San Andres, Catanduanes
Encyclopedia
San Andres is a 4th class municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 33,781 people in 6,059 households.

The Town

San Andres is a coastal town on the island province of Catanduanes in the eastern Philippines. it is a town rich in history and culture and rich in the Catholic tradition.
The town was known historically as Calolbong, a name derived from the Bicol expression, naca-lobong, which means submerged. Native guides showed the early Spanish explorers the houses of the original community along the banks of a river. These houses, when viewed from the sea, appeared to be partially under water. The Spaniards, unfamiliar with the Bicol dialect, must have thought the natives were referring to the town's name, for they called it Calolbong on their maps of the area. As time went by, the letter "G" was dropped, and the town became known as Calolbon.

Republic Act No. 3948

In 1964, a bill was presented to the Philippine Congress to rename the town San Andres in honor of its patron, St. Andrew the Apostle. This bill was approved as Republic Act No. 3948 on June 18 that same year. Many Calolbonganons loved the old name, a name used since time immemorial and unique to the entire archipelago. they were upset that there had never been a referendum vote. "The change of Calolbon to San Andres without consulting the townspeople," said one outspoken native, "Is a rape of democracy." But for those who were deeply religious and very much devoted to St. Andrew, the change from Calolbon to San Andres was no different from changing a pagan name to a Christian one.

A Brief HIstory

Calolbon's chapter in history opens with Spanish conquest and Catholic missionary activity. In the year 1519, Ferdinand Magellan began a great voyage of discovery in the service of king Charles V of Spain. He reached the Philippine Archipelago in the spring of 1521 and, on behalf of Spain, he took possession of the islands, naming them isles of St. Lazaruz. That same year Magellan lost his life on Mactan Island when he became involved in a dispute between the natives. However, the Spaniards were determined to possess and develop the islands, and they sent many expeditions from Mexico to establish their rule. Eventually, the whole archipelago was named Filipinas in honor of King Philip II of Spain (1527–1598).

In 1565, the Spanish governor of Mexico sent Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, together with soldiers and missionary friars to the Philippine Island. Intensive activities began, and the church gained more influence in the administration of the colony. Friars were sent to all parts of the country -cities, provinces and towns- reaching the Holy Gospel and spreading the Christian faith. Friars were also sent to the town of Calolbon (now San Andres) and some of them were designated parish priests of the town.

The influence of the Roman Catholic Church during the early years of the Spanish Era had a profound effect upon the people of the Philippines, most of whom were converted to Catholicism. The Church brought the Filipinos together in the communities which later developed into towns and villages and set up schools to instruct the young. Because the primary goal of the Spanish conquistadores was to spread the Christian faith and to hispanize the natives, in the course of time, the Calolbonganons and the Philippine people as a whole adopted Spanish names, learned to cook Spanish way, and were influenced by Spanish architecture.

On April 24, 1898, the Spanish-American War broke out. The war lasted less than five months, ending on August 12, 1898, with an armistice and victory for the Americans. On December 10, 1898, in the Treaty of Paris, the US and the Spanish governments agreed that the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam would become American protectorates.

It was the avowed aim of President McKinley's administration, in establishing American control of the islands, to protect and educate the people and to assist them in attaining a level of independence where they could govern themselves. Within the context of their own culture, they were to develop complete democratic self-sufficiency.

In 1934, the Roosevelt administration created the Commonwealth of the Philippines with its own government and a Filipino President took over in 1935. During World War II, the structure of the Commonwealth was modified and the president of the Philippines (Manuel L. Quezon) was exiled to Washington. On July 4, 1946, the Commonwealth Government was terminated and a Philippine republic based on the ethical and constitutional principles of the United States was established.

Calolbon Town Heads

William Shakespeare once wrote, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them." The history of San Andres is full of the greatness of its leaders. They are the leaders who were once called the "Cabezas de Barangay", "Alcaldes", "Municipal Presidents" and "Mayors" of this little town. They were the leaders of Calolbon who gave their tomorrows so that San Andres could have her today. The following were the leaders of the town during its crucial moments in history.

Spanish Era

The town's first captain on record was Juan Gazang. He served as the head of this town for eight years between 1798 and 1806. with the exception of three other capitans- Cristobal (1806), Felix Santelices (1835–1842) and Teodoro Santelices (1843–1847) -the rest served two terms. The last captain was Alipio Vargas (1899–1900).

American Era

The American Era started with a controversial municipal president, Deogracias Belmonte (1901–1903). He was branded as pro-American by the insurrectos headed by Comandante Florencio Eras. Belmonte was almost beheaded on December 8, 1899 in the cemetery of Pandan, Catandauens. However, the father of the late Senator Jose O. Vera saved him from execution.

The term "Municipal President" for town heads was last used by Roberto Iñigo (1931–1935).

Commonwealth Era

During this era, the town head of Calolbon was Emiliano Surban (1935–1937). He was the first to assume the title of "Municipal Mayor".

