On his return to the Philippines in 1901, de los Reyes campaigned for the establishment of a Filipino Church. On August 3, 1902, with the help of Pascual H. Poblete and members of the UOD, the "Iglesia Filipina Independiente" was formed, with Gregorio Aglipay as its head. At the time, Aglipay was in talks with the Protestants and the Jesuits to prevent a schism, though neither of these events bore fruit. Aglipay initially dissociated himself from the schism, before realizing the futility of staying outside it. In September 1902, he accepted the position of "Obispo Maximo" and consecrated bishops for the new church.