The Cave City of Vardzia (Georgia)

Posted on 27 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Akhaltsikhe, it was a fantastic drive up to Vardzia, with old castles and churches along the way. Soon, we espied the wide-mouthed caves gaping at us from across the valley as we drove in. Vardzia, on the left bank of the Mtkvari River, 30 kms. from the town of Aspindza, was excavated from solid rock along the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain during the second half of the 12^th century. The caves, stretching along the cliff for some 500 m., rises up to 19 tiers.

The Cave City of Vardzia

Four distinct building phases have been identified at Vardzia. The first phase, during the reign of Giorgi III (1156-1184), was when the site was laid out and the first cave dwellings excavated; the second between Giorgi’s death and the marriage of fabled queen Tamar, his successor, in 1186 (when the Church of the Dormition was carved out and decorated); the third from that date until Tamar’s victory at the Battle of Basian (circa 1203), during which time many more dwellings as well as the defenses, water supply, and a complex irrigation network ( to water fertile, terraced farmlands on the outside slopes) were constructed.

The author and Riva

The fourth phase was a period of partial rebuilding, after the devastating earthquake of 1283 literally ripped the place apart, shattering the mountain slope, destroying more than two-thirds of the city and exposing the hidden innards of the remainder. Vardzia escaped the onslaught of the Mongol invaders in the 1290s and the monastery community persisted until it was sacked by the Persians, under Shah Tahmasp I, in 1551. After the Ottoman takeover in the 16^th century, the site was largely abandoned.

The steep uphill path to the cave city

The greater Vardzia area includes also the early 11^th-century church at Zeda Vardzia and the 10^th to 12^th-century rock village and cave churches of Ananuri. The main lower site, carved from the cliff’s central stratum of tufaceous breccia at an elevation of 1,300 m. above sea level, is divided, into an eastern and a western part, by the Church of the Dormition. In the eastern part of the complex are 79 separate cave dwellings, in 8 tiers, with a total of 242 rooms, including 6 chapels, “Tamar’s Room,” a meeting room, reception chamber, pharmacy and 25 wine cellars (185 wine jars sunk into the floor document the importance of viticulture to the monastic economy).

Steel ladders facilitate access to caves

In the western part, between the external bell tower and the large main church, are a further 40 houses, in 13 tiers, with a total of 165 rooms, including 6 chapels, a refectory with a bakery, other ovens for baking bread, and a forge. Beyond the bell tower, the complex rises to 19 tiers, with steps leading to a cemetery. Infrastructure includes access tunnels, water facilities and provision for defense. It is assumed that the only access to this mountain stronghold was via a hidden tunnel whose entrance was near the banks of the Mtkvari River.

Walkways connecting the caves

The Church of the Dormition, the central spiritual and monumental focus of the site, is sometimes known as the Church of the Assumption, which corresponds with the Orthodox Feast of the Dormition. It dates to the 1180s and was erected by Tamar to house the icon of the Virgin of Vardzia after receiving divine help in her campaigns. It has an important series of wall paintings. Similarly carved from the rock, with walls reinforced in stone, the church is 8.2 m. (27 ft.), 14.5 m. (48 ft.) long and has a height of 9.2 m. (30 ft.).

The Church of the Dormition

The wall paintings of the church and narthex, not frescoes but executed in secco, are of crucial significance in the development of the Medieval Georgian mural painting. Ascribed to Rati Surameli, eristavi of Kartli, portraits of him, as well as royal founders Giorgi III alongside her niece Tamar, are commemorated on the north wall. Tamar lacks the ribbon that is the attribute of a married woman. Her inscription includes the formula “God grant her a long life.” Giorgi, on the other hand, does not. The paintings are dated to between Giorgi’s death in 1184 and Tamar’s marriage in 1186.

At the vaults and upper walls are episodes, in a sequence, from the life of Christ (Annunciation, followed by the Nativity, Presentation in the Temple, Baptism, Transfiguration, Raising of Lazarus, Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Washing of the Feet, Crucifixion, Harrowing of Hell,Ascension, Descent of the Holy Spirit and Dormition).

At a lower level, more accessible as intercessors, are paintings of saints and stylites. On the sanctuary’s rear wall, behind the altar, are Twelve Church Fathers while in the narthex are scenes of the Last Judgment, Bosom of Abraham, Angels bearing a Medallion with the Cross, and 3 scenes from the life of Saint Stephen. Other paintings were lost during the 1283 earthquake.

