The Creation of San Miguel Parish

The GKKs around San Miguel Parish were once a part of St. Joseph the Worker Parish of Sasa and St. Francis Xavier of Tibungco. To cater most the needs of the parishioners the Archdiocese of Davao looked forward to create a new parish, with the coordination of the parish priest of St. Joseph, Rev. Fr. Julius Rodulfa DCD and his associate Rev. Fr. Bill Larouse.

August 11, 1993 a meeting of all GKK leaders who belong to the proposed parish was called. The body agreed to temporarily use the chapel of San Miguel Centro for holding masses and other religious activities. On August 15, 1993 Rev. Fr. Bill Larouse officiated the first mass of the proposed parish at San Miguel Centro. There was an election of officer to man the different activities after the mass.

President – Florida M. Tangara, Vice Pres. – Susan Toreno, Secretary – Lourdes Ricafort, Treasurer – Liberacion Manuales, Auditor – Rogelio Barrete, Liturgy Committee – Benjamin Balcoba, Service Committee – Severo Hualde, Formation – Alice Tinaan, Arts and Environment – Letecia Samarita and Aurora Zamora, Choir – Alvin Olaer and Felomino Callaman, Utilities – Fresco Sepalon and Tita Perez, Construction Committee – Wendell Vismanos and Armando Zamora and Temporalities Jaime Samarita.

A study committee was then formed under the chairmanship of Martin Lopez Sr. and members Wellie Ordaneza, Felix Jaen, Fresco Sepalon and Florida Tangara to look for available for sale lots. The committee was able to contact the Acosta family and close a deal of acquiring a 5,000 sq. meter lot at P100.00 per sq. meter. The archdiocese gave P200,000.00 and St. Joseph Parish gave P200,000.00. The community raised P100,000.00 enough to purchase the 5,000 sq. meter lot.

On June 19, 1994 Rev. Fr. Loreto D. Bastasa DCD was installed the parish priest and San Miguel was officially proclaimed as parish. Several fund raisings were done to acquire an additional 5,000 sq. meter land and to start building the church. Engr. Rudy J. Sultan was then elected the chairman of the Construction Committee.

On June 20, 1995 after a concelebrated mass Archbishop Antonio L. Mabutas laid out the corner stone. There was no road yet nor a bridge to cross the creek so coconut trunks were temporarily made as bridge. Engr. Rudy J. Sultan and the PPC President Florida M. Tangara presented the building plan to the Archbishop, but he did not approve it for fear that the community will not be able to finish for it’s so big. But we insisted.

On June 25, 1996 the Construction Committee started the layout of the site. With God’s grace and collaborative effort of the parishioners, GKK leaders, Sponsors and the Lay Eucharistic Ministers who did a great role in the construction through “Bayanihan” and with great support of Engr. Rudy J. Sultan and family using their construction equipment, the church building now stand gigantically.

The first mass of the newly constructed church was a midnight mass at 10:00 pm on December 24, 1997.

(Taken from the History of “How San Miguel Parish Come To Be” by Florida Maputi Tangara)