Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral (Cebu City)

The church is the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu. The diocese of Cebu was established on August 14, 1595. It was promoted to a metropolitan archdiocese on April 28, 1934 with the provinces of Dumaguete, Maasin, Tagbilaran and Talibon as suffragans.

The lack of funds and other unexpected events delayed the construction of the cathedral for several years. At one time, funds for the building of the cathedral were spent to fund the moro wars. The death of an incumbent bishop who spearheaded the reconstruction and vacancies in the office were also factors.

The architecture of the church is mainly made of squat and with thick walls to withstand typhoons, earthquake and other natural calamities. The façade shows a tre-foil shaped pediment which decorated with carved relieves of floral motifs and HIS inscriptions with a pair of griffins. The Spanish Royal Coat of Arms is inscribed in low relief above the main entrance.

During the World War II, the cathedral was partially destroyed by Allied bombings of the city. The only remaining structures were the belfry made in 1835, the façade and the walls. It was rebuilt almost immediately in the 1950s under the supervision of architect Jose Ma. Zaragosa during the incumbency of Archbishop Gabriel Reyes.

A mausoleum was built in 1982 that served as a final resting place for the remains of Cebu’s bishop and clergy at the initiation of Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales.

The cathedral was renovated on April 28, 2009 during the 75^th anniversary celebration of the elevation of Cebu into an archdiocese. There is a pending application at the Vatican for the cathedral’s elevation into a minor basilica in honor of St. Vitalis, a Christian martyr.

Minor Basilica of the Santo Niño (Cebu City)

The basilica was once known as the San Agustin Church. It was built by Legaspi and Urdaneta for the 30-cm high image of Sto. Niño. The statue is said to be a gift from Magellan to Raja Humabon’s wife and recovered unscathed in a pinewood box by Juan Camus on April 27, 1565. It is enshrined in a small chapel in the left part of the altar.

The first church was built using wood and nipa by Fr. Diego de Herrera but was destroyed by fire on November 1, 1566. They replaced the burnt church with that made of stone by 1606 but was again set on flames on March of 1628. It was rebuilt soon after with stones and bricks by Fr. Juan de Medina but was demolished by Fr. Jose Bosqued in 1731. The present stone structure was started on February 29, 1735 by Fr. Diego Bergano, Gov. Gen. Fernando Valdex and Bishop Manuel Antonio Decio and was completed by Fr. Juan de Albarran in 1740. It was restored and reinforced in 1782 and was again slightly restored in 1889 by Fr. Mateo Diez who added the windows. The church and the convent was reestablished in 1965 during the 4th centennial of the Christianization of the country. The retablos on the sides, the old organ and some portions of the monastery were removed. During the 400th year of Cebu’s Christianization on April 28, 1965, the church was conferred to the title, Basilica Minore del Santo Niño by Hildebrando Cardinal Antonuitti papal legate of Pope Paul VI. The basilica is considered to be a national landmark in the island.

The church has an impressive, solid façade. It is mixture of Muslim, Romanesque and Neo-Classical Features. It is divided into two levels with shallow pilasters dividing each storey into three segments. The graceful, Muslim-inspired, trefoil arched the main entrance is glanced by shallow, rectangular, statued niches above which are the semi-circular arched windows of the second level. It is topped by a double-edged triangular pediment. The baroque style bell tower has two alternate shaped blind and open windows ending up in triangular pinnacles with a circular disc. It is crowned by balusters and a Muslim-influenced dome. The convent, finished in 1796 is located at the opposite far end.

The interior is composed of a painted ceiling, finely carved retablo and a choir loft. The image of Our Lady of the Fort (Nuestra Señora de la Cotta) adorned the baptistery. The image was recovered in the vicinity of the church while Fort san Pedro was being built in 1565. It is believed to be the one given by Pigafetta (Magellan’s Chronicler) to Queen Juana on the day of their baptism. Among the treasures inside the church is the Ecce Homo (Bust of Christ), believed exhumed from a spot near the church on August 20, 1572 by a Spanish soldier while digging for the foundation of his house. The image was in a coffin containing the remains of an imminent person identified as Raxa Carli which could have been a Latin version of Raja Carlos as Raja Humabon had been christened.

Tel. No.: 032- 2556699

DINAGYANG FESTIVAL: Iloilo’s Finest, Nation’s Best

Drum beats are back again in the streets. Dinagyang fever is right around the corner as the year begins. But is Dinagyang festival just all about the drums, costumes and merry makings?

During the fourth weekend of January, Dinagyang festival is celebrated in order to give tribute to the Christianization of the natives and show respect to Sto. Niño (Holy Child Jesus). It is a three-day event, the highlight of which is the 3^rd day, the Ati-ati contest. It is a colorful parade of costumes staging the Sto. Niño as the object of offerings and prayers. “Viva Señor Sto. Niño” is heard amidst the beating of the drums during the competition. This is an evidence of the Ilonggos’ great devotion to the child Jesus who is believed to be miraculous during famine and drought.

