Valbuena, Nica Victoria P.

Block 1

Schreurs, Peter MSC: Angry Days in Mindanao, 1987

There is an existing stigma of glorifying acedia and being impassive over pervasive apathy

attached to historical enlightenment and academe primarily attributable to monumental shortfall

in accessible authorities and prime documents apropos of the segments of local time. Sources were

dispersed in Manila and Spain— some were found in error, in old condition, and in dire need of

rectification to validate its authenticity withal. As a possible consequence of this ignominy, bits

and pieces of history might completely consign to oblivion or can be wrongly elucidated. It would

be a desperate struggle for historians and scholars to shed light on the events, in this case, in

Mindanao during the interlude between the Proclamation of Philippine Independence (June, 1898)

and the Philippine-American war (1901). Unfortunately, it already became an unsettling nuisance

if future scholars would lost the endeavor to undertake this work due to the lack of authentic

sources and enthusiasm.

Peter Schreurs, a missionary priest, however, became all agog to fathom the history of

northeastern Mindanao on the course of his stay in that region during the time that he was occupied

in accomplishing missionary works or religious missions in Surigao and Agusan. That account

(entitled “The Sources and Some Evaluation”) comprises mainly of Schreurs drive to proceed

deeper into the repercussions of the revolutionary period of 1896 till 1900. In spite of the fact that

he was not a historian, his blooming inquisitiveness had led him to scrutinize the subject not only

from archival records but also from empirical acquaintance with the land and the people who

inhabit it. The book then proceeded to discuss briefly, perspicacious, and proficient the Philippine

revolutionary period.
 The Revolution in Luzon started with the Cry of Pugad Lawin led by Bonifacio in August, 1896

and ended with the Pact of Biak-na-Bato in December, 1897. Although these historical events held

great importance and bore responsible with today’s order, it did not vastly influence Mindanao. It

was after a year when Mindanao was drawn into the dispute in particular subsequent to the start of

the Philippine-American war. The plight of the Catholic missionaries explicitly, the Spanish

Jesuits in most of Mindanao and Spanish Benedictines in parts of Surigao and the

offshore islands— to wit, their imprisonment and liberation and the sequestration of their church

funds, was addressed by Schreurs and is the core of his work.

The Fearsome Havoc in Luzon and the Fearful Surigao and Agusan

Surigao

As bombs plummet and bullets flew across each ends of Luzon whilst Filipino fought against

Yankees right on their own native soil; the great disturbance or insurrection arose. Mindanao, on

the other hand, had lost communication with the rest of the country, most of all with Manila. All

was left in the Spanish community in Surigao were the Jesuit and Benedictine missionaries, a few

businessmen and some civilian government officials and employees. With all the transfixing

speculations flying around vis-à-vis the advent of three boatloads of armed Tagalogs and the

emergence of revolutionary troops in the rural areas, Spaniards were all in complete disquietude.

Thus a proclamation that beseech villagers to remain loyal to Spain was justified.

The horizon was dark, and no light could reach us from any direction. Rumors
had it that in Gigaquit feelings were running high and that, if there would be an uprising
against the Spaniards, no one would be spared and that the first victim would be the
priest. Any day now they expected news and orders from Cebu. But afterwards it was
said that those who uttered such absurdities did not have their heads in the proper place.
In placer, they were no less emboldened than in Gigaquit. And truly, if they had wanted
it, they could easily have carried out their plans. The Governor’s statement: “We are at
home, let them come and get us” sounded as if his only worry was about the capital.
Surigao had been a canter of Spaniards before, but at present the community had been
much reduced in number. It had sixty rifles at its disposal but nobody to take them up.43