Our Lady of Refuge Parish – Dulag

Excerpts from accounts compiled by Gloria Saño Malinao

The Dulag Mission Centers

By August 20, 1595 Frs. Humanes and Del Campo, assisted by local Spaniards attempted to consolidate the residents of 3 nearby encomiendas into a single settlement in Dulag since majority of the Dulag folks lived far apart from each other. The dispersal of the population over a wide area heavily tried the patience of the priests who had to flush out every soul for instructions in the faith. In a bid to attract the natives, a church was built, completed on September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of our Lady, to whom it was dedicated with pomp and festivity.

• August 20, 1595 was chosen as the Official Founding Date of the town of Dulag, Leyte, the day of the 1st unification of the population which started the 1st formal governance of the people of Dulag. Ordinance No. 97-XVIII, Enacted June 9, 1997, Republic Act. No. 9412 dated March 24, 2007″ AN ACT DECLARING AUGUST 20 OF EVERY YEAR A SPECIAL NON-WORKING HOLIDAY IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF DULAG, PROVINCE OF LEYTE TO BE KNOWN AS “MUNICIPAL FOUNDATION DAY”
• September 8, 1595 was the 1st Fiesta Celebration of Dulag in Honor of the Nativity of Our Lady, the child being the Blessed Virgin Mary in her mother’s arm, St Anna. The blessed Patroness was later changed to our Lady of Refuge, the Lady being the Blessed Virgin with Jesus in her arms.

Jesuit Missionaries who Christianized Dulag

1595-1609  Fr. Alonzo Hunanes, of Noble Family

• Superior for all Jesuits in Leyte Mission
• Set up the 2nd Leyte Mission Center in Dulag

Aug. 20

• Initiated a unified governance of the population of Dulag hence its founding date

Sept. 08

• Celebrated the 1st Feast Day of the Nativity of our Lady Patroness
• Founded the Seminary
• His obedience to God was blind, unconditional and without excuses
• His special devotion to the Blessed Virgin, Witnesses to miracles thru Humanes Intervention were numerous

1595-1596  Fr. Juan del Campo

• Assistant of Fr. Humanes
• A man of prayer, fervent, learned and ingenious

1596  Fr. Francisco Otazo, of Noble family

• Rector of Dulag
• Favored with a vision of the Blessed Virgin showing him a resplendent book containing a list of those who would be saved which included his name hence he volunteered to work in the Philippines
• While working on the mountains, about to be beheaded by bandits, he prayed to the Blessed virgin who appeared, released him and companions.

1597  Bro. Denis Marie

• Replace Fr. Juan del Campo who was assigned to Mindanao

1599  Fr. Francisco Encinas

• Rector of Dulag
• Authored a confessionary to guide one’s conscience on how to prepare in receiving holy communion

1601  Fr. Gregorio Baronsine

• The Dulag seminary gained its renown thru his brilliant administration

1601 Fr. Domingo Bilancio ( Giovannie Domenico Villanci)

• Work in Dulag
• Captured by Muslim raiders
• Refused to be ransomed preferred to die while in captivity
• He was already dead when the ransom arrived

1603  Fr. Melchor Hurtado

• Captured in 1603 Dulag raid led by Buisan
• Suffered untold miseries and tribulation while in capability
• Released after a payment of ransom
•  Assigned in Mindanao as Ambassador of Peace

1606  Fr. Melchor de Vera, Builder and Architect

• Designed & build fortifications in towns & churches along costal settlements
• Today the ruins of such constructions still stand and as mute witness to his ingenuity

1769 Fr. Guisippe Silvestre

• Last Jesuit Priest of Dulag when the Jesuit were replaced by the Augustinians

Slow Process of Christianization

Fr. Humanes and other Jesuits in Leyte did not believe in mass baptism, a lesson derived from its failure in Cebu where several hundreds were baptized in a day but did not work. In the beginning those baptized were infants or sick people in danger of death. Healthy adults had to undergo a catechumenate lasting several months.