Since 1985 the site has formed part of the Vardzia Historical–Architectural Museum-Reserve, which includes 46 architectural sites, 12 archaeological sites, and 21 sites of monumental art. In 1999, the extended area of Vardzia-Khertvisi, now part of a state heritage reserve, has been submitted for future inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a Cultural Site. In 2007, it was resubmitted as a mixed Cultural and Natural Site.

Tadpole-shaped pits that may have been ovens for baking bread

The Refectory

From 2012, conservation of the wall paintings in the Church of the Dormition was carried out by the Courtauld Institute of Art in conjunction with the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia and Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. Today, the place is maintained by a small group of zealous monks. About 300 (out of 6,000) apartments and halls can be visited and, in some tunnels, the old irrigation pipes still bring drinkable water.

The premises of the monks

Upon arrival, Ruby opted to stay behind at the parking lot (she has been to Vardzia before) while Riva and I walked up a path whose initial approach leads steeply uphill for 30-40 m. up. It was not easy climbing, but we wore good shoes and I brought along my trekking pole (actually a monopod). As we went through the caves at Vardzia, we walked up and down very steep, narrow and low corridors and stairs, most deformed with time. Some of the balconies we passed by were also not fenced (truly not for the faint of heart). We sometimes went through tunnels in near total darkness.

A narrow passageway

Though the earthquake destroyed a significant part of this cave city carved into the mountainside, what remains was still an unbelievable sight and quite unique and truly amazing to behold. Vardzia looks like it was taken directly from the pages of Lord of the Rings. All I can really say was “Wow.” Walking around and seeing the caves, and the connections between them, was truly mind blowing. The views of the valley are interesting and unbelievable, and the combination of architectural buildings and the caves is astonishing. The most surprising part of our visit was the lack of other visitors. For about 2 hours, Riva and I explored the caves and paths on the mountain but we encountered less than 20 people!

View of the valley from the 2-arch portico of the Church of the Dormition

Vardzia: Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia. Open daily (except Mondays), 10 AM – 7 PM. Admission: 3 GEL (adults), 1 GEL (students), 2 GEL (group of 10 person or more).

Ticket Office

How To Get There: From Tblisi, take a marshrutka (minibus) from Digomi Bus station to Akhaltsikhe. Travel time is about 3 to 4 hours and fare is 12 GEL. From Akhaltsekhi, take another marshrutka to Vardzia. Travel time is an hour and costs 6 GEL. For Vardzia, the taxi (worth it if you are a group of 3 to 4 people that can share the fare) is the easiest mode of transport while a marshrutka the second best option. The last marshrutka from Akhaltsikhe for Vardzia leaves at 1:20 pm. Be there 10 minutes earlier as, once full, the marshrutka will depart earlier. The marshrutkas operate 3 times a day. Leave Tbilisi by 7 AM so that you can reach Akhaltsikhe by 10 AM and catch the marshrutka leaving for Vardzia at 10:30 AM and return to Akhaltsikhe via the last marshrutka at 3 PM. The last marshrutka for Tbilisi from Akhaltsekhi departs at 7 PM.

Taxi hired from Akhaltsikhe

Qatar Airways has daily flights from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Clark, Pampanga) to Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia) with stopovers at Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar, 15 hrs.) and Heydar Aliyev International Airport (Baku, Azerbaijan, 1 hr.). Website: www.qatarairways.com.

Oslob Town Proper (Cebu)

Posted on 8 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Tumalog Falls, we again boarded our airconditioned van for the short trip to the town proper of Oslob. Within its Municipal Heritage Park are a number of Spanish-era structures and at the center of it all is the town’s massive Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Conception).

Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

The church was designed by Bishop Santos Gomez de Marañon (the same prelate who built the kiosk of Magellan’s Cross in Cebu City) to replace the destroyed church at Daanglungsod (Boloc-Boloc). It cornerstone was laid by Fr. Julian Bermejo on May 4, 1830. Townspeople from neighboring Tañon (now Santander) and Ivisan (now Nueva Caceres, Oslob) helped in its construction. The church was finished in 18 years and blessed by Bishop Romualdo Ximeno in 1847.

