Part 6 of the Libotero Negros Occidental Heritage Series

From Hinigaran, I took a mini-bus towards the next town up north, Pontevedra. The short trip only cost me the minimum fare of ten pesos.

The town of Pontevedra is a 3rd-class municipality, in terms of income. Based on the latest census, it is home to at least 42,089 people.

Pontevedra’s small and simple green municipal hall-cum-police station blends well with the surroundings. Cool!

Just across the street is the newly renovated St. Michael the Archangel Parish.

One of the prominent features of the church is a sword-carrying gold sculpture of St. Michael on top of the church dome

Clean and modern interiors

Pews

Inside, the church is characterized by an altar adorned with gold and brown carvings

National Highway, Negros Occidental

After offering my prayers, I went back to the highway and waited for a mini-bus to pass by so I could hop in and proceed to the next town up north.

(…to be continued)

Part 5 of the Libotero Negros Occidental Heritage Series

Across the St. Mary Magdalene Church is the town plaza of Hinigaran.

Busts of Philippine heroes greet you at the Hinigaran Town Plaza. From L-R: Graciano Lopez-Jaena, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, national hero Jose Rizal, Jose Abad Santos, General Vicente Lim and Lt. Eduardo Baumann

While walking around the plaza, I noticed that there seemed to be a festive mood so I tried to look around.

Hinigaran was holding their Municipal Cultural Meet at their gym during my visit

The event was well-attended by the Hinigaranons, which actually made me feel glad as the local government unit has provided a venue for its constituents to appreciate and value culture and the arts. Nowadays, most people would rather be occupied by technology, computers and the internet, so here’s two thumbs up to the Hinigaran LGU!

Further into the town plaza is the Hinigaran Municipal Capitol

The identifying mark on the municipal building is the emblem of the Commonwealth of the Philippines which means that the structure was built within 1935-1946, when the Philippines was still a Commonwealth of the United States. Interesting!

I watched the Cultural Meet for a few minutes while enjoying an “ice drop”. It really felt great to be somehow immersed into the culture of the locals. At around 3:30pm, I finally left Hinigaran on a mini-bus bound northward.

(…to be continued)

Part 4 of the Libotero Negros Occidental Heritage Series

From Kabankalan City, the town of Hinigaran is about an hour away. Hinigaran is perfectly located just between Bacolod and Kabankalan and one of the landmarks of this bustling town is their century-old church. Since the church is along the national highway, it is difficult to miss! So, as soon as we passed in front of the church, I hopped off the bus.

The church is located directly by the highway with almost no sidewalk! Quite dangerous for pedestrians if you actually think about it

The church was built in the 19th century through forced labor under the Spanish colonization. The local faithful were said to have been required to work for 15 days and were only paid 15 centavos, thus, the place where the church stands is known today as Kinsehan or Quinchihan.

The church features Romanesque architecture which can be noted on the semi-circular arches on its facade and belfry.

The church was made using chicken eggs, limestone, corals, and bricks. The walls are 2-meters thick so hopefully the church would be able to withstand any natural calamity in the future.

At the left side of the church is a three-level belfry that is functional up to this day.The church bell is said to be made of silver and gold, that weighs an enormous 480 kilograms

Meanwhile, just beside the church, fronting the convent, are five old bells, that are as old as the church! Amazing. The church was completed in 1881.

It’s quite sad to see though that the bells look quite neglected as the immediate surroundings are full of scrap

See above photos: the bells are surrounded by scrap metal, wood, chairs, a removed gate, trash, an unused restroom, etc.

As I entered the church, I was very much surprised to see that the interiors have been heavily renovated, and in bad taste at that!

Disappointing! Sigh! I do not see any connection between the newly renovated interiors and the exterior design. Only the facade, walls and the belfry of the church remain original and untouched and I hope it remains that way, preserved for the appreciation of the next generations to come.

