SAN SEBASTIAN CATHEDRAL: A CHURCH ON THE HILL

An Analysis on the Primary Sources for

Readings in Philippine History
University of St. La Salle
Bacolod City

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements
For BABA 1F

Acot, Karmine Jean

Donesa, Aljie
Gabales, Khayyam
Jastia, Audrey
Sampang, Fritz Alrich

October 2018
 INTRODUCTION

The imposing cathedral of San Sebastian was the handiwork of Father Mauricio Ferrero,
OAR, the parish priest of Bacolod (1871-1898; 1902-1910). The original church was constucted
in 1825 by Father Julian Gonzaga (parish priest-1818-1836). The old church was made of wood
and galvanized roofing. It had one medium-sized bell, until Father Roman Manuel Locsin
donated a huge bell and later Father Mariano de Avila donated another one when he became
parish priest in 1863 after the death of Father Locsin. Father de Avila's bell was installed in the
tower when the cathedral was constructed in 1876, but lowered in 1969 when the towers were
reconstructed. It was never returned there, but in 1976 the Sugarlandia Lions Club of Bacolod
constructed a special belfrey where it hangs today with the small bell purchased by Father
Ferrero.

When Father Mauricio Ferrero took over in 1871, he started plans for the construction of
a bigger church made of coral stone. the plan was submitted to Bishop Mariano Cuartero, OP the
first bishop of the diocese of Jaro. On April 27, 1876, the foundation stone was laid. Father
Mauricio made an agreement with the Politico-military governor, Roman pastor (1875-1877),
for the use of the prisoners in the construction of the church of san sebastian. Recognizing the
engineering and architectural scale of Father Mauricio, the governor agreed, on the condition
that Father Mauricio also designed and supervised the construction of a stone prison. The coral
stones for the cathedral were cut from the deposists of Guimaras and brought by barge and
lorchas to Bacolod. The wooden parts were made from hard wood cut in Paragua (Palawan)
On the eve of the feast of San Sebastian, January 19, 1882, Bishop Cuartero blessed the biggest
church in the province. The following day the bishop celebrated a pontifical mass before a
packed audience composed of government and church officials of the province and Iloilo. Parish
priests and leading citizens of other towns also joined in the festivities. It is interesting to note
that the celebration coincided with the 100 anniversary of the separation of Bacolod from
Binalbagan.

The two towers that we see today were setup three years later. The tower to the right was
first constructed. Don Luis Ruiz de Luzurriaga, donated a huge clock that became the main time
keeper of the town. The other tower (left) was constructed later. The 2 towers were made of
aluminum sheet with hard wood framing. It was also in 1885 that the big organ was installed on
nave just above the entrance of the church. This organ was disassembled during the
reconstruction of the church in 1969 and never reassembled.

It was not until 1969 that the two towers were demolished as a public hazard upon orders
of the Bacolod City engineers office. Father Antonio Santes, rector of the cathedral, mobilized
the laity in raising the fund to build the towers. A cathedral tower reconstruction committee, first
headed by Ildefonso Cosculluella Jr. Engaged in fund raising activities. Mr Cosculluella,
however, died before the tower was completed and paid for. Mr. Irving Villasor, the vice
chairman, took over as chairman and completed the project.

The San Sebastian Cathedral was declared the cathedral church in 1933 when Bacolod
became a diocese. In 1956, Bishop Manuel Yap, second bishop of Bacolod increased the
prestige of the church when he consecrated it in solemn ceremonies after it was reconstructed.
The main altar was simplified - the over- decorated altar that was a common sight during the
Spanish times was removed, and a larger than life statue of San Sebastian was enshrined. In the
bosom part of the cathedral lie in rest remains of Bishop Cassimiro Lladoc, first bishop of
Bacolod, and Bishop Manuel Yap, the second bishop, as well as the remains of generous
benefactors of the past decades.

The parish rectory, now the bishop's house was also constructed by Father Ferrero. The
construction started on May 21, 1891 and was finished in 1894. The wooded materials were
taken from Palawan, while the coral stones were from Guimaras. Some of the bricks were
locally made, masonry was mostly by Chinese artisans.

