The Spanish-Era Structures of Patnongon (Antique)

Posted on 22 February, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From the Gen. Leandro Fullon National Shrine in Hamtic Poblacion, we moved on, 32 kms. away, past the capital town of San Jose de Buenavista and Belison, to the town of Patnongon. Along the National Highway are the ruins of the parish of St. Augustine, once considered the best church in the province.

St. Augustine Academy of Patnongon

The main entrance

Started in 1860 by Fr. Manuel Asensio, it was finished in 1895 by Fr. Eustaquio Heria. In 1896, Fr. Joaquin Fernandez renovated the church by adding a patio.

NHI Plaque

Statue niche

The old bell tower

Damaged during the Philippine Revolution, it was repaired from 1896 to 1899 and, in 1906, it was transferred to the Mill Hill Fathers of England. Destroyed during World War II, it was converted to the St. Augustine Academy of Patnongon in 1962.

Ruins of Spanish-era municipal hall

Nearby are the ruins of the town’s former 2 storey, Spanish-era municipal building. This 15 m. by 21 m., roofless structure is now fenced off, its gray walls slowly deteriorating due to the elements, local government neglect and indifference, and the strangling presence of a balete tree.

A balete tree slowly strangling the walls

An interior wall and arch

I was saddened by the sight of this graphic memorial to our Spanish past being left to rot. In my opinion, it could still be restored and put to good use, either as a museum or a government office. All it takes is political will aside from local government or private sector funding.

How To Get There: Patnongon is located 25 kms. from San Jose de Buenavista, 9.5 kms. from Belison, 17.3 from Bugasong and 122 kms. from Iloilo City (Iloilo).

Gen. Leandro Fullon National Shrine (Hamtic, Antique)

Posted on 22 February, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Tobias Fornier, we were driven, together with the other students, 22 kms. to the next town of Hamtic where we made a 15-min. stopover at Gen. Leandro Fullon National Shrine in front of the municipal hall and near the Church of St. Monica. Gen. Fullon, born in this coastal town on March 13, 1877, was a young student at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila, when the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896.

The equestrian statue of Gen. Leandro Fullon

He was made the commanding officer of the Visayan revolutionary forces by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and was sent, on September 6, 1898, with 140 officers and 350 men, to liberate Panay Island. On November 22, Fullon’s forces captured San Jose de Buenavista where he set up a revolutionary provincial government.

Narration of the life and times of Gen. Fullon

During the Philippine-American War, he also fought the Americans, together with Gen. Martin Delgado, but was forced to surrender, together with his officers, on March 22, 1901. When the Province of Antique was created by virtue of Act No. 114, Fullon was appointed, on April 15, 1901, as the province’s civil governor and served until his death on October 16, 1904.

Burial plaque

His life-size statue, designed by National Artist Napoleon Abueva, was unveiled on March 13, 2004 by the National Historical Commission during the occasion of his 137th birth anniversary. On October 16, Fullon’s 100^th death anniversary, his remains were transferred, from La Paz Cemetery in Hamtic, to the base of the monument.

Hamtic Municipal Hall

Church of St. Monica

My visit to the general’s shrine was made more memorable by the fact that he was a distant relative, our common ancestor, both on our mother’s side, being Wo Sing Lok (or Sin Lok) from Amoy (old name for Xiamen, an island located in the southern part of Fujian Province at the mouth of Jiulong “nine dragon” River in China) who arrived in the Philippines and permanently settled at “Parian,” (now Molo) in Iloilo City. In 1780, Sing Lok was christened as Agustin Locsin when he married Cecilia Sayson, a mestiza daughter of an Ilongga and a sangley (local Chinaman), who were both devout Catholics. The Locsin clan began from this union.

How To Get There: Hamtic is located 7 kms. from San Jose de Buenavista.

The Buri Weavers of Diclum and Other Delights (Tobias Fornier, Antique)

Posted on 22 February, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

From Anini’y poblacion, we again boarded our van for the short, 16.5 km. drive to the next town of Tobias Fornier. About 3 kms. south of Tobias Fornier, along the highway, we made a short stopover at the splintered rock of Punta Hagdan which juts out to sea. The town’s rugged coastline converges at this beautiful spot.

Punta Hagdan

About 2.5 kms. from the poblacion, we made another stopover at Brgy. Diclum where we, together with students from the UP Visayas (Miag-ao, Iloilo) on a field trip, were to observe its cottage industry of buri handicraft making.

