Category Archives: Churches

Church of the Immaculate Conception and Fort Culion (Culion, Palawan)

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The Church of the Immaculate Conception

The Church of the Immaculate Conception

From the town proper, we all boarded tricycles to take us, up a high promontory, to the town’s magnificent Church of the Immaculate Conception, originally built in 1746 by the Recollects.  It is located within the quadrilateral Fort Culion which was built in 1683 by Fr. Juan de Severo and renovated in 1740.

The church promontory

The church promontory

The fort was partially demolished in the 1930s by American Jesuit Fr. Hugh McNutty to build a larger church, with some of the fort’s original coral rock  used for the nave.  The church was completed in 1933.  Both the fort and church share the same main entrance.

Royal seal of King Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain

Royal seal of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain

AUTHOR’s NOTES:

The church’s 2-level Baroque facade has semicircular arched main entrance flanked by pilasters and seemingly topped by the royal seal of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. The entrance, in turn, is flanked by niches with statues of angels.

The church's interior

The church’s interior

The second level has a centrally located niche with the statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception flanked by semicircular arch windows.  Above is a segmental (half-moon) pediment with a centrally located oculus. On the church’s right is a bell tower.

Part of the remaining fort walls

Part of the remaining fort walls

The painted ceiling inside the church is obviously new, but before it was repainted, the original ceiling was painted in 1978 by leper patient Ben Amores, based on the design of Jesuit Fr. Javier Olazabal.  To do the paintings, the handicapped Amores, who had no hands, had brushes tied to his arms and was lifted up. In 2003, Jesuit Fr. Gabriel Gonzalez initiated the restoration and renovation of the church.

One of the fort's two remaining cannons

One of the fort’s two remaining cannons

Today, only a round bastion (turned into a lighthouse), with two carriage-less Spanish-era cannons (one I noticed had 1762A stamped on it, probably indicating the year it was cast), located behind the church sanctuary, and part of the wall are all that remains of Fort Culion.  Here, the view of the ocean and Culion town is spectacular.

Our media group at the fort's remaining round bastion

Our media group at the fort’s remaining round bastion

View of the town and sea from the bastion

View of the town and sea from the bastion

Culion Tourism Office:  mobile number: (0921) 394-7106 (Pastor Hermie Villanueva). E-mail: herme_1670@yahoo.com.ph.

How to Get There: Culion is a 1.5 to 2-hour motorized outrigger boat ride from Coron town.

How to Get to Coron: Skyjet Airlines has 4 times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, 10:30 AM) flights from Manila (NAIA Terminal 4) to Coron (Francisco Reyes Airport).  Travel time is 30 mins.   

Asia Grand View Hotel: Governor’s Ave., Jolo, Brgy. 5, Coron, Palawan.  Tel:(+632) 788-3385. Mobile number: (0999) 881-7848. E-mail: gsd@asiagrandview.com. Manila sales office: Unit 504, Richmonde Plaza, 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  Tel: (+632) 695-3078 and 531-8380.  Mobile number: (0917) 550-7373 to 75 Fax: (+632) 695-3078.  E-mail: info@asiagrandview.com. Website: www.asiagrandview.com. 

Skyjet Airlines: Manila Domestic Airport, Parking A, Terminal 4, NAIA Complex, Brgy. 191, Pasay City, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 863-1333. E-mail: sales@skyjetair.com. Website: www.skyjetair.com.

Church of St. Francis Xavier (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

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St. Francis Xavier Church

St. Francis Xavier Church

From Thien Hau Pagoda, we again boarded our van and proceeded to Church of St. Francis Xavier, one of the most popular attractions in Ho Chi Minh City. Located at the center of Cho Lon (Chinatown), this pleasing light-caramel and white painted church, built for the Chinese in Saigon, exudes a sleepy, tropical feel.

The spacious church compound

The spacious church compound

In 1898, Fr. François Xavier Tam Assou (1855–January 24,1934), a Chinese-born vicar apostolic (delegate of the pope) of Saigon, was sent to Cho Lon by the local bishop to take care of the city’s Chinese Christians. His first act was to build a church for them and construction of the church began on December 3, 1900, the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, when Lucien-Émile Mossard (October 24, 1851-February 12, 1920), Bishop of Saigon, placed the first stone for the church.

Tomb of Fr. François Xavier Tam Assou

Tomb of Fr. François Xavier Tam Assou

On January 10, 1902, the church was inaugurated and dedicated to St. Francis Xavier (whom Fr. Tam was named after). After that, Fr. Tam also built a school, a kindergarten, a boarding house, and houses for rent in the church. In 1990, the church steeple and the sanctuary were refurbished.

