Libotero – Philippine Travel Photo Blog

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)

Part 2 of the Libotero Pampanga and Malolos Heritage Series

DAY 1.

After a brief visit to the San Fernando Metropolitan Cathedral, it was time to return to Angeles. At the public transport terminal, I was trying to look for mini-buses, like the one I took to San Fernando, but there were none. I then saw a jeepney marked Angeles and it was starting to get filled so I jumped in. At first I thought, “OMG, what am I doing?”, but on the other hand, I am a lover of adventure, so yeah, whatever, come what may, hahaha! Before the jeepney left, the conductor collected the fares. Compared to the bus fare of P30, the jeepney ride to Angeles only costs P24 as it will be taking the Manila North Road instead of the parallel North Luzon Expressway. Throughout the 30 minute trip, I really had no idea where and when I should get off the jeepney. When we passed by the Holy Rosary Cathedral, I breathed a sigh of relief as I knew that we were already in Angeles City. When all the other passengers disembarked, I joined them.

When I got off the jeepney, I was totally clueless as to where my exact location was as I left my map in the hotel room. The landmark I remember is Puregold Angeles. It seemed to be a busy area, with a lot of people, vehicles and urban noise, probably their downtown area. I then started to ask around how I’d reach Fields Avenue in Clark. Again, the locals were very helpful. They instructed me to take a jeep marked “Henson” and so I did. A few minutes later, I found myself on Fields Avenue, yey! I then walked towards 950 Condotel and called it a day… Zzzzz!

DAY 2.

My alarm woke me up at 9am. I immediately took a shower then proceeded to the rooftop of the hotel for my complimentary breakfast. After breakfast, I was ready for the long day! Same as what I did on the first day, I took a tricycle from the hotel to Dau Bus Terminal for P70. I quickly jumped off the tricycle upon seeing that the bus for San Fernando was almost full. With lessons learned from Day 1, I took the aisle seat. I still felt the winds, but it was pleasant unlike the “in-your-face” winds on my first Dau – San Fernando bus experience, hehe.

The night before, I researched on how I could get to Guagua and learned that jeepneys bound for Guagua are usually parked near the San Fernando Flyover. Just to be sure, I informed the conductor that I wish to be dropped off at the area where I could easily find jeepneys bound for Guagua and it was very kind of them to actually do that. As soon as I disembarked the bus, I got in a jeepney marked “Bacolor-Guagua”. I wanted to visit the Bacolor Church first but I had no idea where I should get off. Later on, I was just dumbfounded when I saw that we already were way beyond the Bacolor Church, waaah. I just decided to visit Guagua Church first as it seemed like we were in the middle of nowhere and if I chose to get off the jeepney and walk back to the Bacolor Church, I’ll be roasted halfway through as there was no shade whatsoever.

A few minutes later, we were already in Guagua, Pampanga..

Guagua is a first-class municipality in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 104,284 people in 18,438 households.

The town of Guagua belongs to the Second District of Pampanga, along with the towns in the southwestern part of the province. It is about 9.5 kilometers off the capital city of San Fernando.

The name Guagua comes from Wawa which means “mouth of a river” or “alua or bukana” in Kapampangan. Wawa was the original name of the town of Guagua as first known in the year 1590. Evidently, the town is strategically located along a river which played a vital role in trade and transportation in the town’s early years. Guagua was already a prosperous community way before the Spaniards came to take control of the town in the year 1561.

The jeepney passed through the town’s interior roads until it finally dropped us off at the Guagua Public Market. There were a lot of roadwork during my visit so traffic could get clogged in a lot of areas. I hope they’re completed by now.

From the public market, I already saw the massive dome of the Guagua Church. I immediately got excited and walked all the way towards the direction of the Church, not minding the scorching hot sun! After walking for about a kilometer, I finally reached the left side of the Church. A mass was still going on but was about to end so I waited before I took photos and explored the place.

The facade.

It’s a pity that spaghetti wires distract the viewer from appreciating the beauty of the Church’s exterior

The first church edifice was constructed in 1587 but was unfortunately razed by fire. The current Church structure was constructed in 1772 under the administration of the Augustinians. The Church was greatly improved in 1862 until 1870.

The massive dome

The interiors are simple and the centerpiece attraction is the main altar, a creation of noted local artist Willy Layug.

The interiors

The main altar

While still simple, the exteriors on the other hand, are marked by massive strength.

The belfry

The Cathedral-type church is located immediately adjacent to the Guagua Municipal Building and houses the Cardinal Santos Catholic Center and the Immaculate Conception Parochial School.

