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Boac, Marinduque
Program of Activities
The conquest of Marinduque by the Spanish conquistadores was peaceful. From all
indigenous the Cross and not the sword were used. The coming of the missionaries, the
Christianization of the natives, the founding of the towns and the building of the churches were
all that were necessary to lead its inhabitants to recognize lawful authority.
According to Father Agustin Cavada (Historia Geografica, Geologica y Estadistica de
Filipinas Tomo II, Manila, p. 478) the Augustinian Friars so zealously worked for the conversion
of the island of Mindoro, of which Marinduque was a part, from 1572 to 1579.
In 1579 the Franciscan Friars took charge of these missions. Father Pedro Huerta (1856
said that Father Esteban Ortiz of the Franciscan Order came to Marinduque in 1579. His
missionary work laid the foundation of the first three towns. Our Lady of Monseratt of
Marinduque (probably the town of Boac); San Juan de Marinduque (Santa Cruz) and San
Bernardo de Marinduque (Gasan).
BOAC PARISH CHURCH
In the construction of the permanent churches in the three towns of Marinduque in which
the main idea was to provide the communities with adequate places of worship, said structures
were erected to withstand the rigors of the weather and earthquakes and to serve as places of
refuge in cases of invasion particularly by the Moros.
FORTRESS CHURCHES
Stylistically fortress churches do not differ much from churches built in less war prone
areas. They do not represent a particular style. The fortresses churches of Boac and Sta. Cruz
de Napo, for instance, use the familiar two stories with a triangular pediment faade, the single
nave or cruciform plan, and heavy buttressing for the walls. There are two kinds of fortress
church: the first, represented by Boac, has a wall surrounding the church, strategically located on
top of a hill. In case an attack the church becomes the second line of defense. The second,
represented by Sta. Cruz de Napo, uses the church itself as the main defense. True, a wall
surrounds the churchyard but this is built low and can be easily assaulted.
BOAC
Boac was the principal Jesuit house on the island. Although it remained juridically
dependent on Silang for some time, called a domus rather than a residentia, Boac seems to
have been a favorite place for sending Jesuits to prepared for ministry among the Tagalog for we
read that Jesuits were assigned there to study Tagalog.