Mercedes, Catbalogan

Mercedes refers to a barangay or village in Catbalogan City, Philippines located between Maulong and Downtown Catbalogan. Barangay Mercedes is one of the 57 barangays of Catbalogan City.

Geography

Mercedes is a progressive and well populated barangay north of the poblacion of Catbalogan City. It nestles at the foothills which form the backdrop of the barangay. It is long in terms of length as it begins from the Antiao Bridge in the east and ends at the Iglesia ni Cristo Church in the north, roughly 1.5 km.

• Antiao River – Its entire length is measured at 2,140 meters and traverses from Barangay San Andres to several outskirt villages such as Sitio Sto. Nino, Canlapwas, Munoz, San Pablo down to Mercedes before it reaches Maqueda Bay.^[2] It has an average width of about 38 meters and a depth of 1.5 meters.

Puroks and Sitios

Barangay Mercedes is subdivided into eight puroks, along the Maharlika National Highway and 2 sitios in the mountains.

• Purok 1 (Casantolan)
• Purok 1-A
• Purok 2 (including Parola)
• Purok 3
• Purok 4
• Purok 4-A
• Purok 5
• Purok 5-A
• Purok 6
• Purok 7
• Purok 7-A (Rawis)
• Purok 8
• Sitio Palanas
• Sitio Mabolo

Demographics

Education

Educational institutions situated in Barangay Mercedes are the following:

Preschools:

• Purok 1 (Casantolan - Manggo) Day Care Center - CSWD
• Purok 1 (Sampaloc)Day Care Center - CSWD
• Purok 3 (Ilang-Ilang) Day Care Center - CSWD
• Purok 5 Day Care Center - CSWD
• Purok 6 Day Care Center - CSWD
• Purok 7 (Rose) Day Care Center - CSWD

Elementary School:

• Catbalogan V Central Elementary School (formerly Mercedes Elementary School)

Secondary School:

• Catbalogan National Comprehensive High School (formerly Samar Regional School of Fisheries)

University/College:

• Samar State University (College of Fisheries and Marine Sciences) - Mercedes Campus

History

Cruising north along the national road just after one crosses the Antiao Bridge, one sees a long line of houses hugging the shore and skirting the mountain slopes. These are the homes of simple, sturdy and fun-loving folks, the people of Barangay Mercedes, Catbalogan City, Samar.

Barangay Mercedes is bounded on the south by the city proper of Catbalogan, on the north by the (Maharlika) National Highway, on the east by a chain of mountains, and on the west, by the beautiful Maqueda Bay. As it is, Mercedes has no chance of expansion unless the government spends quite a sum of money to level the mountains on the east or fill a part of Maqueda Bay.

Among the barangay folks and the knowledgeable, Barangay Mercedes is "Borak or Burak," and its inhabitants "Boraknon or Buraknon." Burak in the dialect means "Ilang-Ilang". The Barangay has always been closely associated with these sweet-scented flowering trees which dominated the area long before the Americans came to the country. The exotic Ilang-Ilang are no more but its native appellation "Borak" has stuck in the barangay.

But Mercedes is the official name of the barangay. According to historical data, that portion of land separated and yet adjacent to the City of Catbalogan, with only the Antiao Bridge separating it from the township. Mercedes was established during the reign of Governor Enrique Erenas. With the establishment of the barangay, there arose the question of selecting the saint to bestow her special patronage on the barangay. Governor Erenas' wife, Doña Mercedes, endowed the village chapel with an image of the Virgin of Mercedes (Our Lady of Mercy/ Our Lady of Ransom), thus establishing the official name Mercedes.

Mercedes is a big barangay. Many years ago, its boundaries included the sitios of Maulong, Payao and Capatagan. After the barrio charter was implemented, Maulong and Payao became independent barangays. But the same does not hold true for the sitio of Capatagan. Nestled among the hills a short distance from Mercedes, going east over mountains, Capatagan was once a flourishing community of farmers who reaped good harvest and had a ready market for their crops in the City of Catbalogan. But due to the crude method of farming and having limited knowledge of fertilizers, the soil gradually lost its richness until, one by one, the farmers abandoned their farms, taking their families and livestock with them and the sitio of Capatagan became a shadow of its former prosperity.

About Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

The Feast of our Lady of Ransom which is celebrated on September 24 every year in Barangay Mercedes, commemorates the role attributed to the Blessed Virgin in freeing of prisoners who had been captured by the Moslems or Seracens in the thirteenth century.

