Category Archives: Churches

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral (Davao City, Davao del Sur)

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St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral

The St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral (also referred to as the San Pedro Cathedral or Davao Cathedral), dedicated to Saint Peter, is the ecclesiastical seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Davao. It is located in front of the Sangguniang Panglungsod (City Council) ng Dabaw Building.

First built using nipa and bamboo in 1847 by Don Jose Oyanguren, it was later demolished subsequently rebuilt in wood in the Neo-Gothic style in the mid 1900s by the late Architect Ramon Basa.  During World War II, it was said to have been turned into a horse stable by Japanese troops. In 1964, due to its small size, it was finally remodelled in concrete, glass and metal by Architect Manuel Chiew.

Being of recent origin, it doesn’t have the weathered look of heritage churches. Still, it has a turbulent history as the cathedral has been a witness to two grenade bombing incidents.

The main altar

The first incident, on April 19, 1981 (Easter Sunday), killed 17 people and injured 157. Again, on December 28, 1993 (Holy Innocents Day), another bombing resulted in 6 deaths and 151 injured (32 seriously).

From the outside, the distinctive modern façade is a departure from the usual façade of Catholic churches, with Islamic elements incorporated into its design.  Its curved, gray roof looks like a bow of a vinta (a traditional boat made by the Badjao tribe in Southern Mindanao) sailing over waters with a Christian cross in the middle as the rudder.

The arched windows, flanking the cathedral’s main doorway, hint at traditional Gothic design. The old altar, designed by Ramon Basa, with antique images of different saints, is preserved at the cathedral’s right wing.

The old altar at the right wing of the cathedral

The separate imposing bell tower, standing by a corner in the courtyard, has a replica of the the Pieta (a statue of the sorrowful Blessed Virgin Mary with the dead body of her son, Jesus Christ, on her lap), adorning a pocket garden, and the two concrete tablets of the Ten Commandments of God.

The separate bell tower

St. Peter Metropolitan Cathedral: San Pedro St., Barangay Poblacion District, Davao City, Davao del Sur. Tel: (082) 227-2317, 227-2398 and 226-4740.

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Hilongos, Leyte)

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Continuing on our way to Maasin City, Doods and I traveled the next 44 kms., past the towns of Inopacan and Hindang, to Hilongos. There, we made a brief stopover at the town’s Spanish-era, fortified Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.  This church was built by Jesuit friars in the 18th century and renovated by secular Fr. Leonardo Celis-Diaz, a native of Cebu.   

The modern Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception.  On its left is its Spanish-era bell tower

The original church, now incorporated as a transept, was a single-nave structure whose main door was also the gate to a bastioned fortification.  Some bastions and walls of that fortification still remain.  The main nave of the church is a modern construction and the church interior is completely new.

Ruins of the bastioned fortification

However, the town is more known for its octagonal flanking bell tower, now considered as the highest existing bell tower built in the Spanish era.  Also built by Fr. Celis-Diaz, this  independent multi-storey structure is now plastered over with Portland cement.   The convent, probably completed in the 19th century, houses many of the church’s antiques including silver vessels from the 18th century.

Baybay City (Leyte)

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After breakfast at Bahia Coffee Shop, I was picked up at the Hotel Don Felipe lobby by Mr. Doods Alcaraz, a medical representative requested by my sister-in-law Paula to drive me to Maasin City where I was to do map updating for United Tourist Promotions (makers of EZ Maps).  We used Dood’s car for this purpose.  We left Ormoc City by 8:30 AM.  The Maharlika Highway, though concreted, was pockmarked with cracks and potholes and first time drivers along this route would have to drive with caution.  Doods, however, frequently plied this route and knew it like the palm of his hand. 

Baybay City Hall

After 46 kms., past the town of Albuera, we made our first stopover for  merienda at a Jollibee outlet at the new component city of Baybay (it became such by virtue of Republic Act No. 9389 and was ratified by a plebiscite held on June 16, 2007) on the central west coast of Leyte where ferries leave for Cebu and the other islands.  This wasn’t my first visit to the city as its port was our jump-off point for our April 22, 2000 visit to the Cuatro Islas (under the jurisdiction of Inopacan).   