Dinagyang is not just any cultural event that wowed the whole country and the world, it is also considered as a religious evangelization.

Dinagyang comes from the Hiligaynon (TRIVIA: we call the people ILONGGO and the dialect is HILIGAYNON) word dagyang meaning make happy. The festival was formerly called Ati-atihan similar of the festival in Kalibo. According to history, it started when a replica of the image of Señor Sto. Niño was brought from Cebu to Iloilo (San Jose Parish in Libertad). From then on, Ilonggos became devotees and proclaimed the 4^th Sunday of January as His feast day since year 1968. The annual celebration is concluded by a nine-day Novena, an Ati-Ati contest and a fluvial procession on the last day.

It was the late Pacifico Sumagpao Sudario, a radio broadcaster who first used to name the festival when it commenced in 1977, to differentiate it from Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan.

The image of Sto. Niño is placed on a decorative boat in a fluvial procession early in the morning. It starts from the mouth of the Iloilo River at Fort San Pedro to the Iloilo Provincial Capitol found on the bank of the Iloilo River. The image is met by the Hermano-Hermana mayor devotees as well as the contesting tribes. The procession ends at San Jose Church where a high mass is celebrated. Opening ceremonies and contest proper follows shortly after the mass.

Dinagyang proved to be one of the best festivals in the country when it won Best Festival for a couple of years in a row.

Every year, tourist swarms the city to see Iloilo’s Finest and the Nation’s best: Dinagyang Festival.

A Preview of what to expect this year:

DINAGYANG FESTIVAL 2011 SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES:

January 19-23, 2011
2:00 P.M.-12 MN Iloilo Hotel Resort & Restaurant Association (IHRRA) Food Festival Delgado St., Iloilo City

January 21, 2011, Friday
8:00:00 AM TAMBOR TRUMPA MARTSA MUSIKA Freedom Grandstand
7:00 PM LUCES IN THE SKY Part II

January 22, 2011, Saturday
7:00:00 AM Mass for Kasadyahan San Jose Parish Church
8:00 A.M. 2011 KASADYAHAN Competition Freedom Grandstand and other stages
2:00PM SPONSORS MARDI GRAS Judging Area #4 to Freedom Grandstand

January 23, 2011, Sunday
6:30 a.m Concelebrated high mass for devotees, Tribes, Gov’t. Officials, LOMAS in attendance San Jose Parish Church
8:00 A.M. 2011 Dinagyang Ati CONTEST Freedom Grandstand and other stages
7:00 P.M. Awarding Ceremonies Freedom Grandstand

January 24, 2011, Monday
5:30 P.M. Thanksgiving Mass with all members of 2010 Iloilo Dinagyang Festival Working Committees

Church of St. Augustine (Bantay, Ilocos Sur)

The town’s restored 18th century church was built from 1691 to 1692 by Fr. Cortes. This served as a refugee camp for evacuees during the Basi Revolt in 1807. The church was rebuilt and restored by Fr. E. Navarro (parish priest 1870-1875) and was continued by Fr. L. Villanueva in 1892. Fr. A. Versoza patched the roof with galvanized iron. The church underwent another repair in 1950 due to the damage it incur during the 2nd World War.

The church’s facade is flanked by massive rectangular twin towers that has features of Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Pseudo-Romanesque features. The neo-Gothic is visible in the recessed main entrance, having a pointed lancet like arch flanked by blind pointed arcading. On the other hand, the decorative volutes around the second level window suggests the baroque feature and finally, the central window shaft with balustrade is considered to be pseudo-Romanesque in feature.

The facade’s only decorated parts are broken curves along the top of the triangular pediment and the inverted traceries below the eaves. A separate three-storey hill top, square bell tower, which served as a look out for an approaching enemy. It offers a fine view of an old nearby cemetery and the rest of the area.

The church is the home of the oldest Marian image in the Ilocos, Our Lady of Charity. The image is said to be miraculous and venerated by the Ilocanos. The 50-inch tall image is made of wood, except for the ivory face and hands (the ivory parts were stolen in 1928). The image was crowned by Egidio Vagnozi, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines on January 13, 1956.

Photos Courtesy of Mr. Ivan Mainar, R.N.

St. Augustine Church (Paoay, Ilocos Region)

The town’s most impressive landmark is the Aztech-like church, situated near the banks of the Wawa River. This church was included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1994 and also declared as a National Treasure for its architecture. This fortress-like church is a premier example of Philippine Earthquake Baroque Architecture.  The construction lasted from 1699 – 1702 under the term of Fr. Antonio Estavillo and repairs were done in 1865 by Fr. Ruperto Rodriguez. A major restoration was supervised by Fr. Baldomero Real from 1889 -1898.  The official inauguration was on the 18^th of February 1896.