In 711 D.D.the Moslems under Tariq entered Spain from Africa and within a few years completed the conjugation of the country. They even pushed farther than the Pyrenees towards France. In 732 A.D. the Franks led by Charles Martel, defeated them at Tours, thus preventing the further expansion of Islam in Southern Europe.

At the height of the incursion of the Moslems and later during their rule many Christians in Southern Europe, particularly in Spain and Southern France were held captives by the infidels. It was about this time that the Blessed Virgin, in separate visions, appeared to Peter Nolasco, a native of Languedoc, France and Raymund of Peñafort, a Spaniard, and instructed them to found an order ransoming enslaved Christians from the Moors, with the aid of King James I of Aragon.

Peter Nolasco founded the order which was named the Order of Our Lady of Ransom in about 1218. The members of the order were commonly known as "Mercedenian" from the Spanish "Merced" meaning "Mercy".

The headquarters of the order was established in Barcelona, Spain and soon there were French, German, English, Portuguese, and Spanish followers. Peter Nolasco, the first Master General set an example by ransoming many Christians and by converting numerous Mohammedans. About 400 Christians were freed as a result of his journey to the Spanish cities of Valencia and Granada, the Moors. For sometime, Peter was imprisoned in Algiers, Algeria in North Africa, his attempt to free the Christians imprisoned there. Before his death, he resigned from his position.

Raymund of Peñafort, Nolasco's collaborator in the establishment of the Mercedenians, preached throughout Spain to the Moors, to those who had lapsed into the Albigensian heresy, and to the Christians who had returned from captivity in Africa. He succeeded in making thousands of converts.

In the remaining years of his life, Raymund continued to preach against heresy and displayed great interest in the conversion of Moors and Jews.

St. Peter Nolasco was canonized by Pope Urban VIII in 1628, St. Raymund of Peñafort, in 1601, by Pope Clement VIII.

The feast of Our Lady of Ransom was established at the request of the Order of Our Lady of Ransom. Both feast and order are frequently referred to by the word "Mercy" instead of "ransom" The feast of Our Lady of Ransom is no longer observed universally.

Landslide Incident

At around 7:30 a.m. December 30, 2014, a landslide incident happened in Barangay Mercedes, Catbalogan City, Samar. Meanwhile, rescue and retrieval operations for the remaining three residents believed to be trapped in the rubble and mud resumed Thursday morning after operations were stalled on Wednesday due to heavy rains. Eight more residents injured in the incident were still in the hospital, the report said. According to the city government, the site had earlier been declared a danger zone and that the residents were advised to evacuate. The report, however, said that forced evacuation was not implemented by the local government as it prioritized the evacuation of those living near the Antiao River.

Bishop Isabelo C. Abarquez officiated mass on January 3, 2015 at Mercedes Church for the landslide victims at Barangay Mercedes brought about by Typhoon Seniang. Sixteen (16) bodies remained at Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Parish out of the twenty-two (22) recorded casualties. The City Government of Catbalogan headed by City Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan along with several city councilors paid their respects to the bereaved families during the said mass.

Culture

Notable Religious Celebrations and Events in Barangay Mercedes

• Annual Mercedes Fiesta – celebrated on September 23–24 every year. It honors its patron saint the Blessed Virgin Mary, Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes for the graces and blessings showered on the people of Mercedes.
• Ati-Atihan Festival – held during vesper day or even the feast day of the Fiesta celebration. The festival is made up of tribal dance, local music, escorted by indigenous costumes and parade along the road. This festival is a tribute to Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes and it alters the original festival, Ati-Atihan which is offered by Santo Niño. It is said to be an adaptation of the Moro Invaders (Camucunes) which is dominant during the days of Spanish Settlement.
• Flores de Mayo – a month-long religious activity and festivity held during the Month of May. It honours Nuestra Señora de las Flores. Catechism and other religious activities are organized by the Chapel Catechetical Ministry Hermana Mayor and the Chapel Pastoral Council.