The Rufino Cardinal Santos Catholic Center

(…to be continued)

Part 1 of the Libotero Pampanga and Malolos Heritage Series

DAY 1.

As I arrived in Clark, I was picked-up by 950 (read as nine-five-OH) Condotel’s shuttle service. I already pre-arranged this before my trip as I am aware that public transportation to and from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark can be quite a hassle. The ride from the airport to Fields Avenue where the hotel was located took not more than fifteen minutes.

Upon arrival at the hotel, I immediately checked-in, settled my things and wasted no time and said hello to the outdoors! From the hotel, I took a tricycle to Dau Bus Terminal. As I disembarked and asked Manong Driver how much the fare was, he said P70. I was in disbelief so I asked again and indeed it was P70. Wow! If there was a taxi available, I’m sure it would have cost the same amount for the same distance, but oh well.

Dau Terminal. Why Dau? The terminal is actually located in Barangay Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga, thus the name. The Dau Terminal is one huge terminal. It serves both northbound and southbound buses, clearly separated for commuters’ convenience. “Mini-Buses” and GT Express for short-haul routes (e.g. within Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales, etc.) can be found just by the entrance of the terminal.

First on my itinerary was the San Fernando Metropolitan Cathedral so I searched for a mini-bus marked San Fernando. I easily found one with the help of the barker who was shouting, “San Fernando, San Fernando, konti na lang!”. It was hard not to notice his yelling. Haha.

I got a window seat at the middle section of the bus and waited for a few more minutes for the bus to get filled. As soon as the bus got full to capacity, the bus left the terminal and the conductor collected the fares. The cost of the trip was P30. Not bad, but getting a window seat was a big big big mistake! I totally forgot that the bus wasn’t airconditioned and that we were going to pass through the expressway. A speeding bus in an expressway means a windy trip. My hair was standing as if it was struck by lightning haha. Anyway, the trip took us about thirty minutes more or less.

From the Dau Terminal, the bus took the Dau Entry to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and then proceeded all the way to the San Fernando Exit, towards Jose Abad Santos Avenue (JASA), then to Manila North Road until we reached the terminal in the City of San Fernando.

From there, I was totally clueless, hahaha. I didn’t know how I’d reach the Cathedral. I did notice that while we were on the bus, we seemed to revolve around the Cathedral, so I just asked around and the locals were really very helpful. They just advised me to take any jeepney as all routes pass by the Cathedral, and so I did. It just cost me the minimum fare of P7.

A few minutes later, I was already at the Cathedral of Saint Ferdinand in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the City of San Fernando is the seat of the Archdiocese of San Fernando. The original structure of wood was built by the Augustinians in 1755. Later on, in 1788, the church was transferred to the care of secular priests.

In 1948 the church was elevated to the status of “Cathedral” when it became the seat of the Diocese of San Fernando which was canonically created by Pope Pius XII. . In 1975, the diocese was elevated by Pope Paul VI, to Archdiocese of San Fernando. Its first bishop was Monsignor Cesar Ma. Guerrero, D.D.

The Cathedral is located at A. Consunji Street in Barangay Santo Rosario, fronting the City Hall, within the Heritage District of the city.

There are currently plans to build a 6-level SM mall right at the center of the poblacion. This plan has been strongly opposed by heritage advocates and citizens of the city. But it seems like SM is having it their way as they promised to pattern the mall’s architecture to blend with the atmosphere of the heritage district. Will SM deliver? We’ll see. But the thought of a 6-level mall towering over the Cathedral is already disturbing. It will definitely ruin the charm of the heritage district! Dear SM, are 40 malls not enough?!

After visiting, appreciating and offering my prayers at the Cathedral, it was time to go back to Clark. Once again, I did not have any idea of how to commute back to Clark so I tried to observe and follow where most of the pedestrians were walking to. I walked by the left side of the Church and reached the heart of downtown San Fernando, where the back part of the Cathedral could be seen in its glory and that was where I was able to appreciate the beauty of the heritage district.

Did you know that the City of San Fernando may be the only city in the country which prohibits motorized tricycles in its downtown area? Instead, kalesa rides are readily available on this side of town. I would have wanted to ride in one so I could tour around the city’s heritage district (which features almost twenty heritage landmarks), but it was starting to get dark already so I had to skip that, meh!

I then asked around, again, and locals gave me directions to the jeepney terminal. It was another awkward scene as the jeepney terminal was just in front of me. Meh! Next time, I’ll have to open my eyes and observe more before I open my mouth, LOL..

