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The friars who set foot in the Bikol peninsula, saw in the new land a good ground for evangelization. As evangelization by the Franciscan friars progressed, Iraga developed in size and wealth. Soon therefore, foundation work had been laid down by proclaiming it a visita of Nabua. More and more people from Nabua came to Iraga to settle.
As population spread out and evangelization progressed, the settlement at the foot of Sumagang Mountain developed in size and wealth, slowly pushing the oborigines (Agta) up to the thickness of the forests. And in 1578 the I-raga settlement was established as “visita” of Nabua under Fray Pablo de Jesus and Fray Bartolome Ruiz, both Franciscans.
In 1578, the first church was constructed with Saint Anthony of Padua as the patron saint of the parish, Father Pedro de Jesus and Father Bartolome Ruiz were the religious heads responsible for choosing the patron saint of the visita.
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