Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Nazareno Parish

The History of Apokon Parish

In 1995, then Vicar General of the Diocese of Tagum and Parish Priest of Christ the Eucharistic King Parish, Msgr. Mario R. Valle, declared that the Christ the King Parish in Magugpo Poblacion will establish a sub-center in Barangay Apokon. It will be composed of three (3) barangays of Maco, Comval Province namely Pangi, Anibongan, Lapu-lapu and Apokon, Tagum City.

The proposed creation was realized with a mass which was officiated by Rev. Fr. Alejandro Pizarras, at the San Vicente Chapel in Apokon, on December 31, 1995, at 10:00 o’clock in the evening.

On January 7, 1996 during the CKCP – Kapunungan sa mga Pangulo sa Kristohanong Katilingban (KPKK) meeting, Msgr. Valle set a regular schedule of Sunday Masses in the sub-center. As agreed, the San Vicente Ferrer GKK will be the venue for the 5:00 am and 8 am masses, while the San Lorenzo Ruiz GKK will be the venue for the 5 pm mass. This schedule started on January 14, 1996 onwards.

It was also during the meeting that he informed the group that the family of Bro. Jaime Bermudez donated one-hectare lot for the parish, located in Apokon near the COOP B office.

Fr. Ali Pizarras, who was designated to look after the sub-center’s pastoral activities, called on the GKK presidents and organized the KPKK. Elected President at the time was Sis. Erlinda P. Apsay. It was also during that forum that he appointed Sis. Martina I. Perez as the sub-center’s coordinator. With their leadership, the lay workers and all the members collaborated, cooperated and coordinated all activities as the dream of Apokon parishioners started to be realized.

On March 28, 1996, another one hectare lot for a church of Apokon was donated in favor of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Tagum Inc. (RCBTI) by Mr. Ruben and Sis. Chita Tagaod, located at the Tagaod Area, Purok 6-B, Apokon, Tagum City.

On April 1996, during the KPKK meeting, it was decided that this site in the Tagaod Area will be developed as it was identified for the church’s site. Organization of committees and scheduling for the site clearing and cleaning was done in preparation for the ground breaking and blessing was scheduled on June 14, 1996.

On June 10, 2000, the SACRED HEART OF JESUS CHAPEL was constructed in the site as agreed by the KPKK. It was supervised by Bro. EMILIANO ROBILLA, GKK President of San Lorenzo Ruiz. With our concerted effort the chapel was erected and Masses was regularly celebrated.

On June 22, 2000, KPKK officers and other selected lay leaders requested an audience with Bishop Wilfredo D. Manlapaz, D.D. to assign a permanent priest.

The Bishop then celebrated a Mass at the Sub-center on December 9, 2001, where he donated in the mass collection for the completion of the chapel.

On December 27, 2001, Apokon was declared by Most Rev. Wilfredo D. Manlapaz, DD as a Quasi- Parish and designating Rev. Fr. Nick A. Consencino, as Parish Administrator.

Year passed and Fr. Nick Consencino was transferred to San Miguel Parish in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte. Msgr. Ulyssess L. Perandos, was appointed as the new Administrator of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Quasi Parish. He led in maintaining the present pastoral, liturgical and other needs of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Quasi-Parish. It is in his administration, as observed, that the church construction and development was implemented in the donated lot by the late Jaime Bermudez located at the Bermudez Compound, Purok 4, also in Barangay Apokon, Tagum City.

Despite the church financial hardships, Msgr. Perandos pushed for the ground breaking with the presence of the Local Government officials in the Province of Davao del Norte and the City of Tagum, who at the same time gave their commitment of support.

The construction was made by phases, and whenever the parish have a comfortable financial position, it goes directly to Church construction in the Bermudez area. This “No Retreat, No Surrender” mindset of Msgr. Perandos coupled with sacrifices for three long years worked.

This was the time where Msgr. Perandos immediately coordinated with the Bermudez family and requested Architect Abner Bermudez to design the structure of the Church, building plan and estimates. The construction started despite the absence other basic needs of the construction like light and water. Knowing this situation, the wife of the Architect Bermudez, Jocelyn came into the rescue and offer their facilities if only to pursue the building construction.

On the other hand, the support coming from different GKKs in terms of pledges, monthly masses and the generosity of the family of Msgr. Ulysses L. Perandos, together with their friends and relatives here and abroad were the initial funds used to begin with the construction.

On November 23, 2015, His Excellency Bishop Wilfredo D. Manlapaz came to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Quasi-Parish with Rev. Fr. Juanito Lozano. It was during the height of their conversation that Bishop Manlapaz inquired on the possibility of making the Church in Bermudez area, into a full-pledged parish, to which Msgr. Perandos approved, and further suggested to name it after Sacred Heart in Spanish translation, Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, so that the whole barangay Apokon where the two Churches are located will have the same date for the fiesta celebration.

On December 6, 2015, Fr. Emerson L. Luego in consultation and collaboration with the Parish Administrator, started to personally handle and supervise the church construction until present. With the assistance of Engr. Arman Agustin, the construction was fast-tracked.

Msgr. Perandos revealed during the KPKK & A Meeting on December, 2015 that during their meeting with the Bishop, they are into making a new parish, and so the manner how the GKKs be divided was thoroughly discussed.

Most Rev. Manlapaz celebrated the first Mass of the church during the first morning of Misa de Gallo on December 16, 2015, and named the parish — SAGRADO CORAZON DE JESUS CHURCH, a Spanish translation of Sacred Heart of Jesus, which also shares the same Fiesta celebration.

He officially assigned Fr. Emerson L. Luego as the Assistant Parish Administrator, in lieu of Rev. Fr. Carmelito B. Redondo who was reassigned to St. Michael Archangel in La Filipina, Tagum City as its new Parish Administrator.

On January 2, 2016, a joint meeting was called by Msgr. Perandos, where all the GKK Leaders were in attendance and declared the boundaries of the two churches (with tears of joy and separation anxiety). He assigned Ms. Evaleen Naingue, Ms. Luvis Lapiz, and Ms. Judith Pangilinan as the Parish Staff. He also appointed Ms. Arlene L. Morpus and Bro. Regino B. Morpus, to assist and facilitate in the preparation of the documents in making Sagrado Corazon de Jesus into a parish.

Only on February 14, 2016 when the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus started to have four (4) masses, three (3) in the morning and one (1) in the afternoon, to accommodate parishioners who cannot go to church in an earlier time.

As of February 29, 2016, the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Church was almost completed and was ready for erection as a new Parish, having complied with the basic canonical requirements.

On March 20, 2016, the Church was officially affirmed as a parish, namely Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Parish under the Administration of Rev. Fr. Emerson L. Luego with the Assistant Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Ernest A. Pallo. With the presence of the Black Nazarene from Quiapo, it was renamed SAGRADO CORAZON DE JESUS NAZARENO PARISH on December 4, 2016.

The Parish will celebrate its first fiesta on January 9, 2016.