BRIDGING THE GAP
The Jaro plaza as a heritage gem
The plaza of Jaro, just like any other plaza in the Philippines, has been a silent witness to the history of the people. It also serves as a show-window of Jaro's early development as a prosperous town and as the center of Catholicism in Western Visayas.
Jaro's emergence as a thriving community of industrious inhabitants started long before the coming of the Spanish colonizers. By the time of Spanish contact, Iloilo was leading other sizeable communities in farm production, especially in rice, and in sugar production. It was also noted as a major producer of woven products, based on pina and jusi. Because it had a large population, according to the Spaniards (although there is no available figure on this), it was also very active in trading activities involving the Chinese and those coming from other parts of the country. This was further aided by the presence of two navigable rivers on both sides - the Salog River and the Dungon River (which today is just a creek).
Early in the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, Jaro began its role as the base of Catholic missionaries in their evangelizing efforts in Panay and the rest of Western Visayas. This was in 1570, when two Augustinian friars, Fr. Martin de Rada and Fr. Juan Alba, made Jaro as their ecclesiastical headquarters. Initially, Jaro was not an independent parish but was just a visita of La Villa de Arevalo. It was not long after, however, in 1587, that Jaro was declared as an independent parish.
The origin of the Jaro Plaza may have started during this period because the standard practice of the Spanish missionaries or of the Spanish government at that time was to establish a plaza in their domain. This was so because the plaza turned out to be an effective instrument in bringing the natives closer to Catholicism and in achieving effective administrative control over the people.
The so-called plaza complex involved an open space, usually rectangular or square in shape, a chapel, a municipal building, jail and public market, as well as the houses in its vicinity. The inhabitants in the area were required to put up their houses around the plaza.
Those who refused to do so were considered enemies of the church and of the state, and were, subsequently labeled as bandidos, ladrones,monteses, mondos or insurectos.
With Jaro being made as an independent parish, a larger church was constructed facing the plaza and served the religious needs of the inhabitants. From 1826 to 1837, the Jaro bellfry was built as a lookout tower to warn the inhabitants of the approach of the Moros. The Jaro Cathedral was built in 1864 to 1874 and replaced the old one. In 1865, Jaro became a diocese.
During the Spanish period, the Jaro Plaza served various functions. It was where political and administrative control emanated. It was where the people paid their taxes and rendered forced labor to the colonial masters. It was where census-taking was conducted for easy identification of the natives. It was also where "criminals" or enemies of the state were punished or put to death.
On its religious function, it was where the life cycle of the people was anchored. It was where they were baptized and married, had their confirmation and confession, and brought to when they were dead. The plaza also was the center of other religious activities such as the patronal fiesta, holy week celebration, pasion singing, Christmas celebration, Flores de Mayo and Santacruzan.
Culturally, the plaza was where people witnessed stage plays like the comedia, moro-moro, and, later, the zarzuela. There were other attractions like a band of acrobats from Manila and magic shows.
It can be assumed that Iloilo's two great heroes, Graciano Lopez Jaena and Gen. Martin Delgado, may have set foot many times in the plaza because both studied at the Jaro Seminary nearby. It is also significant to point out that Gen. Delgado and his troops prepared for their military formation in the Jaro Plaza as they marched to Plaza Libertad to receive the surrender of the Spaniards on December 25, 1898.
Under the Americans up to more recent times, the Jaro Plaza has assumed wider roles. The Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria de Jaro fiesta became very famous and was even attended by prominent politicians, businessmen and civic leaders from various parts of the country. As such, the Jaro Plaza became associated with food in abundance (including finger foods served free in the plaza itself, courtesy of the town's affluent families), grand fireworks display, elegant ballroom dancing, fabulous Jaro Queen presentation, inspiring agro-industrial fair, various interesting cultural programs, and plenty of assorted rides and show. The plaza also became associated with political rallies and, in more recent times, protest activities and even commercialism like the ukay-ukay and borloloys.
It must be pointed out that Pope John Paul VI had been to the Jaro Plaza in 1982 when he visited the Jaro Cathedral. Moreover, droves of faithful devotees of the Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria come annually from the interior towns and other places in the country to pay homage to her image.
As can be gleaned from the above, Jaro Plaza, indeed, is a very important heritage that needs to be rehabilitated, improved, preserved and kept clean. It is a significant religious, administrative and cultural landmark, a silent witness to the history of the Ilonggos as a people. It is reflective of their rich culture, particularly their being religious, hospitable, festive, caring and loving.