The Remarkable Churches of Southern Cebu 2

As promised, I will continue my story about the old churches which I have written last week. Moving on to the southernmost part of Cebu, I have seen more churches built from limestone which is predominant in the island. It was through the influence of Spaniards who brought Christianity to the island and colonized the Philippines for over 300 years that made these historical structures in existence.

  

 Passing through the municipality of Dalaguete (pronounced as Duh-luh-geh-teh), we stopped in front of an old church with an octagonal belfry and simple facade. The chuch is dedicated to St. William Gellone, Duke of Aquitaine, and was constructed in 1802, finished in 1825. I have seen pictures of this church and what made it so special for me was the cloud formations which gives the structure an impression of immortality.

 The interiors of the church is richly accentuated by a retablo in Rococo design with gilded moldings. The four-sided altars have similar elaborate ornamental designs. The church has a barrel ceiling painted with biblical scenes and personalities.

  

The construction of this baroque-rococo church of St. Michael de Archangel in the municipality of Argao, started in 1734 and was completed 1738. It has a resemblance to the church of Dalaguete which I have mentioned ealier.   

 

 The facade is not as simple as the first church in this blog but it is carved elaborately with cherubs and ornamental plants. Right above the main entrance is the Spanish royal seal, an indication that this church like many other churches in the country was built from the funds of the Spanish monarchy. Flowers and cherubim  also decorate the facade and the side entrances.

 The church of Immaculate Conception in the municipality of Oslob has survived three fire incidents in the years 1942, 1955 and the last was in the year 2008 and later parts which were affected by the fire. What was left was the belfry and the main building of the church, the coral stones used for the belfry and the walls were quarried from the seas, cut and polished and placed on top of each other and cemented with ashes of seashells. The construction began in 1830 and was finished in 1848.

 The last church I had visited was the Church of Patrocinio de Maria in the municipality of Boljoon. This is the view of the chuch from the south bend and the Ili Rock, a natural watch tower located at the end of the municipality. 

The church was built in the 18th century by the Augustinian friars, the church and convent still uses clay roof tiles for its roof. The complex was a fortress church. With in the complex are; block house at the front left side of the complex served as a watch tower, a school at the left rear side built in the 1940′s, series of wall ruins, and an 18th century cemetery. Numerous church artifacts are intact. The ceiling painting was done by local painters in the 1920′s. The church walls are made of coral stone. The façade is ornamented with ecclesiastic symbols. 

I know I haven't seen the rest of the heritage churches, I may have visited some of them but I am eager to see more and know their history. I am a Catholic and  it is significant for me to learn about the existence of these churches in our country, I am not a religious person but every time I see old churches standing still for centuries showing strength and faith, it makes me feel so small...there is a something that tells me to come, be grateful and praise the holiness of the structure.

Thank you for reading.

Source:Heritage Conservation Society

            SIMBAHAN

            Cebu Heritage

            Official Website of Dalaguete

The Remarkable Churches In Cebu

Everytime I visit a place for the first time I never failed to stop by its churches especially the old ones and take pictures of them. It is so amazing to see old structures standing still in its glory, flaunting their magnificent styles, designs and the stories behind them. Cebu, pronounced as Se-bu, is one of the most developed city situated in the Visayas, Philippines, it is famous for its narrow coastlines, limestones and other natural resources. It can be reached either by a watercraft or an aircraft from the capital city of Manila, Philippines. It was my second visit to Cebu, the last time I went was 10 years ago but I never had the chance to visit the southern part of the island and I never thought that it holds so many treasured structures just waiting to be revisited.

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I seldom see Gothic churches in the Philippines, the only one I saw was in the capital city but not fashioned with coral stones, although I still consider it as one of the most treasured churches in the country. Travelling along the national highway, this white church caught my attention and so we have to stop and get to know this stunning structure. The San Isidro de Labrador Church is located in the quiet little town of San Fernando, Cebu. The church is probably the pride of the town since it attracts tourists due to its flamboyant style accessorized with dainty and colorful flowers in front of it. The construction of the church started in 1870 and was finished after over 10 years in 1870.

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The Santa Catalina Alejandria Parish is located in Carcar, Cebu, it is the second oldest church in Cebu. The  classic Greco-Roman and Muslim inspired church which shows on its two bell towers was constructed 1860 and was finished in 1875. The 138-year old church was undergoing minor construction to maintain its beautifully adorned facade.

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The interiors of the church boasts of its intricate designs thus it has become of the most remarkable church in Cebu. The Moorish architecture was influenced by the belief that the town was once settled by Muslims.

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Another Gothic church we passed by was the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza in Sibonga, Cebu. The facade is not elaborately adorned but the simple architecture is a reflection of the lifestyle of the cozy little town of Sibonga. The Neo-Gothic church was built by the Augustinians in 1868 was completed in 1881. There is a well-maintained park with centuries old acacia trees standing in front of the church where locals spend their leisure hours under the shades of these trees.

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The front door of the church was closed but the side doors were left open so I took a peek and I was astounded with the interiors of it! The blending scent of moss and corals cordially greeted me and as I looked up, I was more impressed with the trompe l'oeil paintings on its ceiling depicting biblical characters and scenes. The magnificent artwork were done by a famous Cebuano painter, Raymundo Francia in 1924.

I will be writing the rest of the heritage churches in Southern Cebu in my next blog, for now these will be all. Thank you for dropping by.