San José Church began as a small Jesuit chapel in 1607. When the Jesuits were expelled from the islands in 1768, San José was handed over to the Dominicans, but only until 1775, when the church fell under secular administration. In 1868, the Augustinian-held Jaro Church became the seat of the diocese. In exchange, Iloilo and La Paz were ceded to the Augustinians.
Source: Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro and Vicente Roman Santos in Estilo Ilonggo: Philippine Southern Lifestyle published by KCC Innovations in cooperation with DOT (2009)
Fr. Mauricio Blanco, Augustinian prior, in 1873 began repairing and enlarging the church, then made of light material. Later he decided to build a new church instead, one of stone and brick, after the Miguelete church of Valencia del Cid in Spain However, he abandoned his plans stopping after the completion of two stories. After embellishing the interior, on November 14, 1893, he added two towers, one with a clock and barometer. He also built a convent.
The church was repaired in 1902 under Fr. Manuel Diez. The Americans spared the church during the liberation of Iloilo after they received information that the Japanese were not holed in the church. In 1945, it was restored under the direction of Engineer Mariano Cacho, following plans by Fr. David Caseres. The altars were gilded by Fr. Jesús Fernández. In 1982, the renovation that lasted two years was completed, principally the laying of a new marble floor, under the direction of poet-writer, Fr. Gilbert Centina. San José is one of the few parishes in the Philippines still under the Augustinians.
Basque Nationalism in Iloilo
Evidence of pro-nationalist Basque sentiment was found in Iloilo as early as 1907. A baptismal journal in San José Church has a Basque entry “MARCO TA BARANDIARAN TAR ERINEA.” This nationalist mode of registering a birth may be the earliest usage of its kind anywhere in the world.
On July 31, 1909, the feast of Basque patron St. Ignatius of Loyola, some Basques in Iloilo founded the Euzkeldun Batzokija, the first nationalist society in the Philippines. (MTL)
Source: Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro and Vicente Roman Santos in Estilo Ilonggo: Philippine Southern Lifestyle published by KCC Innovations in cooperation with DOT (2009)
[Read also] List of Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Sites
