Lecture discusses ‘balatyagon, huya, kabalaslan’ and Filipinization of Baptist churches in WV

Heritage advocates and cultural workers gathered for an insightful lecture “Balatyagon, Huya, kag Kabalaslan: Ang Kampanya ng mga Pilipinong Baptist tungo sa Pagsasarili at Pagsasakapangyarihan, 1922-1935” by historian Dr. Kristoffer R. Esquejo on May 19, 2026 at the National Museum of the Philippines-Iloilo, Iloilo City.

Dr. Esquejo, a faculty member of the University of the Philippines Diliman Department of History, traced the history of the founding of the Baptist Church in the country, including the arrival of the first missionaries and the establishment of churches in Iloilo and their eventual expansion in Western Visayas and other parts of the country.

The Baptists planted their roots in the Philippines as early as 1904 with the establishment of Boys’ Dormitory in Bacolod and Home School in Capiz; Jaro Industrial School in Iloilo City and Girls’ Dormitory in Bacolod in 1905; Nurses’ Training School in Iloilo City in 1906; Mission Hospital in Iloilo City in 1907; Missionary Training School in Lapaz, Iloilo City in 1908; Dunwoody Boys’ Dormitory (now Western Institute of Technology) in Lapaz, Iloilo City in 1915; among other Baptist institutions founded in the region.

Dr. Esquejo explained the church’s history in the context of American colonization of the Philippines, and how ‘balatyagon (pakiramdam), huya (hiya), and kabalaslan (utang na loob)’ were reflected in their reactions to the prevailing sentiment of peasant and labor unrest and nationalism during the said period. The Baptists asserted their autonomy from the Americans and moved for the ‘Filipinization’ of the church — their negotiated autonomy.

“Sumibol sa kanila ang ‘balatyagon’ bilang pakikiisa sa rumaragasang daluyong ng damdaming nasyonalismo ng mga Pilipino. Hindi nila matalikuran ang ‘kabalaslan’ sa misyonerong Amerikano na nagpamalas ng kagandahang-loob at sakripisyo upang magtamasa sila ng ibayong ginhawa sa kanilang mga buhay, at tuluyang nanaig sa kanila ang ‘huya’” said Dr. Esquejo.

The lecture was timely as the nation celebrates National Heritage Month with the theme “Roots and Horizons: Shared Heritage, Collective Future.” It encourages awareness of the nation’s diverse yet shared past, and stresses the importance of understanding local histories and collective memory in shaping a more informed and connected future.

“The American colonial period in the Philippines—often framed as a time of modernization and public education—also carried within it deeper, more complex currents: the reshaping of faith, the awakening of local identities, and the quiet but powerful birth of a regional consciousness that would eventually contribute to our national character,” said historian Prof. Joyce Christine Colon of West Visayas State University (WVSU).

The event is co-presented by the National Museum of the Philippines – Iloilo and WVSU organizations — MAARAM and DevCom Society, in partnership with Friends of UP Visayas High School Foundation, Inc. and UP Visayas Center for West Visayan Studies.