ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY: SAGRADA FAMILIA

Medina, Kyerr

Roxas, John Angelo D.

Soriano, Jhane

Professor Enrico Baula

SOCIOLOGY 101

May 27, 2017

 INTRODUCTION
Calamba, Laguna–the birthplace of Dr. Jose Rizal–has become a pilgrimage site not only
for those wanting to pay homage to the national hero, but more importantly for the Rizalistas
who worship Rizal as God. This place is said to be the new “promised land” wherein their God,
Rizal shall establish His kingdom after the world has been destroyed in the apocalypse. The
barrio of Rongot being the center of the new kingdom will be the New Jerusalem. This is
according to the belief of the religious sect called Sagrada Familia, a group of Rizalistas found in
Sitio Rongot, Calamba, Laguna. This group of people, led by Nanay Gloria, calls Rizal not just
as Dr. Jose Rizal, but as Amang Rizal or simply Amang Doktor.
The practices and beliefs that Rizalistas possess are quite different from what most
people hold true that is why their way of life may be seen as something deviant. Without fully
understanding these people’s background, it is easy to label them as a strange group that
exercises unsubstantiated values and so it is important to look into the Sagrada Familia’s culture.
As sociology students, it is a must for us to learn and recognize the perspectives of the Rizalistas
and eliminate all forms of bias and judgments to completely come up with a fair evaluation of
their culture. With this, our group applied the participant observation approach wherein we
carefully observed the Rizalistas while joining them as they perform their activities. In this way,
we did not only become aware of their routine but we were also able to somehow take part in
their practices even for only a short period of time. Other important details were taken from the
conducted interviews and online sources. Our group focused on the Sagrada Familia’s beliefs
and rituals and how they differ to mainstream religions. This helped us better understand our
field of study since we were able to apply the lessons we have learned from class as sociology
students.
Our group also acknowledges the help of Mr. Enrico Baula, our professor in Sociology,
for supervising our fieldwork, our field guides who helped us and gave us instructions and brief
background about the area, the Rizalista community for welcoming us and for extending all the
help that they could give in order for this study to be possible and the other students who worked
together for the gathering of data through observation, interviews, and discussion in the site.

METHODOLOGY
As early as the first class session I Sociology 101, it was established that there would be a
fieldwork. So in Mid-March, the travel agency that handled our educational field trip started
coming to our class. Of course, at first, there had been an orientation. Kuya Prince, our field
guide, gave us a brief background about the Rizalista community and the Sagrada familia. He
narrated the general flow of our activities and gave us tips and advice on how to behave in the
community. He reminded us not to ever regard them as some sort of cult. He even satisfactorily
answered students' concerns. And before he left, he instructed to prepare a token for the family
that we're going to interview. So, our group decided to just bring adobo and cooked rice for us to
share during lunch. A week after the orientation, someone came over and started collecting our
payments. Then, it was the Saturday of April 1, 2017 at 6 am that the Sociology 101 classes
under Prof. Enrico Baula assembled in UP Manila and journeyed to Laguna. In the bus, our field
guide recounted us the schedule for that day. Somewhere in SLEX, we stopped so the students
who have no lunch meal could buy theirs. Then, about 9 in the morning, we arrived at a gas
station and our group assembled. During our jeepney ride, our group talked about what should
we do once we conduct our interview. Each of us were assigned in a specific task like photo
documenting, taking notes, asking our main questions, plotting the community map, and all
while observing the community. Since our group was also assigned to the religion aspect, we
focused on the Sagrada Familia's beliefs and rituals and how it differs to the other religions. As a
group we combined our efforts in asking Nanay Minnie. Our interviews were really more on
informal as no more predetermined questions were asked. Our interviewees remained open and
adaptable to the nature and flow of the conversations. In fact, the interview was done while
casually spending our lunch time with Nanay Minnie and her daughter’s family at the front of
their house. We did not have the chance to interview the current head of the SagradaFamilia, and
sibling of the founder, Nanay Gloria. To gather more information, we spoke to Nanay Millet, one
of the locals in the community. After our lunch, we traveled to Rizal's Monument in Calamba,
Laguna. It is regarded as the tallest monument of Dr. Jose Rizal. And just a short time after, we
traveled to Dambanang Rizal - a replica of Jose Rizal's previous family house stand in that plaza.
A museum featuring sizable amount of Rizal's memorabilia and galleries with interactive booths
and terminals that offer information about Rizal and his time could also be found there. Right
after, we traveled back to Manila.

