SUMOROY Uprising

Agustin Sumoroy

Sumoroy was an incredible seafarer, a trusted and faithful leader in the Pueblo in-charge of the fort and defense of the town. As times went on, Sumoroy, whose baptismal name is Augustine, began cultivating a guerilla, for which Fr. Miguel Ponce Barberan, rector of Palapag Residencia, admonished him several times.

Sumoroy later abandoned his wife and settled down with his woman, to the scandal of the community. Fr. Miguel had the woman taken and sent away to Catubig; Sumoroy was angered and became resentful; the problem in gathering men from the town for the Cavite shipyards added fuel to the resentment.

Palapag Royal port

A revolt exploded in Palapag on the North Eastern coast of Samar. Palapag was the port where galleons usually stopped after the long voyage across the Pacific Ocean.

An elderly Babaylan preached to the natives to rebel against this new imposition, and directed his son Sumoroy to murder the Jesuit parish Priest, Fr. Miguel and later Fr. Damian which was killed by Sumoroy's friend, Pedro Caamug.

Table Mountain (Palapag Mesa)

They sacked and burned the church and the convent and retreated to the mountains. Almost immediately afterwards, the villagers in the coast and throughout the island burned their churches and joined Sumoroy in the interior. Sumoroy's father had obviously convinced the other residents to join the uprising beforehand as a protest against the obliteration of their ancient religion, the forced labor and tributes imposed on the hapless population.

The revolt soon spread to adjacent regions; to Camarines and Sorsogon, Leyte, Cebu, Caraga, Surigao, the Island of Camiguin and the entire coast of Northern Mindanao.

The Manila authorities, realizing the danger of the movement, immediately ordered a fleet from Zamboanga to proceed to Palapag loaded with "coxcombs and foppish adventurers" from Manila and hundreds of Lutaos - former Moro pirates who had turned Christians, the long time enemies of the Waray-warays.

One dark night, in May 1650, the invaders climbed a steep rocky path to assault the seemingly on top of the hill known "The Table of Palapag". Only one soldier at a time to ascent, and a heavy rain deadened all sound such that the lone sentry failed to see them until it was too late. The Lutao's found the mother of Sumoroy in a hut, dragged her out and literally "tore her into pieces". The wounded Sumoroy had left the stronghold secretly before, hiding in a hammock, traveling with all the women and children who would otherwise have met a violent fate. Eventually, Sumoroy's own men, Pedro Caamug, beheaded him and presented his head to the Spanish authorities.

Other personality of the revolution was Juan Ponce, the leader of the revolution, one of the wealthy person in Palapag who fled to Cebu after the fall of the revolution. His husband is Angelina Dinagungan, daugther of Catubig leader.

Pedro Caamug, a known great fighter, the second leader of the revolution. Sumoroy was the third leader as his father counterpart, the native rebels believed that Sumoroy can plea to the 'Bathala' for their victory.

Gabriel Hongpon the village chief of Palapag, husband of Maria Malon.