Category Archives: National Cultural Treasures

Balanghai Shrine Museum (Butuan City, Agusan del Norte)

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Balanghai Shrine Museum

Part of Almont Inland Resort-sponsored Tour

After arrival and lunch at Almont Inland Resort, Jandy and I, accompanied by Mr. Carl Ballesteros and Ms. Debra Rutz Tanginan, Sales and Marketing Manager and Media Marketing Officer, respectively, of the resort, boarded a Starex van to begin our tour of Butuan City. From the resort, it was a 4.9 km. (15-min.) drive to the Balanghai Shrine Museum.

Located between the city and the airport, this small but innovative, one-storey open-air museum, a field museum of the National Museum of the Philippines, celebrates the rich maritime heritage of the Philippines.  Upon arrival, we were toured around the quaint little museum by the very able and knowledgeable Ms. Gloradel T. Tamayo.

Ms. Gloradel T. Tamayo

The museum displays, in a specially made glass case, is Butuan Boat No. 1, the more than 1,700-year old balanghai (or balangay), the oldest of nine boats discovered in September 6, 1976 by pothunters in search of Chinese ceramics at Brgy. Ambangan.  It originally measured around 10.2 m. (33 ft.) in length and has been dated to 777-988 CE. The timber used in its construction are identified as toog (Petersianthus quadrialatus),  narig (Vatica sp.), and lawaan (Shorea sp.).  Three of these water-logged timber boats have been excavated while the others are still in situ.

The 1,700 year old balangahai, the oldest of the nine discovered

Another view of the balanghai

On March 9, 1987, the balanghais were declared a National Cultural Treasure by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 86, series of 1986, signed by the late Pres. Corazon C. Aquino.   The establishment of the shrine was made possible by the donation of land by Felix A. Luna, a resident of the area, in 1979.

Photo of 1976 excavation

Photo of the balanghai found on site

These large sea-going wooden plank-built (Heretiara litorales, locally called dongon) and edge-pegged outrigger boats are 15 m. long and 3 m. wide across the beam.  Carbon-14 dating indicates it belongs to the 4th and 13th to 14th century AD. The oldest was dated to 320 AD by Tokyo’s Gakushuin Uniiversity.

The sugar palm fibers found on site

Sugar palm fibers, locally called cabo negro, hibyok or hidyop (Arenga piñata), were used to tie the boat planks together. Two others were dated to 990 and 1250 AD. These predate the relics of Viking ships in European museums and they represent the oldest fleet of boats excavated in one place.

Wooden coffins

Wooden coffins

Also on display are 3 m. long wooden coffins and deformed skulls (showing clear signs of cranial deformation, a cultural practice, at that time, either to signify group affiliation, social status or for aesthetic purpose) dating to the 14th and 15th centuries. The coffins were found 16 m. east of the boat, though proximate to the boat, the coffin burials have no chronological reference to the 12th and 13th century middle layer, being situated on the high ground beyond the eastern limits of the midden.

Deformed skulls

Infant skull

Displayed on the walls are actual photos of the 1976 to 1986 excavation as well as the rope used to tie the boat planks together.  At the back of the museum is the actual excavation site, a single trench, which is part of the Agusan River Delta System.  Another excavation site, not open to visitors, is located at the back of the Toyota Showroom. 

The excavation site today

  

Balangay Shrine Museum: 6th St., Sitio Ambangan, Brgy. Libertad, Butuan City, 8600 Agusan del Norte.  Mobile number (0919) 077-9854. E-mail: butuan@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Opened Tuesdays to Sundays (closed on Mondays), 9 AM to 5 PM.

How to Get There: Cebu Pacific Air has 20 daily flights from Manila to Butuan City.  The museum is 5 kms. east of the city. From Gaisano Mall/Butuan City Integrated Transportation Terminal, take a tricycle (locally called a trisikad) to the museum.

Almont Inland Resort: J. C. Aquino Ave. (formerly Zamora St.), Brgy. Imadejas, 8600 Butuan City.  Tel: (085) 300-0296. Mobile number: +63977 674 3412. Email:  fo.inlandresort@almont.com.ph. Website: www.almont.com.ph/almontinlandresort.

Fort San Antonio Abad (Manila)

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Fort San Antonio Abad

Relatively unknown to many, Manila has another Spanish-era fort, aside from the well-known Fort Santiago, located south of Intramuros and this one is not easy to visit as it is located within the confines of the high-security Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)  Complex – the 1.2-hectare, trapezoid-shaped  and equally historic but hidden Fort San Antonio Abad.

Exploring the fort with our guides

Considering its current location, tightly sandwiched between the imposing main tower of the BSP and the old Manila Metropolitan Museum  Building (now transferred to its new home at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City), the fort is understandably overlooked these days.

Check out “Metropolitan Museum of Manila”

Stairs leading up to the ramparts

Visits to the fort are by appointment and my son Jandy and I had to arrange our visit in advance via email.  It was only upon approval of our request that we were allowed to proceed to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex.  Upon registering ourselves, we met up with our guides, Ms. Regyn Avena and Mr. Lauro E. de los Santos, Jr. who were to tour us around the fort.

The view of the South Wall from the East Bastion

Also known as Fort Malate or Fort San Antonio, this fortification was completed in 1584 and named in honor of its patron saint, Saint Anthony the Abbot (feast day: January 17).   Like the walled city, the fort evolved into a variety of stone fortress popularized by renowned French military architect Sebastien Le Prestre de Vauban, with two signature bastions at the corners of the canted walls.

The canted South Wall

Though relatively small in size, it certainly occupies a significant place in the history of Manila as it played a role in three great conflicts – the Seven Years’ War,e vents prior and during the Philippine–American War and World War II.  Located in what was then a separate hamlet of Malate, the fort served as a rear protection for the Manila as well as to guard the Manila–Cavite route.

The West Bastion at the North Wall

The Spanish used the fort as a polvorista (“little fortress” or gunpowder magazine to safely store gunpowder) known as Fuerte de Polverina.  On September 26, 1762, during the Seven Years’ War, it was captured by British forces under Rear-Admiral Samuel Cornish and Brigadier-General William Draper when they invaded Manila. They transformed the fort into a garrison, setting up an artillery battery.  From here, the British forces launched their land offensive against the Spaniards defending Intramuros.