The church’s historical plaque

The church’s modern interior

The bell tower on the church’s left was built by Fr. Apolinar Alvarez in 1858 and Fr. Gregorio de Santiago Vela installed 11 bells at the fifth storey in 1894. The bells were transferred to the fourth storey when the fifth was destroyed during a strong typhoon. The bell tower was later repaired by Fr. Mauricio Alvarez (who also built the cemetery, municipal tribunal and the municipal church and made known the medicinal uses of the sulfuric waters of Mainit springs).

The still unrestored, roofless convent

The convent on the right was started by Fr. Julian Bermejo. The church was finished and reinforced with solid buttresses from 1848 to 1850 by Fr. Juan Jose Aragones, Oslob’s first parish priest (1848–1854 and 1859–1861) and later Bishop of Nueva Segovia. It was renovated by Fr. Constantino Batoctoy in 1977. The roof, made of tejas sourced out and baked locally at a place now known as Lulukhan, were replaced with corrugated iron sheets by Fr. Pablo Alaxa in 1932. The church was totally burned by Cebuano guerillas in 1942 and, later on, the vault and dome fell. In 1954, the wooden flooring of the church was replaced with baldoza tiles.

The now 4-storey bell tower

Fire of unknown origin gutted the complex on November 7, 1955 leaving only the masonry walls of both buildings. It was restored, with the cooperation of the townspeople, by Fr. Benedicto Zapra and completed in 1980 by Fr. Constantino Batoctoy in time for the sesquicentennial celebration of the original church’s construction (1830 to 1980). A 2.5-hour (1:40-4 AM) fire again hit the church and adjacent convent on March 26, 2008 but spared the icon of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, which is inside a glass case, and the 73 other icons near the door to the bell tower. The church was complete restored on December 10, 2010.

The church gate

The church is 64 m. long, 15 m. wide, 9 m. high and has a simple, sober but attractive facade with a semicircular arched main entrance, rectangular widows, half-embedded pilasters and a triangular pediment. The 4-storey, 30 m. high and octagonal bell tower has rectangular and semicircular arched windows alternating with blind ones. The dome is typically Neo-Classic.

A garita (guardhouse)

In front of the church is a prayer room, also known as a waiting chapel, built in 1847. It was used as an isolation chamber for leprosy-afflicted patients. It has a pediment decorated with a relief of a human skeleton.

Calle de Aragones

Calle de Aragones historical plaque

On the left side of the church is Calle de Aragones, the town’s oldest street, built in 1879. It was named after Fr. Juan Jose Aragones. At the end of the street, at the intersection of Calle Aeternidad, is the unique, unfinished cuartel.

The unfinished coral stone cuartel

The cuartel’s double row of arches

The construction of this barracks for the Guardia Civil was started by el gran maestro Don Marcos Sabandal but was halted with the arrival of the Americans in 1899. The coral stones used in its construction of its 19 cm. thick walls came from the remnants of the floor of the collapsed church bell tower. Its façade features a double row of arches.

The interior of the cuartel

Historical plaque of cuartel

The thick coral stone walls and gates surrounding the church complex, called paril, are topped by a series of inverted, cone-shaped stones. They were built in 1875 as a defense against raiding Muslim pirates.

The church walls and gates

Historical plaque of church walls and gates

Along Calle Eternidad, parallel to the coast, is a baluarte (a watchtower locally called lantawan), one of 7 built by the warrior-priest Fr. Julian Bermejo, parish priest of Boljo-on. Hexagonal in plan and occupying an area of 48 sq. m., it has massive 7 m. high crenellated walls. Only about a half of the watchtower remains. In 1813, this baluarte, as well as the other watchtowers, helped Fr. Bermejo and the townspeople of Oslob repel Moro slave raiders led by Sultan Goranding during a naval battle near the waters off Sumilon Island. Sultan Goranding was captured during the battle.

Baluarte (watchtower)

Historical plaque of baluarte

How to Get There: Oslob is located 117 kms. (a 3-hr. drive) south of Cebu City.

Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgen Mary (Baclayon, Bohol)

Posted on 3 October, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary

From the Bohol Bee Farm, it was back to our airconditioned coach for the short 15-min. (11-km.) drive, via the Dauis-Panglao Road and Tagbilaran East Road, to the town proper of Baclayon. Here, we made a stopover at the town’s Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgen Mary, one of the oldest churches in the country, the best preserved Jesuit-built church in the region and one of the best examples of Philippine Baroque combined with Western and Eastern influences.

