Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

My comments/revisions in red - RFP

Bayawan City! The Agricultural Capital of Negros Oriental! 1 (Is the theme really written
with exclamation points? )This is the official theme (Do they call it a theme? A motto? ) of
Bayawan today after she was elevated into a city (better: to cityhood status) in the year 2000 in a
House Bill 7004 and was revised into a House Bill 8191 (revise this: you don’t use an article for
an actual house bill; also, the use of the word “was” in “was revised” would seem to refer to
Bayawan, instead of to the house bill) that was sponsored by Former Hon. Herminio G. Teves,
3rd District Congressman of Negros Oriental. 2 After the many hearings, the said bill was passed
in the House of Representatives and the Senate 3 and eventually signed by Former President
Joseph Ejercito Estrada.4 It was through the effort of the late Mayor German P. Sarania, Jr. who
was still a vice-mayor that time to elevate the municipality of Bayawan into a city (You have to
explain the relation between Sarania’s effort and Teves actually sponsoring the bill).
Bayawan City formerly known as Tolong Nuevo5 is situated in the South West (check the
map if Bayawan is really southwest of Dumaguete) of Negros Oriental that lies about 100 (be
more exact; this does not cut it) kilometers southwest of Dumaguete City, the Provincial Capital
of Negros Oriental and near the provincial border of Negros Occidental. 6 With a total of 69,908
hectares (172,750 acres), Bayawan is the largest City in the Province of Oriental Negros that and
is composed of 28 Barangays namely: Ali-is, Banaybanay, Banga, Boyco, Bugay, Cansumalig,
Dawis, Kalamtukan, Kalumboyan, Malabugas, Mandu-ao, Maninihon, Minaba, Nangka, Narra,

1 https://dumaguete.com/bayawan-city-negros-oriental/ (Accessed: November 9, 2018)

2 https://www.zamboanga.com/z/index.php?title=Bayawan_City,_Negros_Oriental,_Philippines (Accessed:
November 13, 2018)
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Tolong Nuevo is the former name of Bayawan which was made possible by the virtue of Republic Act
694 as approved by the 3rd congress of the Philippines (Revise this: confusing construction). The reason for this act
is that the name "Tolong" which is the Tagalog word for “help” connotes obscurity and oblivion to the people who
speak other vernacular language than Tagalog. (What is your source for saying Tolong comes from the tagalog
“tulong”? For one, the stres does not match: in tagalog the first syllable is stressed, while Tolong is stressed on last
syllable)
6 https://philippinescities.com/bayawan-city-negros-oriental/ (Accessed: November 13, 2018)
Pagatban, Poblacion, San Isidro, San Jose, San Miguel, San Roque, Suba, Tabuan, Tayawan,
Tinago, Ubos, Villareal, and Villarasol.7
On the other hand (this phrase is used to introduce the second of two contrasting points;
which is the first?) , Prof. Emmanuel Luis A. Romanillos, a historian and a retired professor of
the University of the Philippines- Diliman recounted the influences of the Recollects in the island
of Negros. He highlighted the noble contribution of the Recollect friars in the island of Negros
by (delete) founding of (delete) towns, improving those already in existence, building roads,
canals, bridges and dams, constructing churches, bridges and kumbentos, lending a hand in the
development of agriculture and industry, and making effective defenses against piracies.8
Being a native of this place the researcher is willing to undertake a careful study
regarding the city. The researcher is interested particularly to conduct this study with the topic
Augustinian Recollect Recollects in the Evangelization of Bayawan, Negros Oriental: 1876-1898
because he believes that there are more story (check your grammar) to know about the history of
the said city. He is convinced that this research could help the people of Bayawanons
(Bayawanons are already people) to find out the root of their faith and who introduced these
traditional religious practices who is still alive (check grammar: relative pronoun and verb) and
faithfully followed by them.
In order for the people to remember, the researcher is willing to put into writing the rich
history of Bayawan because the researcher believes that whatever happened in the past should be
written eventually so that it may be preserved for succeeding next generations. This will help the
people to be educated and not to be ignorant of the past that influenced the present and on the
future the researcher will try to present a careful analysis of the records that had been ignored for
the awareness of the readers and eventually to learn from it and appreciate their value (revise,
check grammar and shorten the paragraph).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

