Rough Groove

South Cebu trip

For two days (3 and 4 November) I woke up earlier than usual (in fact, as early as 0300H) for my travel to the south of Cebu to visit the old Spanish era churches that abound there. Frankly, every time I come home, I’ve always thought of going to Boljoon and document the church there but due to distance (and sometimes laziness), I’ve been putting it off. With much inspiration also from reading two books on Spanish colonial art, churches and fortresses: Fortress of Empire as well as Simbahan (will be blogged soon), a simple church hopping experience has been extended to include documenting ancient cemeteries with their colonial chapels and perimeter walls still intact, old stone watchtowers that line the southern coastline which in olden times, served as watchposts against pirates and raiding Muslims, to checking the year and foundry that made a church’s bells.

I admit it was quite tiring, what with the constant stop, walk and shoot, climbing to the top of belfries and even once, in the Oslob church, to the rooftop as I followed the caretaker; bringing out my heavy tripod and patiently photographing the paintings, retablos, railings, pulpits, choir lofts and even walls and floors of the different churches as well as the attached convents (just think of hot and humid surroundings). But the experience was both exhilarating: discovering some of the different peculiarities and at the same time similarities of the churches, convents and cemeteries and also saddening: hearing of antique statues being stolen like the San Juan statue in Oslob, or finding out that the altar and interiors have already been remodeled because it was burned years ago or due to the overzealousness of some lay ministers and parish priests, renovated/tore down/painted over centuries of religious structures/heritage.

For the two days, I’ve visited

1 Nov
- churches in Poblacion (including convent and camarin – a storage shed) and Nueva Caceres, Oslob including its cemetery as well as visited 5 fort/watchtower ruins
- the magnificent church in Boljoon, its convent and cemetery, a beautiful 1940 house with two stairways and a fort that has been transformed into a separate belfry
- a short time in Dalaguete church (unfortunately, my Epson P-2000 (40Gb of space) got filled up

2 Nov
- continuation of Dalaguete church, part of convent including its cemetery, cuartel ruins and fort, and
- the quaint, mid-20th century church of Talaga, Argao which I first saw when Farl posted it at his Flickr site

While I was able to go home at around 1800H last 3 Nov., 4th, I was earlier, around 1400H.

A snack of coke and puto, (sweet native delicacy wherein the sticky rice (tapol) is not ground) after I finished with Boljoon.

High school students walking from their school. The banderetas, buntings, at the background was put in preparation for the town’s fiesta next week.

A habal-habal (type of modified motorcycle usually prevalent in the hilly areas and provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao) which I took from Nueva Caceres to Poblacion, Oslob since buses and tricycles were very seldom.

At the livestock market just at the back of the Dalaguete church.

The bus conductor issuing a ticket to a passenger.

A road accident in Boljoon. Curiously, for the two days, I passed an accident each day.