The tour was the last part of the seminar workshop. It was indeed a great opportunity for me to take part in it and be able to visit the famous heritage frontiers of Cebu.
Being new to Cebu, I considered it a privilege to be with well-known media personalities on this trip to Boljoon. It was quite tiring but the splendid sight of the white sands and crystal clear waters, as well as the naturally sculpted cliffs surely took me out of my tired state.
I was awestricken by Boljoon''s beauty. It was like traveling back in time when Christianity was newly established…when religious missionaries ruled the place…and back when ideals and religious beliefs were influenced by colonizers. It seemed like a trip to a distant past.
Boljoon is significantly the first Christian settlement in the area. The natives were converted to Christian faith when a group of Spanish Augustinian missionaries led by Fray Bartolome de Garcia were in a mission to evangelize the southeastern part of Cebu. This centuries- old town was once a barrio of Carcar. It was first constituted as a parish before it was made into a municipality.
The Boljoon Parish was originally founded as a visita (an attachment) of Carcar. It is believed to have been established as a parish in 1599 as it was listed in that same year in Fray Gaspar de San Agustin''s Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas as one of the many parishes in the Province of Cebu under the authority of the Augustinian missionaries. The church was strategically designed as a fortress, made to withstand and protect itself and its people from Muslim invaders or Moros. This defense network was constructed by the townspeople led by Fray Julian Bermejo. The church was the center of the defense network. Legend has it that the Holy Virgin appeared during one of the destructive raids of the Muslims in the early settlement, probably the reason for naming the parish Nuestra Señora de Patrocinio.
Today, the church still uses clay tiles for its roof, walls are made of coral stones and floors are made of hard solid molave. Inside the church, one would be captivated by the artistic paintings on the ceiling made by local painters in the 1920s. The church façade is adorned with religious symbols. The church pulpit from where priests ages ago delivered their homily, the carved wooden tabernacle made in the 1500s painted in gold and white, a centuries-old bamboo pipe organ and hand carved ancient stairs made by local carpenters trained by Augustinian friars still remains.
At the front left side of the church is a blockhouse that is considered a unique feature of the church complex. It once served as a watchtower; a prison cell for the captured Moros and it was where artilleries were kept. Aside from the blockhouse, two other watchtowers were built.
The town was declared a National Historical Landmark in 1999. After the said declaration, the parish was restored with the help of the government and other NGOs who generously donated. Also, I was glad to know that the youth actively took part in preserving their town''s culture and history. They serve as volunteer tour guides and help promote the promising town of Boljoon.
Our next destination was the municipality of Argao, also located at the southeastern part of Cebu province and about an hour away from our first destination.
According to the Argaoanons I''ve talked with, the name Argao was derived from "Saliargaw", a plant lavishly growing in the area. It is said that some Spaniards who visited the place asked the natives what the name of the place was and thinking that the Spaniards were referring to the plants, the natives answered "saliargaw". Thus, the name Pueblo de Argao was given by the Spaniards to the place.
Argao was first established as a pueblo in 1608 by Spanish settlers but was only officially founded as a town in the middle of the 18th century. Considered as the oldest town formerly governed by the Spaniards, the town''s historic structures are still visible today.
Among Argao''s Built Heritage are the San Miguel Archangel Parish and convent, an 18th century old house popularly called "balay nga tisa," and one of the few remaining old municipal buildings in Cebu. The main poblacion would remind one of the great influences of the Spaniards in that town.
Like Boljoon, Argao was also listed as visita of Carcar. It became San Miguel Archangel Parish in 1703. The wonderfully constructed rococo- baroque church was completed in 1788. The church is very well preserved. It is made of coral stonewalls and its roof, originally made of clay tiles, was replaced by galvanized iron. Inside the church, one would greatly appreciate the marvelous paintings of angels done by Canuto Avila and Reynaldo Francia. Valuable religious artifacts are still present in the church. A number of these priceless religious antiques are now kept in the Argao Museum (Museo dela Paroquia del San Miguel). According to our tour guide, Archie de los Reyes, the museum was established in June 1999, with six rooms: the main hall, gold room, silver room, ivory room, wood room and metal room.
The museum contains a miniature of the town, a 1899 drawing of the Plaza fiesta, an ancient wooden image of St. Michael, a tabernacle made of 100 percent silver; an antique bronze candle holder, antique molave chairs, ancient 24 karat gold chalice placed inside a wooden case, sacred images of La Sagrada Familia; Sto. Niño de Prague; San Jose y Niño Jesus imported from Spain and various ivory heads and hands of images; old and elaborate liturgical vestments worn by Spanish friars, among others.
Located at the left side of the church is a bell tower and on the right is the convent that is also made of coral stone and wood. One of Argao''s unique features is the "Paso" or the interpretative stations of the cross that is said to be part of the Mexican tradition. It is one of the two remaining Paso in the Philippines. The town''s Hall of Justice, on the other hand, depicts the ancient houses during the Spanish period.
After the visit to the historical sites of Argao, we went to see the hablon weaving industry of the town. It is one of the surviving traditional handicrafts of Argao. Such industry can be traced back before the Spanish era. Most of the women during that time were engaged in hablon weaving and the tradition has been passed on from generation to generation.
Just by observing how the women weaved, one would know how complicated and difficult is the making of just a single sheet. There are about 10 weavers in the place. I talked to a 16-year-old girl and was shocked to know that she started weaving at the age of 10. I also got to know Manang Auring Olequir, 55 years old, who started weaving at the age of 16, and Manang Teofila Mier, 49, who also started weaving at an early age. Here, they are paid in terms of the number of meters they finish in a day, at around P20 per meter. Most of them finish a minimum of five meters a day. According to Manang Teofila, it takes them one whole day to prepare the whole hablon. They then start weaving the next day at around 8a.m. and finish at 5p.m. Their finished products are made into place mats, bags, slippers, lamp shades, blinds, clothings, etc. Indeed, the trip to Boljoon and Argao was a superb and enriching experience. Both towns are endowed with rich culture and history, truly national cultural treasures that are really worth preserving. Although the 20th century calls for new developments and innovative technologies, these reminders of our distant past must be greatly considered because they are part of our roots, our true identity as Filipinos.