The exquisitely designed North Entrance

On March 26, 1764, upon the end of the British occupation of Manila, the fort was returned to Spanish control and rebuilt, again becoming a gunpowder storage facility. On August 13, 1898, after bombardment by U.S. warships during the sham Battle of Manila, the fort was captured and the first American flag hoisted by the First Battalion of the First Colorado Volunteer Regiment under the command of Lt.-Col. Henry Bayard McCoy.

The grassy courtyard. On the left are the square embrasures

Also, during the Philippine–American War, U.S. military authorities used the prison to carry out multiple executions by hanging. Harry Cline, an American civilian under the employment of the United States Army, was the first American to be executed by U.S. authorities after he shot, with a revolver, four small Filipino boys from Parañaque gathering grass, wounding three and killing the fourth (Agaton Rivera) on April 8, 1901. Cline was tried by an American military court, found guilty of murder and three counts of assault with intent to kill, and sentenced to death by hanging which was carried out  on September 20, 1901.

The fort ramparts

During World War II, Fort San Antonio Abad was seized by occupying Japanese  troops and it was used as a bunker, with a cannon installed. During the Liberation of Manila, the fort suffered considerable damage.  After World War II, the very young Offshore Patrol, with the Manila Naval Station (MNS) as its main support unit, set up its headquarters at the fort. They vacated the place in 1965.

The now unused well with windlass

On June 1974, coinciding with the establishment of the new main office complex of the BSP, the restoration of the fort was again started (the first restoration was at the beginning of the 19th century) by Architect Carlos E. Da Silva, during the term of former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Gregorio S. Licaros, and completed in 1976.

1976 Restoration Plaque

This battle-weary and proud structure is now a beautiful little park and events place with paved walkways and street lamps. Where guards once stood, there are now roaming gardeners keeping the manicured garden trim. Within the garden is a now unused well with a windlass for raising water.

National Historical Treasure plaque

In 2018, together with Intramuros (collectively known as the “Fortifications of Manila”), the fort was named a National Cultural Treasure (NCT), for their architectural, historical, scientific and archaeological significance, by the National Museum of the Philippines. Both forts were essential parts of the defense of Spanish Colonial Manila and scientifically important in terms of military and structural engineering. The NCT marker is now installed there and in Plaza Roma in Intramuros.

The unadorned south entrance. In my opinion, this entrance seems like a recent addition as there as its walls show no signs of weathering

At the fort’s south entrance, two historical plaques (the 1976 renovation plaque and the NCT plaque) are mounted.  A Historical Research and Markers Committee (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines) marker, installed  in 1937, is mounted on the wall to the right of this entrance, is topped by a semicircular arch niche, flanked by Doric columns, with an antique wooden statue of St. Anthony Abbot within.

Niche with statue of St. Anthony Abbot

In turn, the niche is framed by a decorative moldings ending in scrolls. The original segmental arched main entrance of the fort, with its quaint iron gate, faces north.  This latter entrance is decorated with a bas-relief of the traditional Spanish coat of arms of Leon (the lion) and Castille (the castle) and topped by finials.

Bas-relief bearing the Spanish coat of arms at the North Entrance

The fort can be quickly explored in less than half an hour. At the lower level of the fort are a series of square embrasures, openings in fort’s walls where cannons can be fired.  These openings, flared outward to enlarge their field of fire, once faced the sea but are now facing the back of the museum.

One of the fort’s embrasures

You can walk around the entire wall perimeter via very narrow, 2-foot wide ramparts which can be reached via stone steps. Standing on either side of the fort, on arrowhead-shaped bulwarks (East and West), are two large, sea-facing naval guns which were damaged when the American Air Force bombed the fort during the 1945 Liberation of Manila in World War II.

William Armstrong gun at the East Bastion

Cast by Sir William Armstrong & Co. (England), these two 19th century, rifled breech-loading guns, weighing 20,238 and 20,220 pounds respectively, had a bore of 8 inches.  The original gun carriages are now gone (probably destroyed during the bombing or have rotted away) and have been replaced by concrete supports.

Pockmarked William Armstrong gun at West Bastion

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS:

After our visit to the fort, I can’t help but notice the differences between the plain looking south entrance and the exuberantly decorated north entrance.  Plus, I also can’t help but notice the seemingly misplaced bas-re;ief, with its statued niche, to the right of the south entrance.  This has got me thinking.

Could the south entrance have been originally located just below this bas-relief? It would make sense as statues of saints in niches or in bas-reliefs are usually placed above the entrances of churches and forts (even Fort Santiago has a bas relief of St. James the Moor Slayer, its patron saint, above its main entrance) to watch over those who enter.  Probably the lower and narrower entrance (suitable for wagons), with its pilasters, must have been walled up and a new, simple but higher and wider square opening was created, during the American era, a few meters beside it, possibly to allow tall and wide-bodied vehicles such as trucks to pass through.  I wonder ……..

For me, this makes sense…..

Fort San Antonio Abad: Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Malate, Manila 1004.  E-mail corporateaffairs@bsp.gov.ph (to arrange for a visit).

Bateria (San Esteban, Ilocos Sur)

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Moro Watchtower (Bateria)

Part of Santiago Cove Hotel and Restaurant-sponsored tour

This old but very pretty, 10.4-m. high, circular Spanish-era watchtower, located on a park at the headland of the sandy cove, is one of four Spanish-era watchtowers in Ilocos Sur (the others are located in Santiago, Narvacan and Bantay).  Visible from Villa Quirino Point, it is the oldest landmark of San Esteban (Ilocos Sur).

Built by Augustinian Fr. Damaso Vieytez OSA (who became the first parish priest of San Esteban in 1848), Don Agustin Santiago and Don Domingo Sumabas, it has a diameter of approximately 8.5 m. and was built with sandstone, lime and mortar.

Historical marker. In my opinion, the 16th century date of construction is wrong. Should be the 19th century

A major landmark of the town, it was also called the Moro Watchtower and is one of the most intact Spanish-era watchtowers in the country.

The free standing concrete platform supported by concrete columns. In the middle is a skylight to illuminate the lower level. The platform is accessed by s steel stairway.

Accessed by a steel stairway, it has one entrance and a crenellated top where a row of cannons were once installed (hence the name bacteria, the Spanish word for “battery”).  Today, only tower viewer binoculars are installed.

View of the lower level from the skylight

The Philippine Tourism Authority ((now the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority or TIEZA) has declared it as a Tourism Site and it has been registered in the National Historical Institute (NHI), now the National Historical Commission  of the Philippines (NHCP).   In December 2015 , the National Museum of the Philippines declared it as a National Cultural Treasure (Category I).

The concrete platform with stainless steel railings

In 2016, it was renovated by the National Historical Commission  of the Philippines (NHCP) who, together with the local government, also made improvements of the park including the addition of concrete picnic tables.  The banyan tree which once grew around the tower is now gone.

View of the sea from the watchtower

View of the shoreline and the park

Bateria: Brgy. Bateria, San Esteban, 2706 Ilocos Sur. Admission is free.

Santiago Cove Hotel and Restaurant: Sabangan Beach, Brgy. Sabangan, Santiago 2707, Ilocos Sur.  Mobile number: (0917) 115-4495 (Globe), (0917) 654-2078 (Globe), (0968) 851-5446 (Smart) and (0955) 773-9793 (Rodrigo’s).  E-mail: hsantiagocovehotel@gmail.com.

Old Senate Session Hall (National Museum of Fine Arts, Manila)

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Old Senate Session Hall

The historic Old Senate Session Hall, considered the core of the then Legislative Building (now the National Museum of Fine Arts), was home to members of the Philippine Senate from 1926 to 1996.  It had been a silent witness to history as senators, from various eras, debated and charted the future of the Philippines, from the country’s growing clamor for full independence from the United States in the 1930s to its rejection of a new US bases treaty in 1992. Directly below the Senate Session Hall is another hall once used by members of Congress. It has since been converted to a gallery displaying Juan Luna’s “Spoliarium.”

Check out “Old Legislative Building,” “National Museum of Fine Arts” and “Spoliarium Hall”

Ceiling and entablature with garlands and relief sculptures

The old Senate Session Hall was designed by American architect Ralph Harrington Doane (part of the team of architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham and a consultant to the Bureau of Public Works, a precursor of the Department of Public Works and Highways) as a high-ceiling reading room. Heavily damaged during the American liberation of Manila in 1945, the Legislative Building was in near ruins but, for some reason, the Session Hall remained intact, with only its intricately carved hardwood ceiling blown off.

Plaque installed by National Historical Institute

When the newly independent postwar government worked on rebuilding the structure, it was able to restore much of the Session Hall to its original state.

Bust of Manuel L. Quezon

Here, then Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and his allies in the opposition delivered privilege speeches during the run-up to martial law in 1972.  When martial law was declared, it was closed and later turned into one of the National Museum’s galleries during the remainder of the Marcos years. During the Marcos era, the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City housed the parliament.

When democracy was restored after the People Power Revolution in 1986, the Senate and Congress returned to their old homes in the Legislative Building. In 1996, after the Senate moved to its new home at the GSIS Building in Pasay City, the old Session Hall was closed again.

In April 2010, work on the Session Hall’s (Php20 million) two-year restoration started, with funding coming from 2011 National Museum endowment fund (Php6 million) of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), and Php14 million from the museum’s 2012 budget. They also tapped the expertise of the museum’s four heritage architects led by Evelyn Esguerra.

During the in-house restoration project, the National Museum’s Jeremy Barns (director) and Ana Labrador (assistant director) pored over old pictures in their attempt to produce a newly restored Session Hall that’s as close as possible to the original. Its prewar look became the peg of the restoration work. Barns and Labrador chose the 1930s, because it was during this period that the country’s independence movement started to intensify.

Relief Sculptures by Isabelo Tampinco

However, in the absence of detailed pictures of the original, they left the venue’s less ornate postwar ceiling intact. Workers searched in vain for murals (painted by architect Juan M. Arellano), between the overhead concrete fretwork, that might be hidden underneath layers of old paint. In the end, the pair decided to simply give both the ceiling and spaces between the statues a fresh coat of the standard, rich color paint for nearly all public buildings during the Philippine Commonwealth period paint (which Barns described as a “Bureau of Public Works cream”).

Relief sculptures by Isabelo Tampinco

The already structurally unsound wooden parquet flooring on the first level, not part of the Session Hall’s original design, was also removed.  In keeping with the Session Hall’s original look, they decided to go for vibrant red floors (sealed with epoxy) and baseboards. A series of damaged concrete balustrades that bore the weight of a wooden floor that bisected the 15 m. high Session Hall was replaced with faithful reproductions crafted by House of Precast.  The team also replaced the venue’s lighting system and had a more modern, energy-efficient air-con system installed.

Filipino Struggles Through History by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

Windows that were permanently locked from the outside (because of a concrete barrier) were replaced and opened up. Workers also had to fashion, upon Barns’ instructions, a French-type window that leads to an outdoor veranda. On October 29, 2012, during a celebration of the museum’s 111th anniversary, the refurbished hall was opened.

Filipino Struggles Through History by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

Currently a venue for events that are of national importance, the Old Senate Session Hall features modern and contemporary Philippine art from the 20th to the 21st centuries. All the ornamentation and decoration in this Hall were done by leading Filipino prewar sculptor Isabelo Tampinco who created these figures with the help of his sons, Angel and Vidal, who inherited their father’s artistry and skills.

Filipino Struggles Through History by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

These exceptional, restored masterpieces make up an entablature of garlands and Filipinized, classical relief sculptures of great lawmakers, moralists, philosophers and various historical figures in history, from Biblical times to the 20th century, such as Apolinario Mabini, Pope Leo XIII, Woodrow Wilson, Moses, Hammurabi, Ramses the Great, and Charlemagne.

Filipino Struggles Through History by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco

This hall also features seven of the ten panels of “Filipino Struggles Through History” (also known as “History of Manila”), the monumental series of paintings by National Artist Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco (1912-1969) commissioned in 1968 for the Manila City Hall by Mayor  Antonio J. Villegas.  The last three panels, depicting Mayor Antonio J. Villegas‘ vision for the city of Manila, are exhibited at Gallery XIII, within the same museum’s Vicente and Carmen Fabella Hall.

Check out “Gallery XIII”

Commemorative plaque of the “Filipino Struggles Through History,” by Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco, being declared as a National Cultural Treasure

The artwork was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by then National Museum director Gabriel S. Casal on April 8, 1996. They collectively measure 2.7 m. (8.9 ft.) high and 79.4 m. (260 ft.) wide.

National Museum of Fine Arts: Padre Burgos Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8527-1215 and (632) 8298-1100.  Email: inquiry@nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Website: nationalmuseum.gov.ph.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM – 4PM. Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°35′13″N 120°58′52″E.

Church of St. Matthias (Tumauini, Isabela)

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Church of St. Matthias

The notable, Roman Catholic Church of St. Matthias (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de San Matías), within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ilagan, is the best-preserved church complex in Isabela.  Known for its brick, Baroque-style architecture, it is considered to be the best and most artistic brick structure in the country.

The church complex

Tumauini became a separate parish independent from Cabagan  in 1751. Dedicated to Saint Matthias, it was first built in nipa and other light materials by Dominican Fr. Francisco Nunez in 1707.

Historical plaque installed by the National Historical Institute (NHI) in 1989

In 1733, it was rebuilt by Dominican Fr. Domingo Forto who hired artisans from as far south as Pampanga. It was continued in 1788 by Fr. Antonio Herrera and was completed in 1805.

The celebrated circular bell tower

During the Second World War, the church was damaged by American bombing but a faithful reconstruction program followed, with undamaged parts of the church building retained.

Buttresses supporting the side of the church

On February 24, 1989, it was made a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The church is now listed by the National Museum of the Philippines as a National Cultural Treasure.

A buttress with steps integrated into it for servicing the roof

Since 2006, together with the churches of Patrocinio de María in Boljoon, Cebu; La Inmaculada Concepción in Guiuan, Samar; San Pedro Ápostol in Loboc, Bohol and San Isidro Labrador in Lazi, Siquijor, the Tumauini Church has been considered for the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension).

Paired Corinthian columns at the facade

This foremost example of ecclesiastical ultra-Baroque architecture in the country is unique for its extensive use of different types of baked red clay brick both for its delicate wall finishing and ornamentation.

Finials crowning the wavy silhouette of the facade

Since stones of good quality couldn’t be found in the area, bricks were used instead and artisans from Pampanga were hired to craft the wooden moldings for the clay inset of the bricks for the façade. Each brick was numbered in the design.

Niche with a statue of a headless saint

Its architecture bears Chinese influence. The façade,  flanked by two pseudo-Corinthian columns and niches (one located above the entrance and the two remaining larger niches on each side of the columns), has a circular pediment that is unique relative to all other churches built during the Spanish Era.

A rather unusual “3” molding

The church’s ornately designed clay bricks were individually designed, prepared, fired, customized to fit the wall, and numbered and dated for the correct sequence respectively for construction purposes.

Bas relief of flowers

They come to life in concentric circles with spiral curves on the finials crowning the wavy silhouette of the facade whose centerpiece is a rose window on the circular pediment which is flanked by pinnacled steps terminating into a coil.

Bas relief of St. Andrew

Serpentine reliefs and many finely molded details: flowers, foliage, wheels, ovules, hearts, sunbursts, squares and circles, oblongs and rectangles, curlicues; three long garlands, vegetal forms, clam shells, also adorn the facade.

Bas relief of a sunburst

Bas relief of a wheel

Statued niches of saints (one headless) also flank the semicircular, richly-molded arched doorway.   

Bas relief of a headless cherub

There are also eight pilasters; six mini reliefs of saints and cherubim (one cherub defaced). At the end walls is a rather unusual “3” molding.

Bas relief of flowers

The adjoining unique, four-storey, unique cylindrical bell tower, built in 1805, is the only known Spanish colonial era cylindrical tower in the country.

Bas relief of garlands decorating the perimeter of the circular tower

The tiered belfry notably resembles a wedding cake.  Its bell has bullet holes but was never recast.

The church interior

Its interior has no retablo (altar backpiece), just a simple altar under an ornate, white dome and the Crucified Lord against the brick wall.

The retablo-less main altar

Also inside are 24 symmetrically arranged, Neo-Corinthian faux columns and ten arched windows with white-green-yellow stained-glass panes adorned with yellow and blue clam shells and red crosses.

Symmetrically arranged Neo-Corinthian faux columns

The ruins of the church’s convento (clergy house), located on the gospel side of the church, has a vaulted ceiling that still has impressions of the mats used in construction as forms to mold wet plaster.

The front garden has a low, undulating brick wall.

Part of the undulating, low brick wall

Church of St. Matthias: National Highway, Brgy. Annafunan, Tumauini 3325, Isabela.  Mobile number: (0927) 791-5490.  Feast of St. Mathias: May 14.

Isabela Provincial Tourism Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-3146.  Mobile number: (0917) 317-3820.  E-mail: isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com.

Isabela Provincial Information Office: Provincial Capitol Complex, City of Ilagan, Isabela. Tel: (078) 323-0248.  Mobile number: (0927) 395-7555.  E-mail: letters_info@yahoo.com.

How to Get There: Tumauini is located 451.1 kms. (a 9-hour drive) from Manila and 38.6 kms. (a 1-hour drive) northwest of Ilagan  City.

Bamboo Organ (Las Pinas City, Metro Manila)

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The Bamboo Oran

The centerpiece of the Church of St. Joseph in Las Pinas City is the famous Bamboo Organ and it is with this obra maestra (masterpiece) that  Augustinian Recollect Fr. Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, resident  Catholic parish priest (its first) in Las Piñas from 1795 to 1830, was to gain undying fame as an organ builder.  A native of Spain, this organist and organ builder was a gifted man, a natural scientist, chemist, architect and community leader.

Check out “Church of St. Joseph“

Church of St. Joseph

So unique is this church organ made with bamboo, the tallest grass in the world (only the trumpet stops are made of metal), that it was even mentioned by Robert L. Ripley (of Ripley’s Believe It or Not fame) in his book on “Great and Strange Works of Man.”  The choice of Bambusa sp. (Gramineane), identified to be indigenous to Batangas and the Luzon area, was probably both practical and aesthetic as bamboo was abundant and used for hundreds of items of both a practical and an artistic nature. The Bamboo Organ is described, by many international organ masters, as one of the finest old organs in the world and its construction, with bamboo, is noted as being one of the major factors that gives it a truly unique and lively sound. 

Fr. Diego Cera

Of the three built, one was intended as a gift for the Queen of Spain.  It never arrived for unascertainable reasons. However, some good came out of it as the Queen donated a church bell, now displayed at the old church convent.  The second was installed in the Capuchin Church of San Nicholas in Intramuros.  One of the 33 stops of this organ was made of bamboo.  The organ was, however, heavily damaged in 1898 and completely destroyed by fire during the American liberation in 1945.

The third and only existing one left was started in 1816 (while the church was still under construction) and completed in 1824.   With the help of the Las Piñas community, Fr. Cera started cutting the bamboo in 1816, selecting 950 pieces of different sizes and volumes.  These he buried in beach sand from six months to a year, curing them with salt water, thereby protecting them from wood-boring termites.  In 1817, Fr. Cera unearthed the bamboo pieces.

