A team from the National Museum will start archaeological excavations in the old Spanish center of Argao, the Pueblo, on December 3, 2008. Whatever important finds that will be uncovered will be presented to the public on December 22. This project is funded by the committee on sites, relics and structures of the Cebu Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council and is also supported by the University of San Carlos, through the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, as well as the University Museum.

Argao, like Boljoon and Daanglungsod (Oslob), is a fortified settlement that still retains parts of its old stone walls including three gates that open to the north, south, and east (towards the sea). Within this fortified settlement are the church of St. Michael the archangel, built in 1783, the main town square, the Casa Real or municipal hall, and other important edifices.

Below: A chapel and a gate that opens to the sea.

When the Spaniards ruled the Philippines, they established large Christian communities called “reducciones” in order for the natives to live in one compact area within hearing distance of the church bell to facilitate Christianization and Hispanization. As time went by, these communities eventually developed into towns and parishes. Such communities or “reducciones” may have also been the site of prehispanic settlements. The archaeological diggings aim to prove this.

Below: The parish church built in 1783 and dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel.