(Part 2)
In the 1700s, the island of Bohol was part of the Diocese of Cebu. The proximity of the island of Cebu to Bohol resulted in migration and inter-marriages between the two places. Majority of Cebuanos and Boholanos are interrelated by affinity or blood, the result of this is that their politics and religious practices share common roots.
The old 1st District of Bohol
Calape was created as a parish in 1802, under the patronage of St. Vicente Ferrer. According to Fr. Felipe Redondo in his book in 1886, the church was in a bad state of repair. It had a stone foundation, the walls were made of tabique pampango, with nipa roofing, it is 26 fathoms long, six fathoms wide and three and a half fathoms high.
Tabique pampango is a thin partition wall made of interwoven pieces of bamboo or hardwood slats plastered over with a coating of lime mixed with sand.
Dauis was created in 1720, under the patronage of Our Lady of the Assumption. The oldest entry in the baptismal book, as reported by Fr. Redondo, was dated April 20, 1697. Panglao was created in 1782, it was officially administered in 1803 under the patronage of the patriarch bishop and doctor, St. Augustine. The Recollect Fathers made a statistical report entitled “Estadistico de los Recoletos”.
Maribojoc was under the patronage of the Holy Cross. The oldest entry in its Baptismal Books was dated January 2, 1788. Maribojoc was also referred to as Malaboyoc and Malabohoc.
Loon was founded as a parish in 1753 under the patronage of Our Lady of Light. The church as reported by Fr. Redondo had a baptistery, two sacristies, and two bell towers in the façade portico, it had a tile roofing and measured in the interior 40 fathoms longs, 17 fathoms wide, and 11 fathoms high until the ridge. It is two leagues away from Calape to the north and on the south it is bound by Maribojoc. A league is equivalent to three and a half miles.
From 1907 to 1916 the representative of the old 1st District starting from the 1st Philippine Legislature (1907) up to the 3rd Philippine Legislature was Candelario Borja. (To be continued)