A funeral service was ongoing during my visit so I did not stay long inside the church. As I exited, I noticed that there seems to be something going on at the town plaza, so I crossed the street and explored.

(…to be continued)

Part 3 of the Libotero Negros Occidental Heritage Series

After a walk in the park and snapping some photos of the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol, I flagged another cab to take me to the Ceres South bus terminal. (There are two Ceres terminals in Bacolod, one for northbound buses and the other for southbound. They’re located at both ends of one street).

I took an air-conditioned non-stop bus bound for Kabankalan City. Fare was P115. What I like about Negros is their established bus culture. It is the home base of the popular bus company, Ceres Liner, making almost every town in the island accessible to everyone. You can just hop on a bus and go anywhere!

Kabankalan City is a first-class city in southern Negros Occidental. Based on the latest census, it has a population of at least 166,845 people. The city is at least five towns away from the capital Bacolod. If you have your own vehicle, going there would only take a little over an hour. But since I was on a bus, it took me about two hours to reach Kabankalan City.

Prior to this trip, I really did was not able to do much research about Kabankalan City as I only planned to make it as the starting point of my town-to-town heritage hopping all the way back to Bacolod City. So as soon as I arrived at the Ceres Bus Terminal in Kabankalan, I hired a tricycle to take me to their city hall. Tricycle fare in Kabankalan is only 7 pesos. Do not ride if the tricycle driver tries to take advantage and asks for a higher fare.

Anyway, I really didn’t know what to expect but when we were approaching the city hall, I was pleasantly surprised to see a sprawling castle-like structure in the middle of sugar plantations.

I was feeling quite lazy taking photos under the scorching hot noontime sun so I wasn’t really able to capture the whole building and show it’s castle-like features which means that you actually have to go there to appreciate its beauty!

Kabankalan has a really grand and imposing city hall building, which reflects the potential of the city as one of the most progressive in the province.

Since I was there on a Saturday, the whole place was deserted. There was nothing else to do in the City Hall complex so after I took some photos, I hired another tricycle to Gaisano.

I was already quite hungry as I arrived in Gaisano Kabankalan so I dropped by Mang Inasal for lunch. (LOL, fastfood still.) One thing that amazed and amused me was the fact that almost all people who were dining at the restaurant ate with bare hands. Wow! And they all sprinkled chicken oil all over their rice. I don’t know how that would taste like, I was imagining it would feel like sipping cooking oil. Eww! I’m really not a fan of oily food though. Utensils were available by request.

Although first class in terms of income, Kabankalan is still mostly rural. Its streets are very clean!

After lunch, I took another tricycle to bring me back to the Ceres Terminal and I hopped on a Bacolod-bound bus to bring me to my next destination, Hinigaran.

(…to be continued)

Part 2 of the Libotero Negros Occidental Heritage Series

As soon as I got my check-in luggage and exited the arrival hall of the Bacolod-Silay Airport, I hopped into a van that would take me to Bacolod City. It’s the most affordable and practical means of transport to the city, so far. Fare for each passenger is P50. What’s nice about it is that it works like a carpool service, that is, you’re delivered right to your doorstep, that’s if your destination is along the main thoroughfares though.

Anyway, I was booked at Circle Inn Hotel and Suites and luckily, some passengers were bound for the Ceres Bus Terminal which was a few meters beyond the hotel, so I disembarked just right in front of the hotel. Convenient!

Prior to my arrival, I already made reservations with the hotel online so checking in was seamless. I was then led to my room where I quickly laid my luggage. Then I freshened up and took a cab to SM to have dinner at Greenwich. LOL. So much for my first night, oh well.

After dinner, I went back to the hotel and called it a day. I quickly fell asleep, zzzzZZzzzz.

DAY 2.

I set my alarm to 7:30am as I planned to take a roadtrip to southern Negros Occidental that day. So as soon as I woke up, I took a shower and did all my morning rituals. At 8am, I was already in a cab that would take me to Jollibee – Lacson Street for breakfast.

