The priests of Asturias, Cebu

In the book "124 years of Asturias" written by Pedro T. Manuel, the Chronicler of Asturias, Cebu narrates the birth of the town or pueblo of Asturias.

It was on February 8, 1878 that the Insular Authorities in Manila issued a Superior Decree authorizing the creation of a new pueblo of Asturias. The procedure, however, was that the decree issued by the governor general of the Philippine islands was only recommendatory in nature. The creation of a pueblo must be approved by the King of Spain through the issuance of a royal decree.

Thereafter, the leaders of Asturias, Cebu including the parish priests of Balamban and Tuburan met with the representatives of the "visitas" of Nagjalin and Bagacaua at the Casa Tribunal of Nagjalin in order to agree on the boundaries of the proposed pueblo of Asturias. The meeting was held on May 2, 1878.

Noteworthy was that it was agreed that the boundary between Balamban and Asturias would be the Owak Creek up to the mountains of Binabaga. On the side of Tuburan it would be the Antulayan River up to the mountains of Lunas.

The years of work and patience by the leaders of Asturias that officially started on December 8, 1876 when they filed their petition for the conversion of their "visitas" as a new and independent pueblo came into reality. This was on July 24, 1878 when the King of Spain approved the creation of the new pueblo called Asturias. It was through the royal decree, "Real Orden de 24 de Julio de 1878 No. 508."

The Parish Priests of Asturias were the following:

Reverend Fathers Jose Lofranco (1885-1903), Angel Tabotabo (October-December 1903), Jose Lofranco (1904-1912), Simon Borces (1912-1914), Tomas Borces (1914-1924), Crispin Davis (1925-1927), Emiliano Jumao-as (1928-1929), Sancho Abadio (1930-1934), Hermenegildo Hangad (1935-1938), Teofilo Galeos (1939-1940), Elisio Montecillo (1941-1944), Roman Jamili (1941-1944), Mariano Gerali (1945-1949), Felipe Jumao-as (1949 to 1952), Jose Motus (1953-1956), Sofronio Cabahug (1957-1960), Dominador Dosdos (1961), Pastor Ybanez (1961-1963), Miguel Montebon (1963-1966), Mamerto Mambaje (1966-1967), Eliseo Montecillo (1976-1987), Mariano Batucan (1987-1994), Jaime C. Borces (1994-2001) and Jose Lapena (2001).

The first son of Asturias to be ordained as a priest was Rev. Fr. Roman Jamili. Fr. Jamili grew in Poblacion, Asturias. During the World War II, Father Jamili was the priest of Asturias. His fellow priest at that time was Rev. Fr. Eliseo Montecillo. Noteworthy was that a seminarian who was companion of Fr. Jamili years after the liberation also became a priest. His name was Msgr. Felino "Undo" Bacalla.

Asturias takes pride that it has produced a Bishop. The first Asturiasnon to become a Bishop is Monsignor Christian V.F. Noel. The First Asturiasnon Bishop is the son of Spouses Dr. Benjamin Noel and Marcosa Fernandez. The siblings of Bishop Noel chose to be in the medical profession. They are Benjamin Jr., Vermadel, Antonio and Daisy. Another brother by the name of Galen became a  Municipal Councilor, then as Vice Mayor of Asturias, and Benjamin Jr. nicknamed Nene became a Municipal Councilor.

Incidentally, the first female religious of Asturias, Cebu was Sor Eudosia Palicte. She was the 9th of the twelve children of co-founder of Asturias, Jacinto Palicte and wife Eduarda Julom. It was in Barcelona, Spain that she accepted her vow to become a nun. Sister Eudosia became an Instructor at the Colegio de Inmaculada Concepcion in Cebu City. The siblings of Sor Eudosia were: Francisco, Ildefonsa, Petra, Presentacion, Esteban, Benedicta, Angela, Vicente, Barbara, Leonila, and Leonardo.