In May of that year, just after the convent was finished Father Ferrero left for Barcelona,
via Marseilles, to assume the professorship in the University there. Father Florencio Aranda
replaced Father Ferrero, but in 1898, Father Ferrero came back as parish priest of Bacolod.
 METHODOLOGY

The group is tasked to decide on a historical site that is located in either Talisay, Silay, or
Bacolod City. This is to find some primary sources that could be of use in the analysis later on.
By that, San Sebastian Cathedral is the chosen historical site of the group. Since they need to
actually see the source in order to analyze it, they went to an office which is responsible for the
church’s activities and found out that there’s an assigned schedule to be able to inquire. And so
they came at the appropriate time and asked for any details about the infrastructure. They are
sent to the office of a curator of the church who is named Sandy Solinap. She had
accommodated them despite her busy schedule.

The interview was unstructured since random questions were asked that they think would
lead them to the analysis of possible primary sources. They did not only remained on her office
but she also offered to tour them around the cathedral including the museum, the bishop’s house,
the crypt, and even inside the church itself. She described each possible primary sources very
clearly and comprehensively that it could not only help on their analysis but also it added up to
their knowledge not only of the history of the church alone but also of the whole Bacolod City.
Given the many primary sources that they could pick from, they chose only five that they think
has the most relevance to the historical site and they were the coral stones, the cathedra, the logo
of the diocese, the name on the pews, and the crypt. Each of these were analyzed thoroughly by
the group and they had been compendious as to the pertinence of the primary sources to the
chosen historical site which is the San Sabastian Cathedral.
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This portion of the paper is where the analysis and all discussions about the primary sources
falls on. Informations about each of the sources will be raised, be analyzed by the group and
relevance will be proved along the discussion of these primary sources. The results given is the
product of going to the chosen historical site and all of these primary sources pertain to it.

Figure 1. Coral stones used in the church’s structure.

The establishment of San Sebastian Cathedral was a handiwork of Fr. Mauricio Ferrero,
O.A.R., and was constructed by Fr. Julian Gonzaga in the year 1825. The original church was
first made of wood and galvanize roofing. However, when Father Mauricio Ferrero became the
parish priest of Bacolod in 1871, he started to make plans about reconstructing a new bigger
Cathedral that is made of coral stone. The coral stone used in the structure was from Guimaras.
In building the Church, different combinations was made because coral stones are not
compatible with cement. The basis in assembling the Church was learned from the Churches that
was totally wrecked in Bohol. Hence, a combination was made to build the Cathedral.

The coral stones used shows the current structure of San Sebastian Cathedral. Its importance
is that the Church became more strong and not easily wrecked compared to the original church
which was made out of wood and galvanized roofing. Nonetheless, it helped the Church to stay
what it is today. The knowledge of the priests in using coral stones as the primary medium in
reconstructing the Church helped the infrastructure to still stand on its own.
 Figure 2. The cathedra.

A cathedra or bishop's throne is the seat of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching
authority in the Catholic Church. Cathedra is the Latin word for a chair with armrests, and it
appears in early Christian literature in the phrase "cathedrae apostolorum", indicating authority
derived directly from the apostles. A church into which a bishop's official cathedra is installed is
called a cathedral. In the history of the San Sebastian Cathedral, there have been six Bishops to
lead the diocese. It generally means that there have been six different cathedra that have been
used in the course of the church’s history. Each one of the bishops’ seat is special and
personalized. It is genuinely true that every single cathedra contains the bishops’ seal and the
excellence’s motto. The current Bishop Patricio Abella Buzon’s cathedra holds the seal that
contains symbols such as Saint Sebastian’s cross, the church on the hill, winding road,
sugarcane, Sto. Nino’s cross in Cebu, and his religious order. His motto is “Adveniat Regnum
Tuum” or Thy Kingdom Come which was taken from the Lord’s Prayer. The cathedra is used
everytime the Bishop celebrates the Holy Eucharist. And it symbolizes the authority of teaching
given directly from the apostles to the Bishops.

