Spanish Friars From Mabalacat Town Who Met Violent Deaths: Joel Quiambao Cayanan

SPANISH FRIARS FROM
MABALACAT TOWN WHO

MET VIOLENT DEATHS
JOEL QUIAMBAO CAYANAN

FR. JUAN HERRERO, OAR
- In 1885, he was named as

a compañero or assistant priest
to long-serving Fr. Gregorio
Bueno de la Virgen del Rosario.
- Fr. Herrero stayed for just 5

months—from July 11 to
December 10, but long enough
to be facile with the
Kapampangan language, a talent
which earned him an amount of
respect among the natives.
- Fr. Herrero stayed for just 5

months—from July 11 to
December 10, but long enough
to be facile with the
Kapampangan language, a talent
which earned him an amount of
respect among the natives.
- On 30 April 1891, a new

assignment took him to Imus
where he was named as the
Prior-Administrator of the
order’s hacienda.
- By 1896, violent attacks

against Spaniards were waged in
many towns, Imus included. In
the last days of September 1896,
the Recoletos’ hacienda
became the scene of a bloody
siege.
- advancing
revolucionarios managed to
corner Spanish soldiers
and Recoleto priests--led by Fr.
Juan Herrero--who bravely
rallied around their country’s
flag.
- Fr. Juan Herrero and 9

other Recoletos were killed in
the crossfire by impassioned
Filipinos.
FRAY VICTOR
BALTANAS, OAR
- Born on 17 November 1869 in

Berceo, La Rioja, Spain, he
became a Recoleto on 24
October 1886.
FRAY VICTOR
BALTANAS, OAR
- Five years after, he was given

a Philippine assignment, and
just a few days after his arrival
on 21 October 1891, the young
deacon was sent to Mabalacat to
assist Fr. Bueno.
FRAY VICTOR
BALTANAS, OAR
- His stay was temporary, for he

was shuffled
from Mabalacat to Manila, then
Palawan (1894-1895) to
Intramuros (1899-1902), and
then finally to Valencia, Negros
Oriental where he served as
coadjutor.
FRAY VICTOR
BALTANAS, OAR
- In October 1907, he became

the cura of the Catholic Church
of Escalante town. It was here
that he was hacked to death in
the head by an Aglipayan
assassin, Mauricio Gamao, on
the night of 15 May 1909.
FRAY GREGORIO
BUENO, OAR
- The Spanish fraile known for

putting a curse on Mabalacat,
saying that the town will never
prosper, was Fray Gregorio
Bueno
FRAY GREGORIO
BUENO, OAR
- Born in Taragona in Aragon,

Spain, he was first assigned to
Iba and Masinloc in Zambales,
then moved to the Recoletos
convent in Manila. On 30
November 1885, the Padre
Garigu was named cura of
Mabalacat.
FRAY GREGORIO
BUENO, OAR
- He was the last Recollect

priest to serve and his was also
the longest term, staying on for
23 years until his untimely
death.
FRAY GREGORIO
BUENO, OAR
- He was the last Recollect

priest to serve and his was also
the longest term, staying on for
23 years until his untimely
death.
FRAY GREGORIO
BUENO, OAR
- The popular belief was that

he incurred the wrath of town
head Don Marcelo Tiglao, for
harassing a female member of
his family.
FRAY GREGORIO
BUENO, OAR
- The 66 year old priest was

paraded on the streets in a
bullcart, publicly humiliated and
charged with espionage.
FRAY GREGORIO
BUENO, OAR
- On 10 July 1898, he was shot

dead by a firing squad, although
one other version had him
boloed to death while in a pit
that was to be his grave.
FRAY GREGORIO
BUENO, OAR
- Before Padre Bueno died, it

