The parish strives to be a constant witness of the Gospel in today’s times. History
The settlement in Banate has an ancient origin. It was known to the Spanish missionaries during the earliest dates of the colonization as Bobog, and it became a visita of the Augustinian parish and monastery of Dumangas, Iloilo during the early years of the Spanish Regime. The Augustinian historian, Gaspar de San Agustin, mentioned the existence of the town during 1500-1600’s in his book Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas (1565–1615). Fray Juan Fernandez in his Monografias de los pueblos de la isla de Panay affirms that Banate was known in the ancient times as Bobog or Bog-og, which is synonymous of catia, that is to say- glass. The Augustinian friar says that the modern name Banate might have been derived from some flora that abundantly thrive in the town. One possibility is the Butacea, named by Linaeus as Murraya exotica. If the spelling and the pronunciation are corrupted, and instead of Banate what is written or pronounced is Bangate, it would therefore be the leguminous papilionácea called in botany as Abrus praecatorius. To the inhabitants, the town’s modern name is commonly attributed to the presence of many Bangate trees in the area. According to a local legend, when the Spaniards arrived, all the inhabitants of Banate fled away for safety. An old man, however, failed to escape because he was of advanced age and was already so weak. So, the old man took shelter under the Bangate tree where a Spanish officer found him later on. The white man asked the native; ‘Come se llama esto pueblo?“, The old man, uncertain what to say, merely said “Bangate” thinking that the Spaniard was asking him about the name of the tree. Unable to understand clearly what the old man mumbled, the Spaniard thought the native had said "Banate". While such legend sounds too absurd to be true, it is the only explanation often given by people when asked why their town is called Banate. Indeed, Bangate trees still abound within the territorial limits of the municipality until now. Bobog, in the early part of its history as a Christian settlement and a Visita of Dumangas, was placed under the advocation of St. John the Evangelist. Juan Fernandez says that town was established in 1763. By then it acquired as its Visita the settlement of Sinaba-an. Alejandro Arias was appointed as the Vicar for the town on October 31, 1763. Later, many people left the town because of the frequent incursions and pillage of the Moros from Mindanao. Arias was captured by Moro pirates in 1764 at the Port of Tayabas, and was later executed. Consequently after the Muslim pillage, Banate was re-annexed to Dumangas, then became to a Visita of Barotac Nuevo until 1843, when it was declared again as an independent parish with St. John the Baptist as its titular patron. Seven years later, Governor General Antonio Blanco, without doubt forgetting the earlier decree, declared Banate as an independent parish on 15 April 1850, at the same time as that of Anilao. There is no extant document or act of legislation recording the date of the formal recognition and establishment of Banate as a municipality. It was, however, with the appointment of Felix Babiera as the first Governadorcillo in 1837 that Banate had been referred to as a town. Included within the territorial jurisdiction of the town of Banate were Barotac Viejo and Anilao. The original site of the Poblacion of Banate was in what is now known as Bularan. The small Church there, around which the town grew, was then situated near the shore. Nearby towards the North was the town cemetery. For the market place, nipa and bamboo shacks were constructed near the area where the first Church used to be. During the later part of the 19th century the present Roman Catholic stone Church was constructed in the adjacent barangay which subsequently became the Poblacion or the capital of the town. The present Church of the parish was built in 1870 by Fr. Eustaqiuo Torés. It was made of stone and wood during the Spanish time. His successor, Fr. Manuel Santos, built the convent made of wood in 1883. After the World War II, significant renovations and repairs of the Church were made possible through the efforts of several parish priests, like Rt. Mons. Panfilo T. Brazil, H.P., J.C.D., and Rev. Quirino Palma, Jr., who succeeded to complete the roof project in 1996. The Bell tower on the right was constructed by Fr. Celda in 1975; and the bigger one on the left, by Rev. (Col.) Nicasio Lisondra (former Chief of the Philippine Army Chaplains, who became acting parish priest of Banate from 2000–2002) and by Fr. Winifredo H. Losaria, who also led the Banatenhons in building the present parish rectory. During the Revolution, on 28 October 1898, Banate, which remained loyal to Spain, was reduced to ashes by the rebels led by the ill-mannered Maraingan. The Spanish Augustinian friars who served Banate as parish priests
P. Alejandro Arias (1763)
P. Bartolome Villa (1843)
P. Nicolas Calvo (1854)
P. Julian Alonso (1859)
P. Eustaqiuo Torés (1870)
P. Manuel Santos (1882)
P. Lazaro Ramirez (1890)
P. Agapito Lopez (1893)
P. Bernardo Arquero(1893)
Source: http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Banate,_Iloilo