7 Ibid.
8 Pro. Emmanuel Luis A. Romanillos, The Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines: Hagiography and
History (Recoletos Communications, Inc., Brgy., Toro, Quezon City, 2001), pg. 6.
 The purpose of this study is to present the works and contributions of the Augustinian
Recollects in the evangelization of Bayawan City, Negros Oriental. This study aims to answer
the following questions.
1. What were the conditions of Bayawan before the arrival of the Augustinian
Recollects?
1.1 Religious
1.2 Economic
1.3 Cultural
2. What were the obstacles, challenges, opportunities that the Augustinian Recollects
encountered in evangelizing Bayawan?
3. What methods and approaches did the Augustinian Recollects use in the
evangelization of Bayawan?

1.3 Significance of the Study

The presence of the Augustinian Recollects in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental in 1876-
1898 is meaningful, first to the Universal Church, particularly to the Diocese of Dumaguete
because one of the parishes that belongs to her diocese will be studied. This study would also
benefit the people of Negros Oriental especially the Bayawanons because their Christian faith is
a product of the missionary endeavour of the Recollect Friars.
Secondly, this study is also significant to the Order of Augustinian Recollects particularly
to the Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno because it will provide knowledge and information about
the fruitful works of their ancestors to the city of Bayawan. This could be a guide to the present
missionaries of the province in carrying out the tasks of evangelizing the people especially those
that are in the peripheries of the Church. Through this study, the endeavors and strategies of the
early missionaries may be cherished and honored guiding the present generation of the
Recollects.
Thirdly, this study would also benefit the local government of Bayawan because it will
inform them about their origin by studying their history. They will be informed about the
contributions of the Recollect Friars in the foundation of their town especially when Moros tried
to invade their place. This will also help them appreciate the missionaries’ methods of governing
the city especially in developing its economic potentials particularly the agriculture.
 Lastly, this study will benefit the researcher because it will deepen his knowledge and
understanding of his place of origin.

1.4 Scope and Limitation of the Study

The scope of this study will only focus in the evangelization of Bayawan, Negros
Oriental by the Augustinian Recollect missionaries from 1876 to 1898. The study covers the
period of the arrival of the first Recollects in 1876 until the departure of the last Recollect
missionary when the town was under their spiritual administration. During the course of the
study, the researcher would also tackle the important events that happened during this period.
The contributions (whose contributions?) and the development of the town including the spiritual
and communal well-being and welfare of the people of Bayawan shall also be part of the study.
(di ko nagets itong last sentence)
The researcher would be dependent on archival materials found in the Archivo Recoleto
where some of the document and manuscripts are still written in Spanish. The researcher will
seek help to those persons who are well versed on the language and also from the assistance of
his adviser. However, the documents that have been translated already into English will also be
utilized for the development of the study.

Note: avoid repetitive statements. Learn to paraphrase.

1.5 Review of Related Literature and Studies

In this section the researcher will present scholarly sources which are relevant to
the study. This section wishes to expound the different findings and studies regarding the
foundation of Bayawan City. This portion will be divided to the following themes: (1) the
Evangelization of Negros, (2) Establishment and Evangelization of Bayawan, and (3) the
Augustinian Recollects in Bayawan, Negros Oriental.
 1.5.1 Evangelization of Negros
On the arrival of the Recollects to Negros, Fr. Angel Martinez Cuesta said that it is the
beginning of a new and brilliant stage in the history of the island. 9 It is through the enthusiasm of
the missionary Recollects that makes the island as a forefront of Philippine provinces. 10
Accordingly, when the Augustinian Recollects arrived in the island of Negros the natives was
enslaved by superstitions that made them perform rites and ceremonies that were entirely
idolatrous. On the other hand (careful of using the conjunction “on the other hand” – it signifies
two contrasting ideas). The study also says that the island was in the most complete
abandonment and entirely forgotten that has no agriculture, no industry or commerce
whatsoever.11
For Robustiano Echaúz, the Negros island was a wilderness that was largely ignored by
the Spaniards in the late sixteenth century. The meager available evidence of pre-Hispanic times
reveals only that there were inhabitants who lived some distance inland from the coast. He added
that in the early sixteenth century, the natives were already practicing farming where there was a
Chinese trade along the western coast of the Archipelago that bypassed through Buglas.12
Violeta Lopez-Gonzaga described Negros as the Land of Hope, Land of Want where the
island was single property of one class – the hacienderos.13 She also added that the island of
Negros was a healthy environment that rich in fertile soil wherein the natives cultivated a
different products such as sugar cane, rice, tobacco, and abaca 14 that greatly helped the lives,
socio-economic and culture of the people.
A research made by Evelyn Tan Cullamar stated that in the late nineteenth century and
the early twentieth century, Negros island became the immigration place of neighboring islands
of Panay, Cebu and Bohol15 making this period as the time of the rapid growth and development

9 Angel Martinez Cuesta, Historia de los Agustinos Recoletos: 1848-1898 (Madrid: 2015). “La llegada de
los recoletos a Negros marca el comienzo de una etapa nueva y brillante en la historia de la isla.”
10 Angel Martinez Cuesta, History of Negros, trans. Alfonso Felix, Jr., and Sor Caritas Sevilla (Manila:
Historical Conservation Society, 1980), 170.
11 Caridad Aldecoa-Rodriguez, Negros Oriental and the Philippine Revolution (Cebu: Jose Clavano
Incorporated, 1983), 38.
12 Robustiano Echaúz, Sketches of the Island of Negros, translated and annotated by Donn V. Hart (Ohio
University: Papers in International Studies Southeast Asia series, no.50, 1978), xiii.
Buglas. Another name of the island of Negros. It was referring to the dark-skinned natives that lived on the
island, the Spaniards changed its name to Negros.
13 Violeta Lopez-Gonzaga, Ph.D., Land of Hope, Land of Want: A Socio-Economic History of Negros
(1571-1985) (Quezon City: Echanis Press, 1994), 3.
14 Ibid., 4.
15 Evelyn Tan Cullamar, Babylanism in Negros: 1896-1907 (Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1986), 8.
of the commercial agriculture of the island such as sugarcane. 16 She added that Negros became
their “El Dorado” or promised land.17 Moreover, she continued on the discussion of the socio-
economic situation of the people, cultural adaptation, and of Babylanism18 before the natives
became Christian.
In his research, the historian Francisco Varona called the natives as Negrenses, who was
distinguished as a Philippine “Yankee” from the ilustrados. He also added that the natives were a
“product of melting pot of the new world.”19

1.5.2 The Establishment and Evangelization of Bayawan

Fr. Roman Sagun describes the condition of Bayawan during the administration and
evangelization of the Jesuits. According to him, it was between 1732 and 1735 when Father
Lorenz John went on monthly expedition on this said mission. During the time of Fr. Anton
Malinsky, in the middle of 1735 the church of Bayawan under the patronage of San Jose was
razed by a pagan that caused great sadness of the natives. Despite of what happened, Father
Malinsky was amazed (to saw) (kapag may “to” it is always present) to see the natives in
building the new church which, according to him was stronger than before. The said church was
made of wooden structures.20

1.5.3 Augustinian Recollects in Bayawan

The death of Recollect missionaries in the island of Negros and the extensive territories
that need to be evangelized forced Bishop Romualdo Gimeno of Cebu to write a letter to the Vice
Royal Patron, requesting for the adjudication of this island to the Augustinian Recollects. The
request was granted immediately and without delay. Upon the approval of the Recollects’
superior, several Recollect missionaries were sent to accommodate the request. They were
distributed over around sixteen towns, and seven of which were found on the Oriental coast.21

