Lazi, Siquijor Etymology

Jack Maico
May 23
2 min read

Lazi was originally known as Tigbauan/Tigbawan, a name derived from a plant known to grow along its bays. In the 1850s, the Spanish renamed it after Governor-General Manuel Pavia y Lacy. At some point, "Lacy" became "Laci," and then the Americans Anglicized it to "Lazi."

Source: https://www.siquijorhistory.org/precolonial-siquijor

Special credits: https://thebrokenheartedtraveller.wordpress.com/

https://upload.wikimedia.org/.../5/59/Lazi_Convent_Color.JPG

Church in town: 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐫𝐨 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡

San Isidro Labrador Parish Church, commonly known as Lazi Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Lazi, Siquijor, Philippines, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dumaguete. It became an independent parish in 1857 under the advocacy of Saint Isidore the Laborer.

The church, also known for its huge convent, was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. It is also been nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2006 under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) together with the churches of Boljoon, Guiuan, Loboc, and Tumauini. In 2014, the government announced its plan to nominate Lazi Church to the World Heritage List. It conducted a dossier training for Lazi representatives; once the dossiers are completed, the long process of nomination will commence in Paris.

Lazi (formerly Tigbawan) became an independent parish from Siquijor on August 8, 1857. The present stone church was built in 1884 by Filipino artisans, followed by the bell tower in the following year. The construction of the convent was made with coral stones and hardwood, commenced in 1887 and completed in 1891. Both the church and the convent were done under the direction of Recollect priest Father Toribio Sánchez.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazi_Church

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐳𝐢 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

From the research findings of Jean-Paul Dumont, an American who studied and wrote about the ethnographic character of some of Lazi’s inhabitants, the town of Lazi was named in honor of the governor-general of the Philippines (February 2, 1854- October 28, 1854), whose full name was Manuel Pavia Y. Lacy. In 1857, it was spelled “Lacy” until it was changed to “Laci”. Until later, it was changed to “Lazi”.

Lazi is home to two grandiose edifices left as legacies by the Augustinian Recollects. These two imposing structures are declared National Historical Landmarks by the National Historical Commission for their antiquity and uniqueness of structures. One of these structures is the San Isidro Labrador Roman Church, which was built in 1884. It has preserved its hardwood floor of Ipil-Saligwat, and Molave. The other structure is the San Isidro Labrador Catholic Convent, which was built in 1887 and measured 48 by 38 meters. It is the biggest among the oldest convents not only in the Philippines but in the whole of Asia.

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐳𝐢: