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Friday, March 27, 2009
According to stories passed on from generation to generation, the name of the town was derived from an abundantly-growing plant in the area, known locally as “Sali-argaw”. Extant records pertaining to the establishment of Argao as a town go only as far as the middle eighteenth century, when the Augustinians started building the church in Argao, later named after St. Michael the Archangel. According to church records, the church of Argao was founded on October 16, 1733. Another source says that Argao began as an encomienda and that the Argao parish was founded on May 17, 1734. The first town executive during the American regime was Capitan Juan Lucero.
The main poblacion of Argao remains one of the reminders of Spanish influence in Cebu. The old municipal building is also made of the same structure as this old house, and indeed this structure is perhaps one of the remaining old municipal buildings in the province of Cebu. The following buildings and structures are places one can visit if doing a tour around the pueblo:
San Miguel Archangel Parish Church and Convent. Argao became a parish in 1703, which prompted the construction of a beautiful rococo-baroque church structure in 1734 and was completed in 1788. A good number of religious artifacts have remained in the church. The altar (retablo) of the church is still the original. The church was renovated for its bicentennial celebration in 1988, and its outer walls were scraped. Despite some renovations and modernizations done to it, the San Miguél Archangel Parish still remains one of the richly furnished churches in the South. The unique ceiling of the Church. Its church is with unusual ceilings of canvass painted all over with religious motifs.
The Pipe Organ of Argao. The Church of Argao is possessed of one of the remaining 14 Spanish era pipe organs, and is one of the three towns in the whole Cebu province to still have this instrument. The pipe organ of Argao, though today no longer useable, is estimated by many historians to have been built between the 17th to the 19th century. Organs built in this period were of typical Spanish Baroque style except for the ones built during the last part of the 19th century which are Neo Gothic in style. It is a great possibility that Argawanons took a great part in building their pipe organ along with Spanish or Mexican Organ-builders. Professional organ makers describe Argao’s organ as having “windchests constructed from a massive solid wood. Three towers are separated with flat field of pipes. Unfortunately, no records in the church exist to show who played the organ, though according to some residents, after the 2nd World War Mr. Juan Calledo played the instrument and a certain Noy Ino was tasked to pump the organ.
The Argao Museum. Through the initiative of one of Argao’s most loved residents, Monsignor Elias Matarlo, the Argao Museum was constructed in 1999 in order to house what was left of the church’s priceless antiques, and also to showcase the religious artifacts and icons of families who have decided to let the museum safe-guard their family heirlooms. Church Plaza,
The Site of the Former Palacio, Morgue/Chapel. Visible also in this area is the former “Palacio”, the temporary residence of church dignitaries from Manila or Cebu City who came to Argao to visit. Also, sadly located at the back of the Kintanar Memorial Hospital, is the Church morgue, a very old structure that was build around the early 1800’s.
Boljoon is 103 kilometers from Cebu City to the southeastern part of Cebu Province. The name of the town is derived for the local word "Bolho" which means springs of water.
The town is centuries old. According to oral tradition, pilgrims from as far as the town of Dalaguete visit the Virgin of Bolhoon during her annual feast to attend mass in the town's Catholic Church.
The Roman Catholic parish of Patrocinio de Santa Maria is located in the town of Boljoon, Cebu. The forty-third parish priest of the Boljoon Parish Church in his list of Religiosos Agustinos Calzados Y PP Clerigos dated July 15, 1881 maintained that a church was previously erected in Boljoon 1599 under the administration of the Augustinians. Some ecclesiastical historians believe that the Boljoon Parish was originally founded as a visita of Carcar. Records of the private council of the Augustinians on June 23, 1599 referred to Boljoon as a "convent and parish to Siaro (Carcar)". (Archives of the Augustinian Province of the Philippines, File no. 5 page 118
The Parish of Boljoon was returned by Jesuits in exchange for "Liloan", Cotcot and Maraling", the last Augustinian Parish Priest of Boljoon, Fray Leandro Moran, OSA, turned over the administration of the parish to the Archbishop of Cebu on July 1, 1948. It was not clear as to reason for the delay when the last Augustinian Parish priest of Boljoon. Fray Leanfdore Moran, OSA, turned over the administration of the parish to the Archbishop of Cebu on July 1, 1948.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Long time ago, there was a popular place in town called “Bolocboloc”. The place was called Bolocbol because of its existing spring located beneath the shoreline at the foot of the barangay. The flow of the water was so strong as if the water was boiling which can still be seen at this present time.
At present, the place is now known as Nigad (a name of a tree). The place is named Nigad because of the existing tree that grew in the place which is seldom seen to grow in the shoreline. From the name Nigad the word “Oslob” was born due to the misunderstandings between the native couple and the two guardia civil (civil guards) in the year 1785. While the said couple were taking a rest under the tree and were eating their brought boiled bananas soaking it with vinegar and salt, the two guardia civil suddenly appeared with the words, as if they were asking: “Como se llama esto pueblo?” – which if translated in English would mean:”What is the name of this town?”.
The couple was astonished for they were not able to comprehend what the civil guards were saying. Since, the couple, at that time, were then soaking bananas with the vinegar and salt, they thought that the civil guards were asking them as to what they were doing, and thus, the couple answered in unison saying ”Toslob”, which means “soaking”. After hearing the word “Toslob”, the civil guards kept on repeating the word “Toslob” in the thought that the said word was the name of the town. This has been the start of the word “Toslob” which was later changed to “Oslob” due to the passes of time.
Until now, the flowing of the water at Nigad was still there quenching the thirst of the many people of the place including the nearby inhabitants specially when there is a shortage of water.
