St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral (Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental)

St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral

Just walking distance from the City Museum of Cagayan de Oro and Heritage Studies Center is the Neo-Gothic-style St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral, the ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro (canonically erected on January 23, 1933).

Check out “City Museum of Cagayan de Oro and Heritage Studies Center

The Neo-Gothic-style facade

This church was first built in 1624 by Father Agustin San Pedro but both church and convent burned down in 1778.  Rebuilt in 1780 by Father Pedro de Santa Barbara, it again burned down in 1831.

The cathedral interior

In 1845, it was rebuilt with coral stones imported from China by Augustinian Recollect Father Simon Loscos de Sta. Catalina but it was destroyed during the World War II bombardment in 1945.  Only the facade and the wooden cross in front survived.

A 1925 photo of the church’s original Baroque-style facade

The present Neo-Gothic-style cathedral was built from 1946 to 1951 by Archbishop James T.G. Hayes, S.J.D.D., the first bishop of Cagayan de Oro.

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

Comparing an old 1925 and present photo of the church, the Baroque-style facade of the church seemed to have survived the 1945 bombing but it was greatly altered during the rebuilding.  The semicircular arched windows were replaced by Gothic-style lancet windows, a portico was added and the finials at the ends of the triangular pediment (its raking cornice now adorned with drip molding) were not restored.

Only the base (now square), of the formerly octagonal bell tower (beneath which is the grave of Father Ramon Zueco de San Joaquin who died in 1889 in Cagayan de Oro), on church’s left, remains. A new bell tower, on the church’s right was, instead, built.

Stained glass window

Its nine century-old stained glass windows, the work of well-known masters, depict the life of Christ and came from the Chapel of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart (now the Church of the Sacred Hearts of Mary and Jesus), an old  Gothic-style chapel built in 1882 in New York.

Stained glass window

The bells, hung in the new bell tower in 1950, were fashioned from the church’s old bells shattered during World War II – San Agustin (1807), Santa Ana (1813) and El Salvador (1857).

The Relic Chapel

Just outside the porte-cochere is a wooden Sta. Cruz built by Augustinian Recollect friars in 1888, the only relic that remains of the church’s Hispanic past.

The Spanish-era wooden cross

St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral: Barangay I, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental.  Tel: (088) 857-2139.  Feast of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo: August 28.

How to Get There: Cagayan de Oro City is located 94.4 kilometers (a 2-hour drive) from Malaybalay City (Bukidnon) and 88.7 kilometers (a 1.75-hour drive) from Iligan City (Lanao del Norte).

Old Guiob Church (Catarman, Camiguin)

Old Guiob Church Ruins

After our merienda at The Beehive, we again boarded our multicab for the short 3.3-km. (10-min.) drive to the Church of St. Roche Ruins, our last destination.  Also called the Old Gui-ob Church (Cotta Batto), it is Camiguin’s version of Albay’s Cagsawa Ruins.

Check out “The Beehive” and “Cagsawa Church Ruins

Entrance to the ruins

The National Cultural Treasure plaque

This coral and stone-hewn church, built in 1623 as the parish of San Roque (St. Roche), was half buried by lava flows during the May 1, 1871 eruption of Mt. Hibok-Hibok that created the 838-meter high Vulcan Daan (locally called Tandang Bulkan), a volcanic fissure that spewed out lava and destroyed the town.

Check out “Old Guiob Church Ruins (2001)

All that remains are haunting ruins of the 400-year old church, the rectory and, at the back of the church, the base of the bell tower, beside which is a centuries-old camel tree (locally called doldol). Near the tower is a modern, solar-powered lighthouse.

During my first visit in 2001, a small chapel has been built within the ruins but it has now been removed.

On September 28, 2017, 16 years after our first visit, the church ruins, the nearby Sunken Cemetery and the Moro watchtower were declared as National Cultural Treasures by the National Museum of the Philippines.

Check out “Sunken Cemetery

The author (left) with his son Jandy

The moss-covered, roofless ruins, shaded by large trees,  is now a popular tourist attraction in the province and is a peaceful place to roam around.