The Bishop’s throne is the place where his Excellency is seated whenever he celebrates
masses. The cathedra not only holds the crest and the motto of each bishop, it also serves as the
symbol of the authority given by the apostles to the Bishops in order for them to spread the good
news and instil important teachings and values to every Christian covered by the Diocese of
Bacolod.
 Figure 3. Diocese of Bacolod logo.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman
Catholic Church in Negros Occidental, Philippines. Diocese of Bacolod was founded on 15 July
1932 from the territories of the Archdiocese of Cebu and the Archdiocese of Jaro. Its cathedral is
called the Cathedral of San Sebastian. Currently, Bishop Patricio Abella Buzon is the one that
oversees the diocese. The Diocese of Bacolod has its own logo apart from the coat of arms that
every Bishops had. The logo had three significant symbols that encompasses a valuable
meaning. The first item found would be the Mitre or the traditional and ceremonial headdress of
the Bishops. In its placement, it is in the very top which signifies that the Bishop is the head of
the Diocese and is the one that manages and leads the spiritual mission and other duties of the
church. Next would be the cross with arrows. This symbol pays homage to St. Sebastian who
was killed during the Roman emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians. Moreover, it carries
the name of the Cathedral and serves as the identity of the Diocese of Bacolod. Lastly, the
bottom symbol depicts a church on a hill with a winding road and a sugarcane. For this
representation, it illustrates the placement of the church in Bacolod which is on top of a hill. It
represents Negros Occidental’s landscape. Furthermore, the sugarcane signifies the primary
source of livelihood in the province.

Having a logo or a coat of arms for a specific organization is a must for it serves as their
identity and individuality. For the Diocese of Bacolod, this logo functions as the distinctiveness
of the Bacolod chapter from other diocese in the Philippines. It separates the diocese from the
other and contains the very meaning of what the diocese stands for and works for. This logo
honours the city of Bacolod and its people. By this sign, the church of Bacolod is distinguished
and through this sign, the bishop, along with its priest and religious faithful carry out the faith,
the love and the mission of Christ.

According to Sandy Solinap, “Before, our church, and even until now makita niyo da nga
may mga ngalan ang mga pews. Those are the people nga ga donate sang una. So sang una kung
donya ka ya, may ara ka guid ya imo pulungkuan, kag biskan indi ka ya kasimba wala na da may
mapungko.” So these pews have ownership as to who will be sitting where and only those who
have the financial capacity in forms of donations the ones that may have the right. As observed
in Figure 4, names are engraved in some kind plate made of brass to recognize the ones who
donated it.

Knowing some information about the primary source, it get me to the realization that even
way back there’s already a separation between rich and poor people. The church nowadays is
where it gathers all people together as one despite the different status but these names on the
pews just tells us otherwise. Even the church is no exception when it comes to that thick line
that’s been drawn between the rich and the poor which is opposite to what is supposed to be the
goal of the church. As to the names placed in the pews, it just signifies on how rich people can
be in control of everything that even in the church they are still of higher place than of the poor
ones. Despite this kind of discrimination happening in the church before, it never stopped the
less fortunate to go to church. Without pews to sat on, they are standing at the back portion of
the church and as the mass is in Latin and uneducated as they were, they can’t understand a
word and so made their own in the form of novena which is still present today especially with
the elders.

The pews serve as the seats for the devotees whenever they would attend a mass. The names
that our engraved on those pews way before are essential to the church because it represents the
gratitude that the church have towards the people who offers their donations. It’s the way of the
cathedral in expressing how thankful they are to those people but on the other hand it also gives
disadvantage to the poor ones since they are incapable of donations and so they’re not given the
right on those pews before. Now, the names are slowly gone since it was engraved in brass plate
which have monetary value when sold. Alongside of it being gone is also the disappearance of
the gap that has been made between rich and poor. There’s no ownership of seats anymore and
so people could freely sit anywhere they’d desire to regardless of their financial status.

Figure 5. The crypt.

