Category Archives: Churches

Basilica of St. Martin of Tours (Taal, Batangas)

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On a hilltop overlooking the park, accessed by a broad flight of stairs and unobstructed by any edifice, is the majestic  Basilica of St. Martin of Tours.  Measuring 88.6 m. long, 48 m. wide and 95 m. high, it is the biggest in the country and is reputed to be the biggest in the whole of East Asia.  The first church on the half-hectare site was built by Fr. Martin Aguirre in 1755 but was destroyed during the 1849 earthquake.

Basilica of St. Martin of Tours

The famed Spanish architect Luciano Oliver was commissioned by parish priest Fr.  Marcos Anton to design the present big church.  He arrived in Taal in 1857 and managed its construction from 1858 until its official inauguration (although unfinished) in 1865.  Adobe quarried and cut from riverbanks in Barrio Cawit were used as building blocks for its thick walls.  The church was finally completed by Fr. Agapito Aparicio in 1878. It was made into a basilica on December 8, 1954 and was restored in 1972 by the Taal Quadricentennial Council, in time for the 400th anniversary of the town’s founding.   The church was declared a National Shrine on January 16, 1974 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 375.

Basilica interior

The elegant 28-m. high, two-storey “Baroque” facade is unconventional yet exudes a character of stability and permanence.  It has two levels of 12 columns each, the lower, standing on pedestals, is Doric while the upper and shorter level, supporting the cornice of the entablature on top, is Corinthian.   In between every pair of columns at the lower level are five doors of different sizes and type of arches with the largest at the center.  Above it are semi-circular arched windows.  In between the paired columns at the upper level are semi-circular arched windows with depressed or triangular-shaped segmental canopies above it.   At the edge of the entablature are three pediments: triangular at both sides and half moon at the center.   From my point of view, this Palladian-style structure has a look of a Roman villa, manor or a government office building rather than that of a church.

The magnificently large and cavernous interior has a grand transept and three naves, with the central nave bounded by twelve pillars, six on each side.  Behind the main entrance, supported by two huge pillars and hemmed in by a wooden balustrade, is a choir loft.   On the right side of the nave, attached to a pillar nearest the altar, is a beautiful canopied pulpit.  At the end of the left nave is the Altar of St. Martin of Tours, Taal’s patron saint (its feast is celebrated on November 11), and at the end of the right nave is the altar of the Virgin of Caysasay, designed by Arch. Ramon G. Orlina and built in 1972. The circular baptistery  with its marble font and European-made floor tiles, was built by Fr. Agapito Aparicio in 1878 and repaired by Fr. Antonio Javan after a fire in 1959.

Pulpit

The 24 m. high and 10 m. wide main altar has a badalchin on top supported by 6 columns.  At the center is a huge, ornate silver tabernacle with ornamental sunburst on top.   Attached to the high ceiling are five huge chandeliers with the biggest, hanging on the 44.5 m. high cupola above the altar, installed during the town’s 1972 quadricentennial.  Behind the facade’s walls is a truncated mass of stones, former site of the short bell tower destroyed in the 1942 earthquake.  The present truncated and massive, stone and lime bell tower is accessed by an 18-inch wide winding stairway and has a spectacular view of the town, Taal Lake, the narrow but scenic Pansipit River, tranquil Balayan Bay and the surrounding countryside.  To the right of the basilica is the adjacent school run by Benedictine Sisters since 1945.  Formerly the convent, it was built together with the present church and its tiled roof, as well as that of the church, was replaced by galvanized roofing sheets in 1946.  The facade was restored by Fr. Eliseo Dimaculangan, after typhoon damage in 1970.

Southern Luzon’s Heritage Village (Taal, Batangas)

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Jandy and I checked out of Villalobos Lodge in Lemery by 6 AM, had an early breakfast at the town  and drove beyond the small bridge (Lemery’s boundary with Taal) over the Pansipit River to Taal’s poblacion (town center)  which was zoned and patterned by Spanish architects after the town of Albuquerque in Spain.