The buri weavers of BUHAI

The leaves of the versatile buri palm (Corypha elata), which has large fan-shaped leaves with stout petioles ranging from 2 to 3 m. in length, grows in great abundance here. Buri palm is considered one of the most important palms, next to coconut, in terms of economic and industrial performance.

Flord (in green) with the students of UP Visayas

Here, the manugrara kang buri of the Buri Handicraft Association, Inc. (BUHAI) were waiting for our arrival. BUHAI, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission since September 2001, has around 60 members coming from the 4 adjacent barangays. Because of BUHAI’s active involvement, buri production was chosen as the “One Town One Product (OTOP).” The BUHAI weavers, mostly women and plain housewives, learned the techniques of buri weaving, ever since they were young, by merely observing their mothers at work.

Dried buri palm leaves

Prior to weaving, the buri palm leaves were braided or stripped off, then dried under the sun. Then, they are colorfully dyed in different hues to whatever color the person doing the weaving may like. These were done prior to our arrival.

The students try their hand at weaving

The students were divided into a number of groups, with a master weaver, on hand, to teach them the basics of buri weaving. Later, they are to try it on their own, with the weaver guiding them.

Weaving a bag

First, the buri strands are folded into halves. Then four strands are folded together in pairs; horizontally and vertically, with the glossy brown color in the outer surface. The remaining strands on the sides or edge-line are then folded to keep the weave tightly locked in place. Unwanted or excess strands are then cut.

Media colleague Justine also tries her hand at weaving

BUHAI’s finished products, artistically crafted with highly imaginative designs, include hats, mats, bags, buri boxes, purses, wallets, backpacks, holders and other novelty items. As all this is made by hand, the bigger, more intricate items take a long time to do.

Buri handicraft finished products

On our way out of the town, we made another short stopover at the town’s famous cemetery which is known for its unique name “Kami Karon, Kamo Dason” which literally means “we go now, you go next.”

The town’s famous cemetery

Buri Handicraft Association, Inc.: Brgy. Diclum, Tobias Fornier, Antique. Tel: (036) 320-1434.

How To Get There: Tobias Fornier is located 28.9 kms. from San Jose de Buenavista and 16.5 kms. from Anini’y.

Church of St. John Nepomucene (Anini’y, Antique)

Posted on 22 February, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Siraan Hot Spring and Health Resort, we were driven just 1.5 kms. to the town’s poblacion where we made a 15-min. stopover at the town’s Church of St. John Nepomucene , the only preserved Spanish-era church in the province. The national saint of the Czech Republic, St. John Nepomucene (locally called San Juan Nepomuceno, feast day on May 6), is the first martyr of the seal of confession, the patron saint against calumnies (a.k.a. slander) and a protector against floods.

Church of St. John Nepomucene

First built around 1845, it was replaced with masonry by Augustinian Fr. Jeronimo Vaquerin in 1878, roofed in 1894 and almost completed in 1898 (except for the large arch near the main altar). The church was seized by the Aglipayans in 1902 and occupied for 6 years until it was turned over to the Mill Hill Fathers from England.

The Baroque facade

The church, damaged during World War II, miraculously survived the January 25, 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake which measured 8.2 on the Richter scale, the second biggest on the country’s earthquake catalog. The earthquake totally destroyed the old churches of Igbaras, Maasin, Oton and San Miguel, all in Iloilo, It was called caycay due to the numerous fissures that seem like scratches made by chickens on the ground.

Augustinian emblem on facade

However, the church’s roof and back wall were toppled during the powerful 1973 typhoon but it was restored by Mill Hill Fr. William Erinkweld who installed a solid concrete beam to bolt down the heavy steel roofing. He also covered the steel trusses with G.I. sheet.

The small statue of St. John Nepomucene on the pediment

This beautiful and massive, white coral church is 65 m. long, 16 m. wide, 10 m. high and has one main nave and transept. Its impressive Baroque façade, done in the 19th century Revivalist style, consists of a lower level divided into 3 equal sections by 2 central engaged pilasters (with floral designs and acanthus leaves on the capitals).

Plaque installed by National Historical Commission

The arched main entrance, with the Augustinian emblem on top,is flanked by two statued niches (one of which has no statue) decorated with rosettes. On top of each niche are rose windows.

