One Historic Church

By Restituto C. Basa
Source: People’s Digest Newsweekly
February 8-14, 2006
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ONE religious temple that should be of interest to the Dagupan City Historical and Cultural Committee for conservation is the ancient St. John The Evangelist Cathedral situated along Zamora Street. (Note: Daily noontime masses are held in this church which has recently undergone reconstruction.)
 
Towards the close of the Katipunan revolution, the Spanish authorities of Pangasinan abandoned Lingayen and moved to Dagupan.
 
The provincial government was housed at the Dagupan convento.

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All the Spanish friars in Pangasinan abandoned their posts in the various towns and sought the safety of the Dagupan convent. The Spanish forces of Pangasinan were all moved to Dagupan.
 
Even the Nuestra Señor del Rosario of Manaoag was brought to the Dagupan convent, probably in the hope that she could turn the tide of battle in favor of the Spanish defenders?
 
Just as the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) made its last stand in Bataan against the Japanese invasion army in 1942, the Spanish forces in Pangasinan in 1898 took their last stand against the Katipunan forces in Dagupan.

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The beleaguered Spaniards sought cover behind the thick abode walls on the convent and the church.
 
The Spanish defenders were well armed. They were in control of the financial resources of the province. They could procure all the firearms they needed.
 
On the other hand, the Katipunan troopers were poorly armed. Only a few of them had rifles. What was sad that some of those who had firearms, (captured from Spanish soldiers in previous encounters) did not know how to shoot. The rest were armed with bolos.
 
The battle of Dagupan lasted for four days from July 19 t0 28, 1898. Generals Servillano Aquino and Francisco Macabulos have already liberated Tarlac from Spanish rule.
 
Makabulos and his trooper came to Dagupan to assist the Pangasinan Katipuneros.
 
The Filipino freedom fighters surrounded the Spanish citadel in all sides.
 
There was actually very little exchange of fire between the two contending forces.
 
It would seem to be that the Spanish forces and the civil and ecclesiastical authorities who were holed up there run out of food supply. Since they could not go out to procure food supplies from the market, they raised the white flag rather than perish from hunger and disease.
 
With the Spanish surrender, Spanish rule in Pangasinan ended once and for all.

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Side note: Because the old St. John the Evangelist Cathedral was renovated, there became two cathedrals: The old and the new big Metropolitan Cathedral (just beside the old one). But no cathedrals can be in one place so the restored old cathedral is now the St. John the Evangelist Cathedral and the big church is now the St. John the Evangelist Parish Church. (Information provided by: Marcelo L. Vistro)