17 Facts About Santiago Fonacier

Santiago Antonio Fonacier y Suguitan was a Filipino priest, bishop, writer, educator, and politician who became a senator and the second Obispo Maximo of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, informally known as the Aglipayan Church.

Santiago Fonacier was born in Laoag, Ilocos Norte on May 21,1885 to Dionisio Fonacier y Romero and Feliciana Suguitan y Manuel.

Santiago Fonacier studied his secondary education and took a bachelor of arts course at the Escuela Docente de Laoag which was then accredited by the University of Santo Tomas and the Liceo de Manila.

Santiago Fonacier was one of the pioneering seminarians in one of the first and early seminaries of the nationalist church Iglesia Filipina Independiente at Ilocos Norte to which he entered in October 1902, and later continued and completed his remaining theological training in another IFI seminary in Manila.

Santiago Fonacier was ordained as a deacon and priest one year later in 1903 at age 18.

Santiago Fonacier edited and translated Spanish periodicals and Jose Rizal's two novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo into Ilocano.

In 1912, Santiago Fonacier was elected to the Philippine Assembly as representative of the first district of Ilocos Norte, serving until 1916.

Santiago Fonacier won by majority against Irineo Javier of the Nacionalista and Julio Agcaoili of the Progresista Party.

Santiago Fonacier was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of the Philippines, the Philippine Independence missions to the United States, and a member of the Institute of National Textbook Board.

Santiago Fonacier was an early follower of the schismatic Iglesia Filipina Independiente founded by Isabelo de los Reyes and Gregorio Aglipay in 1902.

Santiago Fonacier served as personal secretary to Aglipay at one point.

Santiago Fonacier became a military chaplain and was assigned priest at the first national cathedral of the IFI, the "Tondo Cathedral" in Tondo, Manila.

Santiago Fonacier was elected in accordance with the constitution of the church and became the church's second Obispo Maximo after Aglipay's death in 1940 and served until 1946.

Santiago Fonacier spearheaded the establishment of the now-defunct Iglesia Filipina Independiente Central Seminary which used to be located at 1108 Taft Avenue in Manila and served the seminary training of the church's aspiring priests until the mid 1940s.

Santiago Fonacier's son Anos was a lawyer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who was best known by the moniker, the "Father of Bohol Tourism" and "Father of Cebu's Tourism Industry".

Santiago Fonacier was related to former Philippine Air Force general and columnist Ramon Farolan through his wife Carmen who was the sister of Farolan's mother.

Santiago Fonacier was featured in a 1985 commemorative stamp in the Philippines.