Local history is a long overdue project. More books are coming out;
we have provincial histories exemplified by Rosario Mendoza Cortes'
3 vol. HISTORY OF PANGASINAN. Local histories present a different
angle of vision. Looking at events, from the bottom up. Changes in
the regional level will always be uneven because of time and distance.
Westernized cities present a distorted picture...they do not present
the almost unchanging rural landscapes, where most of the population
lives.
Lucban, borders on Mount Banahaw, endowed with mild and invigorating
climate, with a sizable population. It is a picturesque town, known
for its LAMBANOG, a concoction distilled from coconut palm sap. It
is a favorite watering place, much like Los Baños, and the
farther Baguio. It has its medicinal springs. The view from the town
offers a panorama, otherwise difficult to capture. The town has a
quiet beauty and mellowness about it that give the spirit of serenity
and repose.
This book is a labor of love. Not many writers venture into local
history, because the rewards are neglible. It takes an interested
researcher to take both the time and the effort. Still, the book has
to be examined for its merits. The author tracked down written materials
in Spanish archives, the Franciscan archive in Pastrana, was made
available to him, aside from materials available in the Philippines.
He repeats the questionable friar chronicles e.g.Frs. Gasper de San
Agustin, Pablo Pastells, Francisco the Sta Inez, Joaquin Martinez
de Zuniga, Francisco Collin, and Mariano de Ribadeneira. This over-reliance
on the chronicles is one of the main weakness of the book.
The chronicles magnified the achievements of the religious orders,
who worked to promote the greater glory of God and of Spain, in their
pockets. The missionaries, had the leftover energy engendered by the
Crusades against the Moors. They wantonly destroyed the remains of
the native cultures. This seems to be a pattern in the Spanish colonized
areas. Everything examined as a contest between CHRISTIANITY VS. PAGANISM.
Serious readings of the chronicles confirms materials repeated from
one chronicle to another, unquestioningly. Author seems aware of the
problem when he states:
The facts about the Spanish undertaking, as related by the sources
that were
use, were probably exaggerated in many of the instances as they were
written
as a basis to obtain encomiendas, rewards, honors or promotions and
one has to take into consideration the inaccuracy of the author as
well as the alteration that this writing has suffered when it was
sent to the press (p.16)
In spite of this caveat, the author used the friars accounts extensively
in this work. Archival materials and chronicles unless used with restraint
and discrimination give a different view of events, as serious students
of Philippine history will attest. Over-reliance made this account
somewhat dry and uninteresting, it could have been made live and vibrant.
The purpose of this book is vaguely stated. The introduction is not
of much help. It starts fom the establishment of a "hospicio"
in Lucban in 1854, using the flashback method, asked these questions:
Which town was this that had shown such a fullness of Christianity
feeling
both political and economically? How did it achieve this?
To be able to answer these questions, it will be necessary to write
its
history, a simple one, hidden and humble; full of gaps, blanks and
small deeds that would give us an idea of the quiet and extraordinary
men who made a great town, a great collective enterprise whose inborn
virtues proclaim its Divine perfection, for their hearts God's word
are found an echo. (p.1, Introduction).
It is not clear from the introduction what period was covered although
a reading of the whole book shows it extends to the end of Spanish
rule, in 1898. This is an example of exuberant friar writings, all
for the glory of God, at best a questionable claim, looking back.
From this reviewer' point of view, the work may be divided into three
uneven parts. The first part, background, discussed in the first eight
chapters. Geographical of the town; its inhabitants and their beliefs
at the time of conquest' the arrival of the spaniards'' the military
conquest of the Tagalog provinces; the version of Fr. Gasper de San
Agustrin; the encomiendas and evangelization.
The prehistory part summarizes very little and relies primarily on
the work of Antonio M. Molina THE PHILPPINES THROUGH THE CENTURIES
(Manila, 1960).
This two volume is of doubtful scholarship. Findings by anthropologists
H. Otley Beyer and Robert Fox are conveniently and entirely ignored.
The military conquests of Laguna, Tayabas, Rizal (Morong) by Juan
de Salcedo. Legaspi's grandson, previously described as a conquest
by the "cross" rather than the sword. Salcedo's success
is owning to superior firearms and the care with which he tried to
win the natives by persuasion, rather than force.
Social distinctions seem to have existed long after they were legally
abolished.
"As every man was incorporated to the (catholic) church thru
baptism the old tribal enmity, the old hates among the neighbors and
THE DISSOLVENT PRINCIPAL OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION, that was
brought here from the Hinduism of Shri Visayas WERE ALL SLOWLY
EASED." (P.47) my italics. Yet in about half of the work,
there is a mention of three social classes" TAGA BAYAN; TAGA
TABUI; AND TAGA LINANG (P.50-51). This shows the difference in the
"promise and performance" levels of the Spaniards.
The second major part...deals with the parish priests of Lucban. All
four chapters are devoted to it. Their origins in Spain, how they
came to the islands, how long they were stationed in Lucban, where
they went after their departure etc. The accomplishments of the parish
priest listed cursorily.
The third major part of the the work consists of problems. The list
includes religious, solical, national, tereritortial, and local. Part
of the religious problem was a perisistence of pagan beliefs and idol
worship. This was solved by methods borrowed from the Inquisition:"flogging,
public shame, and garments of infamy or dishonor" p.79.
This shows that pagan beliefs and superstitions have been accommodated
into Christianity and persists in some form even today. An example
is the feast of San Isidro Labrador celebrated by the farmers of Quezon
province with parades, floats, and food reminding one of the offerings
to the gods.
Among the social problems are excessive tributes, forced loans and
contributions. In theory, the tribute was minimal but the collection
was subject to abuse. The cutting of timber for the galleon trade
resulted in the people of Lucban left rather than submit to forced
labor. These grew to a point, where the religious authorities complained
to the Manila central government. The friars acted as moderating influence
between the governed and the government.
National problems consisted of Muslim attacks on the coastal towns
on its effects on the interior. Chinese distrubances and retreat in
1603 to the Laguna region resulted in the entry of the industrious
Chinese into the Tagalog area regions with contributions made apparent
later. A third problem was the British occupation of of Manila 1756-73
and the attempt to extend British rule to the interior of Luzon, Simnon
de Anda, rallied the Spanish and loyalist forces used all the help
he could muaster fom the Tagalog provinces including Lucban.
Territorial problems were largely boundary disputes with Majayjay
and Cavinti, settled in 1754. The problem of Apolinario de Cruz is
devoted to all six pages of them in the book, nothing added or new
facts or interpretation. Again the sources used were mostly Spanish
accounts and those of Sinibaldo de Mas' INFORME SOBRE EL ESTADO DE
LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS EN 1843. Was the revolt a religious one? Or is
solely motivated by personal grievance? Questions such as these are
left unanswered. If the revolt is considered a local problems, why
were the Spaniards preoccupied with it?
Minor errors include the too-close translation from the Spanish original.
An example is a "conventual school" The quoted portions
in the review also indicate the flowery language of the original which
is reflected in the translation.
Atrocious proofreading results in typographical errors, too many to
enumrate. Footnotes from 193-297 were omitted from the notes at end
which close to half of documents, those would have been more valuable
if translated into English. All in all the work is a disappointment
since the subject is not handled masterfully. The whole presentation
is not clear. After a first reading, this reviewer doubts a second
reading will be attempted. It is hoped that the materials in the documents
would encourage a more critical and discerning hand to give us a better
account an interesting Philippine town.
Lincoln, Nebraska
Maximo P. Fabella
***Southeast Asia a Journal. Maximo P. Fabella, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Rewritten
for Sanrokan e line magazine,
