The Saga of Francisco Dagohoy

 Rogelio G. Balo Ph.D.

Unheralded Philippine Heroes

Our Philippine history has taught us in schools about our national heroes like the more famous ones; Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Gregorio del Pilar, Antonio Luna and Marcelo H. del Pilar, among many others.

However, among the lesser known heroes of the Philippines during the Spanish era are the prides of Bohol province in Eastern Visayas known as Francisco Dagohoy and Tamblot.

I must admit that not only their “unheralded” tags piqued my interest in the legends of Dagohoy and Tamblot but more importantly because my forefathers originally came from the town of Jagna, Bohol before migrating to Negros Island in Western Visayas.  

I can still remember the excitement in watching the 1953 movie “Dagohoy”, as a tribute to the heroic Boholano, given life in the movie screen by my then favorite actors Mario Montenegro, Tessie Quintana and Rosa Rosal.      

Colonization of the Philippines

The Philippine history recorded the colonization of the country by several countries before its independence on July 6, 1946. 

The Spanish colonial period dated from 1565 to 1898. The period was also known as the Spanish Philippines. This was 44 years after a Spanish expedition to circumnavigate the globe led by a Portuguese named Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines on March 16, 1521, originally seeing the islands of Samar and Leyte.

Subsequently, the Spaniards successfully annexed and colonized the islands during the reign of Philip II of Spain, whose name remained attached to the country.  "The name Philippines was derived from King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century”.

The Spanish colonial period ended with the Philippine Revolution in 1898, which marked the beginning of the American colonial era of Philippine history. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States, thereby beginning the era of American colonization.

The period from 1898 to 1946 describes the American colonization of the Philippines. It began with the outbreak of the Spanish American War in April 1898, when the Philippines was still a colony of the Spanish East Indies and concluded when the United States formally recognized the independence of the Republic of the Philippines on July 4, 1946.

 Francisco Dagohoy

Francisco Dagohoy, (born as Francisco Sendrijas on 1724) was a Filipino revolutionary who, at the age of 20, led the Dagohoy rebellion against the Spanish colonial government from 1744 to 1829 on the island of Bohol. According to historical records, the rebellion, which lasted for roughly 85 years, was considered as the longest revolt against the Spanish regime in Philippine history.

A native of Barangay Cambitoon, Inabanga, Bohol, Dagohoy was also one of the barangay captains of the town.

*His name Dagohoy derives from an amulet ("dagon" in Cebuano) he wore, which people believed gave him the charm of a gentle wind or "hoyohoy" (or huyuhoy) and the power to jump from hill to hill or across rivers. He was believed to have clear vision inside dark caves and be invisible whenever and wherever he wanted. The name Dagohoy is a combination of the Visayan phrase dagon sa huyuhoy or "talisman of the breeze" in English. *

The Cause of the Dagohoy Rebellion (1744–1828)

 Unlike most of the early revolts which were ignited by forced labor, excessive tax collection and payment of tributes, by the Spanish rulers, the Dagohoy uprising was given impetus by the refusal of a Jesuit priest to give a Christian burial to his brother, Sagarino, who died in a duel.

“In 1744, Gaspar Morales, the Jesuit curate of Inabanga, ordered Francisco's brother, Sagarino, who was a constable, to capture an apostate fugitive. Sagarino pursued the fugitive, but the latter resisted and killed him. Morales refused to give Sagarino a Christian burial because he had died in a duel, a practice banned by the Church.”

This infuriated Dagohoy who called upon his fellow Boholanos to raise arms against the Spanish colonial government and the rebellion outlasted several Spanish governors-general and several missions.

The warning of the rebellion was the killing of Giuseppe Lamberti, Italian Jesuit curate of Jagna, (town of my great grandfather) on  January 1744 and  spread throughout  the whole island like a brush fire. Jesuit Gaspar Morales was killed by Dagohoy himself.

The Bishop of Cebu, Miguel Lino de Espeleta, who exercised ecclesiastical authority over Bohol, tried in vain to mollify the rebellious Boholanos.

“Dagohoy defeated the Spanish forces sent against him.  Dagohoy established the First Bohol Republic, an independent government in the mountains of Bohol on 20 December 1745, and had 3,000 followers, which subsequently increased to 20,000. His followers remained unsubdued in their mountains stronghold and, even after Dagohoy's death, continued to defy Spanish power”.

“20 Spanish governors-general, from Gasper de la Torre (1739–45) to Juan Antonio Martínez (1822–25), tried to quell the rebellion and failed. In 1825, Mariano Ricafort Palacin (1825–30) became governor-general of the Philippines. Upon his order, alcalde-mayor Jose Lazaro Cairo, at the head of 2,200 Filipino-Spanish troops and several batteries, invaded Bohol on 7 May 1827. The Boholanos resisted fiercely. Cairo won several engagements but failed to crush the Dagohoy rebellion.”

 “ In April 1828, another Spanish expedition under Captain Manuel Sanz landed in Bohol. After more than a year of hard campaign, he finally subdued the patriots. By August 31, 1829, the rebellion had ceased. In a chivalric move, Governor Ricafort pardoned 19,420 survivors and permitted them to live in new villages at the lowlands. These villages are now the towns of Batuan, Cabulao, Catigbian, and Bilar”.

Historical records show that Francisco Dagohoy probably died before 1829. He did not die because of his staunch opposition of the Spaniards, but rather, peacefully from old age and sickness.

The Legacy of Francisco Dagohoy

Dagohoy features in the Bohol provincial flag as one of the two bolos or native swords with handle and hand-guards on top. These two bolos, which are reclining respectively towards the left and right, depict the Dagohoy and Tamblot revolts.

Dagohoy is acknowledged in Philippine history as the originator of the longest insurrection on record. His revolt lasted 85 years (1744–1828).

The town of Dagohoy, Bohol is named in his honor. It was the former President Carlos P. Garcia, then the Vice President, a Boholano, who proposed the name “Dagohoy” in honor of the greatest Boholano hero.

*A historical marker on Dagohoy’s grave in the mountains of Danao, Bohol has been installed in his honor. The Dagohoy Marker in Magtangtang, Danao, Bohol, 92 km. from Tagbilaran City was installed by the Philippine Historical Commission to honor the heroic deeds of Dagohoy.  Magtangtang was Dagohoy’s headquarters or hideout during the revolt. Hundreds of Dagohoy’s followers preferred death inside the cave than surrender. Their skeletons still remain in the site. *

*Dagohoy features in the Bohol provincial flag as one of the two bolos or native short swords. These two bolos, which are reclining respectively towards the left and right, depict the Dagohoy and Tamblot revolts, symbolizing that” a true Boholano will rise and fight if supervening factors embroil them into something beyond reason or tolerance.”

The Dagohoy Memorial National High School in Dagohoy, Bohol is named in his honor.

 Research Sources :    Wikipedia  ;  Philippine Historical Commission