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BOHOL DAY: It should be March 3 and not July 22
By Jes Tirol

Part 2. Last of series

Proem

R.A. 7683 declares July 22 as Bohol Day. It says that Bohol was made as separate province on July 22, 1854.

Upon comparing with the original Spanish text, it turns out that Dr. James Robertson committed an error in translation from Spanish to English. July 22, 1854 was the date of arrival of the Royal Order that contained the approval of the creation of a new province.

What The Records Say

Recently, I received some archival records sent to me by Mrs. Prudenciana "Nanie" Comiling-Cruz. She is a Boholana who is now the Director of the National Library, Manila.

The record is entitled, Coleccion de Autos Acordados dela Real Audiencia Chancilleria de Filipinas 1861-1866. Tomo III. pp. 44-45. (Collecion of Decrees Agreed Upon by he Royal Audiencia, Chancery of the Philippines 1861-1866. Vol. III. pp. 44-45). The record is a print out from microfilm Roll No. 106, Item No. 742.

This record is a compilation of the decrees approved by the Royal Audiencia of the Philippines. The above particular cited record says that, "The Presidency of the Council of Ministers received a communication of a June 16 (1854) Royal Order." It says that, "The Queen received the March 18, (1854) letter that gave information regarding the creation of the Politico-Military government in Bohol. Her majesty approves such action and commands that it be carried out as manifested in the dictated letter of March 5, (1854) saying that on March 3, (1854) Bohol was decreed as a new Politico-Military province."

The record also say that on August 26, 1854, Governor-General Marques de Novaliches informed everybody of the Royal approval. There follows in the record the text of he March 3, 1854 decree of Gov. Gen. Novaliches creating the new province of Bohol.

Retracting The Records

Let us retrace the official records found in the National Archives.

On 3 March 1854, Governor General Marques de Novaliches decreed the creation of the new Politico-Military province of Bohol as separate from Cebu. We know that the decree was immediately implemented because on the same date, March 3, 1854, Captain Guillermo Kirkpatrick was appointed as governor Bohol. He arrived in Bohol on 17 June 1854.

On 5 March 1854, a letter was dictated for submittal to Spain.

On 18 March 1854, the letter was transmitted by ship to Spain.

On 16 June 1854, the Queen of Spain approved the decree and made an order to proceed. The approval was sent back to the Philippines.

On 26 August 1854, the Governor General made a general notice of the Queen's approval.

July 22, 1854 Is Not Archival

The date 22 July 1854 is not found in the records of the National Archives. It is only found in the book of Patricio Marcellan. Blair and Robertson translated the Spanish book into English.

The archival records are already complete. The date 22 July cannot fit in except as the date of arrival of the message of approval of the Queen.

If you say that the defining date of creation was the approval of the Queen, then we have the date, 16 June 1854.

Since the approval of the Queen was only ministerial, then the date of creation of the province of Bohol was 3 March 1854. The reason why Bohol was specifically made into a Politico-Military province was due to the fact that there was a standing authority of the Governor General to create such province. An Alcaldia province must have a creation starting from the Queen of Spain. The head of this kind of province was an Alcalde Mayor. Cebu was an Alcaldia province.

Comment

Since we now know that July 22 is a wrong date for Bohol Day, is it not proper to repeal the law and change the date? Shall we continue to be ignorant and become the laughing stock in the community of historians?

syempre politics rules and kung asa to mokita ang bohol sa tourism adto jud pod nila guitunong na date!