Fr. Ismael M. Paras, priest-writer of Barili
Ismael was born on June 17, 1865 in Barili, Cebu. A product of the Seminario de San Carlos and ordained as a priest on October 22, 1888. He became the parish priest of Bantayan, Oslob, Tuburan, Toledo, and Malabuyoc. He dedicated most of his priestly life to Toledo. In fact it was in the town where he died on November 19, 1935.
He was parish priest of Toledo from 1898 to 1905, then again from 1918 to 1923. Toledo was formerly known as Jinuluan, it was erected again as a parish with the name of Toledo by Diocesan decree of July 8, 1873 under the patronage of St. John of Sahagun.
Fr. Paras wrote a Cebuano grammar book, plays, and musical compositions. He contributed to the publications Ang Camatuoran, Boletin Catolico, and El Precursor. Among the stage plays that he wrote that was given life was "Ang Katapusan sa usa ka Kagamhanan," it was staged in the San Nicolas district in 1909. Another play was "Ang Asawa sa usa ka Sugarol." A copy of the play was printed in The Barili Press in 1925.
The Barili Press was established by Pantaleon V. Kardenas who was also from Barili, Cebu. Pantaleon was born in Barili, Cebu on July 27, 1894. Pantaleon was also a writer, among his works were "Gikan sa Kasakit ngadto sa Kalipay" (August 2, 1918), "Gitago sa Agta" (April 28, 1918), "Hampas Lupa" (July 11, 1918), and "Silut sa Maluibon" (November 23-December 7, 1920).
Kardenas, just like the Sotto brothers Filemon and Vicente, studied at the San Juan de Letran. In his works he used the pen names Pio Cardenal, Mario Lorenzo, and Leon Kard. He is one of those listed as Cebuano writers in the book of Professor Mojares titled "Cebuano Literature." Pantaleon migrated to Ozamiz in 1939 and died there on January 17, 1959.
Barili, the birthplace of Fr. Paras, had no exact date of its creation as a parish but its oldest entries go back to October 15, 1748 under the patronage of St. Anne. The church was built in 1889 by its parish priest, Juan B. Alcoseba, also a writer and a mentor of Pantaleon Kardenas. The old one was said to have been burned. Another member of the Alcoseba Clan by the name of Vicente excelled in the drama genre. It was Vicente Alcoseba who wrote "Ang Kamatayon in Leon Kilat," given much credence as it was in Carcar where the hero was assassinated.
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