Category Archives: Iloilo

Church of St. John of Sahagun (Tigbauan, Iloilo)

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Just 5 kms. from Guimbal, I made my last stopover at Tigbauan where I visited its  old reddish coral and limestone church which was built, together with the convent, by Fr. Fernando Martin in 1867.  The convent was destroyed during the January 25, 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake.

Church of St. John of Sahagun

Church of St. John of Sahagun

Its facade has fine Spanish Churrigueresque stone carvings; a sustained crescendo rising from the elaborate Baroque main entrance arch (with a cherub with bent wings marking its keystone) upwards through its 3-storey height into cornice, keystones, pilaster and spandrels, prolix with whorls and scrolls following foliate and floral designs.  Its pilasters, reminiscent of Mexican estipites, are decorated with floral motifs.

The fine Spanish Churrigueresque facade

The fine Spanish Churrigueresque facade

The main entrance

The main entrance

The image of the Augustinian St. Nicolas of Tolentino, ensconced in an elaborately carved rectangular niche in the first tier, is flanked by pilasters embellished with flowers and upon it is a depiction of San Juan.

A cherub with bent wings marking the main entrance's keystone

A cherub with bent wings marking the main entrance’s keystone

The Augustinian motif

The Augustinian motif

The little image of the Holy Jesus (Sto. Nino) is on the following tier.  The finely carved Augustinian motif of the pierced heart and bishop’s hat, capping the exquisite masterwork of unknown artists, is surrounded by a retablo-like floral frieze which fills the central section.

The image of the St. Nicolas of Tolentino in an elaborately carved niche

The image of the St. Nicolas of Tolentino in an elaborately carved niche

The little image of the Holy Jesus on the following tier

The little image of the Holy Jesus on the following tier

A pair of little angles is located at the sides and floral designs rest on the base of the triangular pediment.  Behind its rectory was the first Jesuit school for boys in the Philippines established in 1592 by Fr. Pedro Chirino, S.J..

How To Get There: Tigbauan is located 22.48 kms. from Iloilo City, 4.8 kms. from Guimbal and 11.2 kms. from Oton.

Church of St. Nicolas of Tolentino (Guimbal, Iloilo)

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About 20 kms. past San Joaquin and 8 kms. past Miag-ao, I again made a stopover at Guimbal where I visited its gorgeous and ornate church.  It was started by Augustinian Fr. Juan Aguado (parish priest from 1742 to 1744, 1753) using yellow sandstone/coral rock called igang quarried from Guimaras Island   Fr. Juan Campos (1769 to 1774) finished it by adding the half dome covering the segmental pediment as well as the paired columns with lintel.

The gorgeous Church of St. Nicolas of Tolentino

The gorgeous Church of St. Nicolas of Tolentino

The church was damaged during the July 13, 1787 earthquake, further enlarged in 1893 by Fr. Jose Orangren, burned in December 1895 and restored a month later by Fr. Agustin Llorente (who also built the current bell tower).  It was  also seriously damaged during the Japanese Occupation and the January 25, 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake.

Rosettes on the main entrance arch

Rosettes on the main entrance arch

The church’s facade has paired, rounded pilasters, with Corinthian capitals; archetypal, classic finials; Morrish-inspired spires; and a lintel that seems to support a half dome, which almost covers the segmental pediment.

Statued niche on the right

Statued niche on the right

Statued niche on the left

Statued niche on the left

The curved lines of the upper side wall starts from the ends of the lintel.  The semi-circular arched doorway, flanked by statued niches, has decorative, Asian-inspired rosettes following the outline of the arch.

The paired Corinthian pilasters

The paired Corinthian pilasters

 

Detail of Corinthian capital

Detail of Corinthian capital

The 4-storey bell tower, on the church’s right, has semi-circular arch windows on the square-shaped second and third storeys, and pointed arch windows on the hexagonal-shaped fourth storey.

The 4-storey bell tower

The 4-storey bell tower

The convent, built by Fr. Juan Campos in 1769, was destroyed during the 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake. Fronting the church is a beautifully manicured park while nearby is the new municipal hall as well as old municipal hall (Casa Real).

Side facade

Side facade

The Casa Real, the first municipal building of Guimbal, was also the site of the tribunal and a school.  Recently renovated, it now houses the Hall of Justice (Regional Trial Court, Municipal Circuit Trial Court, Guimbal Municipal Police Station and the Bureau of Fire Protection).

New Guimbal Municipal Hall

New Guimbal Municipal Hall

Old municipal hall (now Hall of Justice)

Old municipal hall (now Hall of Justice)

How to Get There: Guimbal is located 28.48 kms. (a 30 to 35-minute drive) from Iloilo City, 4.8 kms. from Tigbauan and 8 kms. from Miag-ao.

Taytay Boni (Miag-ao, Iloilo)

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On your way to Iloilo International Airport, we again passed the town of Miag-ao.  Here, we made a short stopover at Taytay Boni, a Spanish-era bridge that once passed through a creek and connected Miag-ao with Guimbal, before the construction of the national highway.

