One of the lesser known facts of Spanish colonial-era churches in the Philippines are that prominent families, and priests, can be buried inside the church as can be seen in (Boljoon, Cebu; Carcar, Cebu) and in Talisay Church, Cebu – an unknown part of Talisay church history.
Located in a small chapel to the right of the facade lies one of the first Talisaynon priests and the only grave present inside the church; it is the resting place of Rev. Fr. Pablo Hermosa. He was born on June 30, 1855 and held his first mass on June 13, 1882. He served as the parish priest of several towns in Cebu and beyond, namely: Naga, Pardo, Danao, Opon, Baclayon, and Corella. He is also notable for being the uncle of former Talisay Mayor, Vicente Hermosa Garces. It is said that Fr. Hermosa was one of the persons who convinced the then Mayor Garces to donate a parcel of land to construct the public cemetery.
By 1931, it was noted in archives of the Bureau of Public Works that he was one of the few Talisaynons with an Automobile. He owned two cars, both of the Overland brand. This is to be expected as many priests in Cebu are noted to have cars including Fr. Anastacio Del Corro of Carcar, Fr. Domingo Briones of Badian, and and for the reason that they were tasked to go around their parish and local chapels in a timely manner. During this time, a local described him as being a kind old gentleman who maintained many plants within the convent, and someone who would spend many hours praying. He used the first floor of the convent as a garage.
By Stephen Foskett (Wikipedia User: sfoskett) – 2006 Bay State Antique Automobile Club Vintage show, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1207124
He passed away sometime in the year 1936 at the age of 81. He was described to have been bed-ridden for many days with an unknown illness before finally passing away during the early morning hours. According to a local, he requested to be buried in the town of his birth, Talisay, leading to him being buried inside the church. Up to this day, there are some who offer flowers at his grave. The scent of flowers can sometimes be distinguished at his burial niche.
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Sources:
Reseña histórica del seminario-colegio de San Carlos de Cebu 1867-1917. Manila: E. E. McCullough & Co, 1917. Accessed February 7, 2025. http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3146910854
Quarterly Bulletin of the National Library of the Philippine Islands (1931): 245, https://archive.org/…/quarterly…/page/n155/mode/2up
Ma. Dolores Plaza, in discussion with the author, Talisay City, Cebu, January 8, 2022.
Marbs Bascon
