Opinion: Who Were the ‘Babaylanes’ in Negros Occidental?

The origins of the Babaylanes in Negros, and its best-known leader, Papa Isio (Dionisio Siguela Papa to some writers) are obscure, but some say that the movement came from Panay and was so closely related to the “Pulahan” movement that the words “Babaylanes” and “Pulahanes” were often used interchangeably. Negros Occidental Governor Leandro Locsin described the movement in 1901 as a “confused admixture of socialistic principles, anarchistic instincts and a strange aberration of religious and fanatical notions,” the view shared by most ilustrados and Americans. A close look at Babaylanism would show, however, that it had other dimensions. Though originally a religious-fanatic-superstition cult, it acquired anarchistic, nationalistic, pro-labor and socialistic tendencies during the later Spanish and early American periods.

The movement was in both Negros Occidental and Oriental according to guardia civil reports as early as the 1880s. Who the first leader was or where the first headquarters was located is not known. As for Papa Isio, it seems he assumed leadership of the movement shortly before the 1898 revolution. His own beginnings were disputed. Historian Francisco Varona states that he was born and raised in Bago, but his rebellious attitude towards his parents forced them to disinherit him. With only a primary education, he took odd jobs including that of a cow-herd in La Carlota. It was then that he accidentally discovered the subterranean caves in La Castellana which became one of his haunts later. He was forced to flee a second time when he gravely wounded a local planter in an attempt to rob him and Isio escaped this time to Canlaon mountain in the surrounding area of Isabela where the thick forest and lush vegetation made it an ideal Babaylan hideout. Another report identifies Papa Isio as a native of Isabela who joined Babaylanism because of the acquisition of his family’s land by local Spaniards. If this is true, then Papa Isio is of a higher educational attainment than the primary level. For one thing, his various letters reveal a good writing knowledge of Spanish, unlike those written by his subordinates.

The first evidence of a nationalistic sentiment in Papa Isio’s movement are two letters sent to an unidentified person in the central government at Malolos. These letters claim an affiliation with Pres. Aguinaldo, but whether such affiliation was recognized by Malolos is in doubt. While there were many fugitives from justice in the movement, the membership consisted mostly of laborers from haciendas at the foothills of Mt. Canlaon. These laborers had opportunities to be exposed to the political opinions of their ilustrado masters. Others who joined the movement were not necessarily peasants but of the lower middle class and could have had political orientation. For instance, it is well-known that Papa Isio had some personal friends among the Negros ilustrados such as Juan Araneta, Gil Montilla and others.

It seems nothing was received directly by Papa Isio from Pres. Aguinaldo in answer to his letters. Was this inaction intentional or was it merely due to the difficulty of communication? The likelihood is that Pres. Aguinaldo disregarded Papa Isio because of the well-known aversion of ilustrados and hacienderos towards him, since even Aguinaldo’s unquestionably nationalistic adviser, Apolinario Mabini, disapproved of Papa Isio’s strange ways of carrying on a war.

Pres. Aguinaldo’s inaction did not deter Papa Isio from acting as a self appointed “Politico-Military Governor” to communities around the slopes of Mt. Canlaon. He also commanded his soldiers to carry on a guerrilla war against the Americans, especially against paid native recruits. Although Papa Isio himself was not captured until August 6, 1907, his movement weakened starting June 1899 when almost the entire US 6th infantry was concentrated in the south causing the death, capture or escape of hundreds of his followers. The person he seemed to have trusted most, Rufo Ayos, surrendered to the Americans with 73 of his men on April 5, 1902. The surrender of both Rufo and Papa Isio was made possible through the intervention of ilustrados who believed they were working for the welfare of Negros. (Ref: from NOHCI publications/files.*(For more information/questions pls. call tel. 476-1798)