History of Anda

The Municipality of Anda was formerly known as Quinale and was a barrio of the municipality of Guindulman from the early part of its civilization up to the later decade of the 19th century. At the onset, Quinale was basically uninhabited with plenty of uncultivated lands and its shores were swampy with lots of mangroves and hardwood trees.

Through the years the population of Quinale grew and the people mutually agreed for independence from Guindulman. On July 8, 1856 they petitioned for independence and the petition was endorsed by the Assessor General of the Government to the Governor General of the Philippines on September 3, 1856. Yet their petition was denied for the reason that they could not meet the required number of 500 tributes or taxpayers.

Undaunted, they again petitioned to become an independent town on December 30, 1872. The petition was addressed to the Provincial Governor of Bohol and endorsed by him to the “Consejo de Administracion de Filipinas (Council for Administration of the Philippines), the Father Provincial of the Recollects and the Archbishop of Manila.

The town has progressed at that time. Public buildings and their church were improved and roads created leading to Guindulman. But in spite of these developments, their petition was again denied on the grounds that their total taxpayers reached only 400.

Still persistent, Quinale again filed their petition on March 27, 1874 and subsequently denied due to the same reason of lack of taxpayers. A few months later, on September 23, 1874, the people again made another petition but now using a different approach and reasoning.

Yes they were denied for the same reasons yet they pointed out that births in the town of Quinale far exceeded the number of deaths but the people migrate to other places because of lack of supervision and opportunities. To answer this need, the officials want their barrio to be made into a town to have proper supervision and leadership. With these, the people will not leave and the number of taxpayers would surely reach 500.

Provincial Politico-Military Governor Don Joaquin Bengoechea, was amenable to their line of reasoning and suggested that the people make a petition for separation of Quenale in the civil aspect only since the requirement of 500 taxpayers was for becoming a separate parish. So the September 23, 1874 petitioned for becoming a town in the civil aspect only.

More than six months passed before the Consejo de Administration finally recommended that Quinale be separated in its civil aspect only. Delay was due to the religious authorities’ reluctance to approve it.

Finally on March 12, 1875, the Governor General Don Jose de Malcampoy y Monje issued the decree creating the new town of Anda and it being separated from the town of Guindulman in the civil aspect only in consonance with the desire of the religious authorities. Confirmed by the Archbishop of Manila, the order of the separation was published on April 1, 1875.

With the approval, the local officials of the new town of Anda and the mother town of Guindulman gathered to discuss and determine the boundaries of the two towns on May 3, 1875. With the decree, the people were still given the opportunity to till their lands wherever they may be located, in Anda or Guindulman.

Subsequent years saw Anda’s growth in terms of population. People did not migrate anymore and eventually the number of taxpayers increased until they qualified to be a separate town in the religious aspect. On July 18, 1885, Anda became an independent parish from Guindulman and become a Diocesan Parish on March 19, 1885 and dedicated to the Santo Niño or the Holy Child. Royal approval was given on January 6, 1885 and finally implemented on July 18, 1885 with Fr. Julian Cisnero as the 1st Parish Priest.

The line of Spanish priests serving the parish of Anda was not broken from 1885 up to 1937, even after the end of the Spanish Regime and thru the American era. At the end of the Spanish regime, many Spanish priests fled but not Fr. Hilario Lopez. Even after the American era, priests from the Order of the Augustinian Recollect continued to serve the people until 1937. The last Spanish priest was Fr. Luis Llorente.

Why “Anda” was chosen

The decree on the separation of Quinale from Guindulman did not explain why the name “Anda” was chosen but the accepted explanation was that the name refers to Governor General Simon de Anda y Salazar who was Governor General of the Philippines from 1769-1770. Simon de Anda was a member of the Royal Audiencia in the Philippines who did not surrender to the British in 1762.