The Saga of Fray Julian Bermejo Part 2: The Battle of Sumilon

The Warrior priest whose resolve could not be stemmed by the tide of the ravaging Moro pirates and whose contributions to Cebu and Cebuano history should not be understated. In the form of Fray Julian Bermejo Horabuena, O.S.A, we have a person whose visage is the face of the flaming hope that those who rowed out to battle, stood guard in watchtowers along with those who lived to see another day because of the system he masterminded. The rushing tide of Moro invaders that burned and pillaged were undermined and ultimately beaten back to whence they came then later largely annihilated to never pose a threat as they had done for centuries past, but what else did Fray Julian Bermejo do? and how effective were his systems in practical application? We see the stratagem implemented by Fr. Bermejo to the test as his fleets of Barangayan go against a pirate captain with plans to burn and pillage Boljoon once again!

Fr. Julian Bermejo Horabuena, O.S.A. began a large series of construction projects to rectify the lack of defenses for Southern Cebu during his term as parish priest of Boljoon. There is no set date as to when the Baluarte or Bantayan sa Hari that are attributed to him rose along the coastline, but as early as 1808, he had built the El Gran Baluarte of Boljoon and armed it with cannons, surrounding the church complex with a thick coral stone wall that, along with the vigorous training of the townspeople, could repel even the fiercest of pirate marauders.

This extensive defense network was not merely a series of fortifications but a well-organized coastal defense system stretching from Carcar in the north to the southernmost tip of Cebu, known as Liloan or Santander—then referred to as “Tanoñg,” the same name as the strait that separates Cebu from Negros Island to the west. These defenses played a crucial role in protecting the region from seaborne threats and helped strengthen local readiness during raids.

The legacy of Fr. Julian Bermejo would later connect to the events surrounding the Battle of Sumilon, where his strategic foresight and system of watchtowers proved essential in monitoring and defending the coast. The enduring remnants of his fortifications stand today as silent witnesses to Cebu’s resilience and the foresight that helped shape its defense history, deeply tied to the Battle of Sumilon and the maritime struggles that defined the region’s past.

He had the responsibility of defending the townspeople of several settlements under his parish such as modern day Santander (Then called Tanoñg), Alcoy (Then called Mambaje or Mambahe), Oslob, and Nueva Caceres (Then called Ivisan/Ibisan), These towns would be reinforced with large Bantayan sa Hari that formed a chain wherein each was, if not visible from eachother, could be identified and notified using smoke signals, shells that could be used as horns (Budyong) and in later years the telegraph. These systems improved with the development of technology between the 1790s all the way to the 1850s; one development was the use of optical telegraphs using large colored flags for communication. They were constructed en masse with Oslob alone having 13 including those that had been constructed prior to the beginning of the term of Fray Julian Bermejo as parish priest. These forts were the backbone of the system of early warning that he pioneered.

The Barangayan/es system was further organized and improved to the point that each town had a dedicated force of Barangayan ships ready to strike on a moments notice. The ships and crew were at first primarily funded through voluntary donations and voluntary labor, but as the cooperative system of Baluarte and Barangayan began to become noted among those higher in the government and church, they too contributed to the funding of the fleets for such necessities which include food for the crews, budgeting for weapons like falconets that were to be mounted on the Barangayan, and to fund the construction of new ships. One source from that time tells us that the convent of the Sañto Niño all the way in the city granted 1,200 Pesos that were to be used at the discretion of the priest.

Fr. Julian Bermejo gathered together the best warriors and tacticians from the towns that he had jurisdiction over and chose those who had the greatest protentional to become the leader of a Barangayan. Each town had their own captain who would command the fleet, their names are as follows. The town of Oslob’s captain went by Capitan Briones; in Boljoon was the fleet under Feliciano Mendez; and in Nueva Caceres with brother duo Miguel and Pedro Cabanlit whose forces were the most numerous among the Barangayan fleets. The Augustinian priest would periodically visit each town to instruct the leaders on how to fight effectively and in turn the leaders would instruct the people. Code names were devised to identify the fleets of each town with the names of Saints used in relation to each fleet. Examples include Santa Rosa for those living in Nueva Caceres; San Jose, San Julian, and Patrocinio for fleets stationed at Boljoon. To some this would be the basis to which they would later name their parish patron. To ensure the loyalty and discipline among the crew; anyone who ran away from a battle or showed cowardice would be publicly ridiculed then forced to walk in women’s clothes. All this preparation was to be put on the test for the first time off the coast of Boljoon.

One the fateful day of November the 15th, 1812… The watchtower atop the imposing Ilihan rock which provided Boljoon with protection from the north fired its cannons to alert the townspeople below; it raised its flags to indicate the terrible news… They were coming! PIRATES!