Taal Park

Our first stop was the town’s stately municipal hall, the former Spanish-era Casa Real.  It was built from 1846 to 1850 by Augustinian Fr. Celestino Mayordomo.  Directly in front is the wide, landscaped Taal Park with its mercury lights and statues of Jose Rizal (installed by Banaag Nang Tagumpay), Apolinario Mabini (installed by the Malvarian Society on December 1928), A Los Heroes Nacional (installed by La Sociedad La Patria on May 20, 1929) and the newer one of Marcela Agoncillo (installed January 20, 1979).  This central area was restored in 1976 during the administration of Mayor Corazon A. Caniza.

Taal Municipal Hall (Casa Real)

To the left of the basilica is the former Escuela Pia, now Taal’s Cultural Center.  It was built by Fr. Aniceto Aparicio in 1885 and was restored by the Taal Arts and Culture Movement in cooperation with the National Historical Institute.  It was made into a National Historical Monument by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260 (August 1, 1973), Executive Order No. 375 (January 14, 1974) and Executive Order No. 1505 (June 11, 1978)

Taal Cultural Center (Escuela Pia)

Church of St. Bartolomew (Nagcarlan, Laguna)

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From the Nagacarlan Underground Cemetery, we proceeded to the Nagcarlan town proper. A notable feature of this town is its old and narrow 3-storey Spanish-era houses surmounted by small watchtowers.  In those days, ostentatious displays of wealth were frowned upon so that the lot sizes were made quite small.  To get around this restriction, the wealthy residents built up rather than outward.  Hence, the tall structures. 
      
Church of St. Bartolomew
 
Opposite the market is the town’s tiered-wall St. Bartholomew Church.  It was first built of light materials in 1583 by  Fr. Tomas de Miranda.  The second church, of brick and stone, was built in 1752 by Fr.  Cristobal Torres but was badly damaged by fire in 1781.  It was repaired by Fr. Atanacio de Argobajo soon after and continued by Fr. Fernando de la Puebla who also built the four-storey bell tower. Fr. Vicente Velloc restored it in 1845 in “Laguna Baroque” style and added a choir loft.   
       
The church’s facade has a semicircular arched main entrance flanked and topped by semicircular arched windows.  The super-positioned orders consists of coupled columns on the first level and single columns (reaching only halfway on the walls) on the second.  Its pediment has a Baroque-inspired slightly curved raking cornice. The unusual bell tower is topped by Muslim-inspired crenelations.  Built on alternating layers of stone and brick, its blue and white tiles impart a Moorish tone to an interior which features fine woodcarving in its 3 tableaus of antique santos, stained glass windows depicting Jesus Christ and the saints and a unique depiction of Purgatory in mural.

San Pablo Cathedral (San Pablo City, Laguna)

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Jandy and I were on our way back to Manila from Sariaya (Quezon) when we got caught up in a horrendous traffic jam in San Pablo City.  Quite tired and hungry, we decided to leave the traffic, stay overnight in the city and leave for Manila the next day.  We went around the city looking for a place to stay before deciding on the City Inn Hotel.  Here, we got an airconditioned room with bath and TV.  After watching the Kirk Douglas classic Spartacus, a Holy week staple, in the comfort of our room, we retired to sleep.

The next day, Easter Sunday, we decided to explore, in detail, what this rapidly developing Southern Tagalog city had to offer.

San Pablo Cathedral

Upon departing our inn, we first decided to make a belated visita iglesia to the city’s San Pablo Cathedral for prayers.  The church was first built with light materials by Fr. Mateo Mendoza in 1586 and the second, made of brick and stone, was built in 1629 by Fr.  Hernando Cabrera.  The present building was built in 1714 by Fr. Francisco Eloriaga on a foundation laid down by Fr. Juan Labao in 1680.

Its Neo-Classical facade has superimposed coupled Doric columns and windows crowned with triangular and segmented pediments on the second level.  Two balustrades, mounted on rectangular piers, flank the unique pediment embellished by a centrally located decorative round window.  On its left is a 4-storey bell tower with semicircular arched windows and topped by a pointed roof.

