Period of Spanish Conquest and Colonization

PERIOD OF SPANISH CONQUEST AND COLONIZATION,

1848-1899

Davao first loomed in history as a Moro settlement in the banks of Tagloc river (name, pioneer settlers say, given to Davao River by the early Bagobos). But the real history began in 1848 when Don Jose Oyanguren, a Spanish lawyer-turned-trader sent by the Spanish Governor-General Narciso Claveria, launched an expedition composed of his own Spanish soldiers with their families and volunteer’s soldiers, defeated the Muslims under Datu Bago.

The story of the Spanish conquest of Davao started with the San Rufo incident. Sometime in 1844 San Rufo, a light vessel equipped by a commercial house in Manila with Spanish officers, Italian trader, an interpreter and crew, anchored off Davao Gulf carrying with them a recommendation letter from the Sultan of Mindanao for the Datus of Davao to welcome the Spaniards as friends. At first the Muslims showed some sign of welcome but later plunged themselves against the white men. After the battle, only the captain, the Italian trader and two servants remained alive but were captured and retained as slaves. Later, the captain and the Italian trader escaped and in a stolen banca sailed to Surigao. When news reached in Manila of the incident, Governor-General Narciso Claveria immediately sent Governor Figueroa of Zamboanga and Senor Bocalan to represent him in the confrontation, the Sultan disclaimed any responsibility. This was interpreted by the Spaniards as cession since the Sultan openly waived jurisdiction over the Muslims of Davao. Don Jose Oyanguren, a Spanish lawyer-turned-trader who had been doing business in Caraga that time offered to the Governor to undertake the conquest of Davao including the places from the Cape of San Agustin to Sarangani Point. So, by the decree of February 27, 1847 Governor Claveria bestowed upon Oyanguren the special grant to “conquer and subdue the Muslims in the entire gulf area” and the governorship of Davao for ten years as well as the monopoly of commerce and trade for the first six years as well as the monopoly of commerce and trade for the first six years. When Oyanguren defeated the Muslims, the territories passed to him was converted into a province and was named Nueva Guipuzcoa (after his home province in Spain) and the cabecera named Nueva Vergaran, in honor of his hometown.

Oyanguren brought Davao into the limelight only about the middle of the 19th century when he came to its shores. The colonization came about as a result of his success in subduing the Muslims in Davao under Datu Bago. In his conquest he was helped by the volunteer-soldiers from Caraga, Surigao, and the Mandayas of Samal Island who wanted to get even with the Davao Muslims under Datu Bago because of the treatment the former received from the latter who reduced them to vassalage by demanding tributes.

When the Spaniards came in 1848, they saw a community of Bagobos, Mandayas, Bilaans, Mansakas, Atas, Manobos, Tagacaolos, Guingans, and Moros. Oyanguren and his group with a Recollect priest started to build a Christian settlement and built a small chapel. The settlement was named Nueva Vergara. One of the first acts of Oyanguren was to place it under the patronage of St. Peter. The settlement was composed of his soldiers with their families and native volunteers from Caraga and Surigao who joined him. It was originally located in what is now Bolton Riverside but was transferred to a higher place because of the frequent inundations caused by the Davao River. History has it that early Christian settlement had also a sprinkling of deported individuals like the former convicts from other places, a few deserters from the army and political refugees considered rebels by the Spaniards adventurers who liked to find new land.

The Samals who helped Oyanguren in the conquest were compensated for their services by naming Datu Masandin principal datu of Samal. They were promised exemption from the obligations like taxes the government imposed upon their subjects.

Christianity was introduced in Davao Gulf Area when Oyanguren with his group of Spanish soldiers and their families and the native volunteers from Caraga and Surigao settled in Davao in 1848 after defeating the Muslims at the banks of Davao River under Datu Bago.  A priest was sought by the group of Oyanguren to help them build a Christian community in the areas since one of the objectives in the conquest was to establish the Christian religion.  It was Fr. Francisco Lopez, a Recollect priest from Surigao and friend of Oyanguren, who respond to the appeal for help.  Together, they built a new Christian settlement and a small chapel in the wilderness.  In thanksgiving, Oyanguren dedicated the settlement to St. Peter since the victory over the Muslims took place on June 29 the feast day of St. Peter.

Fr. Francisco Lopez served as the spiritual leader and adviser of the new settlement but did not stay long because he was already due to retire.  In February 1849 Fr. Miguel Magallon de San Crispin, a Recollect priest, arrived in Davao to continue ministering in the religious matters of the new Christian community started by Fr. Lopez.  A mission was established and the priest continued converting the natives to Christianity.  The small chapel originally built by Oyanguren and Fr. Lopez was named San Pedro Chapel.

The other Recollect priest who came later were Fr. Nicolas Gonzales, Fr. Toribo Sanchez and Fr. Celedonio Pardos.  Fr. Pardos met his untimely death and the vacated post was taken by Fr. Manuel de la Fuente in 1864 and stayed until 1868.

The Christians then were the converted heathens as well as the families of the original soldiers who came with Oyanguren in 1848.  Of the Asian tribes that settled Mindanao the Mandayas were the first to be Christianized.  The descendants of these original Caragan Mandayas from Caraga who were converted to Christianity became the hybrid Mandayas who came to what is now Davao City.

After the pioneering work of the Recollect priest in the ministering of the religious needs of the people in Davao, they turned over the ministration on the Jesuit missionaries through Fr. Ramon Barua, S.J., who came in 1868.  The Jesuit continued the work for many years and was responsible for the conversion to Christianity of the many native inhabitants.  To facilitate evangelization work, the Jesuit kept the natives within the settlement areas and gifted them with material things like clothing and food.  The missionaries who were very few then went out to evangelize the natives with all the hardship encountered.  The means of transportation was very inadequate and priest, with their sacristans, trailed the forest and ravines.

The Jesuit missionaries then were Frt. Quirino More, Fr. Mateo Gisbert, Fr. Pablo Pastells and Fr. Saturnino Urios and others. According to these friars’ chronicles and accounts, the heathens or “infieles”  in Davao were not difficult to reduce  (a  term meaning convert to the Christian Faith) as the Moros.  The Moros (as they were the called by the Spaniards) endured Spanish rule nor the Christians religion.  The reduction did not prosper among the Moros.

They were formed villages but scattered themselves along the coast. Though they generally agreed, although reluctantly, to the Spanish proposals to assume village life, their agreement is only feigned.

                The Davao population, like in the other parts of Mindanao, during the early part of the Spanish regime was divided into heathens, Christians and Moros.  According to Fr. Pablo Pastells in his letter Father Provincial Juan Capell, S.J., “the population proceed in general from the malay, Indonesian races, and from the crosses of the same races among themselves and with other superior races, especially the Chinese and the Spaniards.”

THE JESUIT PRIEST WITH NATIVES OF DAVAO

After the Jesuits who headed the Davao parish came the P.M.E. (Piere Missionaire Estrangeres) Fathers in 1937.  The first batch of PME Fathers arrived in Davao from Canada in October 1937 upon the invitation of Bishop Luis del Rosario of the diocese of Zamboanga. Because by then only eight Jesuits priest attended  to the spiritual needs of the people of Davao province.