After breakfast, I crossed the street to appreciate the architectural marvel that is the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol.

Libotero poses at the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol

Located along Lacson Street, one of Bacolod City’s main thoroughfares, the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol was built in the 20th century, on the year 1925 to be exact, featuring American neoclassical architecture. This is where the Kilometer Zero marker of Negros Occidental is located. Distances to other points in the province are measured starting from here.

One of the highlights of the structure is a three-level colonnade (a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. source.) at its center-most portion. These columns are crowned by Corinthian capitals.

It is easily one of the most grand provincial capitol buildings in the country. With the presence of a newly-built building within the complex, the central portion of the capitol currently serves as the home of the Negros Museum.

What sets this capitol apart from its counterparts in other provinces is the presence of a huge lagoon! The placid waters reflect the relaxed atmosphere in Bacolod and the whole province in general.

While the area may be quite sleepy during daytime, it is a different story during nighttime thus it deserves another post.

Insane editing thanks to the new Adobe Photoshop CS5

(…to be continued)

Part 8 of the Libotero Pampanga and Malolos Heritage Series

DAY 2.

From SM City Pampanga, I was planning to visit Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan. I searched around the transport terminal looking for any means of transportation that would bring me to the historically significant church.

Since I was a child, I’d always look at the Barasoain Church in the ten-peso bill and say to myself, “I’ll go there someday” and my Pampanga trip was the perfect opportunity to make a short stopover at Malolos.

Fortunately, there are several jeepneys and vans that serve several points in Bulacan. A GT Express service was available for Malolos so I immediately hopped in. Fare was at P40, not bad.

For the entire duration of the trip, I was asleep, so I had no idea where we passed through, but I was quite sure we did go through the North Luzon Expressway. 30 minutes later, Manong Driver was poking me already as we had arrived at the van terminal in the Petron station along MacArthur Highway, Malolos City and I was the only passenger left inside the van. I felt quite embarrassed so I quickly jumped off the van, LOL. I immediately walked away and started looking for locals whom I could ask for directions. Passing by BPI, Greenwich and Chowking, I reached an intersection and then saw a queue of tricycles so I approached them. “Manong, sa’n po ba dito ang Barasoain Church? Malapit lang po ba? Pwede n’yo po ba akong dalhin du’n? Magkano po ang pamasahe?”, (Manong, where is the Barasoain Church? Is it nearby? Can you take me there? How much is the fare?) I asked. This old driver I asked gently replied, “Dayo ka ano? Malapit lang naman. Labinlima lang. Sige sakay na” (Hmm, you’re a tourist? Well, it’s just near. [Fare's] P15 only. C’mon hop in). And so I did. The engine started and we crossed the MacArthur Highway towards Paseo del Congreso St. We basically travelled just a straight line, about a kilometer long and in less than five minutes, we were already by the entrance of the Barasoain Church!

The Barasoain Church (also knows as the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish) was built in 1630 in Malolos. It has earned the distinction as the Cradle of Democracy in the East and one of the most important religious structures in the Philippines and the palace of General Emilio Aguinaldo.

The church is also known for its architectural design and internal adornments. The original church was burned during the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution. However, it was renovated.

The church became a witness to three significant historical events, among them are:

- The convening of the First Philippine Congress (September 15, 1898)
- The drafting of the Malolos Constitution (September 29, 1898 to January 21, 1899), and
- The inauguration of the First Philippine Republic (January 23, 1899).

Because of this, the church was proclaimed as a National Shrine by President Ferdinand Marcos on August 1, 1973 by virtue of Presidential Degree No. 260.

Aside from the three events listed above, General Emilio Aguinaldo and Former President Joseph Estrada were also inaugurated in the Church as duly-elected president of the Republic of the Philippines during their time.

Right in front of the Barasoain Church is an imposing statue of Emilio Aguinaldo. He is the first president of our country and he made the church his home during his term of office. Behind his statue, are the flags used by the Philippines from the oldest to the current flag.