Taytay Boni

Taytay Boni

Now enclosed within a small park, this stone bridge’s name was derived from the Ilonggo term taytay  (meaning “ bridge”) while “Boni” is the name of  its construction foreman and cantero-mayor (major carpenter) Bonifacio Neular.

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It was built in 1854 through forced labor, during the term of gobernadorcillo Miguel Navales. The large, yellow-colored coral stone slabs (tablea or tabreha) used for its construction were transported from Igbaras, located 5 to 6 kms. from the site, by means of karosas, sleds pulled by carabaos. Lime was used to hold the stone slabs together.

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The bridge was still passable before and after the World War II but was partly damaged during the January 25, 1948 Lady Caycay (magnitude 8.2) earthquake. The bridge now rests on dry land, a result of the ground opening up during the earthquake and sucking in large amounts of water. The bridge is located at Crossing Kamatis, about a kilometer from the town proper, between Brgys. Kirayan Sur and Igtuba.

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

Church of San Joaquin (Iloilo)

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During the start of the Antique Heritage and Media Familiarization Tour, we passed by San Joaquin town on our way to Antique, making a short stopover at the town;s Spanish-era cemetery (Campo Santo) and its iconic mortuary chapel (capilla).

San Joaquin Church

San Joaquin Church

Too bad we didn’t make a stopover at its equally iconic, Spanish-era church, a listed National Cultural Treasure.  On our way back to Iloilo International Airport, I specifically requested our driver to make a slight detour to make a stopover there.

Statue of St. Francis of Assisi

Statue of St. Francis of Assisi

Statue of San Pedro Regalado, patron saint of bullfighters

Statue of San Pedro Regalado, patron saint of bullfighters

This church, the country’s most militaristic, was started in 1859 and completed in 1869 by Augustinian Fr. Tomas Santaren (parish priest from 1855-86) using gleaming white coral rock quarried from the shores of Punta Malagting, Brgy. Igcadlum in Igbaras town.

The Augustinian seal on top of the main entrance

The Augustinian seal on top of the main entrance

The church’s simple, three-level, old weathered stone facade has a central arched main entrance flanked by paired columns (which divide the rectangular sections into three segments) and the two statued niches of St. Francis of Assisi and San Pedro Regalado, the patron saint of bullfighters.

The single, tapering bell tower

The single, tapering bell tower

The choir loft level, decorated by two horizontally arranged niches and round central window, is set apart from the two levels by a simple architrave.  Ornamentation can be found in rosettes along the cornice and around the edges of the niches and capitals.

The triangular pediment

The triangular pediment

The church’s central attraction, however, is the fascinating high bas-relief sculpture of intricately carved (even the expression of agony by soldiers are visible) stonework spread on mosaic blocks (each carved and set in place) on its triangular pediment (with the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows on its top), entitled Rendicion de Tetuan. It was added halfway through construction by Fr. Santaren with the assistance of Spanish Engr. Felipe Diez and a Filipino (some say Chinese) carver.

The bas relief

The bas relief

Detail of bas relief

Detail of bas relief

Originally pigmented red, blue and yellow, it depicted the Battle of Tetuan (Morocco, 1859), part of the Spanish-Moroccan War of 1859-1860, in which Spanish troops under Prime Minister  Leopoldo O’Donnell, 1st Duke of Tetuan,  defeated the Moorish troops of Moroccan Crown Prince Muley Abbas and recaptured the Spanish city of Tetuan on February 6, 1860.

Plaque

Plaque

Black soot covers many areas of the facade, a result of the January 29, 1943 fire ordered by Col. Macario Peralta to prevent the church from being used by the Japanese. The church was also heavily damaged during the January 25, 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake.

The church's interior

The church’s interior

Spanish infantry and cavalry are shown breaking the Moorish defense against a backdrop of minarets and date palms.  It is a larger than life depiction of the struggle between Christians and the Moros of Mindanao and Sulu.  Inside are three carved limestone retablos.  The sprawling ruins of the convent have an oval well and a kiln for baking bread.

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

San Joaquin Cemetery (Iloilo)

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

The iconic mortuary chapel of Campo Santo

The iconic mortuary chapel of Campo Santo

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

Detail of rose window and brick and coralstone facade

Detail of rose window and brick and coralstone facade

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

The statue niche with Pieta replica

The statue niche with Pieta replica

Burial niches inside chapel

Burial niches inside chapel

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

The Baroque-style gate

The Baroque-style gate

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

Father and son at the stairway

Father and son at the stairway

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

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

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

The Church of St. Thomas of Villanueva

The Church of St. Thomas of Villanueva

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

The intricately carved facade

The intricately carved facade

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

Facade detail

Facade detail

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

A statue niche

A statue niche

Another statue niche

Another statue niche

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

A row of flying buttresses

A row of flying buttresses

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

Plaque (Philippine Historical Committee)

Plaque (Philippine Historical Committee)

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

The left bell tower

The left bell tower

The right bell tower

The right bell tower

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

The church interior

The church interior

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

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

Molo District: The "Athens of the Philippines" (Iloilo City)

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Molo District, located 4 kms. from the city proper, was the former Chinese quarter of Arevalo called the Parian. Formerly a town before it was absorbed by Ilolilo City, it is also called the “Athens of the Philippines” because it produced some of the best political leaders and thinkers of the land such as Gregorio S. Araneta (secretary of the Malolos Congress), Gen. Aniceto L. Lacson and Chief Justice Ramon Avancena.  Here, you can try the popular pancit molo, spiced pork-chicken meatballs daintily wrapped in thin dough and boiled in peppery chicken-pork broth.  It was introduced here by the Chinese during the 18th century.

