The Church of Guiuan:
The Church of Guiuan (Photo from Travel Guiuan Blogspot)
Other Pictures of the Church:
The Church of Bacong:
The Church of Bacong
About the Church:
Bacong was separated from Dumaguete and erected as a town in 1837. The parish of Bacong in honor of the famous Augustine of Hippo was founded on May 1, 1849. Father Joaquin Soriano was the first Recollect parish priest of Bacong. He started the construction of the convent made of solid materials. He almost finished his work when reassignment came. Father Miguel Alvarez succeeded him in 1859 until 1861.
Father Leandro Arrue came to administer the parish in 1864. He laid down the cornerstone of the church in 1866 and enthusiastically worked on it for years until his election as prior provincial. Father Sebastian Leza continued the work. After his term as prior provincial ended, Fr. Arrue returned to Bacong for his second term and finished the construction of the church in 1883. The first Mass in the new church was solemnly celebrated on August 28, the feast day of the parish patron, St. Augustine. Fr. Arrue continued to beautify the interior of the church. He just started to construct the belfry of the church when his appointment in 1885 as Bishop of Jaro, Iloilo came. Father Lorenzo Cordon, parish priest from 1890-1891 and Fr. Jorge Carcavilla, parish priest from 1891-1898, completed Fr. Arrue’s unfinished work. The latter installed the pipe organ in 1894 which he bought from the Roques Brothers of Zaragoza, Spain.
The Recollects left Bacong during the Revolution in 1898. The parish was entrusted to the care of the secular clergy. They resumed their missionary activities in 1904 with the appointment of Fr. Manuel Mateo as parish priest until 1907. The last Recollect parish priests to serve Bacong were Fr. Amado Lope and Fr. Ricardo Hinojal in 1960-1965. The parish church was finally ceded to the secular clergy.
Source: Dennis Madrigal (ed.) Handurawan Visita Iglesia Negros y Recoletos(2006), p. 65.
How To Get to the Church: There are several options to get to the Bacong Church. The one we took was a Ceres Bus bound for Bayawan City. There are also Mini Vans which go to Dauin and these can be found near the Dumaguete Bell Tower.
Map Showing the Location of the Church:
Bacong Church
Other Pictures of the Church:
The Church of Lazi:
The Church of Lazi
Other Pictures of the Church:
The Church of Masinloc:
The Church of Masinloc
About the Church: It is one of the cultural heritage churches and a national cultural treasure in the Philippines because of a polychrome portal leading to the choir loft. It was built with coral stones by Augustinian Recollects and is the oldest church in the Diocese of Iba and it has a stood intact until it was damage by an earthquake in the early 1990’s.
In the heart of the town of Masinloc is a rare 17th century majestic structure, the Church of San Andres, a little – visited gem that just happens to be the oldest parish church in the province.
As all baroque churches, San Andres Church is characterized by magnificence, grandeur and richness in design. The size of the church is compelling. Though more than four centuries old, the structure still possesses a beauty that will make an experience worthy of journal entry. Perhaps all these years made the church even more beautiful and breathtaking; it goes to prove that there really is beauty in age. The façade of the church, which is believed to be an architectural breakthrough the era it was built, equals the eminence of its size. In the early times niches at the façade were placed and images of San Agustin, San Andres and San Nicholas were installed.
The façade is highlighted by a bell tower located at its right hand side, finished in 1883. Bell towers are distinct features of colonial churches as they both aesthetic and functional. For practical purposes, bell towers were used to communicate to the townspeople by means of telling time. Mostly to pray, or making occasions such as weddings or funerals.
A step inside the church reveals a quiet landscape of multicolored slabs of light, coming from the huge stained glass church windows. The windows let natural light and ventilation in; an instant peace fix. Walking along the central aisle, the 17th-century statues of different saints and a more contemporary statue of the risen Jesus begin to grow with every step. Earlier church accounts tell that more interesting pieces adored the interiors of the church; epistle side altars, iron grill pulpits, white marble tabernacle, and beautiful crystal chandelier – all donated by the church’s faithful benefactors. Restoration attempts for some of those pieces that have withstood time are ongoing. The interior of the church is a wonderful contrast, from the newly painted off white walls and dark, hardwood of the pews and centuries old altar adored with gold. Overhead, six antique iron- wrought chandeliers hang from the ceiling on chains, providing the light needed light during the evening.