The only one in the country with a 24 2.5 meter (3 varas) thick massive stone buttresses that ballast the walls and two exterior stone staircases (near the main altar transept) on both sides that reached the roof of the church. Thick coral block walls (1.67-meter )  were faced with bricks and sealed with a particularly hard lime mortar with sugar cane juice.

Fourteen molave posts supports the main nave. Measuring 60 meters (72 varas) long, 15 meters (17 varas) wide and 5.10 meters (6 varas high). The transept is about 7 meters (8 varas) high.

A combination of gothic, Baroque and oriental’s Indian madjapahit designs adorn the church’s unique two-level triangular façade divided by horizontal string courses. Baroque features are seen in the elegant curving and flowing huge scrolled buttresses. On the other hand, the decorative pinnacles are of Gothic nature. Chinese and Javanese influence are also present with the gables and the crenellations and five niches respectively. The formerly molave-made arched main entrance door is now made of wrought iron. Plain with square pillars extending vertically to the pediment and capped pinnacles makes up the lower level. Rosettes, volutes, foliage, royal emblems, and coat of arms decorate the horizontal cornices that divide the huge pediment.

Twenty Seven oil paintings are hung in the interior walls supported by gold pointed wooden frames at least 1.25 meters wide. Thirteen paintings on the sacristy wall, represent the Passion of Christ while the four paintings of buen pincel represent the four evangelists. John the Baptist’s painting decorates the baptistery. The 3-storey main altar has almost life-size wooded statue and the secondary altars on each side are each fitted with golden retablos.  A large statue of Christ is found over the wooden rail of the choir loft. A majestically designed pulpit and a statue of the Holy family were imported from Spain in 1891. While the windows are still made of Capiz shells, the ceiling is covered with strangds of cana de boxo.

A separate three-storey  coral stone bell tower was primarily built with 3.5 meter high wooden posts and three bells and enlarged from 1759 to 1759 by Fr. Torres using chopped coral stones and molave braces glued together. In 1793 and 1818, the main entrance doors as well as five bells were installed by Fr. Jose Nieto correspondingly. The katipuneros used it as a watch tower during the Spanish war at the same time the local guerillas used it during the Japanese regime.

* photos compliments of Mr. Ivan Mainar, R.N.

St. Paul’s Cathedral (Vigan, Ilocos Region)

St. Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral was built by the Augustinian clergy around 1790 and like the St. William’s Cathedral, it has features a design intended to minimize earthquake damage that was referred to as “earthquake baroque”.  Furthermore, it also features the Neo-Gothic and pseudo Romanesque motifs. There are brass communion handrails copied from China, complete with Chinese characters scribbled by its makers.

In the south of the cathedral lies the eight-sided bell tower used as a safety measure of the church. It was said to be built separately so that in any event of an earthquake, it would not topple into the church. The design said to have a Chinese Feng Shui influences. Lies inside the church is a tombstone of the great Ilocano poet Leona Florentino.

It is also in this church where Vigan’s Beloved late Governor Floro Crisologo was gunned down while he knelt on a pew inside the Cathedral in 1970.

*PHOTOS: Courtesy of Mr. Ivan Mainar

St. William the Hermit Cathedral (Laoag City, Ilocos Region)

In 1580, the Augustinian Clergy founded the parish and made a  church out of wood and tactched nipa palm chapel. It was then turned into a magnificent mixture of an Italian Renaissance Design and Baroque-style that was said to build between 1650 and 1700.  It was seriously damaged during an earthquake in November 17, 1707, partially destroyed by fire in 1843. It was Fr. Vicente Barreiro who had completely restored it then.

Again, the church succumb to another damage in July 18, 1880 earthquake and it was Fr. Santiago Muniz and Engineer Antonio de la Camara who took charge of the repairs.

The church served as sanctuary for Pedro Almazan in 1661, the revolutionaries in 1896, American forces in 1899 and Aglipayans in 1901. The 1932 diocesan Marian Congress was held here as well. Further, the church suffered from another earthquake in September 7, 1983 which caused some statues from the altar and niches plummet into the floor.

