Libotero – Philippine Travel Photo Blog

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)

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)