The Establishment of Pandan Parish
The Pandan Parish was established in the year 1801 with Rev. Fr. Desiderio Rodriguez as the first Priest. A small chapel at the east of the present Catholic Church was erected. Materials and labor for the construction of the new church were furnished by the town people. The work of Father Rodriguez was more of missionary in nature. He had to attract people to the new religion. He succeeded in his work so that he remained as the priest for 15 years. He was succeeded by Father Theo Nepomuceno as the Parish Priest of Pandan.
Father Nepomuceno continued the work begun by Fr. Desiderio Rodriguez. He improved the chapel. In the year 1819, Father Francisco Raymundo replaced Fr. Rodriguez. Fr. Raymundo was also succeeded by Father Genoveno Cristobal.
Father Reducindo Gonzales stayed the longest as Parish Priest. He was assigned in 1833 and remained until 1855. He continued the good work of Fr. Rodriguez and Fr. Raymundo.
The present Catholic Church of Pandan was built during the incumbency of Rev. Fr. Juan Pama. This period coincided with the administration of Msgr. Francisco Gainza, who promoted the progress of the Diocese of Nueva Caceres, not only in matters of religion but also in cultural and social progress. The Pama and the Gobernadorcillo. The huge undertaking was started after the people in the poblacion and in the barrios offered voluntary labor, materials, and food.
Big stones for the foundation and walls were gathered from the sea by expert divers. Lime was manufactured locally. Sand and gravel were taken from the seashore by men working in groups. At that time, there was no cement. Instead, lime and sand were mixed not with water but with “Basi”. Basi is sugarcane juice extracted through wooden crushers called “Tarapitsi”. The people then had to raise more sugarcane so that basi was used in mixing sand, gravel, and lime for working concrete for the massive walls of the church that strongly defied time and elements.
The construction of the church took many years to complete. The gathering of building materials needed too much time. One way to gather these materials was to require all males to bring a piece of stone when going to church for the Sunday Masses. The patience and endurance of our forebears are manifested in those thick walls of the Pandan Parish Church.
The work of the priest at that time was not only confined to building churches, convents, and celebrating Holy Masses. They also opened schools to make the people literate, especially in reading the Christian Doctrine and Novenas. Thus, it will be noted that many of our people can read and write in Bicol.