Together with the natives (whom he trained prior to the gathering of materials), he proceeded with the construction of the organ. At first, he attempted to use bamboo for 122 pipes but this experiment failed and, eventually, the bamboo pipes were used as ornamental pipes located at the rear side. Secretly working with Swiss chemist Jacques E. Brandenberger (who was employed by Blanchisserie et Teinturerie de Thaonbut, the cellophane inventor for the air bags to be used in the construction but without the trumpet stops), the organ was already playable in 1821. After Fr. Cera decided to make the trumpets using metal (musical characteristics of which he could not replicate with bamboo), the organ was finally completed in 1824.

The old keyboard, metal and bamboo pipes of the Bamboo Organ, now on display at the Bamboo Organ Museum

The finished product was 6.7 m. high, 4.17 m. wide, 1.45 m. deep and weighed 3.5 tons.  From its 1,031 pipes emanate dulcet tones.  There are 902 pipes made of bamboo consisting of 747 “speaking” pipes, 36 “blind” flue pipes and 119 “blind” reed pipes. The 129 metal trumpets, horizontally placed reeds of soft metal imported from Mexico, are composed of 112 metal pipes, 10 “speaking” reed pipes and 7 others for the “bird” stop.   The five-octave keyboard has 23 stops arranged in vertical rows and a full pedalboard.

Despite its single manual and small pedals, the organ has an unusually high tonal range.  Its special birdstop tube (pajarito) was, to quote, “designed to imitate the song of birds when a small quantity of water was poured therein.”  The tambor tube, on the other hand, gives out the boom of a kettle drum.  The organ was originally powered by a windmill.  However, an electric blower, installed in 1932 (the centennial of Fr. Cera’s death) by Fr. Paul Hubaux, is now used.

The old manually-operated bellows of the Bamboo Organ (now at the Bamboo Organ Museum)

Over the years, natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods took their toll on the Bamboo Organ. Major repairs were undertaken in 1863, 1867 and 1872. The July 14, 18 and 20 earthquake of 1880 and the October 1882 typhoon  destroyed the galvanized roofing of the church, causing rain and stones to fall on the then disassembled organ, rendering it unplayable for several years.

In February 1883, through the combined contributions of the government, town residents and the Archbishop, repairs on the organ, costing a total of 270 pesos were carried out.  In 1888, Fr. Saturio Albeniz headed the project of improving the organ.  However, it was not fully completed, further degrading the condition of the organ. In 1891, the organ was repaired once again but, during the Philippine Revolution, the pipes were then dismantled and kept in the old sacristy.

The author (left) with son Jandy and cousin Vicky beside the Bamboo Organ

Around 1909, there was an attempt to sell the organ and replace it with a harmonium.  It was aborted when a certain Kapitan Pedro opposed this and offered to pay the expenses of the organ.  Unfortunately, only two stops were repaired.  In 1911, the organ was rediscovered by tourists and reassembled.  Several concerted efforts were also made to save the organ.  In 1917, the organ was in such a bad state that only two stops were working.

Fr. Victor Faniel (term: 1915–1920), of the C.I.C.M. (Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) or Belgian Fathers, attempted to restore the organ but could not repair the bellows.   In order to solicit voluntary contributions for the repair of the organ, Fr. Faniel authored and published Historical Facts, a pamphlet featuring substantial historical data about the bamboo organ.

The bellows currently used by the Bamboo Organ

In 1917, the organ was reassembled by the Las Piñeros but the repair works were not conducted in an expert manner. In April 1932, Fr. Paul Hubaux, C.I.C.M., saw the difficulty of pumping air and physically manipulating the bellows  so he installed a one-horse power Wagner electric motor in order for the bamboo organ “to be heard again in full and sufficient volume.”

In 1943, during the Japanese Occupation, it was partially repaired and overhauled by two technicians, Carmelo and Jose Loinaz.  However, the lack of expertise did little to improve its condition.  Some of the repairs that were intended to preserve, actually almost destroyed it.

In 1960, German Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Friedrich von Fürstenberg, offered a donation worth 150,000 DM. However, the restoration work needed be done in Germany. The restoration project was temporarily shelved because of the risks of transporting the organ from Manila to Germany and back.  However, by 1962, the organ was in such a bad state that only one-fifth was working as there were many leakages in the air supply.  All horizontal trumpets were disconnected and the same was true for all the base pipes.  Only three stops out of the 23 were working and some disconnected pipes were piled inside the organ.

The organ’s cornet

In 1962, the Historical Conservation Society offered its services to restore the organ, in anticipation of the second centennial anniversary of Las Piñas. A total of Php 4,975.00 was donated for the instrument alone. However, insufficient funds only allowed partial repair works by Mr. Jose Loinaz. An organ builder, Fr. Hermann Schablitzki, S.V.D., also attempted to conduct repair works to the bamboo organ. The condition of the bamboo organ reached its “terminal stage” – disconnected horizontal trumpets and bass pipes, three functional stops out of twenty-three, leakage of air from the chest, and piling of disconnected pipes inside the bamboo organ. Only 1/3 of the Bamboo Organ was functioning during that time.

In the early 1970s, Belgian Rev. Fr. Mark Lesage (C.I.C.M. parish priest in June 1969) and assistant parish priest Fr. Leo Renier (who happened to be a musician and organist) set out consulting with several authorities on the bamboo organ. Mr. Jose Loinaz and Fr. Schablitzki strongly suggested a total repair. On the other hand, Fr. John van der Steen, C.I.C.M., echoed the need for total restoration. Lesage and Ranier, as well as the townspeople, decided on the total rehabilitation of the dying organ and the implementation of the restoration work was firmed up.

On December 2, 1972, during the inauguration of the Las Piñas Church, Mr. Johannes Klais the expert organ restorer scion of the organ builder firm of Johannes Klais Orgelbau, visited, personally inspected and assessed the Bamboo Organ which he had heard about when he was still a child. With a rich and extensive experience in the restoration of Spanish organs, he expressed his desire to help.  He remarked that the organ could still be repaired, but only in the Klais factory in Bonn, Germany. The crucial and sensitive work was awarded to the firm.

In March 1973, two technicians of the Klais firm, Joseph Tramnitz and Joseph Pick, arrived at Las Piñas and dismantled the bamboo organ. Due to concerns about shrinkage in the cold German climate, the repair of the bamboo pipes was done in Japan under Mr. Tsuda, also trained by Mr. Klais himself. The other parts of the organ were crated and shipped to Germany. On September 1973, upon its repair, the bamboo pipes were also shipped to Germany and installed in the “Klimakammer,” a special room built in the factory with the same Philippine humidity and temperature to prevent shrinkage of the bamboo.

