In defense of the Friars
A response
to the anti-friar narratives present in the Philippines
Antonio Jose
Rubi
Dedicated to
the memory of Fray Julian Bermejo (1777 – 1851), military priest of Southern
Cebu who fought and defended his people.
For most
Filipino youth, the Spanish friars are seen as villains who oppress Filipino
people during the colonial era, specifically regarding Rizal’s novels Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, especially when it comes to Father Damaso, the
main villain of the first novel. The novels inspired many revolutionaries to go
anti-Catholic and to kill friars.
But contrary
to the bias being propagated by schools and many youths of today, many Spanish
friars are not the Padre Damaso in stories. In fact, some of them were
protectors of oppressed people. For example, Father Martin de Rada, an
Augustinian priest in fact protested against the Encomienda system being pushed
by Spanish conquistadors, and the first Bishop of Manila, Domingo de Salazar,
campaigned against the Spanish enslaving Filipinos during the 1582 Manila
Synod. But most of all, they were the ones who protected Filipinos from Moro
pirate raids. One such example is the friar Julian Bermejo, an Augustinian
priest who protected Southern Cebu from Moro raids and was their commander in
the battle of Sumilon of 1812 or 1813. He is still beloved by Southern Cebuano
people of today, as opposed to Californians calling Father Serra an agent of
genocide.
Friars also
helped make the foundations of modern Philippines, such as building towns
notably with a plaza and a church. They also introduced the bahay-na-bato
(Stone house). They served as engineers and architects which lay the foundation
for hundreds of cities and municipalities in the Philippines.
Friars also
taught education to many Filipinos. Unlike in Spanish America, in which the
friars taught Spanish, the friars in the Philippines had to learn the local
dialects like Cebuano. They also founded many schools and universities in the
Philippine like the University of Santo Tomas (UST). By 1846, literacy in the
Philippines surpassed that of Spain due to the widespread parish school system.
But most of
all, they served as farmer teachers to our ancestors. They introduced new crops
such as maize, avocado, tomato, and cacao, along with livestock like horses and
cattle. They taught horticultural techniques, irrigation, and the use of the
plow and carabao, which revolutionized local farming capacity. The religious orders established the first hospitals and orphanages in
the islands, creating a social welfare system that predated those in many
Western nations.