Nuestra Señora de las Flores

• Santacruzan – one of the favored celebrations of the Buraknons, it is the highlight of the Flores de Mayo celebration which is held on 31 May. It is a religious parade in honour of Queen Helena and Constantino, the founder of the holy cross. The procession is joined by the Biblical Saints, Little Angels, the representation of the titles of the Blessed Virgin and the carro of the Image of Nuestra Señora de las Flores.
• Aurora (Dawn Rosary) – a religious procession held every year in the month of October offered to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.
• Misa de Gallo – a yearly festivity held during the dawn from December 16 until 24. After mass, a breakfast is given and distributed by the sponsored family, the Hermana Mayor and Purok.
• Santo Niño – celebrated every third Sunday offered to the child Jesus. The Santo Niño is carried on the balsa just like a fluvial procession. In the afternoon is a procession led by the family of hermano mayor with the people praying, dancing and chanting.
• Estacion Publico (Stations of the Cross) – held during Holy Week in the dawn of Black Saturday in the Barangay. The 14 Stations are placed outside every house in every Purok.
• Sugat (Easter Vigil) – a religious event highlighting the resurrection of our lord. The Blessed Virgin with black veil is set on the carro and carried into St. Bartholomew Church to meet the risen Christ (El Ressureccion) which is set in the carro of Canlapwas. Inside the parish the people singing the hymn of Regina Coeli ending with a blissful lent.

Historical sites and Landmarks

• Punta de Jesus – a promontory of a peninsula on the extreme north of the barangay.
• Bantayan Tower (Spanish Watchtower) – remains of the historical stone tower erected by the barrio people upon the orders of the Guardia Civil as a look out for the Moro (Camucunes) pirates who pillaged and plundered the settlements along the coasts burning the houses and taking everything they could lay their hands on, including livestock and women.
• Bell Tower – on the watch tower hung the large bell which was rung when the sentinel, who was posted there everyday, would sight any strange craft approaching the shores of Catbalogan, so as to enable the populace to evacuate to the nearby hills.
• Miramar (Gov. Juan Sulse) – located in the southern end of the barangay, was the once famous Sulse's Park long before there was a place called Miramar. It was used as a battery by General Lukban to fight against the Americans during the Spanish-Filipino war. When Governor Juan Sulse (1922–1931) became the governor of the province, he converted Miramar into a beautiful park which people frequented during fine afternoons and where lovers strolled during moonlights.
• Pepsi Cola Company – located in Purok 3 along the national highway.
• Coca-Cola Company – located in Purok 6.
• QT (Quick Trip) – located also in Purok 3 along the national highway.
• Mendiola Mausoleum – a mausoleum of the Mendiola family.

The New Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Chapel

• Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes Chapel – a 90-year-old Roman Catholic Church chapel built in the earlier part of the 1900s. 2019 is the centenary celebration of the Chapel of Barangay Mercedes.
• Catbalogan V Central Elementary School (Mercedes Elementary School/North Elementary School) – a district public elementary school in Barangay Mercedes which offers basic education for kindergarten, primary, and elementary level.

The Supreme Pupil Government (SPG)

• SPG-Mini Museum (Museum of Samareño Culture and Heritage) is an exhibition of Samareño Culture, History and Heritage founded in the 1990s by the dynamic SPG Adviser and retired teacher, Mrs. Aurora Donaire. It is also a DepEd and regional awardee for being the first school in Catbalogan City and the entire Region 8 to have a museum. It is located inside the school's second floor of SPG Building.
• SSU College of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (Mercedes Campus) - an extension of Samar State University, it offers the courses of Master of Science in Fisheries Education, Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Fisheries, Bachelor of Secondary Education (Fisheries Education) and Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology.
• BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) and RFTC (Regional Fisheries Training Center) - Mercedes Campus - located in SRSF office, Mercedes, Catbalogan City.

Old Hymn

1. Ha imo Guinoo guihapon
   Cay daco an imo gahum
   Higugma pati caruyagon
   An cadarayawon ha imo guihapon

2. Con baga ha aaguian co la
   Cay daco co nga higugma
   An cahitaas cabutang niya
   Tacos ca ipa siya

3. Bisan damo an acon sala
   An paglaum hihulat co la
   An cacaluoy mo pati higugma
   An cadarayawon ha imo la nga usa.

New Hymn

The New Hymn is sung after the final blessing of the priest during the Sunday Mass in honor of Our Lady of Ransom, Nuestra Señora De Las Mercedes.

                        I
   O Birhen de las Mercedes, Harangdon nga Reyna
   An tim-os nga paghigugma, Ha imo karawta
   O Birhen nga gui-urayi, kami ngatanan bendisyone
   Ayaw, ayaw itugot nga mahimulag kami han imo gahum.

                        II
   Maghimaya ka, Birhen de las Mercedes
   Darayupan han magpakasasala, Arayupan han mga magsakit
   Kalipayan han mga nasusubo, sinarigan han magluyahon
   Ilingi mo, Ilingi mo kunta, an imo mga mata nga maloloy-on.