(…to be continued)

Part 17 of the Libotero Bohol Series

DAY 3.

It was Sunday and we had to attend mass but since the first afternoon mass in the city was happening only at 4pm, we killed more time at Island City Mall . We did some pasalubong shopping, especially for peanut kisses, calamay: both the original and the ube-flavored one. Good thing, there are freshly cooked ones readily available at the supermarket. And when I say fresh, they’re really fresh, hot, fresh from the oven!

At around 3pm, we left the mall and went straight to the Tagbilaran Metropolitan Cathedral.

The Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker, the seat of the Archdiocese of Bohol, stands in the central part of Tagbilaran City. Located in Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, the city’s main street, the church has a grand setting. In front of it is the city plaza, which has landscaped gardens portraying a mini-Chocolate Hills. Meanwhile, across the street from the plaza is the centuries-old Bohol Provincial Capitol, a stone-built structure that has been the seat of the Bohol Provincial Government since Spanish times.

Candle Gallery at the right side of the Cathedral

Fronting the Cathedral, a statue of Saint Joseph with the child Jesus will greet you. A lot of devotees pause here to offer their petitions as the image at the main altar is too far and too high to reach. The Cathedral celebrates the feast of Saint Joseph on May 1. And by the way, May is the fiesta season in Bohol. With very accommodating Boholanos who are more than willing to let you join in their celebrations, May is by far the best month to visit the province.

The right side of the Church as viewed from the rear right near the restrooms

Today, most of the details on the church’s interior and exterior have been heavily renovated. Only the bell tower remains only slightly touched.

In recent years, the church has undergone an expansion which involved an additional wing on both sides of the Church to accommodate the ever-growing Catholic faithful of Bohol.

And speaking of expansion, that’s where we sat to listen to mass. We wanted to hide since we were just wearing shorts and we were afraid the priest might shoo us off from the Church for not following the appropriate dress code, and the expansion wing was perfect as it was not at all visible to the priest. Haha. You can’t blame us though. We genuinely wanted to attend mass but we were not aware of such dress code before our trip to Bohol so we just stayed in the sidelines so as to not make a scene.

(…to be continued)

Part 15 of the Libotero Bohol Series

DAY 3.

After experiencing Panglao’s awe-inspiring sunrise, I went back to bed and woke up again at around 10 in the morning. By then, Jollibee breakfast was already on the table so we quickly munched our way through breakfast and then prepared for another long day.

First on the list on our 2nd day itinerary was Dauis Church

The town of Dauis is also located in Panglao Island, on the side facing Tagbilaran City, so it was not that far from where we were staying. Standing approximately 3.1 kilometers southwest of the capital, the Dauis Church is very much visible and imposing across the narrow channel that separates Panglao from the main island of Bohol.

Our Lady of the Assumption

Located on the seaside, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, is one of the most beautiful churches in Bohol, outside and inside.

The current church was constructed in 1863 and was consecrated by Bishop Juan Gorordo of Cebu on August 23, 1923.

The church is said to have been built in a mixture of styles, influenced by both Byzantine and Romanesque architecture.

The facade features a portico which shades the entire width of the entrance. Above the portico is the second level facade, built in an ornamental neoclassic style, thus its timeless appeal. This extension encloses the choir loft, a common feature in older churches in the Philippines.

The bell tower is tall and looks “powerful”. The bell tower holds the 2nd and 3rd oldest bells in Bohol, both dated 1787. The oldest, dated 1690, can be found in the church of Calape, Bohol.

Open spaces on the sides of the church allow for an appreciation of its excellent and monumental architecture.

Upon entrance to the church, we were greeted by the main altar featuring Our Lady of the Assumption, which was quite unique as it was built in the form of a temple, and not a wall-like retablo, which is common in other centuries-old churches. Above the altar are ceilings with painted biblical scenes. The old checkered tiled floors also seemed to be well-maintained.

The side altars meanwhile feature 18th century twisted columns.

Side altar on the background, tourists seeking to bring home some miraculous water on the foreground

The wooden pulpit from Spanish times, carved with designs and all, remains standing.

The view from the pulpit

Another feature that makes this church stand out is its intricately designed ceilings.

Dome ceiling

Although there are no biblical scenes for the purpose of catechism on the ceilings above the nave and the aisles, the simple coffered ceilings give that pop 3D feeling.

But then, aside from those architectural marvels, what makes this Church truly unique among a lot of other churches is a miraculous well at the foot of the altar.

