BOHOL DAY: It should be March 3 and not July 22By Jes Tirol
(Part I)
Proem
Let us take up another
erroneous date that we are celebrating.
This writer (Jes B. Tirol) has written many times that Bohol was created a separate province on 3 March 1854. The original decree is still available in the National Archives, Manila. It is found in the compilation Ereccion De Pueblos: Bohol.
Recently I received two additional documents that indicate that the date July 22 is wrong.
Misguided LawOn May 1994, R.A. 7683 was enacted declaring July 22 as Bohol Day and made a holiday in the province of Bohol. This law was enacted without thorough research.
The law relied on the statement of Dr. James Robertson found on page 325, Volume 28 of the books entitled The Philippine Islands. Recently I obtained a copy of the original Spanish record that was translated by Dr. Robertson. As it turned out, Dr. Robertson made an error in translation from Spanish to English.
The Translated RecordThe original is entitled Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino de Agustinos Descalzos by Patricio Marcellan. It was published in Manila in 1879.
Emma Blair and James Robertson translated this book into English as The Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines and made it a part of Volume 28 in their series of books entitled The Philippine Islands published in 1905.
On page 325, Volume 28 is the pertinent statement; Bohol formed an integral part of the territory of that province (Cebu) until the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four,
when a royal order dated July twenty-two was received in which the creation of the new province of Bohol was decreed.This translation seems to indicate that the Royal Order creating the province of Bohol was dated July 22, 1854. Let us compare it with the Spanish original text.
The Original Text
The original Spanish text is found in Provincia de San Nicolas De Tolentino De Agustinos Descalazos, page 220 as written by Patricio Marcellan. It says, formada una parte integranted del territorio de esta provincia, hasta el año mil ochocientos cincuenta y cuatro, que llego una Real Orden fecha veintidos de Julio, en la que se decreto la creacion de la nueva provincia de Bohol.
The most important word is llego. It comes from the Spanish verb llegar, which means to arrive; to reach; to come to. Dr. Robertson translated it as received. It is different because receive is recibir in Spanish.
The other important word is fecha, which means date. Dr. Robertson translates it as dated. Dr. Robertson used the past participle even if the original is not fechada or fechado. These two words, received and dated, practically changed the intended meaning of the original text.
Literal TranslationA literal translation may give clumsy English. However it is better that way rather than impart a different meaning. The following translation was done with the help of Antonio Cabo, a Spanish scientist working with PROCESS Foundation in Bohol.
(Bohol) formed an integral part of the territory of that province (Cebu,) until the year one thousand eight hundred fifty-four, when there arrived on the date July 22, a royal order, in it was the decree creating the new province of Bohol.
July 22, 1854 was the date of arrival of the Royal decree. It is not the date of the decree. The original Spanish text does not have the date of the creation of the province of Bohol
Therefore R.A. 7683 makes us celebrate the wrong date. Bohol was made a separate province on 3 March 1854 not 22 July 1854.
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Topic: Bohol Day should not be July 22 (Part 1) (Read 965 times)