1. HISTORY OF THE ST. JOSEPH PARISH CHURCH in SAN JOSE,
TACLOBAN CITY
Antonio C. Separa
The history is now spacious, airy and comfortable church with the residents of San Jose
are supremely blessed with, is a story of people’s continued and unceasing struggle for a decent
place where to commune with Almighty , sans doubt, fear no despair. It is a story of a people
dream comes true.
The old church built sometime in 1904 under the inspiring leadership of Fr. Jose de la
Pena, was located near the present main gate. It was simply structure of first class round timber
posts and corrugated GI roof and walls. Its mains door which faced the serene and untroubled
Cancabato byways 5 meters from the narrow street traversing the center of the lot where
usually passed the Letranco, the only passenger vehicles which the people ride in going to
“sawang”, now “downtown”. At the middle of the right side when facing the altar, was the
pulpet about 8feet above the floor on durable round post with winding stairs where the priest
would climb up to deliver his sermon. To the right stood the lonely kampanaryo where hang to
bells, big and small, everyday to be pealed loudly and sonorously on tistive celebrations, or to
be tolled when a barriohanon pass away. At the left end was a hut where lived an old couple,
Baltazar Costudio and Regina Alonzo, the church caretakers from whom the priest would get
the vestment for the mass tidily kept on ba-ol mundo. During fiestas children in their “bos-ogs”
would gaily around munching roscas with enviable appetite while their mothers’ lamenly swing
back and forth their abanikos inside. Beit “Bonafonte” or “La Invention”, the well rehearsed
choir would always be on the watch for the strokes of the batonof the conductor. After
conscretion, immediately fallows the successive hissing and soaring of the kwetes and bursting
of the bombas while the band briskly plays the Philippines National Anthe. This could be signal
for the “Ginang may bahay” to already prepare the table as the mass is about to end.
To the front of the church would usually be erected by law abiding and God-fearing men
in pintakasi, the entablado where the colorful and action-packed Hadi- Hadi, a drama depicting
the tribal wars between the Christian and the Moros of old, would be staged. The show would
last up to the wee hours of morning specially when thefellowin the giant’s garb would not lie
down defeated as was in the plot because the prince hit him hard and he wanted to retaliate.
For variation dramas like”Diri Daraga, Diri Balo, Diri Inasaw-an”, written by Dadoy Lucente and
produced and directed by Pedro Separa would be shown. Lighting was supplied just by pressure
lamps, but, there were no “brown outs”
Early in 1944, the Japanese Imperial Navy ordered the evacuation of San Jose in
preparation for the battled against the forces of Gen. Douglas MacArthur which was already

2. nearing the Philippines in fulfilment of his historic promise,”I shall return”. Houses were
demolished, including of the San Jose church. Trenches were dug around the barrio. The Japs
were bent to drive back the Liberation Forces their fighting slogan being “Stand back forces of
evil or perish in combat”.
After the smoke of the bursting shells of the cannons of giant battleship and bombs of
the Hellcat dive bombers of the American Liberation Forces cleared, San Jose was pocked with
deep craters, the church site included. The situation was aggravated when the power shovels of
the occupation troops dug up the place to use the coral sand to surface the muddy roads
destroyed by the chained wheels of vehicles of wars of all sorts and types. The church site was
left about 2 fathoms deep under water.
In trickle, the barrio residents began returning from evacuation. Upon seeing the actual
picture, upon foreseeing the seeming impossibility of restoring San Jose to normal shape in the
least, because a mountain had to levelled down to fill the excavation a job which the
government would not undertake because the lots involved were private properties, the
common question realadable from their faces was”Quo Vadis”?
In May 1945’San Jose celebrated its first postwar fiesta. Churchless, the Hermano
Mayor, Flaviano Bato, had the mass said at the chapel of the Replacement Battalion of the
Occupation Forces at sitio Cogon.
In 1946, a son of San Jose, Hermogenes Daantos, who became Vice Mayor of Tacloban,
initiated the construction of temporary church on a lot owned by Alejandro Pretencio.There
masses were said by turns by the priest of Redemptorist Missionary and Sto. Niño Parish. The
people wanted to build a permanent church on Pretencio’s lot in exchange for the lot still under
water, swapping did not push through. Alejndro Pretencio wanted as condition, to collect the
war damage payment for the church lot to which the people did not agree.
In 1956, Pedro D. Separa, PAL Manager and City Councillor of Tacloban City, was able to
sway his colleagues to have the garbage of Tacloban City dumped at San Jose with priority at
the churches’ site. In the process, the whole bario was swarmed with flies. An epidemic
outbreak was likely, but the people were steadfast in their conviction that Saint Joseph won’t
let them down. After 5 years of patience, the bottom at last came up to the surface. Separa was
made Hermano Mayor for 1961. A stage was constructed at the newly reclaimed area surface
with truckloads of sea sand and a drama produced and directed by the Hermano Mayor himself
was stage.
Plans were then made to start construction of the church but, they were ended even
before they were begun. Reason? No sufficient funds.

