LEYTE'S RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE

IN DULAG CHURCH RUIN. The author during the Architectural Heritage Tour in Leyte province last May 1. The group of arch. students, govt. employees, historians, and media participated the said activity.

The devotional garden in Hilongos church. It was the old altar of the centuries-old church burned during the American occupation and was restored as "dagkutanan" to make it functional for the present needs of the parishioners.

The facade of the 1737 Hilongos church, one of the oldest in western part of Leyte. The church reduced to rubble in early 1900's but it was restored in 1960. The old walls and watchtower made of coral stones is still existing.

Discovering the richness of our architectural heritage in Leyte is indeed an amazing and satisfying time travel to centuries ago. Although, very little is known about the fascinating story of the life and culture of our forefathers and early settlers in this province, but these old structures tells us more about their existence.

Unlike in other forts in some parts of the country, Leyte has its unique “kuta” with the church inside the massive fortification of stones. The church is enclosed with a stone- wall and watchtowers to protect the early settlers from the violent Moro raids some centuries ago. Both, Tanauan and Dulag has walls around their churches, but only that in Tanauan still exists until today. Even Palompon and Ormoc churches has also a massive stone walls but was only reduced to rubble, before the townspeople could preserve it. But in Hilongos, Leyte, its history-conscious inhabitants wants to remain these walls untouched and preserved the church ruin. Today, only Hilongos, where we can find a church with a fortification, it is unlike in Fort San Pedro, Fort Santiago, Fort Pilar and other walled cities in the country.

These old walls tells us a very fascinating story, that early settlers survived the assault of the Muslim raiders centuries ago because they seek refuge inside these churches. They brought rice and other provisions, and most of these churches have deep wells inside that sustained their needs for potable water. They stayed there for five days or more and fought back by way of using bow and arrow (pana) with poisons, as evidenced in the book written by Manuel Artigas y Cuerva in Reseña de la Historia de la Provincia de Leyte.

The Architectural Heritage Tour last May 1, disseminates valuable historical and cultural information among us and instill a great sense of pride in our heritage and history as a people. Our country is truly a place of rice heritage, colorful history and vibrant culture. Leyte’s architectural heritage tour highlights the region’s historic sites, and its potential of becoming a tourist destination because of its historical places.

The town of Carigara, Leyte is a living representation of the region’s historic settlement encompassing architectural legacies. The Balay nga Gawas It Harigi, is truly a significant structure of the era and the only building in Eastern Visayas, with its posts visible outside (Gawas it Harigi, literally). Its century-old municipio was converted into a public library and museum with valuable items and historical artifacts that proves the province’s rich culture. Not only World War II memorabilla are found in the museum, but also centuries-old wares and stuffs, not limited to lamps, typewriters, plates and other kitchen wares, dress, Demi John (dama), which is a glass container of tuba and lambanog, old paintings, wood carvings, coins, icons and other antiques.

The ruins of the old church, built in 1595 are found in Binogtoan, (some few kilometers from the poblacion). The place was the old settlement of the early settlers in this town. It was only in 1995, during the Leyte’s Jesuits Evangelization 400 years anniversary, when the ruin in Binogtoan was protected and preserved. The place was inhabited by squatters with the their houses within the ruins of the old church.

Palo Cathedral is also one of the oldest churches within the province, but its renovation wiped away its architectural richness and antiquity, although, centuries-old items and icons are found inside the church. In Tanauan, people will understand better the struggle of early Leyteños during the onslaught of the Moro raids. The stone church was built to protect the inhabitants from Moro bandits. The fortification of coral stones around the church and its watchtower “tan-awanan” or “tan-awan” became the name of its town. The old walls are still present and visible though it is already a structure worn out through time. Some portions of the church’s wall are original coral stones and tiles, and some of it are renovated.

Dulag’s church could have been the oldest in the province, but the shillings by the Liberation forces during the World War II reduced this huge structure to rubble, including the oldest school. It was the oldest school built in 1595, older than the other schools in the country said Mayor Themestocles “Timmy” Saño.

Baybay, Leyte is another historical spots in the region. It has several century’s old houses within the poblacion. Its old stone church is similar to that in other churches in the region. It was made of massive blocks and coral stones, with its façade and other portions of the church that remained untouched unlike in some other churches.

Hilongos is a classic example of a well-preserved fort (kuta) and church. Hilongos way back in 1700’s was already a parish with its neighbring towns included as its jurisdiction. In Palompon, early settlers sailed to Hilongos to attend masses every Sundays. The frequent Moro raids made the Leyte churches unique, with fortification of massive coral stones. The church in Hilongos was buit in 1737, but during the American occupation, a Katipunero, Francisco “Kikoy” Flordeliz, was forced to surrender by the US forces, but he refused. The whole town of Hilongos was burned including the church. But the ruin was masterfully renovated not to touch the original architectural make-up of the structure. The old church is still there, but an extension was built in 1960’s. The ruin of the altar was transformed into a devotional garden (dagkutanan) with statues of saints and decorated with ornamental plants and flowers.

How people treated the heritage sites?

People of this generation treated these architectural heritage sites differently, in Binogtoan ruins in Carigara where the 1595-church stands was completely abandoned for hundred of years before it was transformed into a park only in 1995. Secondly, some of the old structures was stored and preserved for the younger generation to understand our past, like that of Dulag church. Third, people wanted to make the place integral to modern needs like that of Hilongos church. The ruin of its altar was transformed into a devotional garden, and some of the old walls of the church (that was not completely burned in early 1900s) served as the main altar of the church (extension in Hilongos was built in 1960’s). Now, any effort to preserve and protect the Hilongos church is a joint undertaking of the parish and the local government unit.

Leyte is fortunate that its people work hard to protect and preserve its heritage sites which is significant part of our struggle as a people or else the younger generation would totally forget their past and might lose their sense of history