the Diocese of Mexico in 1571
until it was separated and established as another Episcopal
See in Feb. 6, 1579 by a decree of Pope Gregory X. Fray
Domingo Salazar, a Dominican, was appointed Bishop of
the new diocese and arrived in Manila in May 13, 1581. He was with
twenty Augustinians, eight Franciscans and Fray Christoval Salvatierra, the lone
Dominican survivor out of his original twenty companions from Europe via
Mexico to Manila. Twelve out of the twenty of the Dominicans died during the
perilous journey before reaching Mexico. Others were seriously stricken-ill and
stayed behind in Mexico.
n the early Spanish rule, Quiapo at the heart of Manila was a marsh-and-canal
village, a place of several islets with criss-crossing waterways. t was a fishing
village with some portions planted to vegetables. Quiapo's
name was derived from a water lily called "kiapo" which
grewin the canals and marshes, different from the water lily
we see floating in the Pasig River nowadays.
Franciscans had already built the first church in Quiapo in
1579, using bamboo and nipa palm. Saint John the Baptist
has since been the parish patron Saint of Quiapo Church
known today as Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. Fray
Pedro Bautista, a Franciscan missionary and martyr (who
was canonized by Pope Pius Xin June 8, 1862) was one of
its founders. His image is placed at a side niche of the
church. He also founded many churches in what is now
Metro Manila and suburbs as well as in Laguna province. n
February 17, 1590, he founded San Francisco del
Montean elevated area of 250 hectares with thick woods, surrounded by a
creek and eight water springs. The parish church had been named after
himnowthe Santuario de San Pedro Bautista. t also housed the Holy Cave for
Franciscans who went on mission to China and Japan during those difficult
years. t is considered the second oldest church in the Philippines.
After the Augustinians in 1565 were the Franciscan friar-missionaries in 1578
who established their central mission post in Namayan kingdom, which was

Supplemental Topic, Series of 2014: 17th May Lakbay-PananampaIataya SJBP

ruled by King Lakan Tagkan and his consort-wife Bouan.
Namayan was also known as the Kingdom of Sapa, one of
the three major kingdoms which dominated the upper
eastern side of Pasig River running along the coast of
Laguna de Bai, the largest in the country. They named the
central mission post Santa Ana de Sapa in honor of Sta. Ana,
mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary and in reference to the
nearby Pasig River whom the natives fondly called "sapa."
Franciscans were inspired by Fray Juan de Plasencia's
system of "Reduccion" whereby re-settling natives in central
locations, gathering them into towns, scattered people formed into "doctrina."
Plasencia was with the first batch of Franciscan missionaries in the Philippines
and became Custos or Superior of the Franciscans in 1579-1580. But this did
not impede him in his work with the native language. For Plasenciawho
authored several religious and linguistic books, most notably, the Doctrina
Christiana, the first book printed in the Philippines, which also had Tagalog
and Chinese versionthe role of mastering the native language in order to
facilitate evangelization, religious instructions, and the training of an effective
missionary has a more basic role to play than his administrative job. With his
untiring work and missionary zeal, he founded several towns in Laguna and
Tayabas, in Bulacan and RizalTayabas, Caliraya, Lucban, Mahayhay,
Nagcarlan, Liliw, Pila, Santa Cruz, Lumban, Pangil, Siniloan, Meycawayan,
Morong, Antipolo and .
n 1589, Plasencia authored the book "Relacion de las Costumbres de Los
Tagalos." which had exceptional effects to the early legal system of our
country. t preserved the formerly unwritten customs, traditions and beliefs of the
natives and gave us the first "Civil Code used by the alcaldes-mayores in their
administration of justice.
Earlier in 1579, the Franciscans had already established a mission outpost in
Taytay in a populated area scattered along Laguna de Bai known as Mabulo
which was later named Barrio Sta. Ana in honor of a revered headman Francisco
Sta. Ana. They also built a church out of light materials and they called it Visita
Santa Ana de Sapa which was under their central administration of Santa Ana de
Sapa (in Manila).
n 1583, the mission in Taytay was separated
from Santa Ana de Sapa and had Fray Pablo
de Jesus, a Franciscan, as its first parish
priest. Still, its patron Saint was John the
Baptist, the same as that of Quiapo parish
when Manila was inaugurated as a new
diocese in 1579. Taytay became under the
ecclesial jurisdiction of the Diocese of Manila.
Then in 1586, the Franciscan central mission
outpost of Santa Ana de Sapa became a town
of the district of Manila founded by the decree
of Governor-General Santiago de Vera;
henceforth, became a new parish with Fray
Antonio de Nombella as its first parish priest.
Taytay (1579)

