no a T t ° r 8ciENCI[al APPENDIX 249 



METHODS ADOPTED BY THE MISSIONARIES IN THE CHRISTIANIZATION OF 



THE MANOBOS 



The methods adopted by the missionaries in the conversion of the pagans in Mindanao are 

 made clear in a report by Father Juan Ricart, S. J., to the Governor General of the Philippine 

 Islands. 39 The following extracts are pertinent : 



The first thing that the missionaries seek to attain before penetrating the territory occupied by these pagans 

 is a knowledge of the various races or tribes dwelling therein, of their customs and superstitions, of their feuds 

 and wars, who are their enemies and their allies, respectively, the names of the principal chiefs, their traits of 

 character, and finally their particular dialect as far as it may be possible to acquire it. Then they dispatch 

 selected and trustworthy emissaries, preferably inhabitants of the Christian towns who have commercial deal- 

 ings with the pagans, bidding them announce the intended visit of the missionary. On the appointed day, 

 the missionary, armed with meekness and condescension, presents himself, speaking to them with dignity 

 and authority. He tells them that he is their friend, that he wishes them well, that he has known of such-and- 

 such misfortunes that have befallen them, and that in pity he comes to succor them. He invokes the name 

 of the king and of the governor of the district, whose power they had learned to fear and respect through their 

 dealings with the Christians. He reminds them of some wrong that either they or their neighbors had committed 

 on the Christians, for it is seldom that they are not guilty of some fault or other, and intimates to them that it 

 is the intention of the governor to send soldiers to punish them for their conduct. He (the missionary), however, 

 has interceded with the governor on their behalf and has received a promise from him that he will not only 

 pardon their fault but that he will take them under his protection and defend them against their enemies. He 

 (the missionary) goes on to explain the advantages of civilized life, and the mildness of Spanish rule, as far as 

 their limited understanding can grasp. He undoes their suspicions, forestalls their misgivings, and overcomes 

 their fears; and by means of presents and kind words, especially to the little ones, he strives to soften their hearts. 

 These interviews and lengthy discussions are repeated as often as it is opportune or necessary, every effort being 

 made in the meanwhile to convince and gain over the chiefs and elders, a result that will be attained all the more 

 quickly if he succeeds in settling their differences, in bringing about peace with some more redoubtable enemy, 

 or in helping them in the attainment of any proper object that they may have in view. All this does not take 

 place without great long-suffering and bitterness on the part of the missionary. Having decided on a site that 

 is to their own liking and even according to their superstitions, though sometimes it be not best adapted for the 

 purpose, a day is selected for the clearing, a plaza 40 and streets are plotted out, and then the erection of the tribu- 

 nal and of the private dwellings begins. 



It is at this period that the constancy and firmness of the missionary is taxed, for he has to overcome the 

 unspeakable sluggishness of the uncivilized people, and to defeat the futile and continuous pretexts that they 

 invent for the purpose of desisting from the work and of returning to the obscurity of the forest. It is helpful 

 to be able to provide sufficient alimentation for them for a few days at least, so that it will not be necessary 

 for them to return to the mountains in search of food. At the same time it is expedient to give them little rewards 

 to induce them to begin their plantations near the new town by planting camotes and other crops which yield 

 quickly. 



The appointment of officers for the government of the settlement is the next step and must be conducted 

 in a most solemn manner, it being sometimes necessary to increase the number of jobs in order to satisfy the 

 ambition of the chiefs and of the elders. The chosen ones are presented with the official staff of command 

 in the"name of the governor, and with the traditional jacket. Thus the new town is established. It is placed 

 under the rule and guardianship of the Gobernadorcillo 41 of the nearest Christian town, for the purpose of bring- 

 ing about compliance with the orders that emanate from the chief of the province. 



The missionary maintains his power and influence through an inspector, who is usually a person of trust 

 and worth among the older Christians, and through two teachers, preferably a married couple selected from 

 among the best families. These then take up their residence in the new town and begin their teaching. 



As soon as the new settlement gives evidence of stability and perseverance, an effort is made to have the 

 governor of the district visit it in order that the newly converted Christians may lay aside their fear, gain new 

 courage, and learn to become devoted to the government. 



The presence of an armed force upon suitable occasions is also calculated to have some effect at this early 

 period, as it serves to keep quiet the dissatisfied and grumbling ones, of whom there are always some, as well 

 as to infuse a feeling of fear into outside enemies who might be inclined to trouble the settlement, either because 

 they do not regard it in an auspicious light or because they wish to satisfy a desire for revenge which they have 

 harbored for a long time. Up to this time these unhappy people (the pagans) have had no other law than the 

 caprice of their chiefs, nor other justice than oppression by the strong, nor other customs than an amorphous 

 mass of practices that are at once repulsive and opposed to the natural law. Their guides and their teachers 



» Ibid., 11, appendii. 



" A public square. 



41 This means in Spanish "little governor," and was the name given to the chief executive of a municipality in Spanish days. It corresponds 

 to "mayor" at the present time. 