City Inn Hotel: 126 C. Colago Ave., San Pablo City, Laguna.

Visita Iglesia (Tayabas and Lucban, Quezon)

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Today being Good Friday, Jandy and I also joined Jun and Jane’s relatives for the visita iglesia, the traditional visit to 7 churches.  We motored to the nearby town of Tayabas, just  23 kms. from Sariaya, and dropped by the St. Michael the Archangel Minor Basilica were we recited the 14 Stations of the Cross.  The longest Spanish colonial church in the country and also one of the oldest, this 103-m. long church was first built by the Franciscans in 1585, repaired in 1590 by Pedro Bautista, changed into brick in 1600, destroyed by an earthquake in 1743 and later rebuilt and enlarged in 1856 by building a transept and cupola. The church’s roof was changed to galvanized sheets in 1894 and its belfry contains an 18th century clock, the only one of its kind in the country, that chimes every 30 minutes.  It was made into a minor basilica on October 18, 1988 and has an antique organ, a balcony over the altar and a now unused tunnel from the altar. 

St. Michael the Archangel Minor Basilica
Our second and final stop of the visita iglesia was the town of Lucban, a quiet old Franciscan town of 35,128  people whose name was derived from a delicious fruit of the same name which looks like a small pomelo or suha. The “poor man’s Baguio,” Lucban lies 1,500 feet above sea level at the cool, damp shadow of Mt. Banahaw de Lucban whose clear, ice-cold waters flow through the little canals of the town.  It is almost as cool as  Baguio City in December.  There are also has numerous old and stately Spanish colonial houses.
 
Church of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Here, in front of the town’s shady plaza, is the moss and vine-covered Church of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.  It was first built in 1593, ruined in 1629, reconstructed between 1630-1640, seriously damaged by fire in 1733 and reconstructed in 1738. Its convent was built in 1743.  It was partially destroyed in 1945 during World War II and finally reconstructed by the Philippine Historical Commission in 1966. However, it’s somewhat modern interior, which enshrines the venerated image of San Isidro Labrador, doesn’t blend in with its centuries-old exterior (my opinion).   The church is surrounded by gardens and grottos and fenced in by old stone walls called quince-quince.

 

Church of St. Francis of Assisi (Sariaya, Quezon)

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We next walked towards the town’s church and plaza.  A typical Spanish town, the town’s church (St. Francis of Assisi) and the municipal hall all face the plaza.  The plaza has a circular patio flanked by a row of 8 torch-bearing statues of the Muses of Liberty as well as a statue of our National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, inaugurated on December 30, 1924.

Church of St. Francis of Assisi
The present St. Francis of Assisi Church was first built in 1599, the second in  1632 and the third in 1641.   The structure, on its new site after the earthquake of 1743, was built in 1748.  Ruins of the original church still remain in Brgy. Tumbaga.   Inside the church are some fine old santos and the venerable image of the famous Crucified Christ of Burgos (Sto. Cristo de Burgos).  An object of pilgrimage every Friday, the image was sent from Spain by galleon and installed in the old church at Tumbaga.  The church and the village was burned after a Moro attack but the image was found intact amid the ashes.  When the settlement was transferred to its new location, the image was wrapped in white cloth and carried by four men.  After resting under a great tree, the four men found the image  to be extremely heavy and could not lift it even with help from the other townspeople.  Taken as a sign from God, they built the new church on the site.

Arrival in Sagada (Mountain Province)

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Sagada

We arrived at Sagada by 4 PM. Upon our arrival at the bus terminal near the municipal hall, Jandy and I checked in at one of the 5 double rooms with common bath at the second floor of nearby Ganduyan Inn, managed by Hanzel and Marina Biag. The inn was strategically located as it was just across the bus terminal and the municipal hall.  Rate was a very cheap PhP75 per person per day. The inn also had a restaurant.  According to Marina, her husband, as well as a significant portion of Sagada’s population, are descendants of Biag, a folk hero of the Igorots  and the most important figure in Sagada’s history.  Biag introduced new rites, prayers and customs.