Church of St. Roche Ruins: National Highway, Brgy.Bonbon, Catarman, Camiguin. Admission: Php50/pax.

How to Get There: The ruins are located 16 kilometers from Catarman and 20 kilometers from Mambajao proper.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Basco, Batanes)

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Just 110 m. from the Casa Real is the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  Also called the Basco Cathedral or the Church of St. Dominic Guzman, this church is the oldest in the province.

Check out “Casa Real

Established in 1783, it is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Patroness of Batanes Prelature, and was first built, with cogon and wood, in 1783, by Father Baltazar Calderon and Father Bartolome Artiguez.  It was later destroyed by a typhoon. In 1795, the church was rebuilt in stone by Father Francisco de Paula Esteban.

National Historical Institute (NHI) plaque

The present church was built in 1812 by the Father Nicolas Castaño who shortened the nave.  It 1860, the church was burned and, in 1863, it was reconstructed by Father Antonio Vicente.  In 1891, its roof was replaced with galvanized iron by Father Mariano Gomez.

The cathedral interior

In 1950, the church was refurbished by Bishop Peregrin de la Fuente.  In 2002, it was elevated into a cathedral.  During the July 16, 2000 magnitude 7 earthquake, its façade fell to the ground but, under Bishop Jose Salazar, OP, the cathedral was rebuilt, in its original form, by Father Henry Romero, and completed in 2011.

Altar retablo

The church was built in the espadaña style, with two round arches for its two bells on the upper portion of the façade.  Massive pilasters buttress the church walls from foundation to top.

It incorporates the original front and north walls while the rear and south walls are inside the original ruins.  The church is one of the first limestone buildings to be built under the Spanish regime.  The 2-storey convent, beside the church, was built in 1814 by Father Nicolas Castaño.

The 2-storey convent

Mounted in a monument, on the cathedral’s left, is the 1783 Mission Bell, a gift of King Charles III of Spain which was brought by pioneering Dominican friars Baltazar Calderon and Bartolome Artiguez, on board the packet boat Nuestra Senoña de Carmen, which arrived in Batanes on June 4, 1783 and was first rung, during the first Holy Mass celebrated on the plains of Basco, on June 8 and, later, on June 26, during the formal establishment of the Basco Mission.

Mission Bell of Basco – 1783

On March 2018, it was removed, from the belfry, and replaced by new bells from Holland. The 1783 bell was installed, in a monument funded by the Hermanidad de Sto. Domingo de Basco, and blessed on August 15, 2020.

Church of St. Dominic de Guzman: National Road, Basco, 3900 Batanes.  Mobile number: (0947) 209-6510. Feast of St. Dominic de Guzman: August 8.

How to Get There: Philippine Airlines has one hour and 45 minute flights from Manila to Basco.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel (Basco, Batanes)

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel (Tukon Chapel)

After checking in and having a breakfast of fried dibang (flying fish) with pako salad, fried egg and rice at Bernardo’s Lantia Hotel, we were all picked, at 12 noon, by our guide Harvey Gutierrez for our North Batan Tour on board a Toyota van of A.A.B. Travel and Tours.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Bernardo’s Lantia Hotel”

Harbour Cafe

A short 2.3 km. (5-min.) drive brought us to Harbour Café where we had lunch before starting our tour.  The café has a good view of Basco Port.

After lunch, we again boarded our van for another short, 2.9-km. (7-min.) drive to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel.  Parking along the road, we climbed a short flight of steps to get to the chapel.

Grace and Jandy

Also known as Tukon (tukon means “mountain” in the Ivatan dialect) Chapel, this project of the late Henedina “Dina” R. Abad (former Batanes Congresswoman) and her husband Florencio “Butch” B. Abad (former Department of Education Secretary) was built to help Tukon’s residents, especially the older ones, avoid the long walk to Basco to attend church services.

Interior of the chapel

Adopting the design of a traditional Ivatan house (stacking and bonding boulders to make a wall), local craftsmen, masons and carpenters built the church and it is the only chapel embodying such design. Noted architects Jose Ramon “Joven” Ignacio and Cristina “Tina” V. Turralba (our UP College of Architecture professor) helped complete the design.

