Category Archives: Churches

Arrival in Sagada (Mountain Province)

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Sagada

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

Ganduyan Inn

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

Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin

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

Sagada Municipal Hall

Macau City Tour

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

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

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

Macau

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

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

Macau-Taipa Bridge

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

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

Leal Senado Square

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

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

Chapel of Our Lady of Penha

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

Chapel of Our Lady of Penha

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Enroute to Finger Pier (Singapore)

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

Raffles Place MRT Station

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

Singapore River and Cavenagh Bridge

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

Dalhousie Obelisk

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

Empress Place

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

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

Victoria Theater and Concert Hall

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

City Hall

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

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

Supreme Court Building

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

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

Enroute to Queen Street Bus Terminal (Singapore)

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

St. Joseph’s Church

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

Cathedral of the Good Shepherd

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

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

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

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Atonement (Baguio City, Benguet)

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The next day, Grace was feeling better after the previous day’s morning sickness, so we decided to do some sightseeing at the city proper by dropping at the hilltop, twin-towered Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement, more commonly known among tourists and locals alike as the Baguio Cathedral.

Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement

The cathedral has an attractive pink facade with a rose window and twin square bell towers with pyramidal roofs.  Its grounds contain the graves of bombing victims killed during World War II. This cathedral was built by the CICM missionaries and was first opened to the public on November 25, 1900 (Feast of Christ the King).  

Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement: Assumption Road,  Baguio City, Benguet.  Tel: (074) 442-4256.

How to Get There: Access is near the post office, the 100 stone steps from Session Road or from St. Louis University.  

Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino (Cebu City, Cebu)

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From the Great Taoist Temple, Grace and I returned to our van which then proceeded, down the hill, to the city proper where we made a stopover at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino.  Formerly the San Agustin Church, this church was built by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Fr. Andres de Urdaneta to house the 30-cm. high image of the Sto. Niño, the statue given by Ferdinand Magellan to Rajah Humabon’s wife and recovered unscathed in a pinewood box by Juan Camus on April 27, 1565.  The image is enshrined in a small chapel to the left of the altar.  

The Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino

The first church, built with wood and nipa by Fr. Diego de Herrera, was destroyed by fire on November 1, 1566.  The second, a stone replacement built by Fr. Pedro Torres from 1605 to 1606, was also burned on March 1628.  It was rebuilt soon after, with stone and bricks, by Fr. Juan de Medina but was demolished in 1731 by Fr.  Jose Bosqued.  

The present stone structure was foundation was started on February 29, 1735 by Fr. Diego Bergano, Gov.-Gen. Fernando Valdez, Bishop Manuel Antonio Decio y Ocampo, continued  by Fr. Antonio Lopez and Fr. Francisco Aballe and was completed in 1740 by Fr. Juan de Albarran.   It was restored and reinforced in 1782 and slightly restored in 1889 by Fr. Mateo Diez who added the windows.  Both church and convent were restored in 1965 on occasion of the fourth centennial of the Christianization of the country.  The side retablos, the old organ and some portions of the monastery were removed.   On April 28, 1965, the 400th year of Cebu’s Christianization, it was conferred the title of Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño by Hildebrando Cardinal Antoniutti, papal legate of Pope Paul VI.  It is now a National Landmark.

The church has an imposing, solid facade blending Muslim, Romanesque and Neo-Classical features.  It is divided into 2 levels with shallow pilasters dividing each storey into 3 segments.  The graceful Muslim-inspired trefoil arched main entrance is flanked by shallow, rectangular, statued niches, above which are the semicircular arched windows of the second level.  It is crowned by a double-edged triangular pediment.  The Baroque-style bell tower has 2 alternatingly shaped blind and open windows ending up in triangular pinnacles with a circular disc.  It is crowned by balusters and a Muslim-influenced dome.  The convent, finished in 1769, is located on the opposite far end.

Inside the basilica is a painted ceiling, finely carved retablo and choir screen.  In the baptistery is the image of Our Lady of the Fort (Nuestra Señora de la Cotta) which was recovered in the vicinity of the church while Fort San Pedro was being built in 1565.  It is believed to be the one given by Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan’s chronicler, to Queen Juana on the day of her baptism.  Among the treasures of the basilica is a wooden bust of Christ known as Ecce Homo, believed exhumed from a spot near the church on August 20, 1572 by a Spanish soldier digging the foundations of his house.  The image was in a coffin containing the remains of an imminent person identified as Raxa Carli which may have been a latinization of Rajah Carlos as Rajah Humabon had been christened.  It is conjectured that the bust was presented by Magellan to Humabon on his baptism and was buried with him when the rajah died.   
 
Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino: Osmena Blvd., Cebu City 6000, Cebu.  Tel: (032) 255-6699.