16 Ibid., 7.
17 Ibid., 8.
18 Ibid., 85.
19 Francisco Varona, Negros: Historiaanecdotica de suriqueza y de sus Hombres, translated by Raul L.
Locsin, serialized in the Western Visayas Chronicle, June-September 1965.
20 Fr. Roman C. Sagun, Jr., Bayawan Way back in Time. (unpublished article)
21 Caridad Aldecoa-Rodriguez, Negros Oriental and the Philippine Revolution (Cebu: Jose Clavano
Incorporated, 1983), 38.
 It was during this time when Fr. Mariano Bernad, a parish priest of Dumaguete, took the
administration of the said parish and its wide mission territory. It was within his administration
that he set foot to Bayawan which he described as “a fertile place that was good for agricultural
production.”22
1.6 Synthesis
On the first part of the review of the related literature, the researcher discusses the brief
history of the island of Negros in general. The research focuses mainly on Negros Oriental where
Bayawan has been located in the southwest of the said island. This section showed the progress
of the island of Negros where some of the locality was already established and developed
through the efforts of the early Spanish missionaries.
The second part of the research, dealt with the brief history of Bayawan. It would give us
an overview of the said place and its geographical situation. The researcher related that indeed
the early missionaries made a significant contribution to the development of the town in its
political and ecclesiastical aspects.
On the third part of the research, the discussion would talk about the presence of the
Augustinian Recollect missionaries in the island of Negros. On this section, the researcher would
tackle the several contributions of the Recollect missionaries in the year 1876 until 189 such as
their laborious efforts in evangelizing the people of Negros, their great contributions in founding
towns and building infrastructures, churches, roads, and also in teaching the people about
agriculture making the Negros island a place suitable for living and survival.
Lastly, on this section (what is this section?) the researcher would provide a transitory
background (what do you mean by transitory background?) about the town of Bayawan where
the early missionaries came to evangelize and developed the said city. It was said that the
Recollect friars where the first one who established the parish and developed the city into
agricultural place. (provide source for this last sentence)

22 Fr. Roman C. Sagun, Jr., Bayawan Way back in Time. (unpublished article)
1.7 Methodology
On this section, this study applied the historical method of research. Historical method is
“employed by researchers who are interested in reporting events and/or conditions that occurred
in the past.”23 With this methodology the researcher is aided with the process of categorizing the
evidences provided by various historians in order to achieve credibility and quality of truth.24
Definition of Terms
The following are the terms used in this research wherein their contents and meanings are
defined as used in this study.
Order of Augustinian Recollects. They are the reformed religious order that “founded in
1588 by the Augustinian Province of Castille in Spain, inspired by a desire for a more austere
and perfect way of life.” They are elevated into a status of Religious Order with the juridical
establishment by Pope St. Pius X on September 16, 1912.25
Evangelization. It refers to the process of proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord. It is “the
methods of evangelizing vary according to the different circumstances of time, place and
culture.”26

1.8 Thesis Structure

The study is composed of five parts.
The first part of the study consists of the introduction that composed of background of the
study, statement of the problem, scope and limitation, review of related literature, methodology,
the structure of the thesis and the definition of terms.
The second part narrates the condition of Bayawan City, Negros Oriental when the
Recollect missionary arrived in the island. It also discusses the religious, economic, and cultural
lifestyle of Bayawan. In this chapter also, the researcher provides the social context and the
factors that affected the evangelization of Bayawan.

23 https://www.slideshare.net/manukumarkm/historical-method-in-research Historical Methods of

Research according to Manu Kumar KM. pdf. (Accessed: January 23, 2019).
24 Robert Jones Shafer, A Guide to Historical Method, 3rd ed. (Illinois: The Dorsey Press, 1980), 73.
25 Angel Martinez Cuesta, The Augustinian Recollects: Arrival in the Philippines and Spread of the
Missionary Activities, 64.
26 Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation on the Evangelization in the Modern World (Evangelii Nuntiandi)
December 8,1975, (Pasay: Daughters of St. Paul, 1992), no. 40.
 The third part of the research deals with the obstacles, challenges, opportunities that the
Augustinian Recollects encountered in evangelizing Bayawan. On this part also, the researcher
would narrate the development of the place and the progress of evangelizing the people done by
the Recollect missionaries.
The fourth part discusses the different methods and approaches by the Augustinian
Recollects used in the evangelization of Bayawan even though they experienced a lot of
difficulties and challenges. Moreover, on this part, the researcher would also discuss the
foundation and establishment of the parish of Bayawan under the administration of the
Recollects missionary.
(On the other hand), The last part of the study would present the conclusions and
recommendations for the study.

Note: no need to put more words. be direct to the point.