Even though the church isn’t part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List, I was very glad to have finally visited the church as it is the most important church in our country’s history. Some of you might find it weird that a 20-year old like me is more interested on old churches than bumming in the beach but that’s me. Although I really love the beach, and other natural attractions, I also really appreciate structures with historical value.

* The Barasoain Church is located approximately 42 kilometers north of Manila.

(…to be continued)

Part 6 of the Libotero Pampanga and Malolos Heritage Series

DAY 2.

From the Church of Santa Lucia in Sasmuan, Pampanga, I walked back to the main highway and hired a tricycle back to Lubao. This time, to my surprise, the driver only asked for P15. Weird, but good for me, hihi.

I waited across the Lubao Municipal Hall for a jeepney that would take me back to Guagua. I didn’t wait that long as jeepneys passed by every few minutes. In less than 30 minutes, I already found myself back in Guagua, Pampanga. From there, I looked for a jeepney bound for San Fernando as it’d pass by the next church on my list, the San Guillermo Church of Bacolor, Pampanga.

Finding one wasn’t that hard as there were tens of jeepneys to San Fernando that were lined up around the Guagua Town Plaza. A few minutes later, I was already in the town of Bacolor. Jeepney fare was P7.

Bacolor is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 25,238 people in 3,029 households.

From the main highway, I already saw the massive church of Bacolor. I still had to walk at least 500 meters to reach the church. It was a very hot afternoon and I was kinda dehydrated already. Good thing I came across a convenience store halfway through the church. I stopped for a while and enjoyed ice cold softdrinks, lol. Once I got pumped up again, I continued walking towards the church.

Just before the Bacolor Church stands this interesting old house whose entire frontage has been covered by “talahibs”. I wonder if it has some historical significance.

A view of the massive belfry just a few meters before I reached the church grounds

I walked a few more steps and I finally reached the gates of the San Guillermo Church and from where I was standing, I was blown away by what I saw.

The Church of San Guillermo is one of the oldest and largest churches in Pampanga. The church was originally built in 1576 but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1880. The church was rebuilt on 1886 using baroque architecture. On September 3, 1995, lahar flow from the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo which erupted on June 15, 1991, literally erased some towns of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga. The town of Bacolor was not spared and the church was buried at half its height of 12 meters!

The Church was named after the town’s former patron saint San Guillermo Ermitaño (St. William the Hermit). In November 1786, the town’s patron was changed to La Naval de Bacolor in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary.

The main door of the church used to be the ornamented windows of the choir loft and has been its new entrance since the tragic event. As I entered the church, I noticed some openings on the ground. I was amazed to see windows right on the ground. These actually used to hold some stained glasses before lahar covered the town.

The church’s floorings are made of pure concrete, that covered the layers of lahar beneath the surface.

As I was taking this photo, I just imagined how grand the church interior was before it was half-buried

Fortunately, the church’s main retablo, which is coated in gold leaf, survived the mudflow. After the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, the people of Bacolor persistently dug up the altar and retablo and relocated them under the Church dome in order for the tall wooden retablo to fit in vertically. As a result, the church feels much, much smaller now.

The retablo’s niches feature centuries-old statues which were saved from destruction of the lahar. The citizens of Bacolor take much pride in their rich heritage which is why they really took the effort to restore the church altars and preserve them in mint condition.

The church was already a famous tourist destination even before the lahar tragedies, more so even after the eruption. But just last year, tourist arrivals in Bacolor skyrocketed exponentially after the church was used as one of the main venues of the ABS-CBN primetime series May Bukas Pa. Visitors would often explore the rooms where the show’s lead character “Santino” used to play around. Many also want to see “Bro”, an image of the risen Christ who often communicates with Santino in the story.

Bro

The old convent at the right side of the church has since then been converted to a museum. Among the interesting stuff at the museum are old photographs of the Bacolor Church before, during, and after the tragic series of mudflows. The museum also features religious images from all over town, that were spared from the lahar.

