Cholera and the Devotion to San Roque

 At the turn of the 20th century, cholera ravaged not just the Philippines but also spread terror and death in the different parts of the world. With the advances of science and medicine barely reaching the peripheries of the archipelago, locals would cling to their own worldviews to explain how they understood things. With Roman Catholicism blending well with folklore, the locals believed that cholera was an act of God to punish the sinful and unbelieving.  Here is an excerpt of the article I wrote for Philippine Journal of Librarianship and Information Studies (volume 41, no.2, 2022).

“The people of Capiz attributed the cholera to the three  evil  spirits  which  poison  the  people  (Barza, 1927), while the Sulud people of Panay believed that cholera and other epidemics were caused by spirits called  ibabawnon (Jocano,  1966).  In  he  town  of Sibalom in Antique province, cholera was thought of as caused by black magic that engulfed the locals after a priest and his servant visited the community. Others alleged that people in the community vomited, endured loose bowel, and suddenly died after being touched by a man on the loose. Rumors also spread that powders were spread on the streets and anyone who stepped on it met their death right there and then. Fearful locals abandoned the pueblo, burned their houses, and fled to the mountains, further spreading the disease wherever they go (Worcester, 1909)

Part of obtaining remedy and salvation from the grip of cholera was believed to be the devotion to San Roque. The excerpt continues:

“As a way of alleviating fear, the residents painted the cross in front of their houses and doors, wore a wooden cross on their neck or kept one on the pocket  as  protection  when  living  their  home. The blessings of San Roque was called upon to deliver the natives  and  the  Spaniards  from  the  deathly  grip (Worcester, 1909). A novena for the saint would be read for nine days or longer starting at the 16th of every month followed by eight days’ indulgence by the cholera patient. These practices, however, met the dissatisfaction of health officials during the American period, who thought of these gatherings as disease super-spreaders (de Bevoise, 2002)”

To read the full copy: http://phjlis.org/index.php/phjlis/article/view/84/64