The collapsed bell tower surrounded by scaffolds

Stacks of retrieved coral stone

Just like a number of Bohol’s Spanish-era churches, it too was damaged during the devastating October 15, 2013 earthquake which caused the collapse of its simple Early Renaissance portico facade and its formerly separated 21 m. high, quadrangular coralstone bell tower (connected to the church by the portico in 1875). Fortunately, its nave remains largely intact. An international team of heritage restoration experts have assessed damage to this as well as other Bohol churches and it could take around two to three years for the damaged churches to be restored.

The church interior, looking towards where the facade used to be

When we arrived, braces and scaffolds to shore and support the unstable structure (to prevent any further damage from future earthquakes) were being installed and temporary storage facilities were constructed. Loose coral stone blocks retrieved from the clearing of earthquake debris have been amassed and stacked at the spacious church patio for future documentation, labeling and use in future restoration work.

The main altar with its painted ceiling

Luckily for us, the church interior and its small adjacent Baclayon Museum can still be visited. , The ceiling and intricately-carved, gilded altar and icons plus two side retablos (altar backdrop), all dating back to the Jesuit era, were all spared from destruction. The floor’s glazed azulejo tiles, imported from Mexico and Spain and installed in 1875 after the completion of the portico, were also spared.

Left side altar

Right side altar

The museum, located at the second floor of the former convent (now the Immaculata High School), displays centuries-old relics, religious artifacts and antiquities dating back to the 16th century. The church inventory books have helped in dating some pieces. However, we weren’t allowed to take photographs inside.

The Baclayon Museum

Its impressive amount of preserved liturgical material includes an ivory statue of the crucified Christ looking towards heaven; relics of St. Ignatius of Loyola; a statue of the Blessed Virgin said to be presented by Queen Catherine of Aragon; old gold embroidered ecclesiastical vestments; books with carabao skin covers; and librettos of church music written in Latin on sheep skins.

Stairs leading up to Baclayon Museum

There are also cuadro paintings executed by famed 19^th century Filipino painter Liberato Gatchalian in 1859. Among the Baclayon cantorals (large handwritten music books) on display is the Misa Baclayana, a musical setting for the Mass which has been revived and is part of the repertoire of the Loboc Children’s choir.

Church of St. Peter the Apostle and the Alfonso L. Uy Promenade (Loboc, Bohol)

Posted on 1 October, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

From the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary, we returned to our airconditioned coach and proceeded, via the Tagbilaran City-Corella-Sikatuna-Loboc Rd., on our 14.5-km./15- min. drive to Loboc where we were to have a late lunch while cruising the Loboc River. We arrived at the Loboc Tourism Complex by 1:30 PM. Across the complex is the Church of St. Peter the Apostle, the second oldest church in Bohol and its first declared National Cultural Treasure. Built in 1602 by Fr. de Torres, it was destroyed by fire in 1638. The present church was built in 1734.

The church facade 11 years ago

The ruined facade

The church I saw was just a broken shell of what I saw 11 years ago as the church sustained major damage during the devastating October 15, 2013, 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Its Early Renaissance façade was completely destroyed while major damage could be seen at the lateral walls and ceiling of the church as well as its convent. The whole church has been fenced in as its collapsed middle section cannot be entered at all. The pipe organ was said to among the elements of the church that were spared from damage.

View of the church from the side

The collapsed middle section

Its separate 21-m. high, 4-storey octagonal stone bell tower, located about 30 m. (98 ft.) across the street from the church, also collapsed leaving less than half the tower standing. Years ago, the timely objection by the Lobocnons prevented the bell tower’s destruction when a huge concrete bridge, not justified by any traffic, was being built.

The bell tower prior to the earthquake

What remains of the collapsed bell tower

At that time, the townspeople had expressed their apprehension that driving the piles to support the ramp, from the superstructure to ground level, might destroy the church, the belfry or both.The project was thus discontinued and this unfinished white elephant of a bridge, that stuck out like a sore thumb in the town center, has somehow been put to good use, having been converted, in 2008, into the Alfonso L. Uy Promenade. Sadly, what man failed to destroy, nature almost succeeded in doing.

The Alfonso L. Uy Promenade

The unfinished bridge today

To turn the bridge into a promenade, Arch. German Torero, a National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA)-accredited architect, was tasked to carefully design it so that it will blend with the design of the nearby church and bell tower. Some PhP4 million in corporate funds was also spent to install tiles, build a stairway on the Poblacion side and adding enhancements. Today, the promenade, now a tourist attraction, is used as a park as well as viewing platform to see the damaged (and, hopefully, soon to be repaired) church and bell tower

Church of St. Monica (Alburquerque, Bohol)

Posted on 1 October, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

The Church of St. Monica

From the Philippine Tarsier and Wildlife Sanctuary, we again boarded our airconditioned coaster and made our second stopover, along the highway, at the Church of St.. Monica in Alburquerque (nicknamed by the Boholanos as “Albur”).

The pasadizo (arcade) connecting the church with the convent

Situated on a low knoll, this church was first built of wood and bamboo in 1842. Later, it was replaced by a larger and sturdier church in 1856. The present coralstone church, started in 1885 by Fr. Manuel Muro (1882 to 1896), was continued by his successor in 1896 and completed during the 1920s and 30s.

The convent

The church’s entrance is shaded by a portico (actually the choir loft) from which a stair leads to a Moorish-inspired square bell tower with bells dating to 1867. It also has arched openings and a decorative band on the edges of the pediment. The side walls are supported by buttresses.

A buttress supporting the side wall

The convent, built with sont, wood and, on the second floor, with, tabique (wattle and daub) walls, was started by Fr. Tomas Fernandez (1869 to 1875) and finished in 1879 by Fr. Antonio Munro (1876-1879). It is connected to the church by a pasadizo (arcade), unique to Bohol and, together, they form one of the more picturesque church complexes in Bohol. A series of arches link the church, pasadizo and convent.

The wooden pillars and the Guy Custodio-restored painted ceiling

The generous use of reinforced concrete for the Romanesque-style façade and the central bell tower, which is integrated into the façade, probably helped save the church from serious damage during the October 15, 2013 earthquake. Some coral stone from the facade was detached and fell to the floor but that was all we saw.

Plaque installed by National Historical Commission

Upon entering the church, we were awed by the painted ceiling which was done by Ray Francia from April 12 to August 3, 1932 and recently restored by Manila-born but Spain-based artist Guy Custodio. The massive pillars are actually large tree trunks (a rarity among Philippine churches) masked by metal sheets.

Church of St. Bartholomew (Nagcarlan, Laguna)

Posted on 26 August, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Liliw, Jandy, Maricar, Violet, Lanny and I continued on our way to the next Laguna town of Nagcarlan. This historic mission town was founded in 1583 by Franciscan Fr. Tomas de Miranda (known in history to have planted the first grains of wheat in the country). It became an independent municipality in 1595. This would be my second visit to this town, my first being 15 years ago (April 4, 1999).

Church of St. Bartholomew

As such, I was excited to revisit the town’s prominent landmarks – the Church of St. Bartholomew and the Underground Cemetery, both of which were featured in my articles written for the defunct TODAY (now Manila Standard TODAY) as well as in my first book “A Philippine Odyssey: A Collection of Featured Travel Articles” (New Day Publishers, 2005) and a previous blog entry in B.L.A.S.T.. My photos of these places were taken with roll film then.

The church interior

Being a long time ago, a lot has changed with the town. For one, there were now many one way-streets and it took some time, and patience, before we reached the church located opposite the market but far from the municipal hall (which is nearer to the Underground Cemetery).

The church retablo

Violet, Jandy and Lanny at church entrance

Violet, Jandy and Lanny at the church entrance

Restored in “Laguna Baroque” style by Fr. Vicente Velloc (the same priest who built the Underground Cemetery), its impressive brick facade features super-positioned orders consisting 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 4-storey bell tower

The unusual, 4-storey bell tower, built by Fr. Fernando de la Puebla, is topped by Muslim-inspired crenelations. Unlike in Pagbilao (Quezon) and Majayjay, we weren’t able to climb it as the door leading up to its stairs was locked.

The plaque installed by the National Historical Institute (NHI)

The plaque installed by the Historical Research and Markers Committee

How To Get There: Nagcarlan is located 102 kms. from Manila, 106 kms. from Sta. Cruz and 8.7 kms. from Majayjay.

Church of St. John the Baptist (Liliw, Laguna)

Posted on 26 August, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 1 Comment ↓

After lunch at Liliw Fast Food, I took advantage of a lull in the rain and walked up the road towards the town’s red brick and adobe Church of St. John the Baptist. This church was first built in wood in October 1620, rebuilt in stone from 1643 to 1646 but was partially destroyed during the July 18, 1880 earthquake. The church and convent were reconstructed in 1885 but partially burned on April 6, 1898.

Church of St. John the Baptist

The church’s elegant, 3-level Baroque-style facade, divided by superpositioned columns into 7 segments and extending up to the pediment, has a semicircular arched main entrance finished with irregularly cut block of stones surmounted by layers of bricks, a bas-relief depicting the Baptism of Christ by St. John the Baptist on the second level and a centrally located statued niche on the undulating pediment.

The church’s three retablos

On the right is the immense, moss-covered, 3-storey bell tower covered by a dome and topped by a tower. It has a good view of Laguna de Bay. Inside the church are retablos (altar backdrops) finished in gold leaf. The 4-level retablo mayor (main altar) at the center contains 13 niches housing statues of saints. The center of the lowest level contains the tabernacle. The two side retablos houses 4 niches of saints. A stained glass dome is located above the main altar. Regretfully, the ceiling of red brick and mahogany-finished wood was painted white.

The dome above altar

Before leaving, I entered a small passageway to the left of the main entrance to visit the Capilla de Buenaventura, a small chapel dedicated to Franciscan Fr. Pedro de San Buenaventura, author of Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala, the first Tagalog dictionary which was printed in Pila, Laguna in 1613. His image is enclosed in a glass case which is believed to be 500 years old. Here, I lighted a bundle of 7 multi-colored candles which I bought for PhP40. On the right side of the church’s entrance is the church’s Perpetual Adoration Chapel.

Capilla de Buenaventura

The church’s grounds, developed to promote Christian teachings for pilgrims, has a patio with a white-painted statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus flanked by several whitewashed statues of different saints, the child Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

The church’s patio

Church of St. John the Baptist: Poblacion, Liliw 4004, Laguna. Tel: (049) 563-3511 and (049) 234-1031.

How To Get There: Liliw is located 110 kms. from Manila and 17 kms. from Sta. Cruz.

Church of Pope St. Gregory the Great (Majayjay, Laguna)

Posted on 26 August, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Lucban, we finally crossed the Quezon-Laguna boundary, into Majayjay where we made a short stopover at the town’s Church of Pope St. Gregory the Great. This would be my second visit to the town, having done so 12 years ago (October 13, 2002) with Jandy. This Augustinian-built church is now listed, by the National Museum, as a National Cultural Treasure.

Church of Pope St. Gregory the Great

The moss and vine-covered side of the church

I featured the town and its church in my article Hay Hay! Majayjay which appeared in TODAY (November 10, 2002) and a previous B.L.A.S.T. blog entry. Its unusually tall, stone and brick colonial Baroque facade, with its 6-m. thick adobe walls (though still covered with unsightly vines and moss), was still impressive even after all those years.

The church’s long rectangular nave

The plaque installed by the National Historical Institute (NHI)

During my first visit, I wasn’t able to explore the church interior in detail as a wedding was ongoing at that time. This time there wasn’t any wedding as we walked the azulejo-tiled floor of the 60-m. long and 17-m. wide, rectangular nave, admiring the antique relief statues of saints lining it, the wooden balconies above it on both sides, an elaborately decorated wooden pulpit accessed by a stair, a Sto. Entierro, and the 3 elaborate retablos (altar backdrops) with its pantheon of saints.

The 3 impressive retablos

The wooden pulpit

Violeta, Lanny and I were also able to go up the hexagonal bell tower, via the choir loft, just as we did in Pagbilao. Jandy and Maricar stayed behind. Of equally huge proportions as the church, the bell tower was supported by unusual 16.5-m. high solid buttresses. The catwalk above the ceiling (called langit-langitan), leading to the crossing above the transept, can no longer be accessed as it has deteriorated.