Beneath the stoned walls and tiled floors of the church, there exist an “Ossuarium”,
popularly known as the “Crypt”. It is a chamber containing the remains of the faithful, and is
located right below the sacristy, and was established by the late Bishop Monsignor Manuel Yap.
In 1957, Monsignor Yap established the crypt to the house of bones of the deceased prominent
families so they will be near the church. For a long time, the crypt was a dark and lonely place,
until the present rector, Monsignor Pasquin, renovated the place in 2009. Today the crypt has
been transformed into a well-lighted and solemn place. Furthermore, more vaults have been
added to the ossuarium and it is open to anyone who wants the remains of their loved ones
transferred there. Now, this is considered as one of the attractions at the cathedral.

The architectural structure of the crypt is not as large compared to those in other countries.
It is well-ventilated and well-lighted which contributed to the peacefulness and solemnity of the
place. The crypt has its own design and order to guide and characterize the place. To start with,
before entering the crypt, one has to take a few steps down a stairs. What you will see next is a
number of box-like vaults, the one you usually see in cemeteries but smaller ones, stacked
together side by side by the walls. These vaults are painted in white; vaults which contain
remains are covered with marbled plate with the name of the deceased. On the right side, one
will particularly see some of the remains of the late Bishops. On the other hand, the left and
middle side of the crypt contains the remains of the prominent families who faithfully served the
church, they include the Dela Rama’s, Esteban’s, Ong’s, etc. The place were filled with flowers
and candles as an act of remembrance to these people.

By knowing the primary reason and purpose of creating the crypt, our group have found a
few intriguing contradictions. First, the crypt was primarily built for the remains of prominent
families, but now it is said to be open to anyone regardless of the person’s status and family
background. In contrast, most remains located inside the crypt still came from prominent
families, considering that only a few vaults were filled. This was further acknowledged by Ms.
Solinap, our curator, when she said that only a selected few is buried there and they all came
from prominent families. Second, as mentioned in previous sources, the St. Sebastian Cathedral
is considered as a church for the poor, but from what is stated above, it seems like there is some
kind of discrimination happening between the families of the rich and poor. It is uncanny that
even after death, one could still find themselves being discriminated. On the other hand, one can
also interpret this as a sign of thank you and gratefulness of the church for these prominent
families, who helped supported and helped in funding the reconstruction of the church. It is a
common information that the church has been abused and evilly handled by priest during the
Spanish and American period, these families, in any way that they could helped the church
during its slow transformation and modification.
 The crypt is a place that is rich in history, it contains the proofs of the lives, tradition, and
culture of the people during the 1900’s. Its existence is a witness to the history of the church and
the whole city of Bacolod. It also contains information about the first influential people in the
early church and even confirms the previous significant deeds of these people whom greatly
affected the lives of the people in the city. The crypt is a gem to the cathedral and to Bacolod, it
is a reminder of the great downfall of the city, and its struggle to rise after a great loss and
distress.
 CONCLUSION

Historical sites in the Philippines are one of the assets of the country. It contributes to the
nation’s economy, cultural identity and the significance of the place. Without these historic
places, Philippines would not be what it is today.

The history of the San Sebastian Cathedral holds many secrets that was made known to the
group. The Church was not only a historical site built in the city but is also related to the history
of Bacolod itself. The group was able to know hidden stories on what is happening in the past.
People in today’s generation do not put interest in knowing and visiting historical sites because
technology is already there to answer their questions. However, technology will never be enough
to answer all queries for there are secrets yet to be known.

The San Sebastian Cathedral serves as a preservation of the religious happenings that once
occured in the past like during masses, there is always a barrier between the rich and the
commoners wherein people who are unfortunate cannot understand the Latin language used in
masses. People should know that the Church is part of who we are and where we are today.
These stories made up the past that molded the future of the masses and that people should know
of because.

Historical places should be restored and preserved because it serves as a epitome of

evolution to understand not only religious structures and but also socially. Every infrastructure
built in the past has a story to tell and that serves as an inspiration to strengthen the conviction
and commitments to fight for justice and oppression. And most especially, these historical places
records the certain happenings in which past connects with the future.