The Battle of Sumilon: It was a splendid day in the beachside fortress church of Boljoon where Fr. Julian Bermejo’s barangayanes were stationed and where his various defenses stood stalwart. The tranquility of the morning was interrupted by the roar of Cannon fire from the Baluarte atop Ilihan rock which caught the attention of the whole town. The news slowly came streaming in from the northern towers along the coast of Argao, Dalaguete, and Nueva Caceres until it reached Boljoon that a large armada of Moro ‘Panco’ that along an island called Malicasag were heading down south to the vicinity of Boljoon. The location of the reported sighting was 3 leagues or 16 kilometers north from Boljoon and threatened to raid and pillage as they had done before. Fr. Julian Bermejo immediately sounded the alarm for all available Barangayanes for dispatch to intercept the enemy armada that were reportedly numerous and coming fast.

The foe they were to face was a pirate warlord who went by the name ‘Orandin’ or ‘Gorandeng’ depending on sources. He was a renegade Christian who had made a reputation for himself plundering defenseless towns and villages in the Visayas. Along with him were famous pirates named Caracia, Matuam and Gani whose exploits were equally devastating to the Visayas region and they formed a good portion of the armada; total numbers were estimated at 600. It was unclear whether they had intentions to truly raid the towns of Southern Cebu considering the vast defenses and presence of native Barangayanes, nonetheless the enemy continued south on a collision course with the Barangayan fleet under the command of Juan Gregorio, local commander. They set off to seize the opportunity to destroy this armada on what would be the first major confrontation between the trained Cebuano natives and Moro pirates.

“Yo iré con vosotros, hijos míos, y serán pasto de los peces esos infames piratas!

“I I will go with you, my children, and those infamous pirates will be no more than fish food!”

Fr. Julian Bermejo Horabuena, O.S.A

Cannonfire from the Baluarte on the coast did little more than alert the other Baluarte, with no damage reported on any of the Pancos. When they met, the Barangayanes adopted a half-moon formation to attempt an encirclement of the Moro forces. With superior numbers, Orandin gave the order to push through the line and engage in melee combat where his vast forces would have the upper hand. The battle in summary went as follows: the half-moon formation was approached by the large enemy armada until fleet commander Gregorio gave the order to charge and fire all they had. Orandin then leaped onto a Barangayan, shouting insults and boasting that he could kill all who stood, though his pride was for naught as he fell amid a hail of bullets and spears. In the aftermath, the Cebuanos lopped off the head of Orandin, displaying it proudly for the entire enemy force to see, and in fear, they fled.

The Battle of Sumilon became a defining victory for the defenders of Southern Cebu, proving the effectiveness of the coastal defense system envisioned by Fr. Julian Bermejo. It was through discipline, unity, and tactical ingenuity that the locals overcame a powerful enemy. The Battle of Sumilon was not only a military triumph but also a symbolic moment that demonstrated Cebu’s resilience and readiness to defend its shores against any invader.

For generations, the memory of the Battle of Sumilon has lived on in local history and legend. It represents a rare instance where local courage, faith, and strategic brilliance combined to achieve an overwhelming victory. The bravery of those who fought under Gregorio and the fall of Orandin continue to echo in the annals of Cebuano heritage, preserving the spirit of defiance and triumph that defined the Battle of Sumilon.

The battle was a resounding success for the native Cebuanos and for Fr. Julian Bermejo Horabuena, O.S.A who finally had a major test of his idea and it succeeded well. In the aftermath of the battle, the Cebuanos lost a total of 6 men to falconet fire and melee fighting with no ships lost in contrast to the Moro armada which lost 5 Pancos and around 60 men. The fleet returned home to Boljoon with cheers at the astounding victory against a numerically superior foe while Fr. Bermejo sent the other captured Captains to Manila.

The victory would make known to pirates and natives alike that Southeastern Cebu was not to be trifled with lightly and that the people would fight with such tenacity that a pirate fleet was forced to retreat with the loss of its leader and the capture of many others. The name of the warrior priest Julian Bermejo and his daunting fleet of crack agile Barangayanes would propagate around the communities of Jolo and the entirety of Mindanao. The southeastern coast of Cebu was secured from then with only occasional attempts at cracking the bulwark of Christendom. In the next part of the Saga of Fray Julian Bermejo will be what the Baluartes of the past now look like today in their various shapes and forms along with more battles which proved that his systems were indeed in fact effective.

Sources: Bolhoon: A cultural sketch, Paul Gerschwiler
Sources:El «Padre Capitán» Julián Bermejo y la defensa contra la piratería mora
en Cebú, ROBERTO BLANCO ANDRÉS