Sarrat

Today i had time to read Fr. Jose Nieto's 1815 manuscript. I did some short cuts in reading though, for the manuscript had been published by the Agustinians in 1920. I have the print copy as well.

Part of Fr. Nieto's report reads:

En esta infeliz y miserable situación se hallaban los pueblos de la cordillera del Norte, cuando el día 3 de marzo, domingo, entre tres y cuatro de la tarde, inopinada e improvisamente se oyó en el fondo y centro del pueblo de Sarrat una voz o gritería que instantaneamente se hizo común y general a todos los habitadores de él, y en pocos momentos se presentó una considerable multitud de gentes armadas de arcos y flechas, picas de hierro y caña, de sables y cuchillos y campilanes, la mayor parte de ellos bedibos y tomados todos del licor llamado basi

A translation:

The towns of the northern ranges were in this unhappy and miserable situation, when on 3 March, Sunday, between three and four in the afternoon, unpremeditated, a voice or cry was heard from the center of the town of Sarrat which spread instantaneously among all the inahabitants, and in a few moments, people appeared, armed with bows and arrows, lances of iron and bamboo, swords and daggers and campilans, a great part of them drunk with the liquor called basi.

I'm wondering why in Philippine history books it's called the Basi Revolt. Is it because the cailianes drunk basi before they started the revolt? Is it because of our own version of the Prohibition? I need to research more on this.


Now, a look at the ruins of present-day Sarrat. Silent witnesses to history. I can easily imagine Fr. José busily doing the runs in the urgency of the moment, or perhaps wringging his hands in desperation under one of the naves, because the reinforcements from Vigan had not arrived.






I gratefully acknowedge picture credits from blogger C. Agustin at http://biagkensiak.wordpress.com/2007/01/30/sta-monica-parish-museum-sarrat-ilocos-norte/#comment-9715