Mapping The Twelve Early Visitas of Pasig

 

The Immaculate Conception Cathedral at Pasig

For this year's visita iglesia bike rides, we decided to undertake a cultural mapping of the twelve early visitas (chapels) mentioned by Fray Gaspar de San Agustin in his work Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas 1565-1615. The document states:

"Not far from one of the mouths where this bay drains is the town of Pasig, about three leagues from the city of Manila, upstream, a convent is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It has a voice and vote in the Chapters. It is a very large poblacion and is divided into twelve visitas: San Nicholas, Pinagbuhatan, Polo (San Miguel), Palatiu, Meybunga, Sagad, Angono, Bamban, Malinao, Tipas, Mandarala, and Botin (Buting)."

It has been quite a revelation to learn that the history and uniqueness of two or three of these visitas are not well known, even to the communities where they stand. Naturally, what we are tracing are not the original structures, as they no longer exist. Rather, our aim is to highlight how historical records mention these places as significant centers of faith at the local level during the early years of evangelization. We seek to understand how they are remembered today in the collective memory of the people. Through this process, documented history evolves from being mere records of the past into a testament of truth and resilience, as many of these visitas have grown and transformed into parishes.

One important observation is the commonality of these visitas being located near rivers and waterways, which could only be accessed by navigating these bodies of water. This suggests that the evangelization of Pasig and nearby areas was carried out by early missionaries and priests traveling via bancas or native rafts. Their efforts of conversion were truly a labor of faith, conducted through the fluvial highways that connected these communities.

The page mentioning the 12 early visitas of Pasig. from Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas 1565-1615 by Fray Gaspar de San Agustin.

1. San Nicholas

The chapel of San Nicholas of Myra. Its not that far from the Pasig Poblacion or the town center where the Immaculate Conception Cathedral and the Plaza Rizal are located.

2. Pinagbuhatan

The Parish of San Sebastian in Pinagbuhathan. 

Pinagbuhatan stands out as the most culturally vibrant among the 12 visitas. Its fiesta is renowned for being one of the most colorful and oldest Catholic celebrations in Pasig, a tradition deeply cherished by the local community. A growing narrative also suggests that Pinagbuhatan may, in fact, be the site of Pasig's very first church, adding to its rich historical significance.

3. Polo (San Miguel)

Visita of San Miguel known also by its old name -- Barrio Pulo

4. Palatiw

The San Agustin Parish at Palatiw. The old church seems to have lost its original facade, now resembling the modern structure of a contemporary building.

5. Maybunga

The Parish of San Antonio Abad, Maybunga

Saint Anthony the Abbot, known for his association with animals and herding, is depicted on the side of the church with a pig and a deer. When Spain introduced Christianity to the Philippines, there was a range of medieval saints to choose from as patrons for "reducciones" or missionary communities. It became customary for the chosen patron to embody qualities that resonated with the native animistic beliefs.

Maybunga, founded on the feast day of Saint Anthony, raises an intriguing question: Did this choice align with the local landscape? Were the early inhabitants, in addition to farming, also engaged in animal herding?

6. Sagad

The chapel of Santa Lucia in Sagad

In earlier times, the chapel was a revered destination for those seeking healing for eye ailments, as it was dedicated to Santa Lucia of Syracuse, the Catholic saint associated with light and vision. Over time, however, the chapel seems to have lost its once-prominent reputation, now standing as a mere structure, its significance largely overlooked even by those living in its vicinity.

7. Aguho (Pateros)

 Pateros was once part of Pasig until it was granted municipality status by the Spanish Governor-General in the late 18th century, officially separating it from Pasig. It was originally known as "Aguho", before gaining its current name, derived from its prominent industry of duck raising and balut production.

Gaspar de San Agustin mentions —"Angono." However, the Augustinian friar appears to have made an orthographical error or even mixed it up with Aguho (Pateros). A closer examination of the history of Angono's church leads to a dead end, as there is no definitive proof of its foundation as a visita in the 1570s. Furthermore, the location of Angono is too distant from the convent in Pasig to have been regularly administered by a friar. The waterways connecting Pasig to Angono would have required navigating the Bitukang Manok and then the Ilugin River, with small tributaries linking to Angono. The daunting task of traveling by banca or raft across these waterways would have made such a journey highly impractical for a priest.

8. Bambang

Chapel of San Felipe and Santiago. (St. Philip and St. James)
Barangay Bambang, Pasig .

The historical marker of Bambang Chapel notes that Fr. Jacinto Gutiérrez, the first parish priest of Pasig, hailed from Bambang. It was in this very chapel that he celebrated his first Mass, marking an important moment in the town’s ecclesiastical history.

9. Malinao

The visita of Malinao eventually became the main Augustinian church at Pasig. There is this growing narrative that the first church was actually located in Pinagbuhatan. 

In one book account by Fray Juan de Medina, in his Historia de Los Sucesos de la Orden de San Agustin," he mentions a kind of drinking water, found in the convent of Pasig. Perhaps even revealing the very position of the convento itself. A water that is found to be clear and drinkable -- Malinaw daw o Malinao? Was it the fabled and mystified underground river that leads to the beaterio adjacent to the convento?

10. Tipas (Taguig)

The Parish of Saint John the Baptist at Tipas also known as Dambanang Kawayan

11. Mandarala (Mandaloya or Mandaluyong)

Parish of the Holy Family. Kapitolyo Pasig. Our alternative to the still undefined visita mentioned by Fray Gaspar de San Agustin as "Mandarala"

"Mandarala" (or perhaps "Mandaloya) appears to be another orthographical error by Fray Gaspar de San Agustin. Could it possibly refer to the area where the Parish of San Felipe Neri now stands? However, its history makes no mention of any older structure or church dating back to the 16th century. I would suggest it could have been located somewhere in the Malapad na Bato or Pineda area. As an alternative or ersatz for the bike ride, I propose the Parish of the Holy Family, which is situated within the vicinity of Pineda and Kapitolyo. It sits at the foot of the high grounds of Pasig, traversed by the Pasig River, near where Mandaluyong is located. But this is not a historical claim-- We still have no idea what or where Mandarala was.

12. Buting

The Parish of San Guillermo at Buting , Pasig 

~Pasig City. April 2024