The hexagonal bell tower

The main entrance has niches on the front and side walls as well as other openings and is embellished by rosettes on the upper edge. The sharp triangular pediment has a central niche flanked by two rose windows and topped by finials.

The church interior

Its 3-storey, 25-m. high, hexagonal bell tower has one arched window on each level and is topped by a rounded dome.

How to Get There: Anini’y is located 40.46 kms. from San Jose de Buenavista and is accessible by jeeps from Hamtik and Tobias Fornier (16.5 kms.). It is also accessible via the coastal road from Brgy. Tiolas in San Joaquin (Iloilo).

Sira-an Hot Spring and Health Resort (Anini’y, Antique)

Posted on 22 February, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

From San Joaquin in Iloilo, we crossed over into the adjacent province of Antique and, 1.5 kms. before the Anini’y poblacion, we all made a 1 hr. stopover at the local government-owned, Sira-an Hot Spring and Health Resort to wait for fellow bloggers arriving on the 7 AM Manila-Iloilo flight.

The resort’s man-made, junior-size tiled swimming pool

The resort, reached via a narrow and sandy access road located just a few meters away from the National Highway, has warm and refreshing sulfurous water that flows from crevices of big boulders into a man-made, junior-size tiled swimming pool and, below it, jacuzzi-like tubs. Be warned, though, that the water coming out of the fissure from the basin is flammable. Hence, it is dangerous for the smoking visitors to stand near it.

Four jacuzzi-like tubs

Its Kanza Bar and Restaurant offers soup (sinigang, chicken sotanghon, mushroom soup, etc.), entrees (chopsuey, pakbet, fried chicken, crispy pata, etc.), appetizers (French fries, spring rolls, chicken wings, etc.), sizzlers (pork sisig, buffalo wings, etc.), sandwiches (clubhouse, tuna, ham and cheese, etc.) and short orders (bihon or canton guisado, lomi, etc.) plus bottled or canned drinks, beer, juices and liquor.

A single jacuzzi-like tub

The resort also has picnic huts (PhP150), 6-8-pax rooms, 6-pax guesthouse, 100-pax training center and a view deck with a fantastic of the sea. Barangay Nato benefited from the economic development brought about by the flock of local and foreign tourists who frequented this place due to its curative waters.

Kanza Bar & Restaurant

The resort also offers 5-km. (15-20-min.) boat rides (PhP500, good for 10 pax) to the 26-hectare, uninhabited Nogas Island where you can stay until 5 PM. A naval reservation, dive site and bird sanctuary, it has a lighthouse, white sand beach and good coral.

Nogas Island

Sira-an Hot Spring and Health Resort: Sitio Dapog, Brgy. Nato, Anini’y, Antique. Admission: Non-Residents (PhP20/pax), Residents (PhP15/pax). Mobile numbers: (0917) 498-9652 (Globe) or (0947) 315-6766 (Smart).

How to Get There: Anini’y is located 40.46 kms. from San Jose de Buenavista and is accessible by jeeps from Hamtik and Tobias Fornier. It is also accessible via the coastal road from Brgy. Tiolas in San Joaquin (Iloilo).

San Joaquin Cemetery (Iloilo)

Posted on 22 February, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Miag-ao, we were next driven 12.5 kms. to the adjoining town of San Joaquin. Along the National Highway, we made another short stopover at the town’s Spanish-era cemetery (Campo Santo, translated as “holy field) where we visited its iconic mortuary chapel (capilla), the grandest and best preserved in the whole of Iloilo.

The iconic mortuary chapel of Campo Santo

Nestled on elevated ground a kilometer from the poblacion, it was built in 1892 with coral rock and baked brick by Augustinian Fr. Mariano Vamba, the last Spanish parish priest of the town.

Detail of rose window and brick and coralstone facade

It has a vaulted hexagonal chapel decorated with Classical motifs; with tufa and plaster walls; a red, pointed dome and lateral rose windows. To reach this chapel and the cemetery compound, we had to climb a 20-step staircase flanked by twin-tiered stone balustrades.

The statue niche with Pieta replica

Burial niches inside chapel

Inside, facing the chapel entrance, is a statue niche with a small yet beautifully made sculpture replica of Michaelangelo’s renowned Pieta. Below it is the burial niche of Pedro Sarag y Saragena (September 8, 1855-October 15, 1923). Flanking both are 2 sets of 4 burial niches topped by a cross and flanked a skull and cross bones design.