The dome above the altar

Violet and Lanny climbing the stairs going up to the bell tower

Unlike the bell tower of Pagbilao, the stairs going up was sturdy concrete with steel railings. And just like in Pagbilao, we also had a commanding view, upon reaching the top, of the town as well as Laguna de Bay . The tower had 5 century-old bells. its main bell was said to weigh about 3,000 kgs. and its thunderous peal can be heard 3 kms. away.

One of the church bells

View of the town from the top of the bell tower

Church of Pope St. Gregory the Great: Poblacion, Majayjay, Laguna. Tel: (049) 258-1012.

How To Get There: Majayjay is located 120 kms. from Manila and 18 kms. from Sta. Cruz.

Church of St. Louis, Bishop of Tolouse (Lucban, Quezon)

Posted on 26 August, 2014 by Benjie Layug — 3 Comments ↓

After checking out Batis Aramin Resort & Hotel, Jandy, Maricar, Violet, Lanny and I proceeded to the Lucban town proper to check out its iconic Spanish-era Church of St. Louis, Bishop of Tolouse as well as to to buy some Lucban longganisa for pasalubong.

Church of St. Louis, Bishop of Tolouse

Plaque installed by Philippine Historical Commission in 1939

This wasn’t my first visit to this town and its church as Jandy and I visited it during a visita iglesia 15 years ago (April 2, 1999). This church was featured in my article “A Cultural and Religious Pilgrimage to Quezon” (April 7, 2001), in the Travel & Lifestyle Section of TODAY, in my first book “A Philippine Odyssey: A Collection of Featured Travel Articles” (New Day Publishers, 2005) and a previous blog entry in B.L.A.S.T..

The side of the church

Arched windows

It was already raining when we arrived at the church and I parked by Toyota Revo within its shady plaza which is surrounded by gardens, grottoes and stone walls called quince-quince. The church went through a history of fire, bombing during World War II and reconstructions. It is the center of the Pahiyas Festival which is held here every May 15, the Feast of San Isidro Labrador (St. Isidore the Farmer). The church enshrines the image of San Isidro Labrador

Decorative keystone on top of the main entrance

Detail of column set in high relief

Even in gloomy weather brought about by the rain, I was still awed by its lofty, fanciful facade with its curved, almost cloud-like outlines; cornice volutes; horizontal moldings that gently flow, from end to end, through the wall expanse; the columns set in high relief; intricately carved finials that cap the columns at the pediment area; the arched windows and the portal with decorative keystone. The moss and vine-covered bell tower, on the church’s left, rising up in three tapering levels, is topped with a weather vane. Both the church’s facade and the bell tower are finished with lime and cement.

The church interior

Statue of St. Louis, Bishop of Tolouse

How To Get There: Lucban is located 160.36 km. from Manila and 23.7 kms. north of Lucena City. From Manila, it can be accessed via the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX, exit at Turbna) and the Manila East Road.

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria (Pagbilao, Quezon)

Posted on 23 August, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

We arrived at Pagbilao town by noon time and, as it was now lunch time, I parked the Toyota Revo at the compound of the town’s Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria. A number of eateries were located around the compound.

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria

The church interior

The church was first built in bamboo and nipa in 1688 by Fr. Cristobal Mortanchez, In 1730, the church was transferred to its present site by Fr. Francisco Xavier de Toledo. In 1845, it was rebuilt in stone by Fr. Victorino Peralija and was completed, together with the belltower and convent, by Fr. Eugenio Gomez.

Plaque detailing the history of the church

The 3-storey bell tower

However, the church and convent were heavily damaged by American bombing during the liberation in 1945, leaving only the 3-storey, hexagonal bell tower intact. It was rebuilt in 1954 by Fr. Vicente Urlanda. Beside the church is the 2-storey Casa del Niño Jesus de Pagbilao, a private Catholic school.

Jandy, the author and Maricar at the bell tower

View of town from the top of the bell tower

Jandy, Maricar, Violet and I were in luck as we were able to go up the bell tower, the only part of the church that wasn’t damaged by American bombing. At the left side of the church, we went up the stairs up the choir loft. From there, we crossed over to the right of the loft then went up the tower via a very narrow and steep wooden stairs . The tower had three bells, one them dated 1890. Here, we had a good panoramic view of the town.

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.