This reluctance of missionaries to hurriedly baptize people led sometimes to humorous but also edifying incidents. Fr. De la Costa in his book on the “Jesuits in the Philippines” tells the story of a datu in Dulag who was anxious to be baptized. A rich man, he had a finely carved coffin in which he intended to be buried when he dies of 1 including all his treasures. He asked the priest in order to become a Christian he was obliged to give up the coffin. “No,” he was told. “There was nothing wrong with the coffin, he could keep it and be buried in it.” “Well,” he asked, “why not baptize me now.” “Because you see,” the priest explained patiently, “you have 3 wives and you are allowed only one,” now, here was a difficulty, and he could not give up his wives without also giving up their dowry. Like the rich young man in the Gospel, he had great possessions which he was not anxious to give up but the Grace of GOD is a powerful thing and this ambitious and polygamous chieftain eventually surrendered two of his wives with their corresponding properties and became a Christian. The policy of making haste slowly, paid off.

They were told conversion to the life of a Christian was not a matter of compulsion but must be received voluntarily. Thus only 45 natives were initially baptized, in a solemn ceremony by Humanes on Christmas Eve in 1595. These first converts of Dulag showed a great change, becoming very affable and happy.

Problems of Christianizing Dulag

Sunday services and feast days celebrations were not so effective for the natives had the tendency to return to their old habits. Before the arrival of the missionaries no one had preached the Gospel in Dulag. All the natives were in Hum ares words, “Slaves of the demons and offered daily sacrifices to maganitos, polygamy was the chief obstacle to their conversion.

The 2 priest persevered in their assignments. Del Campo focused his efforts on the principals on the ideas people would follow their leaders. Humanes concentrated on children who in turn would tell their elders what they had learned. Humanes then conceived of a program to train natives who had the talent and disposition for missionary work, a school was the answer.

A Boarding School in Dulag

In Dulag Fr. Humanes established a hospital with 2 wards. One for men another for women, He also established a school, a remarkable institution for it was a boarding school opened with 60 boys, Sons of datus and leading families in Leyte. In 1601, Government subsidy was initially extended to the seminary subject to Royal approval in Madrid. The royal approval came in 1607. In turn the Dulag school became the model for another one established by the Jesuits in Loboc. Bohol where the school master was a native of Palo, Leyte who received his educationatthe school in Dulag.

Products of this school greatly helped in the mission work of the Jesuit Priests Christianizing Basey, Guiuan other parts of Leyte, Samar and Bohol. There are speculations that St. Pedro Calunsod received his education at the school in Dulag.

Fr. Hurtado and the Dulag Raid

Fr. Otazo, the Jesuit superior summoned his priests to a conference in Dulag. Fr. Melchor Hurtado left Dagami for that fateful meeting in Dulag on 28 October 1603. On November 1 he was captured bythe Muslim raiders led by Rajah Buisan including the enslavement of 700 Christians. The church, the Jesuits’ residence and the seminary were all burned and despoiled. In 1605 the seminary was rebuilt and inaugurated by a general confession and communion.

Our Lady of Refuge, Patroness of Dulag

From its original patroness of The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, it was eventually changed to Our Lady of Refuge for panic stricken people sought refuge from the Blessed Virgin in times of danger and calamities that perform miracles to protect her Children in Dulag. From oral and written history we learn the following:

• The 1603 Moro Raids in Dulag resulting in the enslavement of Christians and the capture of the parish priest, the people sought refuge from the Blessed Virgin who performed miracles to scare the Moro’s never to molest the town again.
• In another instance, where three huge Tidal Waves were sighted billowing with its frightening sound calculated to annihilate most of Dulag’s population was miraculously pacified and reduced to stillness by Our Lady o fRefuge.
• Japanese Atrocities. Some witnesses tell of a Japanese National during WWII looking for a lady in exquisite beauty in her flowing white gown with long hair telling the Japanese not to inflict so much suffering to her people. In trembling fears he discovered she was the Lady at the altar of the Dulag Church.
• The Miracles of the Wounded Virgin during WWII Bombing and Shelling. In 1944 when Dulag was totally devastated, razed to the ground, the church was bombed with the entire structure crumbling in pieces. Our Lady of Refuge from the high pedestal of the bombed altar miraculously stood on ground below. She herself descended as if she has been carefully transferred. She was hit by a threaded scrap nail screwed on the left portion of her abdomen. lt was carefully taken out by aid of prayer; the scrap nail taken out had a portion of the Virgin’s body attached to it. Preserved by a collector, the priceless items submerged in water could cure illness.
• Transfer of Our Lady of Refuge. When the seat of government was transferred to Mayorga with the Parish office likewise transferred beacuse of the heavy WWII bombings. 5 men failed to take her away for she was extraordinarily heavy, In their effort to bring the Blessed Lady to Mayorga, the following day more men were requested to transfer Her but a swarm of bees who built their hive overnight near the Virgin, swooped upon them. Running away they abandoned the Virgin’s transfer. The religious folks then prayed asking her permission for temporary transfer to be taken back as soon as a chapel shall be constructed. Miraculously indeed she was sought,and so easytotransport.
• In the 60’s El Tor Epidemic in Dulag where people just die in an instant, the beautiful Lady was seen by the road side showing concern for the victims who then were saved with the total control of the disease.
• Super Typhoon Yolanda. The recent miracle of our Lady of Refuge was shown during the occurrence of Super Typhon Yolanda (11-08-2013). Between 5:00 – 8:00 early morning the typhoon released its furry, rooftops and buildings flew in all directions, houses of light materials vanished, now hereto be found.

In barely 3 hours Dulag was reduced to ruins, trees uprooted, roads impassable, electrical posts, wires, houses and debris of all kinds pilled up on roads and everywhere. Communications, electricity were likewise destroyed, transportation was useless due to impassable roads and absence of fuel. At 8:00 AM calm prevailed, thinking the typhoon was over, only to realize Dulag was on the eye of typhoon.

Shortly after, people of the coastal shores, in panic, were rushing to the market place for safety. Seen where 3 huge waves much, much higher than the height of the coconut tree, billowing its furry towards the highly populated area of Dulag.

The first wave released its might and pounded on the costal barangays. A fisherman running towards the people, panting in fear, almost speechless, tried to convey his message of Vision of a Lady in White on the sea shore pacifying the approaching storm surge. This was confirmed by the others stationed on the church’s belfry of a Lady in White walking along the street beside the church towards the shore.

To every one’s surprise the two remaining surge never landed in Dulag. A hurricane, coming from the south, with its deafening sound and horrible exploding vibration (feared as the end of the world) harrowed the shoreline and blew the approaching waves splitting in two; the southern portion landed on the marshes, the northern portion on the unpopulated area of Dulag,the middle portion merely diminished and gently splashed on the seashore.

Had it not been for our Lady Patroness we could have been like Tanauan, Palo and Tacloban where the greatest havoc occurred, not only their homes and belongings: where thousands and thousands of lives were lost, where ships and sea vessels of all kinds, container vans, tossed by the storm surge landed on top of houses, where cars, furniture, appliances and animals hung on top of trees, the streets of Tanauan Palo and Tacloban, sea ports and airports were littered with dead bodies.

Thanks to Our Lady Patroness, we had only few casualties on lives of people but we had been heavily battered. Our food, clothes and belongings were soaked in mud, we suffered hunger, chill of the rain and heat of the sun with many wounded/injured and the Blessings arrived through foreign aid and NGOs who made us survive in our nothingness and helplessness. God speaks to us in events. Yolanda was God’s messages to us, a time to rebuild our lives not only on the physical aspects, more important is rebuilding.

Our spiritual life, to live closer to God, to rely on Him, to obey Him – our oniyway of saying “Thank You Lord.’A renewed life is our best offering to Our Lady of Refuge on Her Feast Day, September 8 which is Her Birthday.

Hermanas for the Blessed Virgin. Hermann (Hermann sponsors) are witness to our lady’s intervention in their lives where countless Graces are showered upon them after undergoing series of trials. As for Her children, all that is expected is Faith in God and Love for Fellowmen.

Sources:

1. Special Report: Christianity in the Philippines by Cesar Mercader and Felix Mercader Graphic: Manila December 25, 1968
2. Readings in Leyte – Samar History Ma. Luz Vilches (ed) DWU Tacloban City
3. Fr. Alozo Humnes Annual Letter, 1596 in W.C. Repetti op. cit. p. 22
4. Records Las Isles y Province de Leyte 1855
5. Leyte 400 years of Evangelization
6. Oral and unwritten History