Baybay Port

On November 18, 2008, the Supreme Court struck down Baybay’s cityhood law, making Baybay a municipality again.  On December 22, 2009, acting on the appeal of the so-called “League of 16 Cities” (of which Baybay is a part of), the Supreme Court reversed its earlier ruling but, on August 24, 2010, again reinstated its 2008 decision. On February 15, 2011, the Supreme Court upheld, for the third time, the cityhood of Baybay.  Baybay is a city again.

After merienda, I dropped by the town’s Spanish-era Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.  The church was built in 1852 by Fr. Vicente E. Coronado and continued under the supervision of Maestro Proceso from Manila.  In 1866, fire destroyed the church except for the Chapel of the Holy Cross.  It was repaired in 1870 and finished by painter and sculptor capitán Mateo Espinoso (probably a local dignitary and artisan). 

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption (Maasin City, Southern Leyte)

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From Hilongos, Maasin City was just a further 37 kms.away, past the towns of Bato and Matalom. Doods and I finally reached city by 12:30 PM and Doods conveniently parked the car in front of the city’s Spanish-era Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption.  This church was started in 1771 by Jesuit Fr. Serapio Gonzalez, continued by Fr. Jose Paco from 1839 to 1852, destroyed by fire in 1884 and later rebuilt.  In 1968, the church was made into a cathedral and, in 1993, the cathedral was made a National Shrine by the National Historical Institute.

 Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption

Its simple, sparsely-decorated Early Renaissance façade has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked by narrow paired columns, a pediment with a centrally located a statued niche flanked by square windows and topped by a circular window.  On its right is a tall and slender 3-storey bell tower and surrounding the church is a fortification with quadrilateral bulwarks at the corners. Part of the fortification has been demolished to give way to a school. A bulwark on the western side of the site has the inscription “San Carlos Año de 1781.” Inside the cathedral are Spanish-era images and santos found in its altar and ceiling.

The cathedral’s interior

Stopovers at Sariaya (Quezon) and San Pablo City (Laguna)

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After 4 days in Marinduque where we attended the Moriones Festival and did a lot of sightseeing, it was now time to return to Manila.  It being Easter Sunday, we wanted to avoid   the huge afternoon rush for tickets going home so we went to Balanacan Pier very early in the morning.  I was able to secure tickets for the 8:30 AM trip back to Dalahican Pier in Lucena City (Quezon) on board the Roll-On Roll-Off (RORO) ship MV Maria Rebecca of Montenegro Shipping Lines.

Disembarking the MV Maria Rebecca

The 2.5-hr. boat trip was uneventful and we arrived at Dalahican Port by 11:15 AM.  We promptly boarded my parked Toyota Revo and left the harbor for the return trip to Manila.  Upon reaching Sariaya, we stopped over at a local eatery for a much needed lunch.  As the others were still eating, I decided to burn some calories by making a quick tour of the town, especially the Rodriguez Ancestral House where Jandy and I once stayed in 8 years ago.

The Rodriguez Ancestral House

Together with the others, we dropped by the town’s Church of St. Francis of Assisi. At the back of the church, we visited the devotional park where life-size statues  re-enacting the Last Supper were set up.

We just had lunch but now we’re joining the Last Supper

We again boarded the Revo and continued on our way, exiting Quezon Province and entering Laguna Province at San Pablo City where we made a short stopover at the stone balustrade across the street where we had a panoramic view of the 105-hectare Sampaloc Lake, the largest, nearest and most accessible of the city’s 7 iconic lakes and, from afar, the hazy silhouette of Mt. Cristobal.

Lake Sampaloc

 

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception ( Boac, Marinduque)

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We first visited, via a short hike up a hill, the fortress-like Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  Built in 1656, this church houses the statue of the miraculous Ina ng Biglang-Awa (translated as “Mother of Instant Mercy”), the province’s patron saint (since 1792) to which is attributed deliverance from a 19th-century Moro attack. The revolution’s flag was brought here by Canuto Vargas to be blessed in 1899.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

The cathedral has a simple brick facade and a 4-storey (square at the first 2 storeys and octagonal at the upper 2) bell tower on its left.  Its carved wooden portals are decorated with flora and fauna, cherubs and the images of the Four Evangelists: John, Luke, Mark and Matthew. Within the church grounds is an old, broken bell.