Ganduyan Inn

As it was late in the afternoon, we decided to just visit the nearby Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin.  Along the winding, pine needle-paved cement lane, to the  right of the basketball court, is this massive, gray stone Anglican church,  originally built under the direction of Reverend John Staunton and consecrated on December 8, 1921.  It was  badly damaged (especially the belfry) by U.S. bombing raids during World War II and later repaired.  The oldest church in the Cordilleras outside of Baguio City, its foreign architectural design is fused with indigenous motifs.  Further down is the 30-hectare St. Mary’s High School.  Founded in 1912, it was destroyed in World War II, rebuilt in 1950, destroyed by fire in 1975 and reopened in 1983.

Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin

After this short tour we returned to the inn for supper at its coffee shop.   Food in Sagada is really cheap and the servings humongous.  Noteworthy is its tasty native red rice (kintuman), mountain tea and its aromatic and strong Arabian coffee, locally-grown, grounded and roasted.

Sagada Municipal Hall

Macau City Tour

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The next day, after breakfast at the hotel, Grace and I decided to go on a day tour of the nearby Portuguese enclave of Macau via fast ferry from Hong Kong.  This would our first visit to this city renowned for its gambling and annual Macau Grand Prix.

On December 20, 1999, the People’s Republic of China assumed formal sovereignty over Macau from Portugal and it is now one of its 2 Special Administrative Regions (SAR), the other being Hong Kong.

From the hotel, we proceeded to Jordan MRT Station and took the MRT to Sheung Wan Station.  From there, we walked to the HK-Macau Ferry Terminal. High-speed Jetfoils leave here every 30 mins. or so and the trip took an hour.

Macau

Upon arrival at the Macau-Hongkong Ferry Terminal, we proceeded to the terminal’s tourist information desk to inquire on how to tour the city.  We were surprised to find the desk being manned by a Filipino.  He suggested we hire a taxi to go around the city and soon a taxi driver appeared. We placed our trust in our kababayan as he dictated an itinerary to our designated “tour guide.”

Our leisurely taxi ride first took us past  Macau’s Casino on Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (the main street), to the Fortress of Our Lady of Guia, the highest point on Macau.  Here, we had a good view of the city, the outlying islands, the harbor and the Macau-Taipa Bridge.

Macau-Taipa Bridge

Guia Fortress was designed to defend the border with China but because of its position overlooking the entire city, its chief value has been as an observation post. Built from 1637 to 1638 by Captain of the Artillery, Antonio Ribeiro, Guia fort has 10-ft. high masonry walls, 2 brickwork turrets and occupies 8,600 sq. ft. in a rough pentagon as dictated by the rough terrain.  Its dominating feature is the 52.5-ft. high lighthouse, built in 1865 and the oldest on the China coast.  Its light could be seen for 20 miles in clear weather.

We also had a short walking tour at postcard-pretty Leal Senado Square with its European-inspired architecture of the Leal Senado, shops and pretty fountain.

Leal Senado Square

A substantial part our itinerary were churches and we visited a couple of them.  When Macau was established by the Portuguese, it was expected to be a bastion of Christianity as well as trading post, and they called it “City of the Name of God, Macau.”  Macau became an early center for Jesuit missionary activity.  In 1580, the Bishopric of Macau (which included the Indonesian island of Timor and the Christians of Malacca and Singapore) was created. The first settlers included priests and some of the first buildings were churches, initially constructed with wood and matting.  Later, they were made with taipa (rammed clay) and from the mid-17th century, of stone and plaster.  They were built by Jesuits and other monastic orders with funds provided by the city and the Portuguese crown.

Over the centuries fires and storms have devastated Macau’s churches, but almost all have been restored or rebuilt.  Macau’s multi-colored churches, all named after popular saints (St. Joseph, St. Augustine, St. Paul, St. James, St. Francis Xavier, etc.) as well as the Blessed Virgin (Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Guia, Our Lady of Carmel, etc.), has a predominantly European Baroque flavor with Oriental and tropical features incorporated.  These can be seen in roofs of Chinese tiles, panels of terra cotta and Eastern motifs carved on some facades.