Supplemental Topic, Series of 2014: 17th May Lakbay-PananampaIataya SJBP

n 1720, a new stone-church was built and the parish became the Our
Lady of the Abandoned Parish, as it is today. But Sta. Ana, the original
patron of the parish, has not been forgotten; her statue stands in a
niche directly above the exquisite image of Our Lady of the
Abandoned that Fray Vicente ngles brought from
Valencia, Spain in 1717. The name of Sta. Ana town
remained and is nowthe 6th Congressional District of
Manila.
Also in 1586, Fray Pedro Bautista [Quiapo founder]
was elected as Custos in the Philippines. After three
years, he turned the seal of the new Franciscan
Province (of St. Gregory the Great in the Philippines,
created by Pope Sixtus V) over to Fray Pablo de
Jesus [Taytay parish priest], his newly elected successor who became the first
Provincial of the Franciscans.
ranciscans founded Santa Ana de Sapa, Paco, Pandacan,
Sampaloc and San Francisco del Monte when they arrived in
Manila in 1578. There was a village that became a barrio of
Santa Ana de Sapa town that was turned into a small
"encomienda" in 1590. Said village was christened "San
Juan del Monte" (meaning, Saint John of the Mountain). t
derived its name from San Juan Bautista, and the "del
Monte" tag was in reference to the hilly terrain of the land.
n 1602, Spanish Captain Julian de Cuenca, donated a nearly
three hectares plot of wooded land along the San Juan River to the
Dominicans to build their rest-and-recovery house and a small
church dedicated to "San Juan Bautista on the hills. n 1616, the
house became independent from the central Sto. Domingo
Convent in ntramuros, and it came to be known as the "House of
San Juan Bautista del Monte. n 1642, its church became a
shrine of the venerable image of the Santo Cristo (Crucified
Lord) which was transferred from the Dominican church at
Parian, the Chinese market place outside the Manila walls.
The Santo Cristo image was too big for niches in the conventual
church, since it was nine palmos in height (1.80 meters). So it was placed in the
main altar, replacing Saint John the Baptist who had previously occupied the
place of honor. Thus emerged the Santuario del Santo Cristo. Soon after, the
Confraternity [Hermanded del Santo Cristo] was established in 1643, which got
the approval of Pope nnocent Xon March 4, 1648.
San Juan became independent of Santa Ana de Sapa though still a barrio of the
Province of Manila in 1783. Then San Juan was attached to the new parish of
San Felipe Neri of the Franciscans in Mandaluyong in 1863. The people
clamored that their town be given a parish of its own and requested that the
Santuario del Santo Cristo of the Dominican, be elevated to the rank of parish. t
San Juan: the patron, the town

Supplemental Topic, Series of 2014: 17th May Lakbay-PananampaIataya SJBP

was big enough, that neither the diocese nor the town will have to incur the huge
expenditure for the construction of a newparish church and convent.
n 1892, San Juan finally had its own parishbut not in the Santuario. The new
parish, new church and the parochial house built in the section of the town is in
the poblacionthey simply called Camino de Mariquinalocated on the
grounds of the Santo Cristo perimeter. The new parish was named after its
patron, San Juan Bautista. The image of San Juan Bautista from the
Santuario was transferred to the new parish church. Several decades had
passed, the parish at the Santuario del Sto. Cristo was created in May 3,
1942; thus, San Juan had two parishes.
The opening salvo of the Philippine Revolution began in San Juan
(Pinaglabanan) in 1897. t became a town and later incorporated into the
province of Rizal in 1901 during the American rule, and placed under Metro
Manila in 1975 during the reign of Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos. t was
officially named "Municipality of San Juan del Monte before it was
converted into a highly-urbanized City of San Juan on June 17, 2007.
San Juan City is renowned for its celebration on the 24th of June in honor of
its patron, San Juan Bautista. The People are engaged in the traditional
"basaan" where revelers douse people with water like the tradition in other
places such as Balayan (Batangas), Calumpit (Bulacan) and Taytay (Rizal)
among others, that honor Saint John the Baptist as their patron. Devotees
and townfolks believe that getting wet during the pious rites and traditional
festivities would shower them blessingsmore and abundant!
ranciscans were the first evangelizers of the vast territory now
known as the Diocese of Antipolo. They zealously began their
missionary works as early as 1578. Taytay was the center of mission
and Antipolo was attached to Taytay as a mission
outpost. After more than a decade of hard work, the
Franciscans gave up both towns due to lack of
personnel. The jurisdiction was transferred to the
Jesuits by the ecclesial authorities in 1591.
Fray Pedro Chirino, a notable Jesuit historian and
missionary, took his turn as parish priest. On
March 25, 1591, feast of the Annunciation,
Chirino celebrated his first Holy Mass as a
missionary in a swampy place in Taytay near
the lake where the church stood. He delivered
his first homily in Tagalog in a Holy Mass held
on a hilltop in Antipolo they named
Pinagmisahan on the 15th of August of that
same year, feast of the Assumption of Mary.
Taytay served as the "bridge of the
missionaries to reach the heights of Antipolo
Taytay, the first and another "San Juan deI Monte"

