At the turn of the 20th century, cholera ravaged not just the Philippines but also spread terror and death in the different parts of the world. With the advances of science and medicine barely reaching the peripheries of the archipelago, locals would cling to their own worldviews to explain how they understood things. With Roman Catholicism blending well with folklore, the locals believed that cholera was an act of God to punish the sinful and unbelieving. Here is an excerpt of the article I wrote for Philippine Journal of Librarianship and Information Studies (volume 41, no.2, 2022).
“The people of Capiz attributed the cholera to the
three evil spirits
which poison the
people (Barza, 1927), while the
Sulud people of Panay believed that cholera and other epidemics were caused by
spirits called ibabawnon (Jocano,
1966). In he
town of Sibalom in Antique
province, cholera was thought of as caused by black magic that engulfed the
locals after a priest and his servant visited the community. Others alleged
that people in the community vomited, endured loose bowel, and suddenly died
after being touched by a man on the loose. Rumors also spread that powders were
spread on the streets and anyone who stepped on it met their death right there
and then. Fearful locals abandoned the pueblo, burned their houses, and fled to
the mountains, further spreading the disease wherever they go (Worcester, 1909)
Part of obtaining remedy and salvation from the grip of
cholera was believed to be the devotion to San Roque. The excerpt continues:
“As a way of alleviating fear, the residents painted the
cross in front of their houses and doors, wore a wooden cross on their neck or
kept one on the pocket as protection
when living their
home. The blessings of San Roque was called upon to deliver the
natives and the
Spaniards from the
deathly grip (Worcester, 1909). A
novena for the saint would be read for nine days or longer starting at the 16th
of every month followed by eight days’ indulgence by the cholera patient. These
practices, however, met the dissatisfaction of health officials during the
American period, who thought of these gatherings as disease super-spreaders (de
Bevoise, 2002)”
To read the full copy: http://phjlis.org/index.php/phjlis/article/view/84/64
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