Father Jansen’s Last Souvenir: The History behind the Old San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral of Tandag City.

Credits from Mr. Lucilo Trinidad for the sole references and photos that I have. Information are taken only from his book: Days of Horror...(?) (I forgot the whole name).
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Out of my passion in Surigao’s Local History, and also of my advocacy in of reeducating my fellow Tandaganons and Surigaonons of our province’s rich yet unknown history, I decided to publish a series named TAMDA an Kasaysayan which contain bits of details from our past. In fact, in the 3rd volume of Theresian Publication last 1st semester of 2014-2015, I have already published my first entry that tells about the lost Royal Fort San Jose of Tandag.

Now, I am presenting to you the history behind our present cathedral, which is later on be demolished as we are moving our church in Rosario, which I accidentally found while roaming around a boring afternoon in the college library:

Father John Nicasio Jansen was designated a parish priest of Tandag in 1940-1959. When he arrived in this parish, the town had already had her old church. However, the priest found it too small for the number of parishioners and church-goers. Thus, he decided to replace it with a big and concrete one. The construction started in 1951 and was completed in 1956. It costed P61, 000, but that very high amount has been rewarded by considering it the most beautiful church in all Surigao.

The money they used for the construction came from a few thousand donation from the bishop of Surigao, beauty contests, raffles, stage shows, and some donations from the wealthy families. Engr. Felipe Chua, a candidate for congressman at the time, donated P1, 000 worth of tiles. Other donations came in form of beautiful benches. Also, Mrs. Adela Serra Ty, the town mayoress of the time, and Mr. Jacinto P. Elpa were active in the fund raising campaign.

It is already a practice of Fr. Jansen that in every places he stayed and served as a parish priest, he would leave a souvenir in a form of new church, new convent, or a new school. At that time, Father Jansen was celebrating his golden years of priesthood, and 50 years in the Philippines. He supposed to have retired years before his 50th sacerdotal anniversary, however the aged priest would not retire until he would have seen his “last souvenir” completed. This tall white church is indeed the most beautiful souvenir that Father Jansen ever left in the flock.

The church underwent several renovation especially when Tandag Diocese was created in 1978 that the church became a cathedral (the mother church of the diocese, the church where the “cathedra” or the bishop’s throne is seated). That is why we cannot say that the church has the same edifice as before.

Even though the cathedral was built in 1950’s the Tandag Parish was established in the year 1622, and became the very first and the oldest parish in Tandag Diocese or Surigao del Sur. Tandag is one of the earliest Christianized places in Caraga, and perhaps, Philippines. Indeed, unknown to many of us, Tandag has played an important role in Mindanao’s early history of Christianization. Some of the visitors I encounter usually become astonished when they find out that Tandag was Christianized in that early years, and think that our present Cathedral is as more than 390 years old as the parish is. However, I explain to them that the church has gone through numerous relocations, destructions, and renovations, that the church that is presently erected and cannot be considered that old.