Around 30 minutes from the city of Legaspi, in the province of Albay, is a little sleepy town of Sto. Domingo. This is an off-route place when visiting Legaspi as a jump-off point to Donsol, Sorsogon. Continue reading Sto. Domingo Church (Sto. Domingo, Albay)
Tag Archives: churches
Pagbilao Church (Pagbilao, Quezon Province)
Visiting certain churches are done not only for religious purposes, but also for historical reasons. This post is supposed to be made much later, but this is moved forward because some may choose the Pagbilao Church (St.Catherine of Alexandria Parish Church) for the visita iglesia this April (see also Daraga and Nabua). Continue reading Pagbilao Church (Pagbilao, Quezon Province)
Daraga Church (Daraga, Albay)
The Church of Daraga was destroyed during World War II and was renovated in 1971-1973. It’s now in the process of being renovated, with funding from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Continue reading Daraga Church (Daraga, Albay)
National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Antipolo City)
The Antipolo Cathedral, also a national shrine (National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage), is a favorite pilgrimage site. It’s one of the two well-known destinations in Antipolo (the other is Hinulugang Taktak). We decided to visit this cathedral one cloudy afternoon, in preparation for the visita iglesia we plan in the neighboring province of Laguna.
[See Map: Directions on How to Get There]
In front of the church is the marker placed in 1937 by the Historical Research and Markers Committee. The marker gives us a brief history of the Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje.
The statue of Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje was brought from Mexico to Manila by Governor Juan Nino de Tavora in 1626 and at his death in 1632 was turned over to the Jesuits for the Church of Antipolo. Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje was proclaimed Patroness of the Galleons. The statue crossed the Pacific, and returned, eight times on board the galleons of Acapulco: in 1641, 1643, 1645-46 on the San Luis; 1648-1649 on the Encarnacion; in 1650 on the San Diego; in 1851-1853 on the San Javier; in 1859-1662 on the San Jose and in 1746-1748 on the Nuestra Senora del Pilar. The statue of Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje was canonically crowned on November 26, 1926, by the Most Rev. Michael J. O’Doherty, Archbishop of Manila, on the Luneta, Manila, in the presence of at least one hundred thousand people.
We arrived in time for the 5:00 p.m. mass. It’s difficult to find the Cathedral’s location through the narrow and crowded streets of Antipolo. It’s even harder to look for a parking space. We can’t enter the cathedral premises or the public park beside it.
All the pews are occupied. The open area around the pews, still inside the cathedral but beyond the huge dome, is also the packed with people on their feet, spilling to the stairs and to the plaza below. Residents of Antipolo and travelers like us converge here.
The Antipolo Cathedral, built by the Jesuits between 1630-1633, damaged during the earthquakes of 1645, 1824 and 1883. We could have a good idea of strong earthquakes in the past based on damage to churches, just like the Manila Cathedral and the churches of Ilocos.
World Heritage Sites of the Philippines
The Philippines has a number of World Heritage Sites, classified as cultural and natural, declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). There are other sites submitted for inclusion, but we shall feature them here once they make it to the list of World Heritage Sites. In the meantime, here are the existing five (5) sites on the list: Continue reading World Heritage Sites of the Philippines
Vigan, Ilocos Sur: Philippine Heritage City
Postcard-perfect. That’s how I’ve always imagined Vigan would be. Kalesa (horse-drawn carriage) leisurely rolling through cobblestone roads, passing century-old houses that are witnesses to Vigan’s rich history. I thought it would feel like being brought back in time, walking through the past which we’d otherwise read only in books. Continue reading Vigan, Ilocos Sur: Philippine Heritage City
Malacanang of the North (Paoay, Ilocos Norte)
One would usually associate Paoay with the Paoay Church, also called San Agustin Church, and for good reason — this beautiful architecture that is a showcase of Spanish-era churches in the Philippines is listed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. Continue reading Malacanang of the North (Paoay, Ilocos Norte)
Churches of Ilocos: Historical Tour and Visita Iglesia
There’s so much to write about in a trip through Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. Some of the places in Ilocos deserve a separate post, like Pagudpud, while others are lumped according to category just to have a semblance of order. Let’s discuss the different churches in this post. This may be timely for those who wish to visit different churches (visita iglesia) this Holy Week. Continue reading Churches of Ilocos: Historical Tour and Visita Iglesia
Malate Church (Manila City)
When you hear “Malate” (ma-la-teh), what first comes to mind? Maybe you got that right, but that’s not the subject matter of this post. We’re talking about the Malate Church. Continue reading Malate Church (Manila City)
Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica (Intramuros)
We’ve previously mentioned some of the old, historical churches in the Philippines. One of these churches is the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica (also known as Basilica of the Immaculate Conception). Continue reading Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica (Intramuros)