Sayaw na SubliSayaw na Subli is a Registered Property, Municipality of Agoncillo, Batangas located at Agoncillo, Batangas, Region IV-A.
The natives and neighbors of this town having been interviewed by the illustrious father minister, declare firstly, that they always heard from their parents and grand parents that, for many nights in a place called Alitagtag, evil visions and terrible ghosts appeared, frightening the inhabitants of these barrios and denying them of access to water from a nearby fountain named Tolo. This was more or less in 1595 in the midst of these disturbances, it was agreed that a resident of that barrio should make a cross and plant it in that place against the plagues and ghosts. For that purpose, a log or post from a demolished house from which a strong pole Anubing was made into a cross and it was erected in the place. This being done, the ghosts disappeared.
Afterwards an ill mannered Visayan Indio happened to send his wife one night to fetch water from the said fountain. Fearful of ghosts of the past, she begged for assistance from the cross. She prayed to the cross and while doing so, she saw that from one arm of the Cross, water was gushing and filling her container. After thanking God, she went home contented with the water. In that way she was saved from both the threats of her husband and the ghost. This amazing event with water was repeated many times. News of this unnatural happening spread through the barrio and many people flock to worship the Cross. They lighted candles and prayed the rosary. They saw whenever they went to pray there was light, the Cross moved and walk around town, lighted brightly by what looked like stars. This occurred various times in the presence of everyone.
The Father Minister of the town also saw these lights while passing horseback on his way to Taal, many times. Once he wanted to go nearer to view them better but did not succeed because an intense fear overpowered him. The same priest and the Indios recounted everything to Prior Minister of Taal who visited their town. The Prior whose name was familiar but cannot be recalled went to see the Cross and had a strong pedestal and a more modest chapel of bamboo and kugon built. Here, the people could ask favors of the Holy Cross whose cult and veneration has since been propagated. In fact, the Lord God made many miracles for the sick, pests, locusts.
When the Father Prior of Taal saw that donations and the gathering were increasing, in that the Chapel was too small for so many, they decided to transfer the Cross from that site to the large Parish Church of Bauan, then situated on the shore of the Lake beside Volcano in the Sitio of Tambo. But another Prior wish to bring it to his Church in the capital of Taal. Upon going to the Cross secretly with some friends, concealing his intentions to pull it up, the sky became cloudy and began to thunder and emit dreadful lightning bolts that he failed in his attempt. The aforementioned priest first wondered what had happened as a natural occurrence, so he renewed his attempt and the same thing happened. He changed his mind, and wanted to transfer the Cross to the Church of Old Bauan. The Indios obeyed with much pleasure and promptness and so it was moved there with great solemnity, and people gathered from this province to pray, make offerings and ask favors of God through the Holy Cross. These acts of devotions were not in vain because most of them were answered through the infinite mercy of our great God and Lord.
On May 3, the feast was held. The Cross was carried in procession and brought to the Chapel of Alitagtag where mass was sung with a sermon and dances of innocent children. In the Afternoon, it was restored to the big church of Old Bauan with the same ceremony, to which many Tagalogs flocked for nine consecutive days. This Mass and procession to the Chapel was repeated within the year when the Indios begged us for some public work, for which they gave ten pesos of alms with necessary beeswax and their prayer request were never disappointed. They heard this many times from their ancestors who witnessed this and they were amazed.
This situation went on without any change until the year 1600 when their town was divided from that of Taal and obtained a Prior and head who built a church and an altar, all made of pigstone which still exists up to the present and is without peer in these provinces, and may be seen in the barrio of Tambo, or Lumang Bayan. Then because of the eruptions of the nearby volcano and Mount Macolote, some elders transfer the town to another barrio called Balete, and not finding it suitable here, they moved it to another called Dudap. The durable ruins in all these three sites are seen until today.
Finally in the year 1692 their principal Father Zamora and the Prior of Bauan Father Simon Martinez, with the permission of the high government sent their elders to the present site named Tolosan, land that belonged to Batangas. Here, their patron the Holy Cross was also brought and here it remained inspiring the same veneration and cult until the Father Prior Fray Manuel de Zamora, to satisfy the undying devotion of some Spaniards, cut a portion from the foot, more than a third, to the resentment and sorrow of the whole town. This portion was distributed to various subjects in Manila. They are told that they caused Miracles although to them none of these is certain.
They declared under the same oath that this town of theirs had always been battered by calamities, ordinary fruits of the world, pestilence, locusts, droughts,Moro bandits and other similar disasters. They have had recourse to the aid of their patron, The Holy Cross and by saying the above-mentioned prayer for divine mercy, have been continually favored in their petitions and needs. In times of Father Fray Miguel Berana, Fray Jose Victoria and Father Manuel Rivera, when their towns and their cathedrals were raided and burned by the Moro pirates from Mindanao, as is well know, this town thanks to God never suffered from these maladies.
From the town of Bauan, the practice spread out to other neighbouring towns such as Agoncillo and San Luis, San Pascual, Mabini, and Tingloy as well as to Batangas City. The dance was performed in honor of the Holy Cross as well as the patron of the other towns like the Sto. Nino in Batangas City. The tradition was slowly being forgotten until 1988 when upon his election into office as City mayor, Hon. Eduardo B. Dimacuha established the Sublian Festival and gathered practitioners from all the towns into one festival with the purpose of ensuring the promotion and propagation of the Subli. Thus, assuring that the Subli will live on to the next generations.