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.
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| 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.