An adoration chapel can also be found inside the museum.

After exploring the Church, I checked out the back portion of the Church but did not stay long as the tall grass gave me an eerie feeling LOL

(…to be continued)

Part 5 of the Libotero Pampanga and Malolos Heritage Series

DAY 2.

Next on my list after the St. Augustine Church in Lubao is the Sasmuan Church. So, while at the Lubao Municipal Hall grounds, I asked around on how I could get to the town of Sasmuan. The ever-friendly locals instructed me to hire a tricycle and not pay more than P30.

The town of Sasmuan is located to the east of Lubao.

Sasmuan (formerly Sexmoan) is a 4th class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 26,630 people in 4,343 households. The town’s former name of “Sexmoan” was the mispronunciation by the Spanish friars of “Sasmuan”, the original and current name. It was derived from the Malayo-Polynesian word “pitagmuan” or “meeting place of the datus”.

While on the way to Sasmuan, it felt like I was being transported to another world as the road towards the town was surrounded by what seemed to be lakes. Later on, I learned that those were fish ponds. Sasmuan has a one-of-a-kind geography as it is surrounded by fish ponds. Therefore, the town relies on aquaculture as the main industry to drive their economy.

The tricycle dropped me off by the municipal hall of Sasmuan. When I asked how much the fare was, the driver smiled and said, “trenta po”

Sasmuan Municipal Hall

From the municipal hall, I already saw the church of Sasmuan, and gawd, the place is cramped. The church is surrounded by the public market and a lot of houses by the river. I guess this resulted from neglect and poor planning on the part of the government.

Before this trip, my research about the church informed me that it is the only old structure left standing in the town of Sasmuan. But when I stood in front of the church, I noticed that it appeared quite new. I just found out that the church was renovated in 2003, under the order of Fr. Ted Valencia, former parish priest. Everything, except for the first layer of the facade and the belfry, was destroyed and replaced by a new structure. Disgusting!

The sad fate of the church overshadows it’s unique feature as one of the few, if not the only church in the country where the single belfry is sandwiched in between the church and the convent building.

Look at that gargantuan dome which could be easily mistaken for an unidentified flying object, especially at night. Imagine!

More than the physical damage to the church, it is said that the remains of prominent citizens of Sasmuan that used to be interred at walls of the church were collected and thrown into a common grave, making it almost impossible to identify them anymore.

The interiors

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard stories about churches with great historical value being defaced by ignorant/irresponsible parish priests. Take for example the altar of Argao Church in Cebu whose main retablo was painted over entirely by gold leaf. It could have been a UNESCO World Heritage site by now if not for the destruction of the church’s heritage value. Sigh. Parish priests should be lectured about heritage conservation!

(…to be continued)

Part 4 of the Libotero Pampanga and Malolos Heritage Series

DAY 2.

After a visit of the Betis Church, I took a jeep back to Guagua Town Proper. Since it was only a few kilometers away, it only cost me the minimum fare (P7). I jumped off at the town plaza and decided to have lunch at their newly-opened Chowking! It was a super-hot day and the halo-halo was just what I needed to cool down.

Having been refreshed by the popular Pinoy dessert, it was time to continue church hopping. Next on my list was the Church of St. Augustine in Lubao, Pampanga.

Lubao is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 143,058 people in 23,446 households.

The most notable people from the town of Lubao are former president Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo and his father, the late former president Diosdado Macapagal.

From the town plaza of Guagua, I took a jeepney to Lubao. Jeepneys to other points of Pampanga, and even Zambales are parked surrounding the town plaza. Lubao is around seven kilometers from Guagua and the jeepney fare only costs P10. From Guagua, we traversed the national highway towards the direction of Lubao. In less than 15 minutes, we were already in Lubao.

Upon entry to the town, we encountered a fork in the road and the jeepney took the road to the left to the interior of the town. The jeepney passed by directly in front of the church so I jumped off there.

