Municipality of San Remigio 4.75

These terms define also the people who lives in the place, and such identity remains the same and
untarnished. On the other hand, quietness becomes part of her image too that even her history is
silently waiting to be unraveled in order to discover her rich past.
LONG before the place became a town, she was still under the civil and spiritual jurisdiction of
Bantayan. In 1850, when Bogo became a parish, her spiritual administration was placed under her
(Bogo) care. And, in 1863, when Bogo became a town, she became under the civil governance of
Bogo. Thus, Bogo became her matriz (mother town).
At this time, the identified visitas/ barrios from this place were: Kanghagas, Lambusan and Maraat
(Victoria).
Kanghagas was the largest among the three. But, there had been a time that Kanghagas was later
renamed to Ysabel II to honor the reigning queen of Spain, Riena Ysabela II. Thus, in effect, the three
identified visitas/ barrios became Ysabel II, Lambusan and Maraat.
Around 1860-1863, the Spanish parish priest of Bogo, Fr. Jaime Micalet, petitioned to the civil and
spiritual authorities to create the visitas of Ysabel II, Lambusan and Maraat as a separate parish since
it was hard and difficult for him to administer those barrios because of its far distance from Bogo:
“El Presbitero Español Don Jaime Micalet, Cura Parroco de Bogo, con una franquesa y un disinteres,
poco communes por desgracia, que por lo mismo le hacen honor, confiesa que no puede administrar
los barrios de Ysabel II, Lambusan y Maraat, y propone en consequencia la creacion de una
parroquia en dichos barrios. El Señor Obispo de la Diocesis prueba de una manera inconcusa que
no es possible buena administracion de ningun genero a seis leguas de distancia de los llamados a
ejercerla, y que los interes religiosos y civiles ganan mucho en la creacion de pueblos y parroquias en
este pais tan despoblado y de tan admirable fertilidad…” (Document pertaining to San Remigio from
Ereccion de Pueblos 1818-1887)
This petition of Fr. Micalet received a Royal Approval from Spain in 04 October 1863 (because of the
Patronato Real) and with a formal Ecclesiastical approval in 23 March 1864 and named as San Juan
Nepomuceno Parish [Redondo: 165]. In effect, the birth of the new parish was separated from its
matriz, Bogo.
Likewise, the same petition of Fr. Micalet merited a favorable consideration for the development and
betterment of the people of the said barrios— to create it as a town and have an independent civil
jurisdiction from Bogo.
“Por Superior Decreto de 21 Noviembre de 1863 ha sido erigidos en pueblo y parroquia independiente de su matriz en
la isla de Cebu la visita de Isabel II, con los barrios Lambusan y Maraat, tomando el nombre de San Remigio.” [Curas de
Almas: 226]
[By Superior Decree of 21 November 1863 has erected as a town independent from its mother town
of the island of Cebu the visita, with the barrios Lambusan and Maraat, taking the name San Remigio]
It can be considered that Fr. Jaime Micalet was the father of the establishment of the parish of San
Juan Nepomuceno and the father of the creation of the township of San Remigio.
Thus, in November 21, 1863, Gobernador General, Rafael Birmingham Echague, decreed that the
component barrios of Ysabel II, Lambusan and Maraat became as Nuevo Pueblo de San Remigio.
And, why he named the town as San Remigio, was only known to him. But, one thing for sure that
the naming of the town of San Remigio was attributed to the name of a saint, S