The altar

The beautiful chapel was officially opened on May 3, 2008, in time for the wedding of Rep. Abad’s daughter Julia, who is also the Presidential Chief of Staff, to Englishman Andrew Parker.

Wooden spiral stairway leading to choir loft

 

Stations of the Cross – The Crucifixion

The stained-glass windows and the hardwood pews are contributions from the Abads’ friends and family. The ceiling of the chapel was once covered with paintings, painted by scholars of the Pacita Abad Center for the Arts, of the patron saints standing in front of the churches of the six municipalities of Batanes.  The chapel was featured in the 2015 film You’re My Boss, starring Toni Gonzaga and Coco Martin.

Coco Martin and Toni Gonzaga at Tukon Chapel

Coco and Toni about to enter the chapel. The lianas at the pergola, destroyed by the 2016 typhoon, are currently being regrown.

Unfortunately, Mt. Carmel Chapel was one of the churches destroyed during the strong super typhoon Ferdie (international name: Meranti) that hit Batanes on September 13, 2016. The interior ceiling collapsed, including the image of St. Joseph the Worker, their patron saint.

Coco and Toni inside the chapel. The painting behind the crucifix is no longer there.

Sitting humbly atop a foothill, Tukon Chapel, a perfect wedding venue, has stunning and gorgeous views of Mt. Iraya, and the waves of both the West Philippine Sea, on the left, and the roaring Pacific Ocean, on the right.  It was featured in the 2015 movie You’re My Boss (starring Toni Gonzaga and Coco Martin).

Our tour group

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Chapel: Sitio Tukon, Brgy. Chanarian, 3900 Basco.  Sunday masses are held for the community at 4 PM.

How to Get There: The easiest way to get to the chapel is via tour provider or a tricycle. From the Basco Municipal Hall, take the National Road till you reach the chapel on top of the hill.

Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Bacoor City, Cavite)

Church of St. Michael the Archangel

The original church, in one of the oldest parishes in Cavite (established as a separate parish, from Kawit, on January 18, 1752), was made from wood, stone, bamboo and nipa in 1669 and used to face Bacoor Bay.

The church’s Baroque facade

In October 1762, due to its strategic location, the church and convent was destroyed by the British on their way to occupy Cavite Puerto (now Cavite City).  In 1774, it was rebuilt in stone and, from 1788 to 1820, Fr. Domingo Sevilla Pilapil rebuilt the church in stone and mortar, adding the retablo, bell tower and patio.

Plaza Gomes

After the June 3, 1863 Manila earthquake, the church was reoriented inland (to prevent entry of sea water during high tides),  rebuilt, and enlarged with adobe, from 1863 to 1870, by parish priest (from June 2, 1824 to 1872) Fr. Mariano Gomes delos Angeles (of GOMBURZA fame) and Architect Felix Rojas (who later designed the Neo-Gothic Church of Sto. Domingo in Intramuros, Manila).  In 1872, after Fr. Gomes’ execution on February 17, the administration of the church was turned over to the Augustinian Recollect Fr. Juan Gomez.

The church’s three-storey bell tower

The National Historical Commission plaque installed in 2022

On May 31, 1898, during the Philippine Revolution, revolutionaries raised the Philippine flag on the bell tower.  After the revolution, the church was returned to the secular clergy. 

Important Cultural Property Marker

The present structure is what remained of this once longest church in Cavite, which once measured 20 brazas (33.4 m.) long and 5.5 brazas (9.9 m.) wide), after a third of the church was destroyed, on June 13, 1899, during the Philippine-American War.

The church interior

The choir loft area

On December 28, 2020, the church, as well as the nearby Cuenca House, were declared as an Important Cultural Properties by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the National Museum of the Philippines.

The main altar

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church’s Baroque façade has a segmental arch main entrance (topped by a segmental arch statued niche), flanked by coupled flat pilasters, with Doric capitals and urn-like finials, and narrow, semicircular arched windows.  The triangular pediment has a centrally located, semicircular arch niche with a statue of St. Michael the Archangel.

