Brief Notes on the History of

the Parish of Balete

Al F. De La Cruz
Balete
 Brief Notes on the History of the Parish of Balete

The parish of Balete evolved out of a larger parish of Batan. It became a full
pledge parish (and consequently became the 33rd pueblo of Capiz) approximately in 1826
under the Bishopric of the Diocese of Cebu. i Earlier, it was part of the Encomienda of
Batan with Don Miguel Rodriguez as its encomiendero. Under his care were some 4,200
persons from whom he collected 1,200 tributes. Earlier on, it was part of the mission
areas of the Augustinians and was regarded as one of the 14 or 17 visitas of the curate of
Batan when Fray Luis Jurado, OSA assumed the post from his predecessor. By that time
it was variously referred to either as “the village near the river of Hilo” or “Jalo” ii in
reference to the Jal-o River that runs through the heart of Balete.

Their highly cultured manner and their being neither wild nor refractory
impressed the Augustinians who met with and converted the people into Christian faith.
They regarded them to be “…the most noble in the Archipelago, a highly-cultured group
with well built beautiful houses and many well organized villages…” iii

The manuscript Memoria de la Provincia de Capiziv related that epidemic was

frequent in the community. In 1882 for instance, a cholera outbreak had caused the death
of about 144 people. The frequency of occurrence of diseases in the early times could be
one of the main factors why St. Rafael the Archangel was enthroned as patron saint of an
ailing people. He was invoked to be the healer of their malaise and protector against that
which oppresses them. Oral tradition, we have, tells us that whenever a prevalent disease
afflicts the faithful, procession in honor of the saint would readily and devotedly be done.

Many years after the Augustinian missionaries had made known the Good News,
majority of the Christian faithful in Balete, both the so called “unchurched” and the
sophistic churchgoers, are failing in their knowledge of the very person they called Jesus
Christ. Just the same, in the urban poblacion or in the remote Sitio of Benitinan,
Oquendo, the name of Jesus has been venerated by most Baleten-ons from generation to
generation. Nevertheless, we dare to say that few of them have understood him and fewer
still have tried to put into practice what he wanted to see done. As in the words of Fr.
Albert Nolan, OP, “Jesus has been more frequently honoured and worshipped for what he
did not mean than for what he did mean. The supreme irony is that some of the things he
opposed most strongly in the world of his time were resurrected, preached and spread
more widely throughout the world—in his name.”v

The Pastors of the Baleten-on Communityvi

We do not have the complete list of parish priests/missionaries who were assigned
in Balete. What we have are bits and pieces:

Fray Luis Jurado, OSA was recorded doing missionary works among the
“villagers near the river of Halo” circa 1714; Fr. Matias Piansay was replaced by Fr.
Diego Albao (or Alba in some manuscripts) in 1856, Fr. Vicente Guanco was parish
priest in 1882 (after this, most Baleten-on got hold of their records back from the Parish
of the Immaculate Conception in Batan)… Rev. Fr. Paterno Valguna (November 11,
1939-November 14, 1948); Rev. Fr. Luis Concepcion (February 28, 1949-April 23,
1955); Rev. Fr. Jaime Sin (on Mission from May 16, 1955-June 2, 1955); Rev. Fr. Luis
Concepcion (June 3, 1955-June 4, 1958); Rev. Fr. Jose Soriano (June 28, 1958-May 12,
1964); Rev. Fr. Felix Iledan (May 16, 1964-April 13, 1970); Rev. Fr. Jose Dollete
(April 18, 1970-March 19, 1975); Rev. Fr. Jose Parohinog (March 22, 1975-June 30,
1982); Rev. Fr. Magloire Placer (February 6, 1982-October 24, 1982 (Asst./Actg.);
Rev. Fr. Fermin del Rosario (October 24, 1982-January 5, 1985); Rev. Fr. Marlon
Rasgo (January 12, 1985-April 20, 1985 [Actg.]); Rev.Fr. Ramon Gelito (April 27,
1985 [In charge of the Parish]); Rev. Fr. Marlon Rasgo (April 29, 1985-June 22, 1985
[Actg.]); Rev. Fr. Ramon Bansuelo (July 6, 1985-December 14, 1985); Rev. Fr.
Eusebio Ileto (December 21, 1985-November 29, 1986); Rev. Fr. Tito Gelito
(December 6, 1986-August 8, 1997); Rev. Msgr. Pedro C. Frac (August 9, 1997 to July
31, 2004); Rev. Fr. Alan G. Sta. Maria (August 1, 2004 to present).

Researched by:

AL F. DE LA CRUZ

i
The manuscript Actas, (undated) claimed that Balete separated from Batan on that year. Other
manuscripts such as, Alcadias Mayores (1800?-1889?), Memoria de la Provincia de Capiz, Patronatos
(1759-1859) and Erecciones were not very specific about it. Nevertheless they seemed not to contradict the
claim of the former.
ii
Cf. R. Morales Maza, The Augustinians in Panay. University of San Agustin: Iloilo City, 1987, p. 43.
Also please confer Fray Hipolito Casiano, OSA, Estado de los Pueblos de la Isla de Pan-ay en 1714:
Archivo Historico Hispano-Agustiniano y Boletin Oficial. Vol. 12 (Julio de 1919) and Fray Elviro Perez,
OSA, Catalogo Bio-Bibliografico de los Religiosos Agustinos de la Provincia del Santisimo Nombre de
Jesus de las Islas Filipinas. Manila: Colegio de Sto. Tomas, 1901, for comparison.
iii
Maza, p. 243.
iv
Memoria de la Provincia de Capiz (Mayo de 18, 1882).
v
Albert Nolan, Jesus Before Christianity. Claretian Publication, Quezon City, 1988, p.3.
vi
The Book of Baptismal Records, St. Rafael the Archangel Parish, Balete, Aklan.