“Poloy,” the icon for the tourism program of the province of Antique, re-lives and remembers history and culture and proudly shares them with young locals and tourists.
“Poloy” invites our readers to join him in revisiting the historical towns of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique’s premiere and capital town and its neighboring municipality of Hamtic.
His first stop is the EBJ Freedom Park in the heart of San Jose de Buenavista where former governor and local hero Evelio Javier was shot down by six hooded men on Feb. 11, 1986. Thus the park was named after him.
On that fateful day, Javier was waiting for the results of the canvass of votes during the Snap Presidential Election that pitted former strongman Ferdinand Marcos and former senator Benigno Aquino Jr.’s widow, Corazon, when six armed men, alighting from a jeep, opened fire at him.
He ran towards the stairs of the new capitol but, fearing that others may get hurt, he crisscrossed the plaza and fell into a pond, the killers still in pursuit. He crossed the street and went inside a bathroom, were one of the men cornered him and finished him off.
Javier’s tragic death was mourned, not only by his beloved Antiqueños but by all Filipinos as well. It also awakened the minds and hearts of the Filipino people and in one big way led into the bloodless Edsa people power revolution that unseated Marcos and swore in Aquino. His bronze statue at the park, sculpted by National Artist Napoleon Abueva, seems to welcome visitors and Antiqueños into the heart of San Jose de Buenavista;
Just across the Park is the Old Capitol, which was built during the American period. It now shelters the offices of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice governor, the provincial assessor, the Bureau of Deeds and the Museo Antiqueño-EBJ Gallery. The Antique Hall of Justice used this as its offices and chambers way back in the 1980s.
The Museo Antiqueño-EBJ Gallery is a room on the ground floor of the Old Capitol and showcases the “very life” of the Antiqueños, some of their artifacts, native gowns and other valuable things that any native may treasure. The EBJ Gallery preserves Evelio’s memorabilia—his letters, pictures, favorite shirts, favorite boots and other mementoes.
The nearby St. Joseph Cathedral was one of the two churches (the other one is in Hamtic) the Augustinian friars built in 1766 after the one in Maybato was destroyed and burned by the Moro pirates. Modern-day parishioners have retouched this cathedral but one can still see remnants of the stones used in the old walls and the stairway going up to the convent. Bones of the departed “hermanas” and “hermanos” during the old days when Spain ruled the province are buried at the altar, alongside with those of the first bishop of the diocese of Antique, His Excellency Cornelius de Witt.
The latest addition to the beautiful cathedral is the Garden of Saints, where statues of some of the famous saints are erected.
Poloy’s next stop is the Javiers’ Old Residence at La Granja Hills. Built in the early 1970s, this semi-concrete two-story house was Evelio’s home during his term as governor. Knowing him to be a “beyond-office-hours” governor, he would accommodate visitors and capitol employees in the wide terrace of this house even after 5 p.m. Here, they used to serve “mackerel parties.”
The house is set amidst fruit trees and ornamental plants which the late governor planted himself. After his last term and before he and his family (wife Precious and two sons, Giddy and David) left for America (where he studied at Harvard) he transferred his Kabraw Library, which was first housed at the new capitol, to the house. His collection of books and best sellers is still intact in this old residence.
Turning a corner from Javier’s house, Poloy reaches the Binirayan Stadium/sports complex, one of Evelio’s dream projects which came into fruition with the help of government officials, students and private individuals. This was an example of where Dagyaw comes handy. The Binirayan Sports Complex was carved out of a hill named La Granja.
Going back to the EBJ Freedom Park, there is an old street called Gobierno that symbolized the seat of government even during the Spanish times. Some of the interesting places on this street include The Façade; The Satertuate Residence (ruins); the Gella-Azurin Mansion; The Gabaldon Pillars and the Old Spanish Parola.
The façade is what remains of the governor’s mansion (behind the New Capitol) and displays early Spanish architecture particularly in its balconies that “spread out” into the street.
The Satertuate were the Americans who were among the passengers of the S/S Thomas and became teachers during the early days of the American occupation;
The Gella-Azurin Mansion is the last “bahay-na-bato” still used as a residence. Estimated to be 200 years old, it was purchased by a Dr. Azurin, son-in-law of then-governor Vicente Gella in 1936 when it was said to be 120 years old. This means it was built around 1825.
During the Japanese occupation, all the big stone houses in the area were bombed and only the Gella-Azurin Mansion was spared. It was used as an infirmary or a hospital during the war. The floor tiles are still intact and the blocks of stones used as its foundation still holds up the whole structure. The great-grandson of the owner, Alex Azurin, tells stories of “remnants” of three periods that this “bahay-na-bato” lived through. He and his brothers and sisters were born and grew up in this big stone house.