The Church of St. Augustine in Lubao, Pampanga is the province’s oldest church. Founded on 1572 in Barrio Sta. Catalina, it was moved to its present site thirty years later due to constant flooding.

The church was constructed in the early 17th century, headed by Augustinian priest Antonio Herrera, out of locally-made brick and sand, mixed in egg white, contributed by the townsfolk of Lubao.

The facade of the Lubao church is typical of a Filipino church, consisting of the main church building, the adjoining belfry and the convent.

Unfortunately, the church was closed when I dropped by so I wasn’t able to explore, take photos and pray inside the church. Meh.. But that just means, I should visit this place again soon!

From the church, I walked towards the Lubao Municipal Hall which is just a block away from the church, along the main highway (JASA)

Lubao Municipal Hall

(…to be continued)

Part 3 of the Libotero Pampanga and Malolos Heritage Series

DAY 2.

After the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Guagua, the next church on my list was the Church of St. James the Apostle in Betis, still in Guagua.

I asked around for directions on how to get there and the best option was to take a tricycle and so I did. Betis is actually a barangay located a few kilometers away from the town proper. Although the barangay is now known as San Miguel, locals and old-timers still prefer to call it Betis (same as how we Cebuanos still refer to Osmena Boulevard as Jones Avenue). The tricycle ride cost me P30 and I was dropped right in front of the Church.

As I saw the Church, my jaw dropped in awe. The Church was so massive and pretty in pink! I knew about this church since my good friend, Eric would always mention about it everytime we’d talk about beautiful churches. And when I finally saw it in person, I could say that it’s not just beautiful, it’s marvelous!

Built in 1754 and completed in 1770, the Betis Church is marked by Baroque-inspired architecture which was predominant during its period of construction.

Although the exterior is massive, I wasn’t really that impressed, especially that I’ve seen tens of churches all over the country. But as the saying goes, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. The true character of the Betis Church lies within.

The main door was locked but I managed to sneak in through the Convent while everyone else was busy with the Pre-Jordan seminar. Evil me!

As I got in, I felt goosebumps as my eyes began to wander around every detail of the church interiors. I’ve heard and read that this church is often called the “Sistine Chapel of the Philippines” and at that moment, I had no reason to doubt it.

No amount of descriptive words could accurately present the real beauty of the Betis Church. You have to be there to really appreciate and experience the art!

Let’s start with the main door. The entrance to the Church features some heavy details. The carvings portray the “Gates of Paradise”. It’s like a grand welcome to heaven!

The intricately painted ceilings, which were painted in a way that would make them look 3-dimensional, shows various biblical scenes and reminds us of the power of faith in God to influence and inspire people from all walks of life. Someone named Simon Flores, is said to be the man originally behind the amazing artwork. In the early 1900s, the church interiors were said to be extensively beautified and restored.

The dome is spectacularly breathtaking! And take note, those railings are not paintings, they’re real!

Finally, all of the beautiful grand details of the interiors meet at the retablo. Religious icons are placed inside niches in successive levels, made of carved grand old timber, showcasing the patrons of the various communities under the Betis Church. The characteristic is common among Church built during the Spanish Colonial Period.

The church’s interior is nothing short of an art masterpiece. And for its beauty and historical significance, the Betis Church has been rightfully declared as a National Cultural Treasure. As I take a look at all these details, I feel very much thankful to the artists for sharing their craft for everyone to appreciate. And ofcourse, major thank yous should go to the locals and everyone else responsible for the efforts to restore and preserve this one-of-a-kind Church!

P.S.: After I took all of the above photos, a guy approached me and asked me if I was taking pictures. I said “yes, but I deleted them”. He then replied, “Good, because taking pictures is prohibited here. You have to ask permission from the office first before you can shoot”. Then I sneaked out of the Church, LOL. I’m sorry but I was only reprimanded after I took all of the photos and therefore, I should share them with you here, hehehe!

(…to be continued)