PRESENTATION OF ETHNOGRAPHIC ACCOUNTS

Sagrada Familia is a sect of the Rizalistas that can be found in Rongot Calamba, Laguna.
Our interviewee, Nanay Minnie, who is a Rizalista, is 70 years old. Nanay Minnie grew up in the
community. She has 5 children, and is widowed. She gave us information regarding their faith,
from its history, and its practices.

She narrated to the group the history of how their church was founded. According to
Nanay Minnie, Jose Rizal manifested himself to their first leader – Danny Bibat, a US Marine.
According to Nanay Minnie, Danny Bibat’s ship sunk, and then a man appeared to him in the
water and saved him. After this event, he went back to Manila. When he went to Calamba, he
saw the man that saved him. Danny was asked by the man to identify him from a set of pictures
of heroes, he pointed to a photo of Jose Rizal. This made Danny believe that Jose Rizal is Christ
himself because he was his saviour. After this event, Danny Bibat started living in Rongot. Back
then, the community experienced problems with their water supply. Their only source of water
was through a well. Whenever they added water to the rice, the water would turn yellow. One
day, an old man visited the community and the people told him their story of what they were
experiencing with their water. The old man who came to their community left, and returned with
three stones. When the man threw the stones in the well, the water became clear, and the people
were able to cook rice properly.

Danny Bibat served as the leader of the Sagrada Familia until he died. Nanay Gloria
Bibat is the sister, and successor of Danny Bibat. According to Nanay Minnie, the church can be
led by either a man or a woman. They do not see that one sex is stronger than the other because
they believe both have the capability to lead, and strengthen their church and faith.

We were also able to gather data regarding their symbols and doctrine. Rizal is
considered to be the Christ of the “Katagalugan”. Since he is the country’s national hero, he
should be worshipped and praised. In the church, it can be observed that statues and images of
Rizal, the Philippine flag, and Jesus Christ are present. The community believes that these
images show respect to the most divine and show one’s love for this country. As a respect to
their religion, they give importance to Sundays by taking a break from their work routines and
offer their prayers and praises to Rizal. During Sundays, when everyone in the community goes
to church, wearing white is strictly observed because it is a sign of purity. The women on the
other hand, wear the traditional Maria Clara, specifically they wear long sleeved tops and skirts
with lengths below their 3 inches below their knees. It is also observable that the church was
dominated by the color blue and white. When we asked Nanay Minnie about what the colors
meant, she said that the color blue symbolizes peace and white symbolizes cleanliness. Nanay
Minnie specifically said thatthe church was painted such because “maaliwalaskasitignan”. On
the church altar, a picture of Rizal with two other personas which is said to be IbongAdarna and
Apo Asyong can be seen. It is believed that these images on the altar represent the holy trinity
(which is just one person reincarnated in three personas).

Rizalistas have their own 10 commandments. These commandments can be found outside
and inside the church, and these commandments are the same commandments written in the
Holy Bible which is translated in Tagalog. These include the following:
1. Ako and Panginoonmong Dios: huwagkangmagkaroon ng ibang Dios malibansa akin.
2. Huwagmongipahamaknaipanumpaangpangalan ng Dios
3. Mangilinkakung lingo at pistang pangolin.
4. Igalangmoangiyongama at ina.
5. Huwagkangpapatay.
6. Huwagkangmaki-apid.
7. Huwagkangmagnakaw.
8. Huwagkangmabintang o manirangpurisaiyongkapwa.
9. Huwagkangmagnasasahindimoasawa.
10. Uwagkangmagnasasahindimopag-aari.
It also includes commandments for the Rizal followers with specific audiences. Case in point,
they have a rule which is God-centric in which they have to love God above all else (Ibigin ang
Dios ng higit sa lahat) and a kapwa-centric commandment which is: Ibigin mo ang iyong kapwa
gaya ng iyong sarili.

Outside the church, above its door, a triangle with an eye on its center can be seen. We
asked Nanay Millet what that symbol signified. This symbol represents the Sagrada Familia, and
is believed to be Rizal. Another symbol we saw was the Ibong Adarna. This symbol was a
triangle with a bird on it. This symbolized the 10 commandments. Further explaining the design
of the Sagrada Familia (the triangle with an eye on its center), the symbolism of the triangle
represents the three corners of the world, and the eye in the middle, according to Nanay Millet
meant that the eye watches everyone, “tagakita ng mga kasalanan”, as Nanay Millet said. Nanay
Gloria is also said to be possessed by Jose Rizal whenever she has good news to share, and also,
whenever Nanay Gloria would lead the church, she doesn’t speak as Nanay Gloria herself. It is
said that she is blessed by the spirit of the Holy Trinity, and speaks as them and their words.
There also are stories about disguises of Jose Rizal to Apo Asyong, whose real name is Ignacio.
The Rizalistas also believe that the land of Rongot is sacred, and was chosen by Rizal. Rizal is
honored, and thanked by the people of Rongot every Dec. 30. They thank Rizal for miracles he
has done, such as saving and protecting them during floods.