Supplemental Topic, Series of 2014: 17th May Lakbay-PananampaIataya SJBP

where the seat of the Diocese now resides. (A much later legend has it that
Taytay got its name from the word "tai-tai' which meant "bridge to the Aetas
wandering in the hills of Taytay in those days.)
Taytay was a farming community with thriving harvests on the well-watered land.
The people loved the water. Houses were built right up to the edge of the river. t
was said that even the crocodiles with which it was infested could not deter the
locals from their daily dip. The town was perennially flooded several months of
the year; so was the simple church and its rectory, even up to the altar platform.
There was some high ground nearby but the people were taken aback to move
the church and the town there for the place used to be a
cemetery. Thus, Fray Chirino took the four datus of the town
to the choir loft of the church and showed them the expanse
of water below. Unless a new church and rectory were built
in a dry place, he was moving out to reestablish somewhere
in Antipolo hinterland.
Soon the whole community moved their houses to a higher
ground where the small church was built. Like Fray de
Jesus, his predecessor, Fray Chirino placed the new town
under the patronage of Saint John the Baptist and
christened it "San Juan del Monte." n 1601, the first stone-
church outside of the Jesuit central post in Manila was built
on this site by Fray Diego de Santiago; and in 1630, the
second stone-church by Fray Juan de Salazar, an expert
Jesuit architect and also the builder of the churches of
Antipolo and Silang (Cavite). Of the three churches "that of
Taytay is well-wrought and sufficiently spacious, but, when
compared to the other two, is truly small: all three are of
stonework, well made, sturdy, solid, unencumbered, and brilliant," according to
Jesuit Fray Pedro Murillo Velarde (1749), a distinguished historian. The said site
of Taytay Church is believed to be the very same place where the present
churchthe third stone-churchstands today. Nevertheless, the people
continued to call the town Taytay, and it has remained Taytay up to this day.
A Cofradia [de la Anunciata] was established by the Jesuit missionaries in
Taytay. t accomplished good works of visiting the sick, helping them die well,
getting converts to confession, and teaching the faith to the unbaptized. The old
custom of excessive feasting at funerals and betrothals was abandoned.
Every barrio had its cross in the street where young people gathered around for
prayers every evening. When a plague of locusts threatened the crops in 1598,
the people pleaded to the Blessed Mother and promised her a special
celebration on the feast of the mmaculate Conception and generous alms for
the poor and orphans for the favor. The prayers were answered, and the promise
was fulfilled. The devotions to Our Lady fervently continued and passed on to
generations. And the people of Taytay gained a high reputation throughout the
land for good character, so much so that the Provisor of the Archbishop of Manila
and even secular officials, sent persons who were in need of correction to live in
Taytay for a period of time and be under the good influence of the townspeople.
Whereas in 1666-1668, Taytay also became the training ground of the newly-
canonized Saint, the young Pedro Calungsod, whose mentor was the Blessed

