Historical and biographical review of some of the main figures of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentine of the Order of Augustinian Recollects from its foundation to the present day.
In addition to the numerous publications in various Philippine languages and dialects, some religious figures are noted for their philological expertise and research studies on those languages. Two individuals stood out in this field:
Juan Félix de la Encarnación (1806-1879) was the last to profess at the novitiate in Alfaro, La Rioja, and was among the members of the first missionary expedition from Monteagudo, Navarra (1829) to the Philippines.
He dedicated his life to the apostolate in the Visayan Islands, in central Philippines, and was elected prior provincial twice.
He achieved mastery of the Visayan Cebuano language, translating works and publishing original books in it. His fame is particularly associated with his Diccionario Bisaya-Español [Visayan-Spanish Dictionary] and Diccionario Español-Bisaya [Spanish-Visayan Dictionary], which linguists consider unparalleled. Both works were combined into one substantial volume, and during his lifetime, they went through two editions.
Following Fray Juan Félix’s death, the provincial solicited suggestions from the religious community, and with those contributions, a third edition was published. This edition, a collaborative effort printed in 1885, was expanded with more than 3,000 new entries and continues to be an essential reference tool.
Fray Aniceto Ibáñez (1828-1892) worked thousands of kilometres east of the Philippines, in Guam and the Mariana Islands. The official language of these islands, Chamorro, is shared with English.
Fray Aniceto became proficient in Chamorro during his ministry of over 30 years. Thus, when the governor-general of the Philippines organized an expedition to the Caroline Islands in 1885, he requested Fray Aniceto’s collaboration, who was well-versed in Chamorro and had a good understanding of the Carolinian language.
Fray Aniceto assisted as requested, though not with great enthusiasm. His primary concern was the education of the local children. To this end, he composed and published three books: a Primer-Spelling Book, a Grammar book, and a Dictionary of the Chamorro language for schools. These works were showcased by the Province at the Grand Philippine Exposition in Madrid in 1887. In the latter half of the 20th century, they sparked the interest of the University of Guam and cultural agencies in Micronesia, which continue to study them.
Additionally, he published several religious works in Chamorro and Spanish.