The three-storey bell tower, on the church’s right, has a square base with coupled flat pilasters (also topped by Doric capitals) and a segmental arch open and blind (where the “Simbahan ng Bacoor” plaque is mounted) windows.  The upper two storeys, in receding planes, are octagonal, with blind and open, semicircular arch windows.

Inside is a narrow nave, exposed roof trusses with no ceiling, a main altar and two side altars.  Along the walls are burial niches.

One of the burial niches along the walls

In 2021, a historical marker and a bust of Fr. Mariano Gomes was installed front of the church convent, built in 1843 by Fr. Gomes.

The convent on the church’s left

The Padre Mariano Gomes Marker

Church of St. Michael the Archangel: Gen. E. Evangelista St., Poblacion, 4102 Bacoor City, Cavite.Tel: (046) 436-0456, 434-5679 (office) and 434-6466 (rectory). E-mail: sanmiguelbacoor@gmail.com.  Feast of St. Michael the Archangel: May 12.

How to Get There: Bacoor City is located 24.5 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Manila and 26.5 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Trece Martires City.  The church, right in front of the city’s Hall of Justice and Justice B. Ocampo Park, is located near the City Hall.

St. Ferdinand Parish Church (City of Ilagan, Isabela)

St. Ferdinand Parish Church

The St. Ferdinand Parish Proto-Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Isabela, is located beside St. Ferdinand College and Rizal Park.  The present foundations of the present church was built, from 1696 to 1700, by Fr. Miguel Matos, O.P.,  as a mamposteria and brick church.

In 1777, the solid belfry (existing up to present) was started by Fr. Pedro de San Pedro, O.P., and finished, in 1783, by Fr. Joaquin Sancho, O.P.. In 1786, the bell of the church was forged.  On December 20, 1803, the church became the final resting place of Nueva Segovia Bishop Agustin Pedro Blaquer, OSA, who died in Ilagan on December 19, 1803 after he got sick during his visit to Cauayan. He was interred at the Epistle side of the church.

Old photo of the church probably showing the 1930 facade (St. Ferdinand Official Facebook account)

In 1829, Fr. Luis Garcia, O.P., constructed the sacristy  of ladrillo and finished in 1833. The 1866 typhoon destroyed the church dome and Fr. Pablo Almazan, O.P., demolished major portions of the church’s solid walls in order to build a bigger one.  In 1892, Fr. Isidro Martinena, O.P., established a campo santo (cemetery) in Barangay Santo Tomas, located outside of Ilagan poblacion.

Another old photo of the church, probably showing the 1960s renovation as the buttresses are now more prominent and entrance and stained glass windows have been modified. (photo: hiSTORYA)

The present façade and major parts of the church were constructed in the 1930s. It was renovated in the 1960s. The bell tower, sanctuary, sacristy, parish hall and the old campo santo are the remaining traces of the Spanish-era church.

The present Baroque facade. The buttresses  are now rounded and the stained glass windows and blind arches have also been modified.

During a recent renovation, the ladrillo details of the sanctuary, the Epistle side and Gospel side of the church were once again revealed after the cement were chipped-off.  The ladrillo fence of the campo santo could still be recognized.

AUTHOR’S NOTES

The church’s single level Baroque façade has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked by massive circular buttresses (in turn topped by urn-like finials) and semicircular blind arches (with two smaller semicircular arches within).

Above  the main entrance is a corbelled cornice with a blind semicircular arch enclosing three (one big flanked by two small) semicircular arch stained glass windows.  The triangular pediment, with broken curves along the top, has a centrally located blind rose window.

On the church’s left is the original four-storey square bell tower.  It has narrow semicircular windows, paired Solomonic columns (topped by urn-like finials) at the corners and is topped by a pyramidal roof

 

In 1973, the church became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan, a suffragan diocese (founded on January 31, 1979) of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuguegarao. However, in 2003, the diocese was transferred to the new Cathedral Church (and Bishops’ Residence) in Barangay Upi, in Gamu, Isabela.  In 2013, the present cathedral was placed under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel. Despite the transfer, both city and diocese still remain under the patronage of St. Ferdinand III of Castile, whose feast day is celebrated on May 30. At present, the centuries-old structure is designated as a proto-cathedral by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan.

