On the other hand, quietness becomes part of her image too that even her history is silently waiting to be unraveled in order to discover her rich past. LONG before the place became a town, she was still under the civil and spiritual jurisdiction of Bantayan. In 1850, when Bogo became a parish, her spiritual administration was placed under her (Bogo) care. And, in 1863, when Bogo became a town, sh
e became under the civil governance of Bogo. At this time, the identified visitas/ barrios from this place were: Kanghagas, Lambusan and Maraat (Victoria). Kanghagas was the largest among the three. But, there had been a time that Kanghagas was later renamed to Ysabel II to honor the reigning queen of Spain, Riena Ysabela II. Thus, in effect, the three identified visitas/ barrios became Ysabel II, Lambusan and Maraat. Around 1860-1863, the Spanish parish priest of Bogo, Fr. Jaime Micalet, petitioned to the civil and spiritual authorities to create the visitas of Ysabel II, Lambusan and Maraat as a separate parish since it was hard and difficult for him to administer those barrios because of its far distance from Bogo:
“El Presbitero Español Don Jaime Micalet, Cura Parroco de Bogo, con una franquesa y un disinteres, poco communes por desgracia, que por lo mismo le hacen honor, confiesa que no puede administrar los barrios de Ysabel II, Lambusan y Maraat, y propone en consequencia la creacion de una parroquia en dichos barrios. El Señor Obispo de la Diocesis prueba de una manera inconcusa que no es possible buena administracion de ningun genero a seis leguas de distancia de los llamados a ejercerla, y que los interes religiosos y civiles ganan mucho en la creacion de pueblos y parroquias en este pais tan despoblado y de tan admirable fertilidad…” (Document pertaining to San Remigio from Ereccion de Pueblos 1818-1887)
This petition of Fr. Micalet received a Royal Approval from Spain in 04 October 1863 (because of the Patronato Real) and with a formal Ecclesiastical approval in 23 March 1864 and named as San Juan Nepomuceno Parish [Redondo: 165]. In effect, the birth of the new parish was separated from its matriz, Bogo. Likewise, the same petition of Fr. Micalet merited a favorable consideration for the development and betterment of the people of the said barrios— to create it as a town and have an independent civil jurisdiction from Bogo.
“Por Superior Decreto de 21 Noviembre de 1863 ha sido erigidos en pueblo y parroquia independiente de su matriz en la isla de Cebu la visita de Isabel II, con los barrios Lambusan y Maraat, tomando el nombre de San Remigio.” [Curas de
Almas: 226] [By Superior Decree of 21 November 1863 has erected as a town independent from its mother town of the island of Cebu the visita, with the barrios Lambusan and Maraat, taking the name San Remigio]
It can be considered that Fr. Jaime Micalet was the father of the establishment of the parish of San Juan Nepomuceno and the father of the creation of the township of San Remigio. Thus, in November 21, 1863, Gobernador General, Rafael Birmingham Echague, decreed that the component barrios of Ysabel II, Lambusan and Maraat became as Nuevo Pueblo de San Remigio. And, why he named the town as San Remigio, was only known to him. But, one thing for sure that the naming of the town of San Remigio was attributed to the name of a saint, S