Plaque commemorating Vietnamese martyrs

Plaque commemorating Vietnamese martyrs

However, any discussion of this church’s history needs to include its darker side. On November 2, 1963, then South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother Ngo Dinh Nhu were seized inside this church.  They sought refuge here in a doomed effort to escape a coup attempt after fleeing the Presidential Palace (now the Reunification Palace) through a secret tunnel network.

When their efforts to contact loyal military officers (of whom there were almost none) failed, Diem and Nhu agreed to surrender unconditionally and revealed where they were hiding. Another version states that an informant recognized the brothers as they walked across the church’s courtyard on the morning of the 2nd. The coup leaders sent an M-113 armored personnel carrier to the church and, around 10 AM, the two were taken into custody while they were praying inside.

The plan was to transport them to the Vietnamese Joint General Staff Headquarters, then exile the brothers to a new country, far from Southeast Asia. However, before the vehicle reached central Saigon, the zealous and angry soldiers had killed Diem and Nhu by shooting them at point-blank range and then repeatedly stabbing their bodies. Diem was subsequently buried in an unmarked grave not far from the US ambassador’s residence. What followed was a political scandal, an attempted cover-up and an international investigation that ended with no one being prosecuted for the killings.

When news of the deaths was broadcast on radio, Saigon exploded with jubilation. Portraits of the two were torn up and political prisoners, many of whom had been tortured, were set free. The city’s nightclubs, which had closed because of the Ngos’ conservative Catholic beliefs, were reopened. Three weeks later the US president, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated. As his administration had supported the coup against Diem, some conspiracy theorists speculated that Diem’s family orchestrated Kennedy’s death in retaliation.

The church compound (which can be accessed even when the church is closed), covering a large area, offered a good space for us to stroll around. An interesting plaque here commemorates Vietnamese  martyrs. This Gothic-style church is somewhat unique in that it’s decorated with horizontal lacquer boards and wood panels with inscriptions much like the surrounding Chinese style temples.  Pretty red lanterns adorn the church walls.

Statue of Fr. François Xavier Tam Assou at the church steeple

Statue of Fr. François Xavier Tam Assou at the church steeple

The centrally located, 38 m. high tower has a peculiar statue of Fr. Tam and his tomb is located at the entrance wall of the church. The church is often called Cha Tam (Father Tam) Church (Nha Tho Cha Tam).

The rib vaulted church interior

The rib vaulted church interior

The mint green and white interior, with its rib vault ceiling, is decorated with images of the Stations of the Cross, while holy water is dispensed from huge clam shells. A pew in the church is marked with a small plaque identifying the spot where President Ngo Dinh Diem was seized.  Today, the church, one of Saigon’s more active, is far removed from the brutality of yesteryears and has a very active congregation of 3,000 ethnic Vietnamese and 2,000 ethnic Chinese parishioners.

L-R: Jandy, the author, Kyle, Cheska and Grace

L-R: Jandy, the author, Kyle, Cheska and Grace

Cha Tam Church: 25 Học Lạc St.,  District 5, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam. Tel: +84 8 3856 0274. Open daily, 7 AM – 12 noon, 2 – 6 PM and 7 – 9 PM. Masses, in both Vietnamese and Chinese (Mandarin), are held daily.

Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great (Legaspi City, Albay)

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Also called the Albay Cathedral, the first church was buried in 1754 and destroyed during the February 1, 1814 eruption of Mayon Volcano. The present cathedral, located near Penaranda Park, was built in 1834 mainly through the generosity of Pedro Romero.  During World War II, the church was damaged by American bombers and its reconstruction continued until 1951.

The Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great

The Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great

That same year, when the Episcopal Seat of the Diocese of Legaspi was established, the church was elevated to become a cathedral. Its nominal patron is Our Lady Mother of Salvation while its secondary patron is Pope St. Gregory the Great. In 2001, during the golden jubilee of the church, a gate with monolithic pillars and arch was constructed.

The simple Romanesque-style facade

The simple Romanesque-style facade

The church’s simple Romanesque-style façade has a semicircular arched main entrance with a projecting portico, both flanked by niches with statues of St. Raphael and St. Peter, and superpositioned coupled columns on pedestals supporting a triangular pediment. At the ends are single superpositioned columns with a pinnacle on top. The pediment and second level are separated by an entablature.

The centrally located square bell tower

The centrally located square bell tower

The second level has a centrally located rose window flanked by rectangular windows.  Above the pediment is a centrally located square bell tower.  The side entrances have semicircular arched entrances flanked by superpositioned fluted columns.  Above the entrances are statued niches.