On February 1974, actual repairs were started.  Klais enlarged the original plan of Fr. Cera and the old bellows of the organ were replaced. At present, the new bellows were located at one side of the choir loft and beside the belfry.  Parts that could not be used anymore were replaced with very durable wood.  Only the best materials were used.  Mr. Klais also trained Mr. Marciano Jacela, a Filipino scholar of the Carl Duisberg Foundation, on how to take care of the organ in the future in case any repair was needed.  Mr. Jacela also actively participated in the difficult and complicated restoration work.

During all that time, the 200,000 German Deutchmarks (PhP460,000 at that time) needed (excluding transportation, tickets for technicians and other expenses) for the organ repair was  raised from various sources. In the true bayanihan spirit, money for the organ repair, as well as church renovation, came in with the help of the Las Piñas community and the neighboring area, coming in the form of donations from businessmen as well as coins from schoolchildren.

On February 17, 1975, the Bamboo Organ, now with 89 completely new pipes (35 were trumpet pipes and 53 were bamboo pipes) was presented to guests invited by Mr. Mauro Calingo, the Philippine ambassador, at a one-hour concert held at the Philippine Embassy at Bonn, Germany, with world-renowned organist Wolfgang Oehms (organist of the Trier Cathedral in Germany) playing the Bamboo Organ. After that historic event, the launching of the first long-playing album of the bamboo organ was released.

On March 16, accompanied by Mr. Marciano Jacela (responsible for reassembling the bamboo organ), Robert Coyuito (then President of the Pioneer Insurance Companies who donated the insurance premium for the bamboo organ) and German technician Ulrich Bisacker, a dozen crates containing all the parts of the restored Bamboo Organ were finally returned, via Sabena Airlines,  to a joyous welcome here after an absence of almost two years.   A joint motorcade and foot parade was held the next day.  The organ was finally reassembled on March 17.  A month later, Klais arrived in Manila to a hero’s welcome.

For around thirty years, minor repairs and improvements were performed on the instrument under the general restoration conducted by Klais Orgelbau.  In 1990, Helmut Allgaeuer Orgelbau replaced the bone plates of the keyboard and, in 1993, Helmut’s apprentices Cealwyn Tagle and the late Edgar Montiano, both members of the Las Piñas Boys Choir turned organ builders and trained in Grunbach, Austria,  took over the maintenance of the instrument, doing minor jobs on broken trackers, hairline cracks, and keyboard adjustments.

On November 24, 2003, the Bamboo Organ was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. In 2004, the Las Pinas-based company, Diego Cera Organ Builders Inc. (considered as the first Filipino pipe organ building company, it was founded by Tagle and Montiano In March 1994), carried out a general overhaul of the Bamboo Organ, replacing some leather parts and making improvements in the wind system, particularly the re-installation of a multi-fold parallel bellows which was patterned after the bellows of the Baclayon (Bohol) pipe organ, which is believed to be constructed by Fr. Diego Cera.

Through this organ-building priest’s genius, plus the dedication of Klais and the untiring efforts of the Las Piñas community, then and now, the legacy of this centuries-old National Treasure has been preserved, continually bringing unique angelic music from the earthly bamboo. Today, the famous organ, as well as the church museum at the old convent house, is a popular tourist destination for Filipinos and foreign visitors alike in Las Piñas.

Check out “Bamboo Organ Museum”

The organ is now the cornerstone of the International Bamboo Organ music festival.  First held from March 6 – 11, 1976, the inaugural concert featured Wolfgang Oehms complemented by the Las Piñas Boys’ Choir, the Cultural Center of the Philippines Orchestra (under the baton of Maestro Luis C. Valencia) and the Maharlika Rondalla. Oehms played standard European compositions and two Filipino works – excerpts from Misang Pilipino by former dean of Philippine Women’s University College of Music, Lucrecia R. Kasilag (who later became a National Artist for Music in 1989) and commissioned Parangal by organ, rondalla, brass, woodwind and percussion conducted by Prof. Alfredo S. Buenaventura, the composer himself.

Now the longest-running annual international music festival held in the country, the festival is a series of cultural performances centered on the unique Bamboo Organ.  The  classical music compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 to 1750), Giovanni Gabrielli (1557 to 1612), Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 to 1809), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 to 1791), Antonio Vivaldi (1675 to 1741) and other famous composers are performed by local and international artists, orchestras and choirs (notably the Las Pinas Boy’s Choir) with the accompaniment of this famous organ. Since 1992, Prof. Armando Salarza has been the titular organist of the Bamboo Organ as well as the Artistic Director of the International Bamboo Organ Festival

Bamboo Organ: St. Joseph Church, Diego Cera Ave., Brgy. Daniel Fajardo, Poblacion,  Las Piñas City. Tel: (02) 8825-7190 and (02) 8820-0795. Email: bambooorganfoundation@gmail.com. Website:  bambooorgan.org/museum.

How to Get There: From the Star Mall in Alabang (formerly Metropolis), board a jeepney bound for Zapota Bayan and ask the driver to drop you off at the ‘Bamboo Organ.’ From Alabang, the church is on your left side.

Museo ng Kagitingan (Pilar, Bataan)

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Museo Ng Kagitingan

After our visit to the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar, Maricar, Norman, Jandy and I visited the nearby Museo ng Kagitingan.  It being a Black Saturday, we were surprised to find it open. Inaugurated a little over a week ago (April 10, the 218th Foundation Day of Pilar), this 2-storey, airconditioned museum, originally the town’s Puericulture Center, is the first local museum in Bataan.

Check out “Church of Our Lady of the Pillar“

A sculpture of horse-riding soldiers, ready for action, with the Philippine flag raised high above their heads.  Beside it is a replica of the KM41 Death March marker

At the right side of the entrance of the museum, facing the National Road, is a sculpture of horse-riding soldiers, ready for action, with the Philippine flag raised high above their heads.  Beside it is a replica of the KM41 Death March marker, one of two markers that can be seen in Pilar (the other being KM26).

A Church Dedicated to Our Lady of PIlar

Spanish Colonial Pilar

The museum’s logo features the maya, a local bird that denotes freedom, plus some of the most important points of interest in Pilar. The museum houses old newspaper clippings; journals; an old residence certificate; old baptismal records; a rich gallery of old photos collected from locals of Pilar; and artworks  with historical value created by local artists.