This church made of brick and stone has a unique, newly-plastered, two-storey façade with a main arched entrance flanked by four pairs of over scaled, twin-engaged pilasters,  with the absence of pediments, adorned by a series of coupled urn-motifs finials and pseudo- Corinthian Capitals with its rosettes and acanthus leaves. Five sets of mini-columns with pseudo-Doric Capitals arise from the architrave and decorated the choir loft level. Columns in each storey follow their patterns ending abruptly without reaching the next level. Capiz windows with wrought iron grilles and two-exterior stone staircases, one of it was converted into a grotto. The chandeliers donated by the late President Ferdinand Marcos hang gloriously in its barrel-vaulted ceilings. Over the altar lies the Augustinian emblem of a transfixed heart and a tasseled hat. The image of their Patron Saint San Guillermo is placed in a deeply recessed niche.

*PHOTOS: COURTESY of Mr. Ivan Mainar

Ibaras Catholic Church (Igbaras, Iloilo)

Igbaras is considered to be a visita of Augustinian missionaries. It was in Tinogpahan, in the vicinity of Binanuaan that the first “Iglesita” or chapel was founded by Rev. Fr. Juan de Medina. The old church was said to be built in 1784, and a convent followed in 1795 under Fr. Ignacio Marcos. Big floods washed away the structures, but the ruins are still visible up to these dates.

A new church was constructed by Fr. Celestino Fernandez in 1872. It has a big convent and was finished under the term of Fr. Jose Lavania. However, both structures were destroyed by the infamous earthquake Lady Caycay in 1948.

San Diego Pro-Cathedral (Silay City)

This beautiful church, built n 1920 by Italian Architect Verasconi was elevated to pro-cathedral on December 1994, the second in the country to be declared so. Behind it are the ruins of the city’s original church, now a grotto. Silay is located 14.4 kilometers (a 20 to 30 minute drive) north of Bacolod City.

* Benjamin Locsin Layug, A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches

The Cathedral of San Sebastian (Bacolod City)

Fr. Mauridio Ferrero, O.A.R., the parish work of Bacolod (1871-1898; 1902-1910) was responsible for the striking structure of the Cathedra of San Sebastian. In 1825, the original church was constructed by Fr. Julian Gonzaga (parish priest 1818-1836). The ancient church was made of wood and galvanized roofing. It had one medium-sized bell until Fr. Roman Manuel Locsin donated a large bell and another priest, Fr. Mariano de Avila gave one when he became the parish priest in 1863 after the death of Fr. Locsin. The bell of Fr. De Avila was installed in the tower when the Cathedral was constructed in 1876, but lowered in 1969 when the towers were built. It was never returned there until 1976 when the Sugarlandia Lions Club of Bacolod constructed a special belfry where it hangs today with Fr. Ferrero’s small bell.

When Fr. Mauricio Ferrero took over in 1871, he initiated plans for the building of a bigger church made of coral stones. The plan was submitted to Bishop Mariano Cuartero of Jaro. It was on April 27, 1876 when the foundation stone was laid. Fr. Mauricio made an agreement with the politico-military governor, Roman Pastor for the use of the prisoners in the church construction. The governor agreed provided that Fr. Maurico also design and supervise the construction of a stone prison. The coral stones of the cathedral were cut from the deposits of Guimaras and brought by barge and lurches to Bacolod. The wooden parts were made from hardwood cut in Palawan.

On the eve of the feast of San Sebastian, January 19, 1882, Bishop Cuartero blessed the biggest church in the province. A pontifical mass was celebrated by the bishop the following day before a packed audience composed of government and church officials of the province and Iloilo. Parish priests and leading citizens of other towns joined the festivities.

The two towers that is present today were set up three years later. The right tower of the church was constructed first. Don Luis Ruiz de Luzurriaga, donated a huge clock that became the main keeper of the town. The left tower was constructed later. Both towers were made of aluminum sheet with hardwood framings. It was also in 1885 that the big organ was installed on a nave just above the church entrance. The organ was disassembled during the reconstruction of the church in 1969 and never returned.

In 1969, the two towers were demolished as a public hazard upon orders of the Bacolod City Engineer’s office. The rector of the cathedral, Fr. Antonio Santes raised funds to build the towers. A cathedral tower reconstruction committee engaged in fund raising activities.

The San Sebastian Cathedral was declared the cathedral church in 1933 when Bacolod became a diocese. In 1956, the second bishop of Bacolod, Bishop Manuel Yap, increased the prestige of the church when the consecrated it in solemn ceremonies after it was reconstructed. The main altar was simplified and a life-size statue of San Sebastian was enshrined. In the bosom of the Cathedral are the remains of Bishop Casimiro Lladoc, the first bishop of Bacolod and Bishop Manuel Yap, the second Bishop, as well as the remains of generous benefactors of the past decades.

The parish rectory, now the Bishop’s house was also constructed by Fr. Ferrero. The construction started on May 21, 1891 and was finished in 1894. The materials were taken from Palawan, while the coral stones were from Guimaras. Some of the bricks were locally made, masonry was mostly by Chinese artisans.

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