DON’T get rattled off if you see sects that function like cults like the Iglesia Ni Cristo (InC), Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KoJC), Socorro Bayanihan Services (Omega de Salonera) of Senor Agila and others that have proliferated in our society. In Philippine history, the emergence of millenarian movements, also called messianic, nativist, or revitalization movements, was a recurring theme in the history of the institutional Church, both majority and minority.
Millenarian movements were described as the response of the peasant class (or the modern-day poverty stricken sectors) to colonial and neocolonial oppression, landlordism, and the failure of the Church and State to deliver social justice. These millenarian movements believe in the inevitable world apocalypse and its turnaround and reemergence that centered on the themes of “liwanag” (light), “kalayaan” (freedom), the rise of “Bagong Jerusalem” (New Jerusalem) to be led by a chosen Filipino Christ or King, or new religious leader.
There were dozens of millenarian movements in our history. The main ones, as grouped by era, came during the Spanish, American, and the post-independence modern eras.
During the Spanish era, Apolinario de la Cruz, aka Hermano Pule (1814-1841) led the Confradia de San Jose. It was a movement that was founded in 1832 in the town of Lucban in Tayabas (now Quezon) with 4,000-5,000 members. Hermano Pule wanted to Filipinize the religious life in the country and follow St. Francis’s devotion with Filipino priests and laymen comprising the bulk of devotees. But the Spanish friars opposed what he wanted.
Hermano Pule, born to a poor peasant family was not allowed to become a priest because of his indio blood. The Dominican friars allowed him only to become a lay brother at San Juan de Dios Hospital in Manila. Dela Cruz, illiterate in Spanish theology but a charismatic healer, instead learned the Tagalog pasyon. His millenarian beliefs centered on the imminent end of the Spanish colonial and the rise of his hometown Lucban as the New Jerusalem,. He foretold the second coming of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph. Confradia members were members given amulets or “anting-anting.”
The Spanish colonial government banned Confradia in 1840 as “heretical” of what was the mainstream Catholic beliefs of those days. In Oct. 1841, it sent armed troops to Alitao, Tayabas. Confradia members armed with bolos and anting-anting fought. They were defeated, as more than 200 members were killed. Hermano Pule fled to Barrio Isabang, he was captured and executed by firing squad on Nov. 4, 1841 in Tayabas. His head was displayed publicly in Lucban.
His case became the template for the Spanish government to crush millenarian movements and members, whom they regarded as brigands, or “tulisanes.” Remnants of the Confradia later became the “Colorum,” another millenarian movement.
In the transition from the late Spanish colonial rule to the American rule, Dionisio Sigobela Seguela, a millenarian leader , who was known as Papa Isio (1846-1911), emerged from the hinterlands of Negros Occidental. He led the millenarian movement dubbed as the Babaylanes Revolt of the so-called Pulahanes of Negros in the 1896-1907. His revolt started as the anti-Spanish babaylan revolt, but it became anti-American.
Papa Isio was born in the Himamaylan town in Negros Occidental. He was the son of poor farmers. He was a known Babaylan, or folk healer and spiritual medium, of “espiritista,” who could talk to spirits of the dead. He was illiterate and worked as a farm laborer, or the so-called “timawa.” Seguela called himself Papa Isio and established cantons in Negros mountains, attacked Spanish haciendas and later American sugar barons, redistributed land. They were called Pulajanes because they wore red dresses as a symbol of blood. Thousands of his followers were sacadas in Negros, which was then being developed by the American rulers as a sugar bowl for the U.S. market.
The U.S. Army led by Gen. Leonard Wood launched pacification campaigns in the 1906-1907 period. They captured Papa Isio on Aug 6, 1907 in his mountain lair by American troopers led by Lt. J.R. White. Papa Isio was sentenced to death for sedition, but his sentence was commuted to life in Old Bilibid Prison. He died there in 1911.
Felipe Salvador, also named Apo Ipe (1870-1912), was another millenarian leader who gave headaches to the nascent American colonial rule in the country. He created a relatively big millenarian movement which he called “ Santa Iglesia.” It has what could be regarded as the most powerful millenarian army in Luzon in 1902-1910 period. It had 2,000 armed men spread in the provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga. His followers were called “Alipuris,” or Guardias de Honor.
Apo Ipe was born in the Baliuag town of Bulacan. He was the son of a tenant farmer. Although illiterate, Apo Ipe rose to become a cabeza de barangay clerk. He joined Katipunan in 1896, He fought Spaniards and later the Americans. After 1901, he created his Santa Iglesia and claimed he was son of La Madre, a spiritual mother, and told his followers he was the reincarnation of Jose Rizal, whose job was to serve as “messenger” of God. Their core beliefs included Riza’s return as a national leader and that the Americans would turn to pigs. They claimed there would be a rainfall of gold, their anting-anting would make them bulletproof, and that Mt. Arayat in Pampanga is named by God as the holy mountain.
The U.S. Philippine Constabulary under Col. Frank West and Filipino paramilitary officers pursued him for eight years.He was Captured 1910 in San Luis, Pampanga. Tried by an American court for banditry and sedition, Apo Ipe was hanged April 15, 1912 in Manila.
Several millenarian leaders and movements emerged during the American colonial rule. They were opposed to the U.S. colonial rule. They included Ruperto Rios and Ponciano Elofre, who created a movement they called “Dios-Dios.” They were leaders in the Samar and Leyte islands and their supporters were called Pulajanes because they wore red trousers..
Their mass base was largely poor peasants, and babaylanes in the islands. They were neutralized by the U.S. Army in 1906-1907 in the Pulahan campaigns, where their villages were burned. About 6,000 Pulajanes were killed. Their leaders were killed in battle.
Not all local millenarian movements were violent. The movement created and led by Hilario Camino Moncado (1898-1956) was just millenarian but did not engage in violent confrontation with authorities. It was called the Filipino Federation of America or Equi Fraternitas Unitas (EFU). Its supporters and followers were called Moncadistas.
Moncada was born in Balamban, Cebu. He belonged to a poor family. He worked as a newspaper vendor. He was self-educated and migrated to Hawaii and the U.S. as a laborer. He claimed to be chosen by God, the 12th incarnation of Christ. Their core beliefs: Philippines would become the center of the world and there would be migration to Mindanao as new Jerusalem. He led the “colonization” of Moncado Colony in San Jose, Mindanao in 1920s. U.S. authorities watched him. Later, the Philippine government used him to settle the Mindanao frontier. He died in poverty 1956.
Salud Algabre was among the leaders of the Sakdal movement. Algabre (1894-1979), born in Cabuyao, Laguna, was a poor peasant, who joined Benigno Ramos’ Sakdal movement in 1930. He was more of an economic millenarian, who demanded for land. She led the 1935 uprising that led to the Tayug uprising in Pangasinan. She was imprisoned.
The most notable millenarian movement in the post-Independence era was the Lapiang Malaya of Valentin de los Santos. In 1967, about 400 members armed with bolos and anting-anting, attacked Malacañang. The Lapiang Malaya massacre happened, where dozens of his supporters died when they attacked Philippine Constabulary personnel.
De los Santos was born in Calamba, Laguna. He was an illiterate farmer and a former Sakdalista, who claimed to be messenger of God. He was called Tatay Valentin, and he and his supporters wore blue uniforms with anting-anting. Their core beliefs: there would be end of world, Filipinos were chosen people, and he would defeat Marcos with prayers.He was arrested, died in a mental institution after being declared insane, and killed by a fellow inmate.