The 4-storey bell tower is all that remained of the original Spanish-era church

On October 29, 2023, a mass was held for the celebration of the first Holy Rosary Festival wherein the pilgrim image of the St. Ferdinand Parish – Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary was episcopally crowned by Most Rev. David William V. Antonio, D.D., STHD., bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan.

The April 22, 2024 fire that engulfed the church (photo: Rappler)

On April 22, 2024, Monday, at around 11:40 AM, a devastating fire started from the roof of the church while workers were installing steel trusses on the church’s ceiling,  It was extinguished after an hour but most of its interior was destroyed. The final investigation report of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) identified the total cost of the damages is estimated to be around P35-40 million which include antique religious items among others. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Ilagan City Engineering Office conducted a series of tests and studies which revealed that only around 20-30% of the structural integrity of the church remained after the fire took down most of its interior.

The burnt out interior of the church (photo: Philippine News Agency)

Just days after the fire that destroyed the proto-cathedral, the City Government of Ilagan, in coordination with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan, were able to put up a temporary altar and steel benches covered with aluminum roofing sheets and steel trusses in the church-front courtyard (often referred by locals as the Family Park). Since April 28, 2024, while the clearing and restoration of the church is still ongoing, all regular masses of the parish were temporarily being held, by parish priest Fr. Ric-Zeus Angobang (he became parish priest in August 2023), in the make-shift altar.

St. Ferdinand Parish Church: Centro Poblacion, 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 624-2467.  Mobile number: (0997) 068-9967.

City Tourism Office: 2/F, City Hall Bldg., 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 624-1511. E-mail: tourism@cityofilagan.gov.ph.

City of Ilagan Tourist Information and Assistance Center: Bonifacio Park, 3300 City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 324-7769.  E-mail: ilaganinfocenter@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: The City of Ilagan is located 429.3 kms. (an 8-hour drive) from Manila and 35.5 kms. (a 1-hour drive) from Cauayan City.

Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (Manila)

Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (Church of St. Vincent de Paul)

The airy and relatively cool Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (the original and established center for the propagation of the Miraculous Medal and the Vista Domiciliaria), formerly the Church of St. Vincent de Paul, had its beginning in 1872 when the Vincentians bought a piece of land in the barrio of San Marcelino (a part of the Parish of San Fernando de Dilao in Paco) which was a rice field near the Pasig River.

Plaque installed by the Historical Research and Markers Committee in 1935

The house they built served as refuge to the seminarians and Vincentians housed in the San Carlos Seminary which was destroyed, together with most buildings in Intramuros, by the July 1880 earthquake.

The church portico

A chapel, adjacent to the Vincentian Central House, was built in 1883.  Later, the chapel was used as a church, from 1898 to 1909, when the church and convent of Paco were destroyed by the American forces in retaliation for their initial defeat by the Filipino forces following the declaration of war against the Americans in 1899. The parish was canonically established on December 6 1909 by Archbishop Jeremiah Harty (an alumnus of the Diocesan Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri which was under the direction of the Vincentians).

Historical plaque installed by the National Museum in 2018 declaring the church as an Important Cultural Property

The present concrete church was designed by Architect Andres Luna de San Pedro (son of the great Filipino painter Juan N. Luna) and built in 1912 (the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Vincentians and the Sisters of Charity in the Philippines) by Belgian missionaries.

Decree of Erection

During World War II, the Japanese occupied the church for almost 7 months and, during the Battle of Manila in February 1945, was badly damaged when the Japanese burned the interior of the church, massacring scholars, professors and Vincentian Fathers who were living there.

Dedication of the archdiocesan shrine

From 1946, the dome, belfries and roof were restored and fitted with a stained glass windows. From 2007 to 2010, the pillars and walls were retrofitted; the galvanized iron of the roof was replaced with long-span, blue-colored sheets; the wooden trusses were replaced with steel trusses; and the entire exterior and interior walls of the church were repainted.

Interior of the church

On September 10, 2022, seismic base isolators (acting like wheels to stabilize the building during earthquakes) were mounted, by RBRA Consulting Firm, on the pillars of the church, making it the first earthquake-resistant church in the Philippines.