Side entrances with a statued niche above it

A side entrance. A niche with the statue of St. Lorenzo Ruiz is above it

Cathedral of St. Gregory the Great: Mons. F. Reyes St., Old Albay District, Legazpi City, 4500, Albay. Tel (052) 820 4603.

City Mayor’s Office: City Hall, National Highway, Legaspi City, 4500, Albay. Tel.: (052) 820-1400.

City Tourism Office: Legaspi City, 4500, Albay. Tel: (052) 480-2698 and (052) 820-1843. Website: www.legaspi.gov.ph.

How to Get There: Legaspi City is located 556 kms. southeast of Manila.

Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Malilipot, Albay)

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Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

The town’s church was first built in 1789 by Fr. Simeon Vasquez. The present church was started in 1851 and completed in 1877.The church grounds have a good view of Mayon Volcano.

The Baroque-style, 2-level facade

The Baroque-style, 2-level facade

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

Its 2-level Baroque façade has a semicircular, recessed arched main entrance, in varying widths, flanked, on each side, by 3 pilasters (the center one taller and wider than the other two), all mounted on pedestals. These, in turn, are flanked by semicircular arched windows.

A trio of columns

A trio of columns

The main entrance

The main entrance with recessed arches in varying widths

The second level has a semicircular arched niche with a statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (below which is stamped the year “1877”) flanked, on both sides, by a pilaster and a semicircular arched window.  All throughout the façade are decorative scrollwork while the statued niche has a fleur de lis keystone.  The triangular pediment has a centrally located oculus.

Niche with statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Niche with statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Detail of decorative scrollwork

Detail of decorative scrollwork

The whole façade is flanked by two 4-storey, hexagonal bell towers topped by domes. The two levels are separated by an entablature with a frieze of decorative, alternating diamond and floral patterns which continues around the bell towers.

The modern church interior

The modern church interior

The bell tower with Mt. Mayon on its left

The bell tower with Mt. Mayon on its left

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church: Poblacion, 4510 Malilipot, Albay.  Tel: (052) 325 8965 and 558-2379.

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4510 Malilipot, Albay. Tel.: (052) 820-7950

Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne (Malinao, Albay)

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The Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne was built by Franciscan Fr. Francisco de Sta. Ana in 1619, destroyed by lahar triggered by a typhoon during the 1766 Mayon Volcano eruption and later rebuilt.

Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne

Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne

Author’s notes:

This church’s simple Romanesque façade has semicircular arch main entrance (above which is a rose window) flanked by rectangular windows and superpositioned coupled columns on pedestals that extend to the second level.  At the ends of the facade are single superpositioned columns topped by pinnacles. On the church’s right is the four-storey bell tower.

The church facade

The church facade

The bell tower

The 4-storey bell tower

Its triangular pediment above the second level features a remarkable relief sculpture of St. Anne holding baby Mary, riding a cow and chasing off pirates.  St. Anne is credited with saving Malinao from a pirate attack.

Bas relief at the triangular pediment

Bas relief at the triangular pediment

The church's modern interior

The church’s modern interior

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4512 Malinao, Albay. Tel.: (052) 488-4550

How to Get There: Malinao is located 545 kms. from Manila, 5 kms. from Tabaco City and 32 kms. northeast of Legaspi City.

Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr (Tiwi, Albay)

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Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr

Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr

Tiwi’s present church, built in 1829, replaced the town’s original church which was built in 1776,  by Franciscan Fr. Pedro de Brosas at the mouth of a site called Tuytoy (“bridge”) Swamps.  The church was burned by Moro pirates and later abandoned due to its vulnerability to typhoon-induced tidal waves.

The centrally located, square bell tower and triangular pediment

The centrally located, square bell tower and triangular pediment

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church’s dark, simple but charming façade is dominated by a centrally located, square bell tower, and it’s gently protruding, semicircular arched main entrance, flanked by coupled columns, is topped by a triangular pediment with a centrally located oculus.

Superpositioned coupled columns with pinnacles

Superpositioned coupled columns with pinnacles

Flanking the main entrance are two statued niches and another set of coupled columns capped by pointed pinnacles.  The first level is separated from the triangular pediment by an entablature.

The modern church interior

The modern church interior

Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr: San Lorenzo St., Sitio Basag, Brgy. Tigbi, 4513 Tiwi, Albay.  Tel: (052) 488 5107. Feast of St. Lawrence the Martyr: August 10.

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4513 Tiwi, Albay.  Tel.: (052) 435-4866.