We also asked Nanay Minnie about their superstitions. They do not eat certain foods such
as ampalaya, and camachile. Nanay Minnie told us that they do not eat ampalaya because if they
eat it, it said that they will have a bitter life, same goes with the camachile because it is
“mapakla”.

To gather more information, we spoke with one of the locals. Nanay Millet is 44 years
old. When asked about the Rizalista faith, she said that she does not believe that Jose Rizal is
God. Even though she was born and raised in the community, she believes that Jose Rizal is only
human inspiration. She also told us that one is free to choose his or her faith. Nanay Millet is a
Catholic. She also told us that the children of the community are taught values such respecting
the elders (pagmamano), and are taught to be God-fearing. She also added that other national
heroes such as Andres Bonifacio, and ApoloniarioMabini, who are somewhat “close” to Jose
Rizal, are recognized by the Rizalistas but are not worshipped by them.

More on NanayMinnie’s life:

Their lifestyle in Rongot is very simple. According to Nanay Minnie their main source of
income is harvesting. They harvested and sold green leafy vegetables, such as kangkong. As
mentioned earlier, their community sometimes get flooded during heavy rains when the water
level of the lake would rise. Their house is made out of concrete, to make it sturdier during harsh
environmental conditions.
 INTEGRATION
A. Structural Functionalist Paradigm
Iglesia Sagrada Familia of Ronggot, Calamba, Laguna does not only constitute a
separate religious movement which has particular beliefs but has also posed some
intriguing challenges in the typical perception of a religion and religiosity per se. Brief
description of this millenarian socio-religious organization is not enough if sociological
analysis will be applied. In this section, the Sagrada Familia will be scrutinized
sociologically, thus, setting aside personal and normative opinions regarding what a
‘religion’ must be but to produce empirical observations.

To start, it is important to take note that Rizalistas of Ronggot—the ISF—is a new

religious movement. It is an example of Folk Catholicism in the Philippines where
national, ethnic beliefs and local traditions are mixed with the imported religious beliefs.
This adds further division among the many sects that can be found within Christianity
and is commonly practiced in remote areas of developing countries.

Structural-functionalist paradigm in Sociology was first established by Emile

Durkheim. The basic world view of this approach is that society, treated as a structure,
has different interdependent working parts which have functions that are vital in
maintaining the order of society and its natural operation. Iglesia Sagrada Familia (ISF)
can be analyzed in two levels—first, it is a structure in itself, and, second, it is a part of
the larger society which has a function too.

ISF, as a social structure in Ronggot, is constituted by a structural and

interactional element. Structural element involves the building of the church, the visible
human-size tablets where the Decalogue is engraved, the all-seeing eye insignia, the
image of the trinity, and a bust of Dr. Jose Rizal. These objects have clear functions of
representing the religious beliefs for inculcating a structured memory of what a
‘Rizalista’ believes. This provides, as in all other religions, a tangible basis of the
intangible belief. These objects function as a bridge to the unseen. Second, it has
interactional element which includes the relationships between the ‘elders’ and the
‘members of the congregation’. The ‘elders’ usually dressed in white are distinct from
other people and, thus, function as authority figures within the community. However,
unlike in mainstream Catholic mass or worship, the ‘elders’ in ISF do not pose strict
figures of discipline and control. In fact, according to the interview, whenever a person
committed a violation against their faith, the usual response is to talk with the person and
not to envision excommunication or ‘pagtitiwalag’.

In the larger picture, as part of the Folk Catholicism practice in the country, it can
be said that ISF is also a functional part of the Philippine society. It serves as an
alternative avenue to practice semi-Christian beliefs where one cannot avoid separating
the national or historical secular from the ecclesiastical. As one of its latent function, ISF
also operates as a mode of worship where the historical memory of Dr. Jose Rizal and his
actions can be extended to the present by epitomizing his ‘sacrifice’ for the country,
‘diligence’, nationalism, and other exceptional traits. Of course, the activities of ISF can
be considered as an additional or alternative way of remembering Rizal which
 complements traditional school learning where Rizal is being taught through academic
history. Since the people in Ronggot is isolated from the urban Laguna, ISF gives identity
to some people in the place which also gives either legitimation of their conditions and
langit imagery.

