BRIDGING THE GAP
The Pulahanes of Passi, Iloilo
The Pulahanes de Passi in the north-central part of Panay was a socio-religious group that reacted to the harsh conditions of the Spanish rule during the revolutionary period and, later, to American imperialist ambition. It must be pointed out that the voice of freedom came from both the middle class and the poorer sector of Philippine colonial society, although the voice of the latter was, oftentimes, downplayed or not heeded by the former. Thus, the poorer class resorted to their own way of addressing their grievances against the political and religious establishments giving birth to messianic-millenarian movements in many parts of the country such as the Pulahanes.
The Pulahanes de Passi has survived the passing of time and its home today is Barangay Gemumua-Agahon, also known as Lamunan, in Passi, Iloilo. The barangay is suited for upland farming, as it is with the rest of the municipality which is mostly rolling hills (more than 25,000 hectares). The terrain of this now site of a component city is also perfect in launching a resistance movement against the tyranny of colonial rule.
It is said that after the church in the town of Passi was established, a Spanish parish priest by the name of Fr. Pedro Apolinario Villanueva left the parish and went to Abaca, a mountainous barangay in Passi. This came after he had a disagreement with the rest of the Spaniards in the town. His flight to Abaca became significant in the development of the area and had major repercussions in subsequent events in the area. He settled down in the barangay where he established a chapel through the help of the natives and raised livestock for a living. Many years later, a boy raised from that place would grow up to be the founder of the Pulahanes, Eleuterio "Terio" Aguilar (Gonzales 2004).
During the revolution against the Spaniards in the late 1890s, Passi was not spared from the bitter fighting between the revolutionary forces and the Spanish troops. To counter the harsh counter-guerilla measures of the Spaniards, native guerilla troops resorted to ambushes of enemy patrols and raids of the poblacion, sometimes putting it to the torch. Among the guerilla groups that actively harassed the enemy positions was the Pulahanes under Terio's command. Terio capitalized on his unmatched courage and reported invincibility due to his possession of an anting-anting.
When the Filipino-American War broke out after the surrender of the Spaniards, the resistance of the local guerilla groups continued, including that of the Pulahanes, To avoid being captured by the Americans, the Pulahanes in Abaca moved to Gemumua-Agahon at the north-easternmost part of Passi, right at the doorstep of Dumarao, Capiz. Nevertheless, due to the superior arms of the newcomers, eventually the struggle died down. There became also a less hostile attitude towards the Americans for they brought with them advancements from the west which the Spaniards failed to do during their administration. Among these was the establishment of the Panay Railway Co. in 1907 that brought transportation improvement and agricultural development to Passi and connected her with Iloilo City and Capiz. They also introduced marked improvements in the education of the Filipinos through the public school system. These developments may have contributed to the pacification of the discontented elements in Passi, among them, the Pulahanes.
During the Second World War, the Japanese occupied Passi and ventured into the territory of the Pulahanes where they met resistance from the latter. The leader of the Pulahanes at this time was Elias Aguilar who succeeded his father Eleuterio upon the latter's death. Elias, together with another Aguilar by the name of Vicente, were also very active in supplying rations and materials to the USAFFE guerillas in the vicinity and in providing intelligence information to the native fighters (Gonzales 2004).
After Passi and the rest of the country had been liberated from the Japanese occupation, the Pulahanes retreated into their mountain enclave and became known as the Bulahanes. As it was with its predecessor, the Bulahanes remains a socio-religious group following similar beliefs and practices. The group continues to evolve to this day. Like in the past, during the time of the founder "Teryo", the members continue to adapt, borrow from, and improvise the principles, ideologies, and practices of the religions, mainly Catholicism, and of the other institutions they come in contact with.