The old Gabaldon Pillars in Baybay Elementary School, or the old San Jose Central School, could still be seen in this oldest grade school in Antique built in 1901. Underneath it was the Japanese tunnel that went out into the sea, which was used as a hiding place during the Japanese occupation.
The Old Spanish Parola by the shore of Barangay 4 was used as “palngat” by the fishermen and sailors that passed by San Jose waters. After a tiresome day, one can relax and watch the sunset from this point.
Seven kilometers away from the San Jose Poblacion is the biggest barangay in the municipality—Barangay San Pedro. It is the site of the Lumang Simbahan, the ruins of the Church built by the Augustinian missionaries during the Spanish times. Its roof was burned when the priest’s pet monkey played with matches and from then on, it has remained unfinished.
It was only in 1998 when Fr. Jose Glicerio Geremia was assigned to the parish of San Pedro. Geremia tried to restore the spiritual value of this historical landmark. Architect Harold Tating, a former tourism officer of Antique, and his sister Katherine Tating-Marsden led the beautifying the interior of the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.
It was on Feb. 11, 2002, on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day for the Sick when Antique Bishop Romulo dela Cruz said Mass and blessed the grotto inside the old church, now called Lumang Simbahan. A “sepulchre” for the Dead Christ used every Good Friday was added in the right wing of the Old Church and the Shrine of the Divine Mercy with statues of St. Faustina, Pope John Paul II and the Divine Mercy image of the Lord Jesus Christ was laid out in the west wing. Both are perfect venues for meditation and prayers and for garden weddings, too.
Going south from the poblacion of San Jose is the barangay known as “Tubigon” or swampy, but there was one part that hardened and was deemed ideal for the construction of a building. This was the part where the Augustinian friars built the very first church in “Hantique.” It was a very big church made of blocks of stones called “sillera” which were mined in Mexico.
This was brought into the shore of nearby Malandog River by big galleons that used to trade with the natives. Because of this big stone church, “Tubigon” was known all over the “province” and even beyond it to Cagayancillo and Cuyo Islands and Palawan. They would refer to the place as “sa may bato nga simbahan” and in time it became known as “Maybato.”
Unluckily, the big stone church was attacked by Moro pirates who destroyed its walls and burned its roofs. The pirates carted away the big bronze bell. But they had not sailed farther than 100 meters when the ship they were riding began to sink and witnesses related that even while the boat sank, they could hear the ringing of the bell.
Afraid that the pirates might come back, the people, led by the priests, “retreated” to a higher place north of Tubigon. They named this place “Buenavista” because of the beautiful scenery that can be viewed from that hill. They consecrated the place to St. Joseph, the husband of Mother Mary, thus the name “San Jose de Buenavista” was conceived.
The Augustinians left the destroyed stone church and built two churches in San Jose—the present St. Joseph Cathedral and the one in Hamtic. Vines began to grow on the ruined stone walls of Maybato. It reminds visitors of the “abuy-abuy kang Kristyanismo sa Antique”—the Kiniray-a phrase for “cradle of Christianity in Antique.”
Poloy then crossed the big bridge from Barangay Maybato to Barangay Malandog, which is part of the town of Hamtic. Malandog is the oldest barangay in the Philippines because this was where the 10 Bornean Datus established their first settlement sometime in 1212, after discovering that this was a place of abundance of root crops and marine products.
This is the starting point for the Binirayan Festival, celebrated every December, where the Barter in Panay and the early Malay settlement is reenacted by local performers.
A few kilometers from Barangay Malandog is the town proper of Hamtic where the old Hamtic chapel used during the Spanish days stands. This was converted into a present-day cemetery.
Old folks tell that this was an old church actually, one of the two churches built by the Augustinians after the big stone church in Barangay Maybato was destroyed by Moro pirates but was retouched by the present-day parishioners for the commemoration of the 400 years of Christianity in Antique since 1581. The patron of this Church is Sta. Monica and her image is believed to be miraculous, particularly when novenas for erring husbands and ill-behaved sons are said.
Seen in the plaza or the square of the town of Hamtic is the statue of General Leandro Fullon, the commanding general of all Filipino forces in the Visayas during the revolution against Spain. Fullon was born in Hamtic on March 13, 1877.
Fullon triumphed against the Spaniards but surrendered to the American forces on March 22, 1901 and became the first appointed provincial governor of Antique. He died at the young age of 27 and his remains lie in the Gen. Leandro Fullon National Shrine.