The well at the lower right

An old legend relates that once during the Spanish occupation, when the town was invaded by Moro pirates, the people of Dauis locked themselves into the church. However, they soon ran out of provisions and water. A miracle then occurred: a well appeared at the foot of the altar. The same well is still the main source of water for the people living close to the church, and, although the well is only a few meters from the sea, the water is absolutely fresh. I acutally got to taste it was a bit sweet. The water is said to have healing powers and some local magazine television shows have even featured some locals who were “cured” by the water.

A lot of the tourists who visit the Church actually just go there just to bring home some “holy” water. So, if you’re planning to visit Dauis Church, don’t forget to bring a bottle and take some water home.

(…to be continued)

Part 9 of the Libotero Bohol Series

DAY 2.

One of the highlights of our 2nd day in Bohol is lunch at Bohol’s River Cruise. So after preparing ourselves from our early morning dip at the beach, we hit the roads again towards the town of Loboc.

Loboc is 24 kilometers away from Tagbilaran City. To get there, one would have to traverse the Bohol Circumferential Road eastward then turn left at the intersection in Loay.

The Loboc River Cruise is one of the reasons why Bohol is skyrocketing in the tourism industry. The basic principle behind the success of the river cruise is the “serving of good food” while enjoying the sights and sounds around the river. So as soon as we arrived in Loboc, we made arrangements/reservations for the whole family. Our schedule was set at 12 noon and we were bound to go through the river for forty-five minutes.

But since we still had some ample time for exploration, we decided to check out the centuries-old Loboc Church. The Church of Saint Peter the Apostle, or more popularly know locally as “San Pedro”, is the second oldest church in Bohol, after Baclayon Church.

The Church, when viewed from its very front, looks like a wall, and a wall only

The Loboc Church’s exterior features Jesuit baroque architecture with unfinished medallions depicting saints.

One unique feature of the Loboc Church is that its bell tower stands separate from the main Church building like for instance, the Saint Paul Cathedral in Vigan. It is separated from the Church by the highway and is approximately 100 meters away.

Baclayon Church may be the oldest but I could say that the Loboc Church feels grander and is actually more picturesque, probably because it sits just beside the Loboc River.

Well aside from the river, the River Cruise and the Church, Loboc has also gained popularity through the Loboc Children’s Choir. These talented kids from barangays all around the town sing during Sunday masses. Their claim to fame was when they started joining and winning in international competitions.

At the back of the Church is a three-story convent whose third floor has been converted into a museum. As usual, cameras are disallowed so we feasted with our bare eyes the sight of centuries-old well-preserved relics, artifacts and other religious materials in Loboc.

Inside the Church meanwhile, we were fascinated by the intricately painted ceilings which had images of religious personalities. This was probably used for catechization during those times.

Main Altar

Left side-altar

Right side-altar

The main altar is characterized by neoclassical architecture while the side altars are mainly of baroque style.

Another unique feature of the Loboc Church is the presence of a pulpit. Situated at the right side, when facing the main altar, priests during those times told homily on the pulpit. I was wondering why pulpits were raised but then the answers are simple. For the religious, or superstitious, whichever way you choose to put it, it simply means that God (which is represented by the priest) is speaking from up above. But the scientic/technical reason is about acoustics. There were no microphones back then and it was rather logical for the priest to say what he wanted to say to the lay people from up there.

At the choirloft of the Loboc Church is a very old pipe organ. It is said to produce sound that reaches up to the next town. Amazing!

And while Saint Peter is the Church’s main anchor, Loboc also has a second patron, or a patroness rather, Our Lady of Guadalupe-Extremadura. The image of Virgen de Guadalupe de Loboc is highly venerated due to the amount of miracles that were documented attributed to the loving intercession of the Virgin, from centuries ago! One of which is immortalized by a painting on the ceiling of the church: a flood was said to have plunged Loboc wreaking havoc to the whole town. The water was too high that it submerged the altar of the Loboc Church but leaving the image of the Virgin untouched as the flood waters calmly stopped at the base of the image. The local residents added that despite the massive damage to property caused by the flood, there were no casualties recorded at all, all thanks to the Holy Mother. For that, hundreds of devotees from all over the country visit Loboc during its fiesta every May to pay homage to the Virgin and ask for some miracles.

We also had our own intentions as well, mainly for our family’s continued good health and tight bond. I also prayed for world peace, and that every person in the world may survive the daily struggle…

(…to be continued)