Sinimbahan Ruins (Tiwi, Albay)

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Along the road opposite the town’s market, our media group made a stopover at the Sinimbahan Ruins, the roofless remains of Tiwi town’s original church which was built, in 1776,  by Franciscan Fr. Pedro de Brosas at the mouth of a site called Tuytoy (“bridge”) Swamps,    The church was burned by Moro pirates in 1846 and later abandoned due to its vulnerability to typhoon-induced tidal waves.

Sinimbahan Ruins

Sinimbahan Ruins

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

All that remains of this single-nave church are the crumbling volcanic stone walls, and the buttresses that support it, and the equally sorry-looking bell tower on the church’s left. The walls are heavily overgrown with foliage and enveloped by roots of banyan (locally called balete) trees which cling to the cracks and crevices of the walls, making the ruins look charming but, actually slowly destroying it.

A child lounging by a church window

A child lounging by a church window

Three remaining church buttresses

Three remaining church buttresses

The interior walls once had a glass-encased, embedded niche which contained human bones but the glass and the bones have long disappeared. The niche seems to have been used as a grilling oven.  Other walls, probably that of the adjoining convent, now form part of a pottery factory.

Remains of the bell tower

Remains of the bell tower

An attempt has been made to reuse it as a chapel, evidenced by the presence of a lava boulder altar and an image of the Blessed Virgin hanging on the wall but, probably when there are no services being held (or probably abandoned altogether), the interior is used for other purposes.

The lava rock altar

The lava rock altar

During our visit, a tricycle and an owner-type jeep were parked inside and a badminton net and a basketball backboard were also installed for recreation.  There were no church pews or other furniture save for two loungers beside the shade-giving walls.

A balete tree slowly making the walls crumble

A balete tree slowly making the walls crumble

The niche that once contained human bones

The niche that once contained human bones

The ruins is listed as a “tourist attraction” in the town but, from the looks of it, neglect, indifference and the corrosive effects of rain and wind will finish what tidal waves failed to totally destroy.  I truly hope that plans for its restoration, similar to that done to the Bancurro Ruins in Naujan (Oriental Mindoro), are in the works.

Part of the church walls used by the pottery factory

Part of the church walls used by the pottery factory

A jeep and tricycle parked inside

A jeep and tricycle parked inside

Sinimbahan Ruins: Brgy. Baybay, 4513 Tiwi, Albay

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, 4513 Tiwi, Albay.  Tel.: (052) 435-4866.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Tabaco City, Albay)

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First built by Franciscan Fr. Pedro de Alcareso in 1616, the present structure, built by secular clergy, was completed in a period of 16 years (1864-1879).  The stately Baroque-style church was declared as a National Landmark on August 1, 1973 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260 and amended by Presidential Decree No. 1505 on June 11, 1978.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The church was also one of the only two declared sites in Bicol Region that were categorized by the National Museum of the Philippines as a National Cultural Treasure of the country. Its marker was unveiled on June 22, 2012.

4-storey bell tower

4-storey bell tower

Column pinnacle

Column pinnacle

The church, built with dark volcanic soil and stones found in the area, has an unusual floor plan with inexplicable compartments and walls with stones bearing mason marks, rarely seen in the Philippines.  The beautiful bell tower, embedded with Rococo designs, has rocaille elements and a beautiful and unique tower clock.

The cathedral interior

The cathedral interior

City Mayor’s Office: Poblacion, Tabaco City 4511, Albay. Tel.: (052) 487-5200

How to Get There: Tabaco City is located 558 kms. from Manila and 21 kms. (a 45-minute drive) northeast of Legaspi City.

Church of St. John the Baptist (Camalig, Albay)

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First built, with wood and nipa, by Franciscan friars from 1579 to 1580, the second church, together with the “escuela Catolica,” was built with stone in 1605.  This church was destroyed during the 1814 eruption of Mayon Volcano and was rebuilt with solid blocks of volcanic stones from Mayon Volcano, in 1837, by Fr. Francisco Latoba  and Fr. Manuel Brihuega.

Church of St. John the Baptist

Church of St. John the Baptist

In 1845, Fr. Miguel Barcela built the church façade, the escuela Catolica and the bell tower.  The church was finished in 1848. On November 1987, the church was damaged by super typhoon Sisang, (international name: Nina) losing its roof, ceiling and beams, but was subsequently repaired.

The church facade

The church facade

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church’s first level has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked by superpositioned columns and niches with statues of St. Clare of Assisi and St. Peter the Baptist (San Pedro Bautista).  The second level has rectangular windows of equal sizes. The triangular pediment, above it, has a centrally located niche with a statue of St. John the Baptist, above which is a small oculus.  It is flanked by superpositioned columns and separated from the second level by an entablature.

