The Vicariate of Southern Cebu

This nine-part series article is taken from the 1877 book of Father Felipe Redondo entitled “A Brief Survey of what was and what is the Diocese of Cebu in the Philippine Islands”. The book was in Spanish and was translated into English by Azucena L. Pace in 2014. This installment, and not the previous one, is actually the last part of the series

“Boljoon.

Created in honor of the Patrocinio dela Santisima Virgen (Patronage of the Holy Virgin). -Church: made of thick pilastras (square columns) of cut coral stone and lime mortar masonry, and the in-between columns are walls of a mixture of coral rubble with sand and lime, of the same thickness as the 28 pilastras which are 2 square meters thick and 8’03 meters in height; it measures 65 meters long, 12’23 meters wide and the transepts are 24 meters. -It has an organ. -Cemetery: of cut coral stone and lime mortar masonry, measuring 47 meters long and 26 meters in front. -Rectory: made of 24 pilastras like the church under the patronage of St. Rose; it has a house, in bad condition. -Barrios: Malobolo ¾ league away; Balitan to the south ¼ hour away, and Becerril to the west, one hour away. -This town is situated between Alcoy and Nueva Caceres, and is 11 kilometers away, on a small plain on the shore, surrounded by the nearby high mountains.

“Nueva Caceres. (Now part of the town of Oslob)

Erected as a parish by Diocesan decree on February 12, 1877 through Superior decree of January 20 of the same year, it is under the patronage of St. Joseph. -(Its mother parish was Boljoon). -Church: made of tabique pampango, with cut coral stone and lime mortar masonry on two thirds part of the walls; measures 45 meters long and 12 meters wide; nipa roofing. -It has a three bodied bell tower, made of hardwood posts-the first body is made of cut coral stone and lime mortar masonry; the rest of tabique pampango; its total elevation is 15 meters; it has an organ. -Cemetery: fenced partly by loose stones and partly by coconut palms. -Rectory: attached to the church; it is made of hardwood posts, with cut coral stone and lime mortar masonry; it has nipa roofing; southern coast of Cebu, bounded on the northeast by Boljoon 1½ leagues away, on the southwest by Oslob 3¼ leagues away, and on the west through the mountains by Ginatilan and Malaboyoc on the opposite coast, more than 3 leagues away.”

(The Vicariate of Southern Cebu was composed of fourteen parishes and were administered by the Calced Augustinian Fathers, it is composed of the town of Talamban, Opong, Cordoba, San Nicolas, El Pardo, Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando, Carcar, Sibonga, Argao, Dalaguete, Boljo-on, Nueva Caceres, and Oslob).