3. When Cursillo Movement was in bloom in 1964,when practically all big and small shots
alike in government and private entities of Tacloban City, were one in heart and mind singing
and shouting “Decolores”, the theme song and password of the movement, the construction of
the San Jose church was made their pilot project. Without much ado, the cornerstone was laid
by Msgr. Lino Gonzaga with a company of priest of the diocese, attended by Gov. Norberto
Romualdez and party, City Mayor Artemio Mate and party, District Engineer Bernardo Apostol
and party and several professional and ordinary citizens of Tacloban City and nearby towns. By
the enthusiasm expressed by the multitude, even a cathedral would not be impossible to build.
It was young and energetic Fr. Almendra who was assigned in take charge of the project. All his
problems about dump trucks to be use in hauling sand and / or gravel donated by construction
companies were answered by Antonio C. Separa, a cursilista and Chief of the Land
Transportation Commission of Tacloban City.
Despite omission after omission which seemed more of a blessing in disguise because
time was needed really for the garbage to shrink, the church construction was started
December 10, 1966 with Engr.Salvador S. Santiago as Chairman of the Committee on
construction. The plan was drawn by Roger Almaden, a B.S Arch. And the design was sort of
gothic with 3 spires at the front. Inquisitively following up the construction was Flaviano Bato,
Hermano Mayor for 1967, a man who was always in a hurry.
On April 16, 1967, Msgr.Manuel Salvador issued a decree creating the Redemptorist
Missionary a regular parish, making San Jose under its jurisdiction. Active as always, the
Redemptorist. Fathers at once started fund raising for the on-going construction. Bingo games,
raffles and pledges were initiated. These priest were even content with accepting ten centavo
(P0.10) a week from every house. One thing was sure. Every hard earned centavo would go to a
material bought. No one man could by just his whims and caprices order the release of funds.
Legal procedures in handling and disbursement of funds were followed.
Not to be forgotten also are the CWL, ladies are though already in their twilight years
but are teeners from their looks, who have always uncomplainingly responded to calls for fund
raising.
It became incumbent upon the shoulders of the succeeding Hermanos to carry on
unfalteringly the finishing of the church. Some Hermanos Pasado left visible structures and / or
improvements listed below while the rest just deposited with the Treasurer funds raised during
their hermanoship.

4. 1971- Pedro Daantos – filled the church lot mountain soil and sea sand to level of the
national highway and demolished the spires and constructed building.
1973- Juan M. Separa-flooring.
1975- Vicente Ramirez – wall at the back of the altar
1976-Vicente Romualdez – 2 side altars.
1977- Alfredo Romualdez - surveyed and relocated the church lot.
1980- Salvador S. Santiago – facade.
1981- Vicente L. Ramo – concreted the road from the church to the lot and replaced all
broken glasses of the windows.
1982- Vicente Zata – belfry.
1983- Ildefonso Cinco – renewed the whole ceiling and installed round pipe support
along the center aside.
1984- Napoleon Amor – landscaping.
When San Jose was under the Redemptorist Parish, no baptism, wedding, last rites for
the dead, etc., were allowed at the barrio’s church. The reason was lack of priests. It was for
this reason the San Jose people clamored to be a parish.
Thus, on November 16, 1986, San Jose was elevated as a quasi-Parish by Archbishop
Pedro Dean. First Moises Apostol, a young priest from Burauen who is always on the go.
Immediately, a convent was constructed and finished February, 1987. After a little more than a
year, San Jose at last was fully elevated as a parish. Early in 1988, Hermano Mayor Benjamin Go
enlarged and reconstructed the belfry to accommodate the big bell donated by Bejo
Romualdez.The Pastoral Council renovated the altar and it’s ceiling for fiesta celebration.Also, a
parish Formation Hall for seminars, meetings and social gatherings was immediately laid by
Bishop Filomeno Bactol.Intensive fund raising not only locally but also abroad was
conducted.After just little more than year, the parish Formation Hall was at least usable, and
initially blessed November, 1989.
Age, salty breeze and current typhoons made disturbing leaks on the roof of the 23 year
old still unfinished church. Plans were immediately drawn and renovation started January,
1990.Among others, the telemovie “Ang Pinakamagandang Luha” was a major fund raiser.
In the fiesta of 1990, aside from the proceeds from the “Search for the Most Popular
Matron”, Hermano Mayores, Atty.Ramon S. Santiago and wife Estrella, brought home P70 000
in solicited and personal fund.This went a long way in the church’s roof renovation. The type of
truss used is what is called in the engineering parlance, “inverted truss”. What else could be
inverted.

5. Side by side with the PPC Prexy, Napoleon Amor, in closely supervising the on-going
work was Engr.Walderio Bonifacio, Hermano Mayor of 1991, who aside from funds raised
during his hermanoship, donated 2 full span trusses.
Everything come to its end, so they say, and when that time comes how we wish it were
sooner, gone will be raffle draws, pledges, solicitations, and the like. The very thought alone
that we made it despite myriad odds, will, “make our every yesterday a dream of happiness and
every tomorrow a vision of hope”.