Cheska with the old, broken down church bell

As the church doors were locked, we weren’t able to see the church’s well-maintained and faithfully restored interior said to have brick walls, wall-hung period lamps, a ceiling with designs of Muslim brass gongs, two sets of Stations of the Cross (in wood and stained-glass windows) and three richly decorated and intricate retablos (altar backdrops).

Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo, Manila)

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From Binondo Church, Jandy and I had to walk some distance to make it the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, more commonly known as Quiapo Church.  This church was first built with nipa and bamboo by Franciscan missionaries but was burned by Limahong in 1574.  It was founded by Franciscan Fr. Antonio de Nombella in 1588, burned in 1603, reconstructed by Gov.-Gen. Santiago de Vera in 1686, destroyed by the British in 1762 and during the June 3, 1863 earthquake, reconstructed by Fr. Eusebio de Leon in 1879 and completed under the auspices of Fr. Eusebio de Leon and Fr. Manuel E. Roxas Manio in 1889.  It was destroyed during the October 30, 1929 fire (only the belfry and scarred walls remain). 

      
Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene

The current church, the fourth on the site, was built with plans prepared by Arch. Juan Nakpil from 1933 to 1935.  Arch. Jose Ma. Zaragosaenlarged the church and changed the design of the lateral walls in 1984, retaining the facade and the large, imposing central dome at the transept.  The church was conferred the title Basilica Minore de Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno in 1988.

      
Interior of the basilica

The church’s distinctive Baroque facade has twisted Corinthian columns on both levels with the second level having 1/3 of the shaft near the base twisted and the rest smooth. The triangular pediment‘s tympanum has a pair of chalice-like decorations and urn-like vases at the ends of the raking cornice.  The church has 3 4-storey bell towers with the topmost portions balustered and decorated with huge scrolls.  

Inside are a high altar of carrara marble and the Shrine of the Black Nazarene, a miraculous, life-size statue of Christ bearing the cross that was carved in dark wood by Mexican Indians and brought to Manila by galleon in 1606.  It now sports a deeper tan color darkened with age and by the constant wiping of hankerchiefs by religious devotees.  Devotees flock to the church every Friday.    The Feast of the Black Nazarene is held on January 9.  

Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene: cor. of Plaza Miranda and Quezon Blvd., Quiapo, Manila.  Tel: (632) 733-4944 to 45.  Fax: (632) 733-4434.

Minor Basilca of San Lorenzo Ruiz (Binondo, Manila)

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From the National Shrine of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in Sta. Cruz, Jandy and I walked towards Escolta and then turned right at T. Pinpin St. to get to the Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, more popularly known as Binondo Church.  Founded by the Dominicans in 1587, it similarly was built, just like Sta. Cruz Church, to serve Chinese converts.  Built before 1614, the original church was destroyed during the British bombardment in 1762. Its dome was constructed in 1781 by Domingo Cruz y Gonzalez.  St. Lorenzo Ruiz, after whom the basilica was named, trained in this church before leaving for Japan as a missionary. 

Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz


The church was slightly damaged during the June 3, 1863 earthquake and was repaired between 1946 and 1971, after severe the World War II bombing on September 22, 1944 (only the Western facade and bell tower survived), and enlarged.  The basilica’s imposing, still original (with some renovations) Italian High Renaissance facade is buttressed on the sides by pilasters terminating in urn-like decorations.  Its pediment, framed by a foliated scroll and topped by a tower at the apex, has a centrally located small circular window framed by smaller columns and pediment.  

The basilica’s interior


The original 6-storey octagonal bell tower, which suggests Chinese culture, has pedimented window openings and cantons at the angles.  Inside the church are ornate pastel-colored reredos behind the main altar and it houses the image of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary).  Fronting the church is Plaza de Calderon de la Barca (or simply Plaza Binondo).  

Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz: Plaza Binondo, Q. Paredes St., Binondo, Manila.  Tel: (632) 242-4850 and 242-4041.  Fax: (632) 241-4653. 