World War II

Felizardo Santelices (1944–1946) was appointed mayor of Calolbon by the late President Jose P. Laurel. During the Japanese Invasion, Mayor Santelices experienced what could well be called the most brutal eventuality ever noted for a public servant of the province. It all began in the afternoon of October 5, 1944, when a Japanese tora-tora plane took a forced landing on a rice field near the poblacion (the town). Santelices conducted an inquiry, and although his first urge was to kill the pilot, he sent him instead to the Japanese headquarters in Virac, the capital of Catanduanes, to avoid potential disaster. He knew that Philippine troops and recognized guerrillas would have killed the pilot themselves, and the Japanese reprisal for that act would have been a merciless burning of the poblacion and a massacre of innocent civilians.

The Japanese thanked Santelices for returning the pilot, but the Philippine Commonwealth troops and the recognized guerrillas, accusing him of being pro-Japanese, had the mayor arrested and brought to trial. He was convicted and sentenced to die and be buried with another Japanese pilot who made a forced landing in the province of Camarines Sur. The condemned Japanese aviator was decapitated first, and Santelices was then placed on the execution block. Seconds before the sword was lowered, the wife of the slayer cried out: "Save him...save him... save him! he is an innocent man!" So, Santelices was freed. The woman's name was Felicidad Garcia. Few years after the war, she visited him in Calolbon. Mr. Santelices and Mrs. Garcia didn't knew each other during the war years. But during those times of trials, Mayor Santelices always prayed the Holy Rosary. Up until his death, he was a devotee of Our lady Of Penafrancia.

Major Salvador Rodolfo (A.K.A. Phantom) organized the Catanduanes Liberation Forces.It was the back bone of the resistance movement in Catanduanes. It performed numerous ambuscades against the Japanese Imperial Army and conducted intelligence gathering, which was necessary in paving the way for the eventual liberation of the province by the combined American and Filipino troops. During his exploits as a guerilla leader, Rodolfo was rumored several times to have been killed in battle but time and again he keeps on coming back to destroy every vestige of enemy control in the province of Catanduanes, hence he was called “Phantom” or the Man who never dies.

On February 8, 1945, when Rodolfo was about to declare the independence of the province after he and his men killed every Japanese Imperial Army and burned every Japanese garrison in Catanduanes, one of his men approached him and said that there were Japanese reinforcements on board 2 vessels approaching the island. He then talked to his men, most of whom were wounded and exhausted, he said:

Japanese reinforcements are coming. I have two options for you, we can go to the hills and save ourselves and wait there until the Americans arrive, but I assure you that all civilians left behind will be massacred by the incoming Japanese, or we can repeat what happened in the Battle of Thermopylae and stand our ground. Most of us will die, but we will live forever in the pages of history as the men who fought for the liberation of Catanduanes"

With that, everybody decided to stand their ground and fight the incoming Japanese. They went to their posts to wait for the enemy’s arrival but then, as if by providence, American planes arrived and bombed the Japanese vessels. Rodolfo declared independence of the entire province on February 8, 1945[3].

Post War Era

After the Philippines regained its independence in 1946 and Catanduanes became an independent province, the first elected municipal mayor of Calolbon was Jose B. Surban (1947–1948). He was followed by Jose de la Providencia (1948–1951) Francisco Imperial (1952–1955) and Aristeo Arcilla (1956–1963). During the term of Augusto T. Antonio (1964–1979), Calolbon was wired for electricity, and the town's infrastructure was greatly improved. Augusto T. Antonio was succeeded by Antonio Romano, MD (1980–1986) and then by Pedro Surban (1986–1987) as "Officer in Charge" of the town. Surban was succeeded by Lydia T. Romano (1987–1995), the first woman ever elected as mayor of Calolbon. Then Joseph Cua succeeded her. After Cua, Dr. Aly Romano, the son of ex-mayors Antonio and Lydia Romano was elected mayor. Then Leo Mendoza succeeded him in 2007. In the 2010 Elections, Dr. Antonio Romano won the mayoral post again after defeating Mendoza with a margin of 1,000 plus votes.

The Parishes of San Andres

The people of San Andres have always been very religious. In 1989, according to the Catholic Directory of the Philippines published by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the town of San Andres had a total population of 18,369, the majority of which were Roman Catholic. Others belonged to diverse religious denominations which include Jehovah's Witness, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), the LDS Church and born-again or fundamentalist sects.

The entire town of Calolbon was originally under the jurisdiction of a single Catholic parish, the parish of St. Andrew the Apostle. In the early 1950s, however, a new parish was established in the large barrio (or neighborhood) of Manambrag. Saint Isidore Parish now includes all of the farming community of San Andres plus some barrios from outlying areas outside the Municipality.

The parish of St. Andrew the Apostle has a number of pious associations many of which are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. These associations provide the parishioners with a powerful means of sanctification and an oppirtunity to take part in apostolic activities. Members of these organizations consecrate themselves to God in a very special way-by means of prayer, Mass and daily Holy Communion. They strive to promote their devotion to the Blessed Mother by every means, especially by example.

The Clergy of San Andres

As important to the development of the town of San Andres as the secular leaders were Calolbon's religious.