Old Photos

A Filipina Costume of Youth and Gaiety

Religious Devotion and Piety in Pilar

There’s also a four-page manuscript of the late Pres. Ferdinand Marcos’ speech when he visited Bataan, perhaps during the inauguration of the Mt. Samat Shrine of Valor.

America Introduces the Public School

Pilar in Stained Glass

A glass stain mosaic, by artist Resty B.Calapan, depicts the Church of Our Lady of the Pillar, the Dambana ng Kagitingan, the Death March, the Flaming Sword Monument as well as Dunsolan Falls and the town’s Kasinagan Festival. 

Stair glass railing etched with scenes from Bataan Death March (Museo ng Kagitingan, Pilar, Bataan)

Pilar in Contemporary Times

The glass railing of the stairs leading to the second floor is etched with scenes from the infamous Bataan Death March.

Old Baptismal Records

Pilar Town Builders

On loan to the museum from someone’s private collection is a bench made of bamboo made by the late National Artist Napoleon Abueva.  The aptly titled “The Hallowed Grounds of Mt. Samat” gives a comprehensive description of the Shrine of Valor.

The Hallowed Grounds of Mt. Samat

Assuming the Philippines’ Defense

There’s also a visual representation of the Death March, giving emphasis to Bataan’s involvement in the Filipino soldiers’ fight for freedom during World War II. Throughout the display, we can see small figures of soldiers walking along the representation.

The Philippine Scouts

The Second World War Rolls Into Bataan

There’s also a bench made from a century-old acacia tree that used to stand along the National Road in Brgy. Santa Rosa. A mute witness to the various events in Pilar’s history, it unfortunately fell down during a strong typhoon.

A Mute Witness to Pilar’s History

Norman, Maricar and Jandy at Museo Ng Kagitingan

Museo ng Kagitingan: National Road, Pilar, Bataan.  Admission: P30.

Church of the Holy Trinity (Loay, Bohol)

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Church of the Holy Trinity

Upon arrival in Loay, our van entered the  church complex via the short bend from the road to Loboc. This old and charming church, built on top of a plateau overlooking the sea, near the mouth of the Loboc River, is also reached by short flight of stairs from the main highway.

The church after the October 15, 2013 earthquake (photo: Wikipedia)

Built with cut coral stone, it is cruciform in plan, with a low quadrangular pyramid atop the crossing, and was probably finished in 1822. The church was recently declared as a National Cultural Treasure and National Historical Landmark in 2003.

The restored portico facade

The church has two facades: an inner (1822), decorated with low relief (atop the inner doorway is inscribed the year 1822, indicating its presumed date of completion), and an outer three-level Neo-Classical portico-façade (apparently completed in the 20th century as its upper register is in reinforced concrete).

NHI Plaque.  It states that a certain Fr. Leon Inchausti was once assigned to this parish, that he was subsequently martyred during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War and that he was canonized in 1999 and is now a saint

It has a semicircular arched main entrance (which formerly had a Latin inscription “Deus Trinus et Unus” above it, alluding to the parish’s dedication to the Holy Trinity) at the first level, rectangular windows on the second level and a low triangular pediment topped by allegorical figures of Faith, Hope and Charity. The sides of the church are reinforced by huge buttresses.

The ceiling murals obscured by a maze of scaffolding

During the October 15, 2013 earthquake, the church’s portico-facade fell down but, during our visit, it had already been restored. Inside, there were still a lot of scaffolding with repair work still ongoing.  The painted trompe o’eil ceiling is filled with murals of Biblical scenes finished by Ray Francia on June 15, 1927.

The colonnaded main altar has a Neo-Classic retablo with images of the Holy Trinity (with God the Father seated on the right, God the Son on the left, and God the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove above them) topped by a baldaquin.

There’s also a massive pipe organ installed in 1841 and a pulpit topped by a torravoz with Neo-Gothic dome and fringed by a “lacework” of metal and wood.

Stairs leading to the choir loft

The separate, three-storey octagonal bell tower, topped by a domed roof, was built by Fr. Carlos Ubeda (1859 to 1865).  The stone and wood convent now houses the Holy Trinity Academy, founded in 1947.

The separate, 3-storey bell tower

Church of the Holy Trinity: Tel: (038) 538-9158 and (038) 501-1145. Feast of the Holy Trinity: Trinity Sunday (May).

How to Get There: Loay is located 22.1 kms. (a 30-min. drive) east of Tagbilaran City.

Bohol Tourism Office: Governor’s Mansion Compound, C.P.G. Ave. North, Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol.  Tel: +63 38 501-9186.  E-mail: inquire@boholtourismph.com.

Panglao Bluewater Resort: Bluewater Rd., Sitio Daurong, Brgy. Danao, Panglao, 6340 Bohol.  Tel: (038) 416-0702 and (038) 416-0695 to 96. Fax: (038) 416-0697.  Email: panglao@bluewater.com.ph. Website: www.bluewaterpanglao.com.ph.  Manila sales office: Rm. 704, Cityland Herrera Tower, Rufino cor. Valera Sts., Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 817-5751 and (632) 887-1348.  Fax: (632) 893-5391.

Church of the Assumption of Our Lady (Maragondon, Cavite)

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Church of the Assumption of Our Lady

From Naic, it was a somewhat long 10.6 km. drive, via Indang Rd. and Governor’s Drive, to Maragondon’s Church of the Assumption of Our Lady. The best preserved church complex in the province, this church was first built in 1618 by the Jesuits, established as a parish church in 1627 and enlarged from 1630-1633. In 1649, during the Spanish-Dutch War, the church was destroyed for fear of becoming a Dutch fort.

 Check out “VIsita Iglesia 2017“

Massive buttresses at the side of the church

In 1650, the church was rebuilt by the Jesuits using wood. The renovation of the church, from wood to stone, was completed in 1714. On June 30, 2001, the church was listed by the National Museum as a National Cultural Treasure.

NHI Plaque

Much of the church’s unique, narrow but tall and not squatty façade (chastely ornamented with the pilasters tapering upwards), the lower portion of large convent and the old watchtower were built with irregular river stones from the Maragondon River (Pinagsanhan area), an indication of the early level of technology at that time, and layered with stucco.

The church’s facade

The ornate interior

The church’s ornate interior has intricately-carved, brightly polychromed retablos.  The main retablo is decorated with salomonica columns, foliage and angels with trumpets.

