San Jose, first Jesuit Reduction

Then known as Hobangon, the settlement of San Jose de Samal, founded in 1882, was described in Jesuit letters as ‘the crown of thorns’ on account of the difficulties the priests had to face before achieving a peaceful arrangement with the Moros and the natives of the island. The hamlet, situated along the coastline, was chosen at the instance of the Samal residents themselves.

Converting the islanders to Catholicism was also a challenge. Though perceived as friendly and obedient to creating settlements, they were far from responsive when the issue of paying tribute was taken up. Fr. Mateo Gisbert, the Jesuit priest assigned in the area, wrote that in order to convince the residents to be baptized, great forbearance was needed to get their loyal services.

Father Gisbert, in his September 27, 1882 letter penned while in Davao, described ‘the new settlement of San Jose holds much promise. It has good anchorage for bancas, water, and wide field for raising cacao.’ At the time, the place was under Kapitan Bagisan, a Moro.

Bagisan and the other leaders were the basis of discontent among natives because of their penchant to do what they wanted of the lives and possessions of their underlings, including the threat of beheading if they choose to be baptized. For this reason, some islanders were unwilling to go to San Jose, preferring instead to build their houses around a small church in Tigpan, on the northeast coast of the island. Unfazed, the missionary continued to preach Catholicism and the need to receive the sacrament of Baptism:

‘I was firm, arguing with [the islanders] that the pagan who has no respect for the Christian, or the priest, the governor, the king, not even God, should be severely punished. They need not be baptized if they so wished, but they are subjects to the king whom they must respect in the person of all the baptized, they being inferior people as long as they do not abandon their wretched paganism.’

Months after San Jose de Samal was dedicated to Saint Joseph the Worker (whose feast falls on May 1), Father Gisbert reported the appointment of a catechist and an inspector. Under the watch of Angel Rodriguez Ussua (1883-84) as district governor, two constables were also appointed at his request but nothing official came out of it.

Four years later, Father Gisbert reported that more appointments were made when Alvarez Suremayor assumed as the new Spanish district governor (1884-87) of Davao:

‘…I presented to the governor six who, under my supervision, were elected magistrates on the patronal feast of St. Joseph (i.e., May 1, 1886). All their titles, properly signed and sealed, have been well-received… Now we have a Kapitan, a deputy magistrate, and three constables. With this bantog or reputation, San Jose will gain much, for the Christians will increase without great effort on our part, and they will become the true datus of the islands.’

Seven months after, the padre returned to San Jose to welcome into the faith a key figure, Malluyan, chief and son-in-law of Bagisan. This development did not sit well with Bagisan who threatened his members with his rifle if they were christened. In one instance, he detained Kabais, a subordinate, his wife and two baptized daughters with an order not to show up to the priest. Kabais original intention was, together with his wife, to be baptized and to reside in San Jose. The dilemma only gave the missionary more resolve to confront the abusive behavior of Bagisan:

‘Because of this war of Bagisan against baptism, as total as it is chronic in Samal, we must take care to make that Christian settlement grow, no matter how slowly; and that in the end the entire island is converted. Issuing titles of kapitan and teniente [deputy] to the Christians of San Jose by the district governor has done much good. It can be said the former are the true datus of the island, the only ones who… form a normal village in obedience to the orders they receive.’ (18)