Rev. Fr. Cornelio de Jesus (1798–1892) was the first parish priest on record. He ministered to the town's spiritual needs for 29 years. Fr. de Jesus was responsible for founding the parish church, which was partially constructed of limestone, and he chose St. Andrew the Apostle as patron saint of the parish because most people in Calolbon were fishermen by profession.

The priests who saw the end of the Spanish Rule and the advent of the American Era was Rev. Fr. Pio Imperial (1893–1902). During the next two decades, two dynamic clerics guided and strengthened the
Catholic faithful of this town. They were Rev. Fr. Roberto Floranza (1910–1920) and Rev. Fr. Dominiciano Camu (1920–1930). Fr. Floranza concretely improved the church building, as it was badly damaged by a typhoon a month before he assumed his office as cura of the town. Floranza was a talented musician who organized a liturgical choir that was often invited to perform at social gatherings such as biladas and dotocas and at other public events.

Parish Priests who followed in the 1970s - to present:
RT. REV. MSGR JUAN ROJAS
RT. REV. MSGR. HONESTO SARMIENTO (also became Vicar General of the Diocese of Virac)
RT. REV. MSGR. FRANCISCO MOLINA
REV. FR. LAUDEMER JOSE GAPAZ (Administrator)
REV. FR. VICENTE BORRE III
REV. FR. EDISON BERNARDO
REV. FR. ALLAN MARTIN BASILIO, Vicar General, (March 2010–present as Priest-in-Charge)

DIOCESAN PRIESTS FROM THE TOWN OF SAN ANDRES:

MOST REV. EPIFANIO SURBAN +RIP(who became first bishop of Dumaguete)
REV. FR. ROMEO ANTIMANO (incardinated in the Archdiocese of Lipa)
REV. FR. DENIS SURBAN (now incardinated in Newark, New Jersey, USA)
REV. FR. FRANCIS-ENRICO CONDE (now incardinated in NJ, USA)
REV. FR. ROY TABLIZO (now incardinated in London, UK)
REV. FR. JOSEPH ANTONIO DE LA PROVIDENCIA (Director, New Evangelization; and Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral Parish)

Miraculous, growing "Stone of Paloway"

Virac
Virac
Virac may refer to:* Virac, Catanduanes, a municipality in the province of Catanduanes, Philippines* Virac, Tarn, a commune of the Tarn département, in France* Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre...

 Bishop Manolo A. De Los Santos of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) confirmed on June 13, 2008, the existence of a ‘miraculous’ "growing" century old stone (now 3 inches in height) in Paloway, San Andres, Catanduanes
Catanduanes
Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Virac and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.-Etymology:"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first...

, Bicol Region
Bicol Region
The Bicol Region or Bicolandia is one of the 17 regions of the Philippines. Its regional center is Legazpi City...

 which has the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is said to heal illnesses: “What is unexplainable is not that the stone grew in size over the years, but the fact that the image of the Virgin was never distorted as it grew." Called “Batong Paloway (Stone of Paloway)," it is at the altar of the Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows
Our Lady of Sorrows , the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows , and Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to in relation to sorrows in her life...

 chapel, a “de facto shrine" in Barangay Paloway and the image is called “Our Lady of Sorrows."

The image of our Lady on this stone is actually "Our Lady of the Finger" (Nuestra Senora del Dedo) - see her finger coming out from her veil. It is originally a Spanish icon. Since, NS del Dedo was not yet known or popular in the Philippines then, the people simply called her Our Lady of Sorrows, whom the people were more familiar with, especially during Holy Week when the image of Our Lady of Sorrows goes with the traditional processions.

The Church has no official statement yet regarding the devotion to the "miraculous image", but it does not hinder it. In fact, every Friday a Mass is being celebrated in the Chapel to cater to the spiritual growth of the growing number of devotees and visitors. On Holy Thursday, youth from neighboring parishes also go on foot to visit the Image in the evening. Sort of pilgrimage or "visita iglesia". The parish of San Andres and the Diocesan Commission on Youth Apostolate are planning to organize such pilgrimage to make it more meaningful and fruitful for the young people.

Barangays

San Andres is politically subdivided into 38 barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...

s.
Barangay Pop. (2007)
Agojo
1,158
Alibuag
560
Asgad (J.M. Alberto)
427
Bagong Sirang
583
Barihay
267
Batong Paloway
1,359
Belmonte (Pob.)
957
Bislig
1,157
Bon-ot
438
Cabungahan
506
Cabcab
2,676
Carangag
1,143
Catagbacan
792

Barangay Pop. (2007)
Codon
1,928
Comagaycay
1,193
Datag
903
Divino Rosto (Pob.)
820
Esperanza (Pob.)
651
Hilawan
485
Lictin
1,897
Lubas
223
Manambrag
2,582
Mayngaway
2,438
Palawig
1,178
Puting Baybay
252
Rizal
698

Barangay Pop. (2007)
Salvacion (Pob.)
477
San Isidro
598
San Jose
372
San Roque (Pob.)
166
San Vicente
148
Santa Cruz (Pob.)
324
Sapang Palay (Pob.)
763
Tibang
476
Timbaan
1,350
Tominawog
532
Wagdas
618
Yocti
686


External links

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