Rough Groove

Around Mindanao, 2 - Dapitan church

Left, the Church of St. James which was built by the Jesuits in 1883 where Jose Rizal goes to for Sunday mass. Its an imposing edifice with few embelishments on its facade and lords it over the plaza. Right, the interior of the church with its mesmerizing cieling.

Left, the place where Rizal usually stands during mass. Right, unlike other churches which hosts a population of bats, this one have swifts making there nests.

Baybay Church

Baybay ChurchOriginally uploaded by Mcforest.

Saw this church in the SIMBAHAN Flickr pool. Really a beautiful old church with a simple facade but god, its marred by an out of place portico! What’s with these priests anyway? Don’t they just have good taste? Don’t they respect history, cultural heritage?

Everytime I visit an old church and see this kind of defacement just makes me sad and shake my head in disappointment. Just like when on my way from Pagsanjan to Lucban and saw Luisiana’s old church. At first, I was ecstatic when portions of the facade came into view. Its really old, yet simple but when the whole front became visible, I gasped in horror! A very new portico with gaudy red roof was built!

So badly done, so out of place. And that’s just one of what’s befalling many centuries old churches in the country.

A trip to Vigan, 6

 

Left, a few meters from the Vigan Cathedral, Simbaan a Bassit, another centuries old religious structure in the city. This is actually a cemetery chapel known for its uniqueness as it is the only such kind with an espadana, bells placed at the top of the pediment.

Right, one of four UNESCO World Heritage site (baroque churches in the Philippines), the Church of the Assumption in Sta. Maria is another imposing structure. One need to have an ultrawide angle lens just to capture the facade.

 

Just outside of Vigan is Bantay with its impressive church of St. Augustine. The massive belltower located a few meters from the church overlooking a hill serves also as a watchtower against enemies.

 

Another town near Vigan, San Vicente is also a proud host to another beautiful church. Right, its centuries old fence still exists.

Related posts:

A trip to Vigan, 1
A trip to Vigan, 2
A trip to Vigan, 3
A trip to Vigan, 4
A trip to Vigan, 5
 

A trip to Vigan, 5

St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral is an impressive baroque structure that was completed in 1800. Its belltower is located a few meters from its side. While the facade is simple, the interior is sumptuous and richly ornamented.

Left, the cathedral during Sunday. RIght, one of the side altar retablo and the main altar retablo (background).

Left, another side altar with details of Christ’s passion. A statue of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint/martyr is in the foreground. Right, beaten silver panels below this side altar.

Left, one of the beautiful and intricately carved tomb marker found in one of the cathedral’s pillars. The elites during the spanish occupation were priviledged to have a space for their dead inside churches and can be found in most old religious structures around the country. Right, the top of the cathedral’s nave.

Related posts:

A trip to Vigan, 1
A trip to Vigan, 2
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A trip to Vigan, 2

Around Vigan, one can visit its many offerings. But not much, after you’ve been to all the sites and places in such a small place, you tend to look beyond the city.

Left, horse carriages along Plaza Burgos just beside the towering belfry that is located away from the cathedral, a plan adopted by many churches due to the danger imposed by earthquakes.

Right, the empanadahan where one can get Vigan’s special empananda and okoy, deep fried shrimps formed into a cake using flour.

Left, Cafe Leona, located at the Leona Florentino ancestral house behind Plaza Burgos, Leona, was the first Filipina poetess to gain international recognition.

Right, her remains are buried inside the cathedral. You can see the marker in one of the pillars there. Definitely, Leona was one of the elites who were priviledged enough to be buried inside the church, just like other rich families of the times.

A visit to the burnayan where these huge jars of clay are made. Left, finished products, right, the horno or oven that’s quite long!

Related posts:

A trip to Vigan, 1
A trip to Vigan, 3
A trip to Vigan, 4
A trip to Vigan, 5
A trip to Vigan, 6