Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1913-01-23
VR| TIES Of LIFE
IN PHILIPPINES

Church of the Holy Trinity, Fam
boanga, Philippine Islands, Dec II,
1912-About five hundred miles south
of Manila lies Zamboanga on the
southern peninsula of the second
largest island of the Philippine group
called Mindanao.
In 1921 MagelIan's expedition in his
| first decentralization of the globe,
touched Mindanao not far from Fam
boanga. The town of Zamboanga
| was founded in 1885 by Juan Chaves
at the head of Spanish expedition
from MaaiIa. The American occu-
patton begsn Nov 16, 1899, and the
Moro Province was organized in Sept.
1903. The Moro Province is only por-
ton of Mindanao but includes many
small islands to the south, of which
Jolo and Basilan are the most import
ant. In 1903 when the last census
| was taken the Moro Province was
given population of 402,014; 66,613
were Christians while 1886, 4O1 were
MOros and Pagans. The latter include
the tribes of Atlas, Bagobos, Bilanes,
Magindanaws, Malanaws, Mandayas,
| Manobos, Samols, Subanuns, Sulus,
Tagabilis, Tagacaolas, Tirurayes and
Yakans.
Zamboanga is the Provincial Capital
and is very pretty and interesting
place. 1t is the headquarters of the
army department of Mindanao, the
province being still under military
| government. Fort Pillar, begun in
1886, still stands and is used as army
headquarters. The Moros, we'll known
throughout the islands for the pratt
cal attacks, drove the Spaniards with
in the walls of this fort many times
and until recently have been very
antagonistic to foreign occupation of
these islands in the southern part of
Archipelago. Jolo has probably given
| the American government more trouble
than any other portion of the islands.
and today it is unsafe to go outside the
city wall unarmed. This is largely
due to fanatical idea of many Moros
who take an oath to die but must first
kill at least one christian. The idea
being that the christians they kill
will be their servants in the life to
come.
The Moro people live mostly either
on or near the water and are most
picturesque'an interesting. It is to
these people that my attention will be
given first and later hope to learn
more about the Yakans of Basilan and
the Subanuns occupying the interior
back of Zamboanga. The Moros are a
fanatical type of Mohammedan people,
as are the Y akans, while the Subanuns
are pagan tribe.
The Roman Catholic church, which
has been established in Zamboanga
since 1885 and had labored here since
1895, has done a most effective work
among the 5000 Filipinos of the prov
ince, but have not been able to accom-
plish much among the Moro or Pagan
| ribes. Within five miles of the city
of Zamboanga they have established
! three or four parishes, but their
next parish is over $50 miles
in either direction; one at Dapitan and
the other at Malabang.
1t is the policy of Bishop Brent of
the Episcopal church to attempt to
overcome the antagonism and the
prejudice of the Moro people by
establishing hospitals, social settle
ments and schools, using these as the
first step toward Outstanding them.
After winning their confidence and
showing them that their welfare is
given first consideration, it will cause
them to lay aside their religious
preju lice and open the way to real
CHARACTERIZATION. With this in view a
hospital is being erected as well as a
settlement house on beautiful five acre
site on the beach between the pictur-
esQue Moro village on the water and
the city of Fam boanga from which in
time other settlements may be reached
in similar manner. This work gives
those in immediate charge a rare
opportunity to study real primitive
people and see their possible develop.
ment. Their present ignorance of
living causes the early death of many