The main (at center) an two side retablos

It has an image of the Assumption of Mary in the main niche flanked by images of San Luis Gonzaga (Saint Aloysius Gonzaga) and a balding and somewhat rotund San Ignacio. The side retablos have lost their original statuary, with newer ones replacing those that had been lost.

The octagonal pulpit

At the right side of the nave  is a octagonal pulpit, also polychromed in red, blue, gold and green, with monograms of the names of Jesus and Mary decorating the panels whose borders are flanked by Salomonica columns. The bottom of the pulpit is decorated with swirling foliage that ends up in an inverted pineapple. Augustinian Recollects installed the unusual horseshoe-shaped communion rail with inlaid wood flooring of various colors.

Carved galleon at door

The ornate, antique door, leading from sanctuary to sacristy, is divided into boxes and has intricately carved galleons, castle turrets and sinuous flora of different shapes.

Carved sinuous flora

The huge, exposed main roof beams that crosses the nave, added by Secular priests,  are emblazoned with Biblical and commemorative captions. Over the nave are phrases in praise of Mary while those above the choir refer to singing as praise.

Exposed wooden roof beams

The quadrilateral, 5-storey bell tower, on the church’s left, has no clear divisions between the storeys. It tapers upwards, ending with finials at the four corners, and is topped by a rounded roof.

The 5-storey bell tower

Near the church’s main entrance is a cross, dated 1712. The convent, built from 1666-1672, was where Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procopio were imprisoned prior to their execution.  Bonifacio’s cell is now a pre-school classroom.  The older part of the convent, with its elegant staircase of stone and tile, is made of rubble while the newer part is cut stone brick.  A newer sacristy was added. The quadrangle formed by the church and convent is surrounded by the remains of an old defensive wall and a blockhouse.

The convent where the Bonifacio brothers were imprisoned

Church of the Assumption of Our Lady: Brgy. Poblacion 1-A, Maragonon, Cavite.  Tel: (046) 412-0784. Feast o the Assumption of Our Lady: August 14-15.

How to Get There: Maragondon is located 54 kms. from Manila and 25 kms. (a 40-min. drive) from Trece Martires City

Church of St. Ildephonsus of Toledo (Tanay, Rizal)

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Church of St. Ildephonsus of Toledo

Church of St. Ildephonsus of Toledo

The best-preserved church complex in the province, this church was first built in nipa and bamboo in 1606.  In 1678, a church built with stone was started by Fr. Pedro de Espallargas, completed in 1680 (the first mass was celebrated on April 20, 1680) but was demolished due to its deteriorating condition as a result of natural calamities.

The side entrance

The side entrance

The present church was started in 1773 and completed in 1783 by Franciscan Fr. Alfonso de Fentañes with good local stone from the Tanay quarry. The six retablos were installed in 1786.

Philippine Historical Committee plaque

Philippine Historical Committee plaque

On July 31, 2001, it was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and, near the end of 1999, was declared as one of the five Jubilee churches of the Diocese of Antipolo.

The church's Baroque-style facade

The church’s Early Renaissance-style facade

The church’s massive Early Renaissance, adobe-faced, three-level facade features superpositioned columns topped by carved pineapples, semicircular arched main entrance and windows and a triangular pediment with a statued niche framed by an order.

The octagonal bell tower

The octagonal bell tower

On its left is its four-storey octagonal bell tower with semicircular arched windows and, on its right, is the two-storey convent and courtyard. The convent, now housing the rectory, multi-purpose hall and San Ildefonso College, was started in 1640, repaired in 1773, finished in 1783 by Fr. Fentañes and was repaired and improved in 1851.

The convent

The convent

The convent interior

The convent interior

The courtyard

The courtyard

In front of the church is the “Pamana sa Tanay, Hane!!” a 16 ft. high sculpted from an old acacia tree. Designed by Yvette Beatrice Y Co, it was sculpted by Roel Lazarro, Frank B Gajo and sculptors from both Kalayaan and Paete, Laguna. It depicts the Virgin Mary appearing before St. Ildephonsus.

Pamana sa Tanay, Hane!!

Pamana sa Tanay, Hane!!

Inside is a long nave, an intricately decorated wooden pulpit and a silver-plated main altar.    A relic of a piece of bone of St. Ildephonsus, from Zamora, Spain (where the body of the patron saint lies), is housed in a monstrance.  It, was given by Rev. Fr. Felipe Pedraja on October 2006.

The church's interior

The church’s interior

The intricately decorated wooden pulpit

The intricately decorated wooden pulpit

The celebrated 200-year old bas-reliefs of the 14 Stations of the Cross (Via Crucis), encased in large glass windows across each side of the the nave’s walls, are considered as one of the most beautiful in Asia. Indigenized from Western styles, they are believed to have been created by native Tanay artists.

Stations of the Cross

Stations of the Cross

The seventh station

The seventh station.  The soldier wearing sunglasses is fourth from left

The natives in the carvings have Malay features, with brown skin and squat figures. Native culture is distinctly depicted in the tambuli, made of carabao, and the bolo instead of the typical Roman sword. At the seventh station, one soldier even wears sunglasses.

The main retablo

The main retablo

The five ornate retablos, with Rococo design, honor of Our Lady of Anguish (Nuestra Señora de las Angustias), the Immaculate Conception (La Purísima Concepción), Saint Joseph, Saint Peter of Alcantara and the Baptism of Jesus Christ.

Retablo dedicated to Our Lady of Anguish

Retablo dedicated to Our Lady of Anguish

Retablo dedicated to St. Joseph

Retablo dedicated to St. Joseph

Retablo dedicated to St. Peter of Alcantara

Retablo dedicated to St. Peter of Alcantara

Retablo dedicated to the Immaculate Conception

Retablo dedicated to the Immaculate Conception

Retablo dedicated to the Baptism of Jesus Christ

Retablo dedicated to the Baptism of Jesus Christ

Church of St. Ildephonsus of Toledo: M.H. Del Pilar St,   Brgy. Plaza Aldea, Tanay 1980, Rizal. Tel:  (02) 654 1015. Feast of St. Idelfonsus of Toledo: January 23.

How to Get There: Taytay is located 55.37 kms. from Manila and 43.7 kms. (a 1 hour 10 min. drive) from Antipolo City.

Tanay Tourism Office: G/F, New Tanay Municipal Hall, M. H. del Pilar St., Tanay, Rizal 1980.  Tel: (02) 7361059 and (02) 6551773 loc 212-213.  Mobile number: (0998) 988-1590. E-mail: tanaytourism11@gmail.com. Website: www.tanay.gov.ph.