SUBSCRIBELaguna churches trip
I’ve always wanted to visit the famed old churches of Laguna but never made it due to work or other reasons even if its just a few hours from my place. But last Friday, a holiday, feeling itchy for a photoshoot, I woke up early at around 0415H, took a shower, prepared my things, ate breakfast and went immediately to the bus terminal in LRT-Taft along Buendia. Took a bus bound for Lucena and embarked at San Pablo City in Laguna to start a four churches trip.
San Pablo City. Haven’t been back to the city’s center in years. The last time I was in this place was when I was still in college. Lately, I just pass the highway at the periphery when traveling to Quezon. Nothing much have changed except for the obiquitous Jollibee fastfood outlets.
Nagcarlan. I’ve been reading about the old catacombs, the only one in the country, that can be found in this municipality. While I’ve passed this place before, I have not explored and seen close the church and the cemetery. Well, both are impressive!
Liliw. I was supposed to go to Majayjay after Nagcarlan but since the jeepneys I’ve rode in going to Nagcarlan also go to this municipality, I instead went there to look at the church. While it has been remodeled, its charm and uniqueness is still intact.
Magdalena. From Liliw, I would have proceeded already to Sta. Cruz to catch a bus for Makati but coming from the cemetery, I saw a sign for Magdalena. Why not? Off I went and visited the church.
Doing a shoot in the morning and at this month, is not too good as the churches I’ve visited were facing west in the direction of Laguna Lake. This coupled with overcast skies. I really have to reschedule a trip and this time, in the afternoon to have good lighting and should be with clear skies.
Nagcarlan, better known by Filipino televiewers as the church where a local TV station’s fantasy miniseries, Ang Kampanerang Kuba (literally, the lady hunchback bell ringer - a take on the character Quasimodo with a twist - a very big twist) was filmed.
I was quiet disappointed to see that a canopy was obstructing the facade of the church which was used to shelter people probably from the rain during the misa de gallo. Another trip should be scheduled here to better get a good picture of the church.
Outside the church grounds, I was just amazed at the number of shops lining the streets with almost all of them selling shoes, slippers and sandals. These might be there main product but the competition is just too much!
Magdalena church is equally impressive but I was not able to enter as it was locked during that time.
As for San Pablo Church, it was the only religious structure out of the four that I’ve visited to have a media naranja (literally, half orange in Spanish), a dome above the alter. The inside has already been remodelled and the facade has been painted. The sides still show the original brickwork though.
*I’ll be covering each church in more detail once I’ve returned and took more photos.