Chapel of Our Lady of Penha

The Chapel of Our Lady of Penha, atop Penha Hill, was founded in 1622 by the crew and passengers which narrowly escaped capture by the Dutch.  The chapel served as a point of pilgrimage for sailors embarking on a hazardous journey.  It was completely rebuilt, along with the Bishop’s Palace, in 1837.

Chapel of Our Lady of Penha

St. Paul’s (Rua de Sao Paolo), the greatest of Macau’s churches and the major landmark of Macau, was built in 1602 and adjoins the Jesuit College of St.Paul’s.  After the expulsion of the Jesuits, the college was used as an army barracks and in 1835 a fire started in the kitchens and destroyed the college and the body of the church.  Now in ruins, all that remained was the magnificent carved stone façade (built from 1620 to 1627 by Japanese Christian exiles and local craftsmen under the direction of Italian Jesuit Father Carlo Spinola) and the grand staircase.

The façade rises in four collonaded tiers and is covered with the statues of the Virgin and saints and carvings of the Garden of Eden, the Crucifixion, the angel, the devil, a Chinese dragon, a Portuguese sailing ship, a Japanese chrysanthenum and pious warnings inscribed in Chinese.

We also visited the Temple of A-Ma.  As with many others in Macau, the temple combines both the Buddhist and Taoist beliefs.  A-Ma (meaning “Honored Mother”) is a much-revered Taoist goddess, the patron of seafarers and the Queen of Heaven.

The history of the goddess goes back to around 1044 AD when in Fukien province (about 350 miles north of Macau), a poor fisherman named Lin gave birth to a baby girl.  At the time of birth a red glow was seen over the house. She grew to be a most remarkable child, never crying, hardworking, obedient and devout.

One day, when the girl was sleeping, she dreamt that two junks carrying here father and brothers were caught in the storm.  In the dream, she stretch out her arms and clenched the masts of the vessels with her fists.  Her alarmed mother, fearing that her child was suffering a fit, shook her by her arm to wake her up, causing her to let go of one of the boats.  Later, when her brothers returned, they told the story of a vision of a beautiful girl that reached out to save them but was unable to hold unto the father’s boat and thus he perished.

Lin died tragically in her early 20’s but stories of miraculous rescues at sea, with the lovely woman calming the waves and bringing the sailors to safety.  Two centuries later, during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1643 AD), she was canonized as the First Lady Attendant in Heaven and Protector of Seafarers.  In the years that followed, she was elevated with more titles till finally, in 1683, she was promoted to Tien Hau (Queen of Heaven).

A-Ma has taken on the mantle of the protector of Macau as a whole and people from all walks of life pay homage to her.  Childless women believe that, in her capacity as Honored Mother, prayers to her will help them conceive the child that they long for.

A-Ma Temple was the last item in our itinerary and our guide brought us back to the ferry terminal where we took another high-speed ferry back to Hong Kong.

Enroute to Finger Pier (Singapore)

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After my Johor Bahru (Malaysia) tour, I returned to the Cockpit Hotel to pick up Mom for our Batam Island (Indonesia) tour.  Located 20 kms. from Singapore, this island of the Riau Archipelago is the closest Indonesian island to Singapore. To get there, we had to get a fast ferry from Finger Pier along Prince Edward Rd..

Raffles Place MRT Station

From the hotel, we had lunch at a Pizza Hut outlet then walked all the way to the Dhoby Ghaut Station where we took the MRT up to the Raffles Place Station.  From here, we walked all the way to the pier.  Along the way, we passed by a number of tourist attractions at the downtown area (the Dalhousie Obelisk, the Cavenagh Bridge, Victoria Theater, Empress Place) and the Padang (the Supreme Court and City Hall Buildings).