The Baroque-style gate

Its Baroque-style gate, with its rich stone bas relief of carved stylized flowers and leaves, has a life-size statue of Jesus Christ, with his outstretched arms, on top of its triangular pediment. It is flanked, on each side, with two columns with angelic figures on top. The semicircular arch entrance, adorned by egg-shaped moldings, is topped by the sculpted head of a cherub between two skull and cross bones designs representing death.

Father and son at the stairway

How To Get There: San Joaquin is located 53.5 kms. from Iloilo City and 12.2 kms. from Miag-ao.

Church of St. Thomas of Villanueva (Miag-ao, Iloilo)

Posted on 22 February, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

From our assembly point at the the University of the Philippines Visayas, we were driven 36 kms., past the towns of Oton, Tigbauan and Guimbas, to the town of Miag-ao, the first destination in our itinerary, where we made a short stopover at the town’s Church of St. Thomas of Villanueva for some photo ops.

The Church of St. Thomas of Villanueva

My visit here completed my wish list, that of visiting all 4 Philippine churches that have received international acclamation by being included in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List. The others I’ve already visited are the Church of St. Augustine in Paoay (Ilocos Norte), the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Sta. Maria (Ilocos Sur) and the San Agustin Church in Intramuros (Manila).

The intricately carved facade

The town’s unique and magnificent, fortress-like church is the third church edifice constructed since the foundation of the parish in 1731. The first church, built near the Tumagbok River in Ubos around 1734, was burned and looted by Moro raiders in 1741. The second, built by Fr. Fernando Camporredendo from 1744 to 1750, was burned by pirates who looted the town on May 1754. To prevent a repetition, the present church was built on a hill (called Tacas) with a commanding view of the Miagao River (where the raiders usually come from).

Facade detail

Started in 1786 by Augustinian Fr. Francisco Maximo Gonzales, its huge stones were quarried from Sitio Tubo (San Joaquin) and Igbaras and were supervised by maestro de obras from Igbaras. The church was completed in 1797.

A statue niche

Another statue niche

The church was partially restored by Fr. Agustin Escudero in 1864 and its interior was decorated by Fr.Jose Sacristan in 1880. It was damaged at different times by fire during the revolution in 1898, the Philippine-American War and again in 1910. After the powerful January 5, 1948 earthquake, it was immediately restored by Monsigñor Wenceslao Enojo and again from 1959 to 1962 by Monsigñor Leonardo Javillo and the National Historic Institute under Chairman Esteban A. Ocampo.

A row of flying buttresses

A historical marker was installed by the National Historical Commission, under Director Luis Montilla, on February 16, 1963 to underscore its historical and artistic value. The church was declared a National Landmark on August 1, 1973 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260 and in 1994, was listed by the UNESCO as one of the world’s cultural heritage sites.

Plaque (Philippine Historical Committee)

This church is one of the finest examples of peripheral Baroque architecture in the country and its facade blends various architectural tendencies into one local religious art style. Its superbly-carved, high relief stone facade, embellished with naif folk motifs, features the giant St. Christopher dressed Filipino-farmer style with his pants rolled up, carrying the Infant Jesus on his shoulders across an invisible river, amidst large coconut palms and fruit-laden papaya and guava trees which symbolize fertility.

The left bell tower

The right bell tower

All these are reminiscent of Aztec art. Its massive, 4-m. thick walls made of honey-colored sandstone have heavy, round buttresses built to withstand earthquakes and Moro pirate raids. The first and second levels and the integrated triangular pediment (with two oblong windows at its base) are separated by decorative balusters and the heavily drawn frieze. The simple semicircular arched main entrance is flanked by columns and statued niches and crowned by a huge stylized acanthus and a very ornately designed statued niche.

The church interior

The church is flanked by two massive, gradually tapering and medieval castle-like square bell towers. Its corners are strengthened by 3/4 circular buttresses. Both are dissimilar in height because of design changes. One has a high pointed roof while the other has a low-pitched roof. One has four levels and the other, three. The left tower’s extra storey was added in 1839 by Fr. Francisco Perez (parish priest from 1827 to 1864). The church’s simple interior is highlighted by a striking gold-plated retablo.

How To Get There: Miagao is located 40.04 kms. from Iloilo City, 12.2 kms. from San Joaquin and 8 kms. from Guimbal.

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.