But the real gem of the church is found at the choir loft – an ornately carved polychrome wall. Made from coral stones, the wall features images of a papal hat and scepter decked with carved leaves and flowers. Though the carvings may not be exactly distinct, it’s the technology behind the wall that makes it unique; the wall was built at a time when putting pigments on coral walls was not yet the practice. Back then, the polychrome wall was an innovation, making San Andres Church ahead of the times.
Over the centuries, the building has miraculously escaped major damage – not until 1999 in 6.8 magnitude earthquake. Restoration was aided by Masinloqueños in town and from around the world. In 2002, the government, through the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA), began restoration works on 26 churches considered as National Cultural Treasures for their cultural significance and distinctive architecture, including San Andres Church.
Until today, restoration has somewhat become a perpetual pledge of the parish, construction is on going to this minute. So step inside and you’ll never guess that the church has withstood several turns of centuries. (sourced from Zambalesnow.Com)
Other Blog Sites to Visit: Gelaikuting (another WordPress Blog!), Simbahan.Net (by Estan Cabigas), Ironwolf.Net’s En Route, I Love Zambales
More Websites to Visit: Philippine Heritage, Zambales Now
More Pictures of the Church: Flickr-Shutterbug500, Myspace-Islasfilipinas
Their Official Website: San Andres Church Official Website
Map Showing the Location of the Church:
The Church of Masinloc / Google Map
Other Pictures of the Church:
About the Church: Before the Present Nuestra Señora Patrocino de Maria Church was built. There stood a church which was destroyed in 1782 by a Pirate Raid. The Present Church was built in 1783 by Father Ambrosio Otero, continued in 1794 by Father Manuel Cordero and finished by Father Julian Bermejo.
Nuestra Señora Patrocino de Maria Church of Boljo-On is listed as a National Cultural Treasure and National Historical Landmark
Other Blog Entries: Market Man, Random Trippings ni Drew, Traveller on Foot, The Travelling Feet
How to Get there: Boljo-On is located 103 Kilometers from Cebu City. To get to Boljo-On, hop on any of the buses going to Oslob at the Cebu Provincial South Bus Terminal (Or Buses with signs going to Boljo-On if there are any). Just tell the Conductor to Drop you off at the Church. The Town of Boljo-On is very small and the Church is located just along the High-Way and also in front of the Beach. Be sure to take a Ceres Bus. For more information where the Church is, just click on this Google Map of the Municipal Hall, just click and zoom and you will see where the Church is.
The church facade is 27 metres wide and 19 metres at the highest point. A broken arch, typical of baroque architecture, tops the main entrance of the church. The curved pediment displays the Jesuit insignia at the centre. The facade is characterized by moulded plaster relief, accentuated in white against the plain wall rendered in yellow. The church is laid out in a Latin cross, with its axis measuring 16 metres by 27 metres. The three altars are elaborately ornamented, incorporating pediments supported on two sets of four spiral columns decorated with gold-leaf motifs. Supporting the high-choir at the entrance of the church are four salomonic columns that are signatures of the mannerist art movement which had a significant influence on European architecture particularly in church design prior to the baroque period. The central dome measures 12.5 metres in diameter and rises 19 metres above the ground. It is decorated with three rows of sixteen clerestories; those on the top row are fixed and the others in the lower two rows serve as ventilators.
In contrast with the elaborate architecture of St. Joseph’s Church, the Seminary is a simple, neo-classical compound designed with an internal cloister garden. Constructed primarily of grey brick, the solid walls stand on granite foundations. The arrangement inside the building is typically organized with wide corridors running as much as 80 metres long with classrooms off them. (Information Sourced from Cultural China)
The Saint Joseph’s Church is a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE
More from Other Websites: Asia Explorers
Pinoy Churches 