National Shrine of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (Sta. Cruz, Manila)

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After lunch at a MacDonald’s outlet in Sta. Cruz, Jandy and I went on a walking tour of 3 of the churches in the vicinity.  Fittingly, the first church we visited was the nearby National Shrine of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, more popularly known as Sta. Cruz Church.  This church was founded by Jesuits in 1608 to serve Chinese converts.  Its courtyard was the scene of the formal return of Manila to Spain on May 31, 1764, after Britain’s 20-month occupation.

National Shrine of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

This church, built and administered by the Jesuits up to 1768, was damaged during the June 3, 1863 earthquake and rebuilt in 1868 by Fr. Agustin de Mendoza.  It was again damaged during the July 19, 1880 earthquake and destroyed during the fighting in 1945.  The church was rebuilt in 1957.

The church interior

The church’s characteristically Baroque façade has Ionic columns that divide the first 2 levels into 3 parts.  It also has 3 semicircular arched entrances at the first level, a centrally located rose window flanked by semicircular arched windows at the second level, and a pediment with an undulating raking cornice and a centrally located statued niche with a broken pediment.

On the church’s right is a 6-storey domed bell tower. The church’s interior has a mosaic altar background done by Elizabeth Chan.   The statue of the Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar) brought from Spain prior to 1768, was canonically erected in this church in 1743.

National Shrine of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Plaza Sta. Cruz, Manila.  Tel: (632) 733-0245 to 46.  Fax: (632) 733-0239.

Church of the Holy Sacrifice (University of the Philippines, Quezon City)

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After my coordination meeting at the New Day Publisher’s office (where we discussed my forthcoming book “A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches”), I proceeded to the University of the Philippines in Diliman, my college alma mater, where I had lunch at the U.P. Coop.  After lunch, I walked over to the flying saucer-shaped Church of the Holy Sacrifice to take pictures for inclusion as one of the churches featured in my book as well as in the “About the Author” section.


The Church of the Holy Sacrifice

This exemplary example of modern religious architecture is the first round chapel in the country with an altar in the middle, as well as the first to have a thin shell concrete dome.  My late uncle and National Artist (1990) Leandro V. Locsin, then a young 1953 architecture graduate of the University of Sto. Tomas, was commissioned by U.P. Jesuit chaplain Fr. John Delaney S.J. to designed the chapel. Four other National Artists also contributed their artistic talents: sculptor Napoleon Abueva (1976), painter/sculptor Arturo Luz(1997),  Ang Kiukok (2001) and the late painter Vicente Manansala (1981). Locsin experimented with new forms by using a thin concrete shell for its roof.  Its structural design was done by the late Engr. Alfredo L. Juinio, the first Dean of the U.P. College of Architecture.  
      
The cross done by Napoleon Abueva

The pillars were located at the sides of the church so that there are no supports to block the space inside.  The dome’s unique design allows for natural lighting and ventilation. At the center of the dome is a circular skylight which, in turn, supports a triangular bell tower. The bell tower extends to the interior, supporting the crucifix. The chapel’s cornerstone was laid on March 19, 1955 (St. Joseph’s Day), actual work started on May 2 and its dome was poured on August 14.    On December 20, 1955, the first mass was celebrated here. Since its completion, this church, which can easily accommodate 1,000 people,  has come to symbolize oneness with the community and the environment, an open church for an open university.  I used to hear mass here after Saturday R.O.T.C. training.  The chapel is open day or night.
      
One panel of Vicente Manasala’s Stations of the Cross

The huge, commanding double-sided crucifix hanging from the ceiling above the altar, the first of its kind in the country, was done by Abueva.  It features the two figures of Christ Crucified and Christ Resurrected.  Birds sometimes perch or fly around it.  He also did the marble altar.  The elevated altar floor of black, white and gray marble chips, running down to the sacristy and to three other equidistant entrances, was done by Luz.  It features the four “Rivers of Life” radiating outward, wider at the base and narrowing outward again.  Above the entrances and around the interior of the chapel are 15 panels representing the 14 Stations of the Cross plus a fifteenth, “The Resurrection,” all done by Manansala with the assistance of Ang Kiukok.  The centrally located altar has a communion rail encircling it.  The curved pews, also designed by Locsin, are 9 pews away from the altar and, as a result, no communicant is to far away from the officiating priest. 

On January 12, 2005, the church was recognized as a National Historical Landmark and a Cultural Treasure by the National Historical Institute and the National Museum, respectively.