was said that he managed to
utter his famous legendary
curse on Mabalacat: the town
will only be freed from the spell
if it can produced fourteen
native priests
THE CURSE OF
MABALACAT
A legend tells us that when they were
clearing the forest, Cabezang Laureana’s
workers found hidden among the bushes a
status of Nino Jesus which was much later
on presented as a gift by her descendants
to Father Maxi (Manuguid), then the
parish priest of a small church made of
sawali and cogon grass.
Up to the time the present church
was constructed by Fr. Maximo Manuguid,
the Nino remained the patron saint of
Mabalacat. Today, that statue of the Nino
is the icon held in the arms of the present
patroness, Nuestra Senora de Candelaria.
Perhaps, it is also fitting to note that a
Spanish Friar named Fr. Fernando Bueno
was murdered by insurrectors, but before
he died he was able to spell a curse that
this town would never achieve progress
and prominence.
The history of Mabalacat town has always
been associated with the popular account
of how a friar before being killed in cold
blood by a band of hoodlums on orders
from the head of a prominent Mabalacat
family, uttered a curse, saying that
Mabalacat will never prosper and thrive.
By 1897, during Fr. Bueno’s tenure,
Mabalacat has a population of around 9,
705 souls, a substantial figure at that
period, a further affirmation of town’s
primal role in converting heathens and
spreading the word of God.
It is a common but a hush-hush knowledge
that the family implicated in Fr. Bueno’s
death was the Tiglaos. The common
version had these spicy details: a female
member of Tiglao family went to see the
parish priest to have some religious
articles blessed.
Instead, the priest supposedly made
overtures unbecoming of his habit.
Insulted the women fled home and
reported the incident to patriarch Marcelo
Tiglao, who exacted revenge by ordering
his killing.
Thus began the curse – which not only
affected the town’s march to progress, but
also the fortunes of the Tiglaos (not to
mention the rained out graduation rites of
the town’s high school)
Mr. Sigfried Ranada pointed out that his
grandfather Marcelo could not have
possibly perpetrated the crime cause he
was scheduled to meet with General
Emilio Aguinaldo’s revolutionary forces at
that same hour.
It was reported that by 1897, the fervor of
the Philippine Revolution reached
Pampanga and Tarlac which resulted in the
closing of some
Recollect missions.
Anti-Spanish sentiment was very strong at
that time and even priests were not spared
from reprisals.
When Filipino revolutionaries succeeded
in taking Tarlac from the Spaniards, word
reached Mabalacat about Spain’s surrender
at the headquarters of General Francisco
Makabulos in San Miguel.
A horde of angry, impassioned
Mabalaqueno revolutionaries – incited by
a prominent family of the town – stormed
the parish church and dragged Fr. Bueno
outside where he was humiliated in public
before being charged with espionage and
shot to death by a firing squad.
It is inconclusive if the Padre’s curse has
indeed come true.
Mabalacat today is designated special
economic zone of Clark and there are
unmistakable signs of progress:
- The vital linking of town to the North
Expressway via Sta. Ines
- The booming of Dau
- The burgeoning of prime real estate
But then again,
there are horror stories to tell:
- The continuing plagues from
Clark’s toxic waste
- The devastation of the northern part of
the town by Mount Pinatubo
Whether Mabalaquenos like it or not, the
stigma of the curse will continue to be
inextricably linked to its popular history.
RECOLLECT PRIEST TO
MABALACAT:
“ALL IS FORGIVEN”
The Sanggunian Panlungsod of Mabalacat
led by Vice Mayor Christian Halili passed
Resolution No. 146, series of 2017
recognizing the Order of Augustinian
Recollects (OARs) as the founder of the
township of Mabalacat and the Our Lady
of Grace Parish in 1712.
The resolution was given to Rev. Fr.
Emilio Edgardo Quilatan, Order of
Augustinian Recollects (OARs). Quilatan
is the first OAR priest to preside a Holy
Mass at Our Lady of Grace Parish after the
death of Fray Gregorio Bueno hundreds of
years ago.
The resolution was given to Rev. Fr.
Emilio Edgardo Quilatan, Order of
Augustinian Recollects (OARs). Quilatan
is the first OAR priest to preside a Holy
Mass at Our Lady of Grace Parish after the
death of Fray Gregorio Bueno hundreds of
years ago.
Parish Finance Council Head Luz Dungca
handed over a framed replica of the Our
Lady of Grace to the recollect priest.
“I am here to inform you that Mabalacat is
the mother parish of the towns of Botolan,
O’Donnel, Capas, and Bamban” –
Quilatan
“Despite of such story happened in
Mabalacat during the Philippine
Revolution, the death of its last parish
priest Fray Bueno who is now in heaven
watching us. Whatever happened in the
past, all is forgiven” - Quilatan
According to Robby Tantingco of the
Center for Kapampangan Studies,
Mabalacat is the only town in Pampanga to
be administered by the Order of
Augustinian Recollects (OARs)
He also cited that Fray Diego Cera, OAR,
builder of the world’s famous bamboo
organ in Las Pinas, was the parish priest of
Mabalacat before being assigned in Las
Pinas.
Other Recollect missionaries who
evangelized the pioneer settlers of
Mabalacat are: Fr. Andres de San
Fulgencio, Fr. Juan de Santo Tomas, and
Fr. Manuel de San Nicolas.
END

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SPANISH FRIARS FROM

MABALACAT TOWN WHO

JOEL QUIAMBAO CAYANAN

- In 1885, he was named as

- Fr. Herrero stayed for just 5

- Fr. Herrero stayed for just 5

- On 30 April 1891, a new

- By 1896, violent attacks

- Fr. Juan Herrero and 9

- Born on 17 November 1869 in

- Five years after, he was given

- His stay was temporary, for he

- In October 1907, he became

- The Spanish fraile known for

- Born in Taragona in Aragon,

- He was the last Recollect

- He was the last Recollect

- The popular belief was that

- The 66 year old priest was

- On 10 July 1898, he was shot

- Before Padre Bueno died, it

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