Gregorio L. Aglipay Day in Batac Date in the current year: September 1, 2024

Gregorio Aglipay was born in Batac, Ilocos del Norte on May 5, 1860. He became orphaned at a young age and was raised by his relatives at the tobacco fields, where he firsthand experienced the exploitation of agricultural workers by the Spanish colonial administration: at age 14, Aglipay was arrested for not meeting his tobacco picking quota while working at the fields.

In 1876, Aglipay moved to Manila to study law thanks to his uncle’s financial help, first under the private tutelage of Juan Carpio and then at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and the University of Santo Tomas. It was at the University of Santo Tomas that Aglipay met José Rizal, who would become a key member of the Filipino Propaganda Movement.

Aglipay never obtained his law degree; instead, he entered a seminary in Vigan in 1883 and was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest six years later. He served as an assistant priest in various parishes in Luzon while discreetly helping revolutionaries. In 1898, Aglipay became a member of the Malolos Congress, where he represented Ilocos Norte and was also the sole representative of the clergy.

When the Philippine-American War broke out, Aglipay joined the revolutionary forces and was given the rank of lieutenant-general. Several months later, he was excommunicated by the Archbishop of Manila for supporting the revolution. When the Philippines lost the war, Aglipay was one of the last Filipino generals to surrender to the Americans after the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo.

Following the end of the war, activist Isabelo de los Reyos proposed the creation of a nationalist church that would be free from the influence of Spanish friars and independent of the Holy See. He suggested that Aglipay become the first head bishop of the new church. Initially reluctant to accept the appointment because he was against a schism, Aglipay eventually changed his mind. He was officially appointed as the first Supreme Bishop (Obispo Maximo) of the Philippine Independent Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente) on September 6, 1902 and celebrated his first mass on October 26.

In 1935, Aglipay participated in the presidential election as the Republican Party candidate, becoming was the first religious leader in the history of the Philippines to run for presidency. He lost to Manuel Quezon but accepted his loss with dignity and congratulated the new president. Aglipay remained the Supreme Bishop of the Philippine Independent Church, nicknamed the Aglipayan Church after him, until his death in 1940.

To celebrate the contribution of Gregorio Aglipay and honor his memory, his death anniversary was declared a special non-working holiday in his hometown of Batac in 1989. Gregorio L. Aglipay Day has been celebrated in Batac every September 1 ever since.