Philippine E-Journals

Religious Aspects of the Revolution in the Bikol Region

John N. Schumacher

Discipline: History, Philippine History

 

Abstract:

Among the many aspects of Philippine history which need research on the regional and local level~ the history of the Revolution is notable. Since the Revolution had its start in the Tagalog provinces, and since the government of the Republic was to be found there, it was perhaps inevitable that such earlier histories of the Revolution as Kalaw's and Agoncillo's should center their attention there. What is more, however, the tendency has been to assume also that in other regions the causes of the Revolution and the attitudes of people toward nationalism, toward the friars, etc. were substantially identical. In the course of the research for my book, The Revolutionary Clergy, it became clear to me that not only the course of events, but such things as the involvement of the Filipino clergy- religious interpretation of the war, and attitudes toward the Spanish friars, varied considerably from one region to another. Hence, in this paper, without repeating all that I have said in my book on the prominent role of the Bikolano clergy insupporting the Revolution. I should like to discuss certain religious aspects of the Revolution in the Bikol provinces which may show a situation different from the generalizations usually made about the Revolution.