Plaque installed by the National Historical Commission

Plaque installed by the National Historical Commission

The 4-storey, hexagonal bell tower, on the church’s left, has massive bells and a fine view of Mayon Volcano.  During World War II, it served as a lookout for American troops searching for Japanese stragglers hiding in hillside caves.

The 4-storey, hexagonal bell tower

The 4-storey, hexagonal bell tower

Inside the church is a ceiling painted with some images, chandeliers and burial niches, including a memorial stone honoring a resident who died at the age of 115 years (1797 to 1912).  Its adjacent convent houses a small museum which displays some of the 2,000-year old bones, beadwork, potsherds and other artifacts found from Calabidong Cave.

The church interior

The church interior

Mayor’s Office: Municipal Hall, Poblacion, Camalig, 4502, Albay. Tel.: (052) 484-1965

Municipal Tourism, Culture and Arts Office: Camalig Tourism  and Pasalubong Center, Brgy. 2, Camalig, Albay.  Mobile number: (0927) 621-3315.  E-mail: camalig_tourism@yahoo.com.

Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO): Albay Tourism Bldg., Albay Astrodome Complex, Capt. F. Aquende Drive, 4500 Legaspi City, Albay.  Tel: (052) 481-0250 and (052) 742-0242. E-mail: albaytourism@yahoo.com and albaytourism@gmail.com.

How to Get There: Camalig is located 539 kms. from Manila and 14 kms. northwest of Legaspi City.

Church of St. Francis Xavier (Nasugbu, Batangas)

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Nasugbu’s Church of St. Francis Xavier is a relatively new edifice as much of its construction happened only during the 1990’s.  The Nasugbu parish, once under the jurisdiction of the Parish of the Immaculate Conception in Balayan, underwent a sad and dark turn of events in the past.  Its first chapel, as well as a convent for the parish priest, was built in Brgy. Looc.

Church of St. Francis Xavier

Church of St. Francis Xavier

Later, the town transferred to its present location. In 1852, a church was dedicated to the Nuestra Seňora Virgen de le Escalera and St. Francis Xavier. In 1896, after the people of Nasugbu rose against the Spanish colonial regime, Spanish troops locked up almost 500 men, women and children inside the church and then set the church on fire.

The 4-storey bell tower

The 4-storey bell tower

Another simple, wooden parish church was built on its present site. Eventually, the town’s growing population necessitated the construction of the much larger, present church which was started in the early 1990’s. During the Centennial Celebration of the Archdiocese of Lipa, the church was declared as a Pilgrimage Church.

Antique bell

Antique bell

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church has a Romanesque-style façade with a portico over the driveway supported by fluted columns with Corinthian capitals, on top of which is an entablature and a triangular pediment. The façade’s second level, also topped by a triangular pediment, has a large, centrally located rose window flanked by two smaller circular windows.

In front of the main entrance is the church’s antique bell, forged in Spain and bearing the king’s royal seal. 

The church's interior

The church’s interior

The interior has a magnificent barrel vaulted ceiling painted in the trompe-l’œil style. The main altar, above which is a dome, features expensive hardwood carvings.  It has an antique, larger-than-life restored crucifix. The Immaculate Conception is enthroned on the Gospel side while that of St. Joseph, the patron of Batangas, is placed on the Epistle side. Underneath an antique carving of the Most Blessed Holy Trinity is an image of St. Francis Xavier surmounting the top arch.  The central focus of the magnificent altar is the Tabernacle of the Most Holy Sacrament. Beneath the altar of the church is an ossuarium.

Choir loft

Choir loft

The octagonal, 4-storey bell tower, on the church’s right, is topped by a cupola.  It can be reached by 200 steps in 3 spiral stairways and two wooden ladders. On November 21, 2006, a whole set of 18 carillon bells (the biggest weighed 320 kilos while the smallest weighed 55 kilos) from Paccard-Fonderie de Cloches of Annecy in France, costing PhP4.4 million, were installed at the tower.

Main altar

Main altar

The carillon plays in two musical scales of 18 bells, three are swinging big bells (moving to and fro and making sounds in each movement) and 15 are fixed (do not move and are struck by clappers outside), each producing a distinct tone set by its manufacturer in France. Thus, 18 bells mean 18 notes.

Trompe l'oeil ceiling

Trompe l’oeil ceiling

Church of St. Francis Xavier: J.P. Laurel St., Nasugbu, Batangas. Tel: (043) 931 – 5186.