101. AGLIPAY MARKERS

AGLIPAY MARKERS

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

03 October 2019

Three things come in my mind when I hear the name Aglipay. First is the Independent Church of Filipino Christians (ICFC) religious edifice found a few meters away from our house in Cabatuan, Isabela. The second is the Municipality of Aglipay in the Province of Quirino, the town named after the head of the only existing religious sect in the community at that time and was created a town on November 11, 1950 by virtue of Executive Order No. 368 signed by President Elpidio Quirino. And the third that comes to my mind is the man behind the name – Gregorio Aglipay y Labayan.

Part of the immersion tour package of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) 20^th National Convention is Batac City. But before we reached the old pueblo of Batac, we decided to extend our tour and visit the historic town of Pinili, famous as the site where the Philippine Independent Church was founded particularly in Barangay Aglipay, formerly known as Kullabeng.

There are three official markers in the Aglipay Shrine. The first was issued by the Local Government of Pinili, Ilocos Norte upon the inauguration of the shrine on November 29, 1997. The stainless marker situated at the left side of the entrance to the monument, enumerates the municipal officials headed by Mayor Samuel S. Pagdilao and national and provincial officials, namely: President Fidel V. Ramos, Senator Heherson T. Alvarez, Congressman Simeon M. Valdez and Governor Rodolfo C. Fariñas. The shrine lot was donated by the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Rev. Fr. Leonardo Cuaresma & Rev. Fr. Felino Raña, Jr.), Independent Church of Filipino Christians (Rev. Fr. Erwin Abella), Mrs. Elizabeth M. Peralta, Mr. & Mrs. Jesus C. Blanco, Miss Jesusa P. Cabie, Mrs. Trifina P. Peralta and Mr. & Mrs. Buenaventura L. Raña. The shrine was a collaborated project led by Senator Heherson T. Alvarez and the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) headed by General Manager Eduardo T. Joaquin.

The second marker was issued by the National Historical Institute (NHI) in 1998 located at the right side of the entrance of the shrine. The marker reads: KUL-LABENG HISTORICAL SITE PINILI, ILOCOS NORTE. FORMERLY A BARRIO OF BADOC, KUL-LABENG USED TO SERVE AS THE REFUGE OF MONSIGNOR GREGORIO AGLIPAY, REVOLUTIONARY LEADER AND VICAR GENERAL CASTRENCE OF THE FILIPINO REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT. THIS BARRIO WAS THE SCENE OF ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN FILIPINO REVOLUTIONARY FORCES AND THE AMERICANS DURING THE FILIPINO AMERICAN WAR INCLUDING ONE WHICH RESULTED IN THE ROUTING OF 50 AMERICAN SOULDIERS AND THE DEATH OF AN AMERICAN CAPTAIN.

AFTER THE WAR, THE BARRIO WAS THE FREQUENT MEETING PLACE OF MONSIGNOR GREGORIO AGLIPAY AND OTHER FILIPINO PRIESTS. IT WAS HERE WHERE HE AND OTHER PRIESTS MET AND MADE A DECISION TO SEPARATE FROM THE AUTHORITY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH ON MAY 8, 1902.  

The third marker, made of bronze and located within the premises of the shrine at the left wing reads: THE KULLABENG ASSEMBLY. IN THIS SITE WAS LOCATED THE HOUSE OF IGNACIO LAFRADEZ, A CLOSE ASSOCIATE OF VICAR GENERAL GREGORIO AGLIPAY DURING THE FILIPINO-AMERICAN WAR. ON MAY 1902, AGLIPAY CELEBRATED HIS BIRTHDAY IN THIS SITE WITH HIS WARTIME COLLEAGUES AND CLERGY ATTENDING. THE CELEBRATION TURNED INTO AN ASSEMBLY AND THE GROUP DECIDED TO SEPARATE FROM ROME AND ESTABLISHED A NEW CHURCH THE IGLESIA FILIPINA INDEPENDIENTE. IT WAS ALSO IN THIS GATHERING WHERE AGLIPAY GAVE HIS BLESSINGS TO THE CREATION OF A NEW TOWN WHICH HE NAMED PINILI SPONSORED BY THE MOVEMENT OF IGNACIO LAFRADEZ, BUENAVENTURA LACUESTA AND GABRIEL PAGDILAO.                               

