Papa Isio
Encyclopedia
Dionisio Magbuelas, Dionisio Seguela or Dionisio Papa y Barlucia, more widely known as Papa Isio (Hiligaynon
Hiligaynon language
Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...
, Isio the Pope), was the leader of a group of babaylan
Babaylan
Babaylan is a Visayan term identifying an indigenous Filipino religious leader, who functions as a healer, a shaman, a seer and a community "miracle-worker"...
es who were, as conjectured by Modesto P. Sa-onoy
Modesto P. Sa-onoy
Modesto P. Sa-onoy is a Filipino historian and journalist specializing in the history of Negros Island in the Philippines.- Biography :He was born in La Castellana, Negros Occidental...
, recruited from the remnants of the followers of Dios Buhawi
Dios Buhawi
Ponciano Elofre, later called Dios Buhawi , was a cabeza of a barangay in Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental, Philippines, and the leader of a politico-religious revolt in Negros in the late 19th century against the Spanish.-Revolutionary activities:As early as 1887, Elofre began his revolt when, as...
upon the dissolution of his group under the poor leadership of Camartin de la Cruz during the years prior to the onset of the Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
.
Early life
Magbuelas was the son of migrants from PanayPanay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
, either Antique or San Joaquin, Iloilo
Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
, who cleared a small piece of land in the forests of Himamaylan. In his younger years, Papa Isio witnessed the loss of their small landholding to the marauding sugar barons of Negros. His family then moved to Payao in Binalbagan. When his parents died, Magbuelas gathered coconut sap to make native coconut wine in order to make ends meet. He later reportedly worked for the family of Carlos Gemora in Ilog
Ilog
Ilog means river in Filipino, and is the name of two places in the Philippines:* Ilog, Negros Occidental* Ilog, a barangay in Taal, Batangas* ILOG, a software company that makes products including JRules....
. By 1880, he was 34 years old and was working as a cattle herder in the farm of the Montilla family in Tinungan. It was here that Magbuelas had a scuffle with a Spaniard and his opponent was wounded. Fearing reprisal from the Spanish authorities, Magbuelas fled to the mountains at the time that Dios Buhawi
Dios Buhawi
Ponciano Elofre, later called Dios Buhawi , was a cabeza of a barangay in Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental, Philippines, and the leader of a politico-religious revolt in Negros in the late 19th century against the Spanish.-Revolutionary activities:As early as 1887, Elofre began his revolt when, as...
was leading his revolt. He may have joined this group as a means of avoiding the civil guards.
Revolution
According to Sa-onoy, Magbuelas's nom de guerre, Papa Isio, was partly dictated by the religious thrust of his revolt against SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
it championed. The title "Papa" was a repudiation of the Pope's
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
(Santo Papa) authority - which Magbuelas then appropriated upon himself. This particular group of babaylanes were organized by Magbuelas in 1896 in Himamaylan, Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
.
Fusing religion with agrarian reform and nationalism, Papa Isio called for the removal of non-Malays from Negros and the division of the land among the natives. It is contended that Papa Isio responded to the Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
which was begun in August 1896 by Andrés Bonifacio
Andres Bonifacio
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro was a Filipino nationalist and revolutionary. He was a founder and later Supremo of the Katipunan movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution...
. The group of babaylanes was said to have adopted "¡Viva Rizal!" (Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, "Long Live Rizal!"), "¡Viva Filipinas Libre" (Spanish, "Long Live a free Philippines!") and "Kamatayon sa Katsila" (Hiligaynon
Hiligaynon language
Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...
, "Death to Spaniards!") as their battle cries.
While Filipino revolutionary General Miguel Malvar
Miguel Malvar
Miguel Malvar y Carpio was a Filipino commander who served during the Philippine Revolution and subsequently during the Philippine–American War. He assumed command of the Philippine revolutionary forces during the latter conflict following the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo in 1901...
, widely acknowledged to be the last leader of the Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
to surrender to the Americans, actually capitulated on April 16, 1902, Papa Isio gave up his struggle very much later - on August 6, 1907. Finally cornered by government forces, Papa Isio surrendered to an American officer, Lieutenant J. S. Mohler. At first, he was sentenced to death, but the punishment was later mitigated to life imprisonment. Papa Isio died in the Old Bilibid Prison in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in 1911.
Commemoration
On November 6, 2009, the National Historical InstituteNational Historical Institute (Philippines)
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines is part of the government of the Philippines...
of the Philippines unveiled a historical marker
Historical marker
A historical marker or historic marker is an indicator such as a plaque or sign to commemorate an event or person of historic interest and to associate that point of interest with a specific locale one can visit.-Description:...
in honor of Dionisio Magbuelas at the public plaza of Isabela, Negros Occidental
Isabela, Negros Occidental
Isabela is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 48,719 people in 9,469 households.Isabela is known for BISCOM ....
. The marker states:
In popular media
- Filipino author Eric Gamalinda based his novel My Sad RepublicMy Sad RepublicMy Sad Republic is a 2000 Philippine English-language novel written by Filipino novelist Eric Gamalinda. The novel won for Gamalinda a Philippine Centennial Literary Prize in 1998. The 392-page novel was published by the Philippine Centennial Commission, the University of the Philippines Press,...
loosely on the person of Papa Isio. - The Kanlaon Theater and Dance Company, the student theater and dance group of Colegio San Agustin-BacolodColegio San Agustin-BacolodColegio San Agustin – Bacolod is a private, Catholic, co-educational institution of learning owned and administered by the Augustinians of the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu in the Philippines. It is located in Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental province...
, staged Papa Isio... Tingog Sang Kadam-an (HiligaynonHiligaynon languageHiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...
, "Papa Isio, Voice of the Masses"), a musicalMusical theatreMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
based on the life of Papa Isio, during the Second National Theater Festival hosted by the Cultural Center of the PhilippinesCultural Center of the PhilippinesThe Cultural Center of the Philippines is a government-owned and controlled corporation established to preserve, develop and promote arts and culture in the Philippines. The CCP was established through Executive Order No. 30 s. 1966 by President Ferdinand Marcos...
in February, 1996.
See also
- Philippine RevolutionPhilippine RevolutionThe Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
- Negros Island
- Negros RevolutionNegros RevolutionThe Negros Revolution, now commemorated and popularly known as Al Cinco de Noviembre or Negros Day, was a political movement that in 1898 created a government in Negros Island in the Philippines, informally ending Spanish control of the island and resulting in a government run by the Negrense...
- Dios BuhawiDios BuhawiPonciano Elofre, later called Dios Buhawi , was a cabeza of a barangay in Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental, Philippines, and the leader of a politico-religious revolt in Negros in the late 19th century against the Spanish.-Revolutionary activities:As early as 1887, Elofre began his revolt when, as...
- BabaylanBabaylanBabaylan is a Visayan term identifying an indigenous Filipino religious leader, who functions as a healer, a shaman, a seer and a community "miracle-worker"...