Singapore River and Cavenagh Bridge

Cavenagh Bridge, a suspension bridge (the only one in Singapore) spanning the lower reaches of the Singapore River, was opened in 1870 and is one of the oldest bridges in Singapore and the oldest bridge in Singapore that exists in its original form.

Dalhousie Obelisk

The Dalhousie Obelisk, located on the north bank of the Singapore River, is situated at Empress Place and near the Victoria Theater and Concert Hall. Designed by Government Surveyor John Turnbull Thompson, it commemorates the second visit of Marquis of Dalhousie, the Governor-General of India in February 1850.  It was originally located at Dalhousie Pier but was transferred to its present site in 1886.

Empress Place

Empress Place, built in 1834 as a courthouse, was later used as offices for the government departments until the late 1980s.  On April 7, 1989, it was converted to a museum after a 14-month, S$25 million renovation. On February 14, 1992, it was gazetted as a National Monument.  Its imposing Neo-Palladian facade has wooden louver windows and pitched, clay tile roof.

Subsequently, the Empress Place Building underwent renovations and, on March 2, 2003, it reopened as the second wing of the Asian Civilizations Museum exhibiting Southeast, South and West Asian collections.

Victoria Theater and Concert Hall

The Victoria Theater and Concert Hall, originally built in 1862 as Singapore’s town hall, is a complex of 2 buildings and a 54 m. high clock tower(completed in 1906) joined together by a common corridor.  The Victoria Memorial Hall, built in 1905, is the home of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO), transferred here in 1979.

City Hall

The Neo-Classical-style Singapore City Hall and its sister building, the Supreme Court, both on St. Andrew’s Road and overlooking the Padang, are also some of my favorites and both are reminiscent of our own National Museum complex, designed in the Federal style of American architect Daniel H. Burnham, the planner of Baguio City.

The Singapore City Hall, formerly known as the Municipal Offices, was built in 1929. Its steps were the site of the formal surrender of Japanese armed forces, headed by Gen. Itagaki to Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of Southeast Asia. In 1952 the building’s name was changed when Singapore was finally made into a city by a deed signed by Britain’s King George VI and conferred by the Duchess of Kent.

Supreme Court Building

The impressive Supreme Court Building, on the other hand, was designed by government architect F. Dorrington Ward and was completed in 1939. It is the last Classical building to be so completed. What’s more, the building’s murals were designed by Italian artist Cavaliere Rodolfo Nolli.

Victoria Concert Hall: 11 Empress Place, Victoria Memorial Hall, Singapore 179558.  Tel: 6338 6125.

Enroute to Queen Street Bus Terminal (Singapore)

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On my second day in Singapore, I decided to make a tour, on my own, to the nearby Johor Bahru, the first Malaysian town (and the capital of the state of Johor), across the Causeway, from Singapore.  After breakfast at a MacDonald’s outlet, I traveled all the way to the Queen Street Bus Terminal (also known as the Ban San Bus Terminal), a centralized location for commuters traveling to Johor Bahru.

St. Joseph’s Church

Along the way to the terminal, I passed a couple of noteworthy Roman Catholic churches.  The attractive, Gothic-style St. Joseph’s Church was originally built  from 1851-1853 by Portuguese Rev. Vincente de Santo Catharina.  The present church, built from 1906-1912 by the notable firm Swan & MacLaren, has a portico supported by 4 columns; a central, octagonal tower capped by a dome and flanked by 2 smaller towers and beautifully crafted stained glass windows.

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

The Renaissance-style, graceful and charming Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Singapore and the seat of its archbishop, was completed on June 6, 1847 with funds collected by French parish priest Fr. Jean-Marie Beurel. Designed by Denis Lesley McSwiney, it was elevated as a cathedral in on February 14, 1897. It has 6 entrances, Palladian-style porticos, a high timber ceiling and round arches. On June 28, 1973, the cathedral was gazetted as a National Monument.

St. Joseph’s Church:  143 Victoria St., Singapore 188020. Tel: (65) 6336 2664 and (65) 6338 3167.

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd: cor. Queen St. and Bras Basah Rd., Singapore 188533.  Tel: (65) 6337 2036.