ISF, from an outsider point of view, helps to clarify boundaries of traditional and
core Christian teachings as they can be seen as deviant elements from this camp. To be
exposed to this strand of folk Catholics, mainstream Christians helps to reformulate their
identity resulting in reviewing of their basic doctrines and statements of faith.

B. Symbolic Interactionist Framework

Commonly, this sociological approach is very much interested in understanding
the interpretations of the meanings of the religious symbols and how does it affect
interaction with other people. These symbols are regarded as holy and important which
draws the line from the unholy or profane.
ISF, from symbolic interactionist model, helps to give them interpretation of their
current lives from a spiritual or ‘beyond-material’ perspective. ISF provides meaningful
interaction among the people of Ronggot. Since this gives them particular identity, they
can have the spiritual element of a person without the need to integrate further in the
usual mainstream religions like Iglesia Ni Cristo, Protestantism, Islam, and Roman
Catholicism which may require them to go to farther places. Symbols of Jose Rizal, like
his little monument in the site, construct the meaning of sacred from the profane along
with other logo or religious emblems. According to the interview, one of the most
exceptional experience of a person in Ronggot is the encounter with Rizal as a savior
from big waves which may cause death to the said person. Here, religious experience is
very much tied to the geographical characteristics of the place—it is located near the
shore—where constant fear of natural calamities is dwelling. Such experience is
necessary in interpreting ‘the Rizal’ not only as a hero but as a spiritual and life savior
also. Other things which don’t have inherent evil or bad traits which are treated as ‘not
good’ by the ISF are ampalaya(bitter gourd), dinuguan, and camachile. In constructing
the appearance of the ‘presentable’ Rizalista, the informant states that women are highly
encouraged to wear mariaclara during important religious celebrations. Mariaclara, as a
religious apparel, draws the line between the profane clothing from the sacred.
However, as ISF face the challenges of modernity, subtle attacks against their
untypical religious orientation pave the way for their gradual and invisible integration to
mainstream organized belief system. This was affirmed in the interview as the informant
tried to dissolve the difference between the Roman Catholic and the ISF by saying
‘iisalang ‘yan’ and that their difference is not substantive. From a speculative standpoint
which can also be a ground for further investigation, this kind of statement is a product of
survival instinct to preserve a very different religious outlook within a larger community.

C. Conflict Perspective
The Rizalistas have often been a victim of religious inequality. The practices and
beliefs they do are entirely different from the majority of the Filipinos. In some cases,
they are called kulto. Due to their uncanny and unconventional practices that most
 religious groups in the Philippines are not used to, they are often oppressed or labelled
with a bad image. Furthermore, members of their congregation are usually marginalized
which compelled their younger generations to subscribe to the Catholic faith.

REFLECTION
This fieldwork is the application of our learning as Sociology students. Here, we were
able to make use of some research methods like interviews, group discussions and participatory
observation in order to obtain information from the community. Having been able to study
culture, our group was able to understand the meanings and representations of the things that we
have encountered in the community in relation with the people’s way of living. Far from our
lives as UP students, the Sagrada Familia possesses a very different kind of culture considering
that none of us practices the same kind of faith that they have. With this, we were able to keep an
open mind and apply the concept of cultural relativism by respecting their perspectives and their
choices on how to practice their faith. Our short visit to Sitio Rongot allowed us to encounter
people coming from a different perspective and practice an unusual kind of faith and that is why
we were able to briefly dive into their world and personally witness and somehow experience
their culture. With that, we were able to prove that though they are considered deviant, their
community possess a rich culture that keeps the people in harmony.

DOCUMENTATION

Presented below are the photos taken by the research during their one-day immersion in

the field.

Figure 1.1 Interview with Nanay Minnie

Figure 1.2 Research team eating lunch with the interviewee

Figure 1.3 Interview with Nanay Millet

Figure 2.1Ringot Multi-Grade Elementary School

Figure 2.2 Rizal statue near the school

Figure 3.1 The Ten Commandments

Figure 3.2 SagradaFamilia Church from the outside

Figure 3.3 SagradaFamilia Church Entrance

Figure 3.4 Copy of a Song of Praise entitled KadluansaPuso

Figure 3.5 Copy of Teachings in the Church

Figure 3.6 Altar in the Church

 Figure 3.7 Altar with bread offering

Figure 3.8 Their Holy Trinity

Figure 3.9 Altar dedicated to Ama Dany

 Figure 3.10 Altar dedicated to Apo Ignacio

Figure 3.11 Altar dedicated to Apo Adarna

Figure 3.12 Photo of the ilustradosin the church