St. Michael Cluster Aided Parish - EDNP, Guina-ang, Bontoc

A church established by missionaries past a century, a church being developed by the locals today. This is the Saint Michael’s Mission in Guina-ang.

The St. Michael’s Mission is located on a 4,302-square meter lot in Guinaang, one of the 16 barangays of the Municipality of Bontoc in Mountain Province and an upland area that can be reached in forty-five minutes jeepney ride or in two hours hike from the Bontoc town proper. The church building is 7 x 15 meters in size with wooden walls and floor and G.I. sheets roof. (Area of lot and size of building mentioned in Study of the Episcopal Church in the Missionary District of the Philippines by Rev. Joseph G. Moore, Ph.D. Acquired 1965)

The work of the church began as early as 1914 as soon as the transfer of the lot to the Anglican Church through Father Sibley. The earliest baptism was on November 10, 1917, by the Rev. A.E. Frost. There were some from the barrio who were baptized at the All Saints Mission, Bontoc by the Rev. Father Clapp and the earliest was on September 2, 1905 in the Mission House.

With residence at All Saints Mission in Bontoc town proper, Father Frost took charge of the station in 1917 until August 13, 1918. He was succeeded by more than a dozen of priests, serving the station in various periods either individually or with the help of fellow priests, such as Rev. Father Sibley, Rev. H.E., Father. F. R. Severence, Father Wolfe, Father A.L. Griffiths, Father Woodward, Rev. Harry Taylor, Rev. Harvey, Rev. Leopold Damrosch, Rev. Longid, Father Nobes, Rev. Masferre, Rev. Alejandro Rulete, Rev. Rising, Rev. Sagalla, Rev. Anthony and Rev. Juan Sicwaten until the assignment of a resident priest on June 1, 1960 in the person of Rev. Isabelo Lacbawan, Rev. Lacbawan extended his care to the nearby outstations of St. Joseph (Barangay Mainit), St. Gabriel (Barangay Maligcong) and Holy Trinity (Barangay Dalican). (Source: Rev. Fr. Isabelo Lacbawan report to Self-survey in the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. June 1, 1960.) Different clergy succeeded him as resident priests and the ministry continued up to the present.

After its establishment, the church became an active partner of the village in community development and people empowerment. With the construction of its building, the church continued to “Christianize”, and started the formal education of, the people of Guina-ang by using its building not only as a place of worship but also as a classroom for grades 1 and 2 in the early years of its mission.


The church, through the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines (EDNP) based in Bontoc was very helpful in the realization of the water system of the community. In the 1980’s, the late Cong. Victor Dominguez worked for the funding of the water pipe system from “Taron
going to Barangay Mainit and Barangay Guina-ang. When the water gladly arrived in Guina-ang, it was the EDNP that worked for the funding of the construction of the water tanks in Lamakhan and Ood, including pipes for water distribution from the tanks to the households. Significant also was the program of the Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) coursed through the church. This was very instrumental in supporting the education of the youth and the training of women in a “sewing livelihood program. Furthermore, the church served as a classroom for kindergartens when the public elementary school had no space for the “kinders”. Moreover, the church’s facilities catered, and continue to cater, for the recreation and sports activities of the young and old.