Church of St. Anne

The district’s twin-towered, Gothic–Renaissance Church of St. Anne, one of a few churches in Iloilo not built by the Augustinians, was built with coral rock and a tile roof, in 1831, under the supervision of Don Jose Manuel Locsin. In 1863, it was replaced by a temporary church by Fr. Jose Ma. Sichon until it was renovated in 1869 by Bishop Mariano Cuartero.  On August 4, 1886, our National Hero Jose P. Rizal visited this church to pray on his way to Manila from exile in Dapitan, referring to it as “la iglesia bonita.”  During the liberation of Iloilo in 1945, the church withstood artillery barrages but its two bell towers were totally destroyed and the church partially damaged.  It was rebuilt after the war.  The church, declared as a National Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 1992, has stained-glass windows and 5 wooden Gothic-style retablos. It is also called the Women’s Lib church because of the 16 life-size female saints’ statues lining the nave.  The district’s patron saint, St. Anne is in a prominent corner of its massive, antique wooden altar.

A nearby bandstand

In front of the church is a plaza filled with old trees, with gnarled trunks and branches, and an interesting domed gazebo which is actually a bandstand, a typical feature in Western Visayas plazas.

Church of St. Anne: cor. Jocson and San Marcos Sts., Molo District, Iloilo City, Iloilo.

La Paz District (Iloilo City)

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La Paz District, located 2 kms. from the city proper, was formerly called Lobo, Llaunon, Ilawod and Iznart (after Iloilo alcalde mayor Manuel Iznart), was established as a parish in 1868. It is noted for its La Pazbatchoy, a delicacy made of flat, scissored noodles and pork innards simmered in broth and topped with crushed pork crackers and spicy herbs.  It is served in restaurants around the market. 

Church of Our Lady of Peace
Its brick and stone, Neo-Classic style Church of Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage), at the plaza, was started in 1847 by Fr. Candido Gonzalez, continued by Fr. Leandro Jambrina (in 1879) and Fr. Manuel Camara (in 1880) and enlarged and finished, in 1895, by Fr. Mariano Isart.  In 1909, it was restored by Fr. Anselmo Corcuera.  The stone convent was started by Fr. Mariano Isart based on plans by Don Julio Hernandez and Don Lorenzo Romero.  It was damaged during World War II and the 1948 earthquake.  

The church interior

Two engaged columns, supporting a triangular pediment, are recent additions (1970).  The 2-level church facade is flanked by twin octagonal, domed bell towers. 

Church of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage: Jereos St., La Paz District, Iloilo City, Iloilo.

 

Jaro District (Iloilo City)

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After breakfast at the hotel, Charlie and I started our GPS mapping of 3 of Iloilo’s 5 nearby districts – Jaro, La Paz and Molo (the others are Arevalo and Mandurriao, the site of the airport).  All 5 were incorporated to the city in 1936 by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 158 and each has its own plaza and church.

Jaro Cathedral

We first proceeded to Jaro District, an elite residential center located just 4 kms. from the city proper, and drop by its Gothic-style Jaro Cathedral (officially the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candles).  Located just across the street from the plaza, it is the seat of the Jaro Archbishopric. Mass has just been finished when we arrived.

The cathedral’s separate bell tower

The cathedral was first built before 1726 by Fr. Bernardino Alisen.    The present structure was built in 1874, upon the orders of Most Reverend F. Mariano Cuartero, O.P., first bishop of Jaro.  It was damaged during the January 5, 1948 earthquake and reconstructed, in 1956, under Archbishop Jose Ma. Cuenco.  Its separate 3-storey, 25-m. high, red brick belfry was built by Fr. Juan Aguado, restored, from 1833 to 1835, by Fr. Jose Alvarez and was ruined during the 1948 earthquake.  St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary, located near the cathedral, was where famous propagandist, orator, journalist and local son Graciano Lopez-Jaena went to school. 

Iloilo City’s Stately Ancestral Houses

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The stately Lizares Mansion

Iloilo City is one of the best places to observe American-era architecture, notably its ancestral houses. The stately Lizares Mansion, in Brgy. Tabuc Suba, is probably the most elegant and most opulent of the old houses and the most accessible.  Built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares, it was converted into the headquarters of the Japanese Army during World War II and, in 1962, became the school chapel of the Dominican-run Angelicum School.  This building, fusing American and Spanish architecture, has a spacious lawn.  

Nelly’s Garden

The imposing, Beaux Arts style Nelly Gardens Mansion, along E. Lopez St., was built in 1928 by Don Vicente Lopez y Villanueva and his wife Dona Elena Hofilena y Javelona.  Standing on a 4-hectare property with a beautifully manicured lawn, it was was named after their eldest daughter Nelly, who liked gardens.