Painting of St. Vincent de Paul flanked by stained glass windows

On December 5, 2018, the church was declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines and, on July 16, 2023, it was elevated into an archdiocesan shrine by Manila Archbishop Jose F. Cardinal Advincula.  On that same date, the newly-renovated retablo (altar backpiece) was also blessed.

 

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church has a Latin Cross layout and a dome.  Its two-level Baroque façade has balustraded portico with semicircular arched main entrance flanked by flat pilasters (with Corinthian capitals) and two smaller, semicircular arched entrances (topped by festoons) at the first level.  Above the main entrance, at the second level, is a rose window flanked by two semicircular arched windows.  

The triangular pediment, topped by a statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, has a centrally located bas relief also of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Flanking the façade are two four-storey, square bell towers with semicircular arched windows. The receding fourth level has a balustrade.

The main altar with its newly-renovated retablo (altar backpiece)

Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal: 959 San Marcelino St., Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila.  Telefax: 2525-7853 and 2524-2022 local 101.  Feast of St. Vincent de Paul: September 27.  Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal: November 27.

How to Get There: The church is located within Adamson University (the church is commonly called Adamson Church), beside the university’s CS Walkway and SV Building.  The nearest bus stop to Adamson University is D. Romualdez Sr./United Nations Ave..

Church of St. Rose of Lima (Gamu, Isabela)

Church of St. Rose of Lima

This church, constructed in 1738 by Fr. Martin Fernandez, OP, was, together with the convent, destroyed by the strong Intensity 6 earthquake on December 29, 1949. From 1950-1951, a wooden church was constructed, next to the ruins of the Spanish church. La Salette missionary, Fr. Maurice Cardenal, started the restoration of the Spanish church. In 1968, a new roof was constructed together with the flooring.

The Baroque-style, brick facade

In March 1978, CICM missionary Fr. John Couvreur, the 75th parish priest, completely renovated the interior of the church and, in March 1979, the ruins of the sacristy were restored and transformed into a week day chapel.  From 1950 to 1951, a new brick bell tower, in Spanish style, was built but was later dismantled and the recovered materials were used to build chapels in several barrios.  From the ruins of the convent, a multi-purpose hall and dormitory were put up for seminars and meetings.

The paired columns (round and square) flanking the main entrance

On June 24, 1993, the roof and ceiling of the church was destroyed by typhoon Goring.  It was restored, in a short time, and a beautiful ceiling was built.  The church houses a life-size image of the Peruvian nun Rose of Lima, the patron saint of embroidery, gardening, and cultivation of blooming flowers.

The National Museum historical plaque

On June 27, 2019, the National Museum of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) recognized the church, and its surrounding complex, as an Important Cultural Property and, on May 12, 2023, a historical marker was installed. This church, as well as the Church of Our Lady of Atocha in Alicia, and the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar in Cauayan City, are examples of what is called as the “Cagayan Style” of Spanish churches that was inspired by the Tuguegarao church.

Check out Church of Our Lady of Atocha and Church of Our Lady of the Pillar

The modern interior

AUTHOR’S NOTES

The church’s Baroque-style, brick façade has a semicircular arch main entrance flanked by paired (one square and one round) pilasters, above which are semicircular arched windows, and semicircular arch niches for statues (currently empty).  The undulating pediment, capped by pinnacles, has a small, centrally located rose window.

On the church’s right is a three-storey, square bell tower, with receding storeys, semicircular arch blind window on the first storey, segmental arch open windows on the two upper storeys and a pyramidal roof.  On the church’s left is the brick convent which is now a multipurpose hall, used for seminars and meetings, and a dormitory.

The main altar and retablo

Church of St. Rose of Lima: Poblacion, 3301 GamuIsabela.  Mobile numbers: (0916) 680-3680 and (0936) 360-1064.   E-mail: srlgamu@zoho.com. Feast of St. Rose of Lima: August 23.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: Gamu is located 413.4 kms. (a 7.75-hour drive) from Manila and 21.5 kms.(a 30-min. drive) from the City of Ilagan.  The church is located in front of the town’s municipal hall.

National Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang (Gamu, Isabela)

National Shrine of Our Lady of Visitation of Guibang

This pilgrimage site, the Philippines’ eighth national shrine (declared as such on February 13, 1986), is the only national shrine in the northern Ecclesiastical Province of Tuguegarao, comprising the Tuguegarao archdiocese and the Diocese of Ilagan and Bayombong.

It is consecrated to the miraculous pilgrim image of Blessed Virgin Mary of Guibang which was episcopally crowned, by the Most Rev. Carmine Rocco, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, on May 26, 1973 at the former St. Ferdinand Cathedral (now St. Ferdinand Parish Church) in the City of Ilagan.

Historical Plaque

 

The original 750 sq. m. shrine, built in 1726, had a unique façade of layered bricks and stone.  In December 2018, construction of a larger, 1,100 sq. m. church, which can hold around 750 seats and a full-standing area capacity of around 1,200 people, began on the same location.

The church interior

While the construction was ongoing, liturgical services and devotional activities were held in the adjacent Poor Clare Monastery.

Main altar and retablo

The newly rebuilt and larger pilgrim church was blest and dedicated, by Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown, on February 3, 2023. The church comes alive on July 2 of every year when religious pilgrims from all walks of life come to offer prayers of good health, peace, abundance and good voyage among many other intentions.

Miraculous image of Our Lady of Visitation of Guibang

National Shrine of Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang: National Highway, Brgy. Guibang, 3301 Gamu, Isabela.  Mobile numbers: (0920) 503-311 and (0915) 499-1058. E-mail: ourladyofguibang@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: Gamu is located 413.4 kms. (a 7.75-hour drive) from Manila and 21.5 kms.(a 30-min. drive) from the City of Ilagan.

Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral (Roxas City, Capiz

Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral

The Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral , considered one of the most beautiful in the country, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Capiz.  Fronting the city plaza, opposite the Panay River and the Capiz Bridge (built in 1910), it was first built before 1698 but was destroyed during the January 4, 1698 typhoon.

The church’s Baroque facade

The church was rebuilt by Augustinian Father Domingo Horbegozo from 1728 to 1732, was damaged during the July 13, 1787 earthquake and was rebuilt with stone and galvanized iron from 1870 to 1885 by Father Apolinar Alvarez.  Father Alvarez also built the cemetery and installed an organ in 1885.  From 1885 to 1890, Father Lesmes Perez installed a ceiling of galvanized iron and plastered the walls with stucco.  It was reconstructed in 1954.

Following the creation of the Diocese of Capiz on January 27, 1951, the parish church was elevated into a cathedral.. However, the diocese retained the old name of Capiz as it predates the change of the city name to Roxas on April 11, 1951.

The church interior

The cathedral’s Baroque facade has a simple, semicircular arched main entrance flanked by two canopied, statued niches on the lateral panels and topped by a segmental pediment atop the string cornice of the first level.  It also has pilasters (decorative engaged pillars) with floral flutings and windows with segmented arch canopies and Baroque volutes (spiral scrolls).

The choir loft

Its architrave (beam spanning columns), devoid of embellishments, has a rectangular base topped by a broken curvilinear pediment (triangular gable) decorated with a statued niche in the center.  The cathedral is also one of the few churches where the dome and the roof are not held up by a single column traversing the interior of the church.

The main altar

The four-storey, rectangular bell tower on the left has one semicircular arched window on the first level and four in the highest level.  Inside the church is a main altar and two side altars.

Left side altar

Right side altar

Immaculate Concepcion Metropolitan Cathedral: Arsobispo Street, Roxas City, Capiz.  Tel: (036) 621-0617 and (036) 621-0327.  E-mail: immaculateconcepcion1@gmail.com.  Coordinates: 11°35′01″N 122°45′11″E.  Feat of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception: December 8.

 

How to Get There: Roxas City is located 110.5 kilometers (a 2.5-hour drive via the Iloilo East Coast-Capiz Road) from Iloilo City and 77.4 kilometers (a 1.75-hour drive via the Western Nautical Highway) from Kalibo (Aklan).