Supplemental Topic, Series of 2014: 17th May Lakbay-PananampaIataya SJBP

Fray Diego Luis de Sanvitores who was then the parish priest of St. John the
Baptist; both went on mission and martyred in Marianas (Guam) in April 2, 1672.
Civilization and Evangelization continued. From being a part of the province of
Tondo and the first Jesuit mission, Taytay was under the civil authority of Distrito
delos Montes de San Mateo in 1583. Two-hundred seventy years later, (1853)
the new political subdivision of Antipolo, Cainta and Taytay from the Province
of Tondo; and Morong, Baras, Tanay, Pililla, Angono, Binangonan and
Jalajala from the Province of La Laguna was formed with Morong as the
capital. This was changed to Distrito Politico-Militar de Morong in 1857.
n 1860, the Province of Tondo became the Province of Manila. Mariquina was
the capital of Manila during the revolutionary government of Gen. Emilio
Aguinaldo. The Province of Morong had for its capital the town of Antipolo for the
period of 1898-1899, and the town of Tanay for 1899-1900.
n 1901, a civil government in the Provinces of Manila and Morong was sought to
be organized. This resulted to the creation of the province of Rizal, named after
Dr. Jose P. Rizal by virtue of Act No. 137 by the First Philippine Commission.
Rizal province was composed of twenty-six municipalities, fourteen from the old
Province of Manila (Las Pias, Malabon, Makati, Paraaque, Mandaluyong, San
Juan, Navotas, Muntinlupa, Taguig, Pateros, Pasig, Marikina, San Mateo, and
Montalban); and 12 from the Distrito Politico-Militar de Morong, (Angono, Baras,
Binangonan, Cainta, Antipolo, Cardona, Jalajala, Morong, Pililla, Tanay, Teresa
and Taytay). The seat of the provincial government was Pasig.
n 1975, the 12 towns of Las Pias, Paraaque, Muntinlupa, Taguig,
Pateros, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Malabon, Navotas, Pasig
and Marikina were incorporated to the newly created Metro Manila by
virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824. The remaining 14 towns of the
Province of Rizal were Taytay, San Mateo, Montalban (now
Rodriguez), Cainta, Angono, Antipolo, Binangonan, Teresa, Morong,
Cardona, Tanay, Baras, Pililla and Jalajala. Antipolo became a
component city of Rizal Province in 1998 and nowthe newseat of the
provincial government replacing the old Capitol in Pasig which has
long been outside the jurisdiction of Rizal Province.
Antipolo City has become the seat of the Diocese and the Provincial
Capitol, the center of both civil and ecclesial authority in Rizal. And
Antipoleos greatly honor and celebrate their patroness, the Nuestra
Seora de la Paz y Buen Viaje (Our Lady of Peace and Good
Voyage) on her Debember 8 feastday.
hat now of St. John the Baptist Parish Church since the time it
was heavily-vandalized and desecrated by the raging Chinese
tumult from Calamba in 1639, where even a large part of the town
was burned down? How is it now since the time when about 1,000
civilians were massacred in March 19, 1899, where the whole town
was in total ruin, and the Church razed by the angry American troops
CeIebrating the Patron of Taytay

Supplemental Topic, Series of 2014: 17th May Lakbay-PananampaIataya SJBP

in June 3, 1899? What we have now is the
third stone-church painstakingly built from
1962 until l983, completed just in time for the
canonical erection of the Diocese of Antipolo,
separated from the Diocese of Manila.
The Taytayeo has proven to be of hard-as-a-rock
faith, of undaunted spirit. They must have been
inspired by the humble act of the illustrious prophet of
old in Biblical history "who prepares the way of the
Lord"John the Baptist"pouring water of baptism
on our Lord Jesus." And they are also deeply
appreciative of the act of dousing water using the firetruck's water canonby no
less than the town Mayorduring the procession celebrating the feast of our
patron, Saint John the Baptist. Oh, what a gesture of harmony and cooperation!
And so, how's our beloved town of "San Juan del Monte," the Taytay we know? t
is a first class, densely populated municipality in the province of Rizal. t is the
third most populous municipality in the country. t is proudly
the "woodworks and garments capital of the Philippines,"
and efforts are paying off for its continuing development.
Fewmore steps, maybe "ilang tulog na lang," the dream of
cityhood will be achieved; and lo, Taytay flies high!
Much has been said. But that's only a glimpse of the
gargantuan past, its heritage, and the wonder that is
Taytayand beyond. Taytayeos has ever sought to
bestow the town the honor it deserves, and with great
impulse of gratitude to its humble patron, St. John the
Baptist, who has since been the driving spirit, "the voice in
the wilderness" of our town's socio-civic and eco-political
endeavors, cultural and historical heritage.
However things may have changed from what they
were before in the course of time, though, perhaps
very different, what has not changed, what is no
different today is our folk way of integrating devotion
and celebration, piety and revelry.
Celebrating June 24, the feast of the nativity of
Saint John the Baptist, is in order. ndeed, for
true Taytayeos at heart, the "San Juan paligo"
tradition is but a keen celebration of the past we
are today so busy and eagerly rediscovering.
Yes, Pista ni San Juan Bautista, Araw ng
Taytay!

Supplemental Topic, Series of 2014: 17th May Lakbay-PananampaIataya SJBP