The Senator from Isabela province, Heherson Turingan Alvarez, whose roots hails from Ilocos Norte commissioned Abdulmari Toym de Leon Imao, Jr. to make the sculpture of Apo Aglipay. Standing tall in traditional religious vestment, Aglipay holds a flagpole with the Philippine flag. At the base is the official marker in bronze which reads: GREGORIO L. AGLIPAY. ARCHBISHOP GREGORIO AGLIPAY, SOLDIER, RELIGIOUS REFORMER AND PATRIOT, WAS BORN, 8 MAY 1860. SON OF PEDRO AGLIPAY AND VICTORIA LABAYAN. ORDAINED CATHOLIC PRIEST, 1889; FIRST MILITARY CHAPLAIN OF THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION, 1896; MEMBER OF THE MALOLOS CONGRESS AND VICAR GENERAL OF THE REVOLUTION, 1898; AND FOUNDER OF THE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT CHURCH, 1902. DIED, 1 SEPTEMBER 1940. 

After which, we visited the birth site and mausoleum of the great Aglipay in downtown Batac City. Permanently attached to the pedestal is an official marker issued by the Philippine Historical Committee in 1949 which reads: BIRTHPLACE OF GREGORIO AGLIPAY. SITE WHERE ARCHBISHOP GREGORIO AGLIPAY, SOLDIER, RELIGIOUS REFORMER AND PATRIOT, WAS BORN, 8 MAY 1860. SON OF PEDRO AGLIPAY AND VICTORIA LABAYAN. ORDAINED CATHOLIC PRIEST, 1889; FIRST MILITARY CHAPLAIN OF THE PHILIPPINE REVOLUTION, 1896; MEMBER OF THE MALOLOS CONGRESS AND VICAR GENERAL OF THE REVOLUTION, 1898; AND FOUNDER OF THE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENT CHURCH, 1902. DIED, 1 SEPTEMBER 1940. 

These four markers immortalizes the contribution of the first Obispo Maximo, Gregorio Aglipay, to the independence of the Philippines and to the establishment of the Philippine Independent Church, the second largest home grown Church in the country. His search for religious reform and eventually independence from Rome boosted the rights of local clergies in an era when Spanish missionaries abused their power.

In our town in Cabatuan, Isabela the migrating pioneering Ilocanos from Bacarra, Ilocos Norte brought with them their religion, the Aglipayan, in 1912 including their patron, Saint Andrew the Apostle. My maternal great grandfather, Señor Feliciano Agustin Ramos, donated a lot near the old market place in what is now Barangay San Andres for the erection of a church edifice and the local folks extended free labor to build the religious structure. The first parish priest assigned to Cabatuan was Father Felimon H. Ver followed by Father Pacifico H. Jamias.

In 1938, in the national level, a group called Trinitatrian faction broke away. After the death of Aglipay, both the Unitarian and Trinitarian groups maintained that they were the true Philippine Independent Church. Finally in 1955 the courts awarded the right to the name and possession of Aglipayan church property to the Trinitarian faction. Today, the Independent Church of Filipino Christians (ICFC) house of worship is situated in Barangay Centro. Honored as the first Cabatuan Aglipayan Bishop was Miguel A. Pascua. The Cabatuan Aglipayan flock is now led by Bishop Samuel R. Ignacio and Rev. Fr. Merlito P. Galapon, Jr. For the past 117 years, the influence of Gat Gregorio Aglipay is still strongly felt in the locality. Cabatuanenses freely go to church at ICFC and a number of times, when asked, they never differentiate the Aglipayan Church with the Roman Catholic Church. Aglipay’s contribution to the country and to the Church he established should always be remembered not only by Aglipayans and Ilocanos but all Filipinos as well. The markers are visual proof of Aglipay’s true brand of nationalism.