                        III
   O Birhen de las Mercedes, Harangdon nga Reyna
   An tim-os nga pagpa-abot, Ha imo karawta
   O Birhen nga gui-urayi, kami ngatanan bendisyone
   Ayaw, ayaw itugot la mahimulag kami han imo gahum.

Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes is a confraternity of Buraknons and Past Hermanas of Our Lady of Ransom who help to assist every fiesta celebration since the 1950s.

The New Image of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

Hermanas Pasadas

Current Hermana

• 2016 - Ma. Isabel Mercedes T. Pomida

Incoming Hermanas

• 2017 - Labasano Sisters (Nancy & Nida, Nenita & Virgie)
• 2018 - Mercedes Cebu - Uy
• 2019 - Domanguera Sisters (Digna & Nila)
• 2020 - Divina Diocton Saberon
• 2021 - Emily Baccol Weber
• 2022 - Rosalina Paña Hamm
• 2023 - Donna Y. Sultan - Ablay
• 2024 - Rosario Ramos - Botello

Old Cofradias

The following are the list of cofradias (confraternities). The following dates or year are taken from the record book of the church.

• Cofradia de Santo Niño (Holy Child Jesus) - 1900
• 'Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de las Flores (Madonna of the Flowers) 1950
• Cofradia de Immaculada Concepcion (Immaculate Conception) 1932
• Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (Purification of Jesus)
• Cofradia de Medalla Milagrosa (Our Lady of Miraculous Medal) 1936
• Cofradia de Señor San Jose (Saint Joseph the Worker)1966
• Cofradia de Santissimo (Holy Eucharist and Holy Week Celebration) 1996
• Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de Fatima (Our Lady of Fatima)
• Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (Our Lady of Lourdes)
• Cofradia de Nuestra Señora del Santissimo Rosario (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary)1999
• Cofradia de Señor San Roque (Saint Roque)
• Cofradia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Our Lady of Mt. Carmen)
• Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de Belen (Our Lady of Nativity)
• Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de Belen (Our Lady of Nativity)
• Cofradia de Santissima Trinidad (Holy Trinity)
• Cofradia de Perpetuo Socorro (Perpetual Help)
• Cofradia de San Antonio de Padua (Saint Anthony of Padua)1988

Newly Established Cofradias

• Cofradia de Nuestra Señora de Annunciacion (Annunciation of Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary)
• Cofradia de San Lorenzo Ruiz (Saint Lorenzo Ruiz)
• Cofradia de San Pedro Calungsod (St. Pedro Calungsod)
• Cofradia de Divina Misericordia (Confraternity of the Divine Mercy)
• Cofradia de Santo Pio (Confraternity of the Saint Pio of Pietrelcina)
• Cofradia de La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family)
• Cofradia de Santo Rostro de Jesús (Holy Face of Jesus)
• Cofradia de Santa Rita de Cascia (Saint Rita of Cascia)

Past Barangay Captains (Spanish Era - present)

• Francisco S. Domanguera
• Ponciano S. Sultan
• Estanislao Opre
• Fortunato O. Sultan
• Michael D. Bucalan
• Esperedion Cinco Domanguera
• Julian S. Arlante
• Ricardo Sultan (1950s)
• Perfecto B. Domanguera
• Ignacio Rosales
• Eugenio Cananua
• Esteban J. Macopia, Sr.
• Claudio S. Nuñez (1972-1982)
• Jesus J. Canacite, Sr. (1982-1992)
• Beethoven M. Bermejo (1989-1992)
• Adriana A. Sultan (1992-1994) - first Barangay Chairwoman of Brgy. Mercedes
• Carlota C. Bermejo (1994-1997)
• Irene V. Pahanunot (1997-2002)
• Marife O. Carnacite (2002-2007)

Barangay Officials (until 2016)

Barangay Captain

• Uy, Justito Tan

The Newly Elected Brgy. Officials of Brgy. Mercedes

Barangay Councilors (Kagawad)

• Maga, Luzviminda Guiani
• Racuyal, Eduardo Tan
• Porcil, Federico Mabansag
• Bermejo, Benjielito Muro
• Oñate, Christian Bernard Jazmines
• Uy, Lucita Sultan
• Lipit, Alejandro Ocasla

References

Coordinates: 11°47′28″N 124°52′37″E / 11.791°N 124.877°E / 11.791; 124.877