Lourdes Church at Tagbilaran City

The Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Tagbilaran City was built on a promontory overlooking the city’s scenic bay.

The church’s structure was originally a clubhouse of the Knights of Columbus Council 3290. Erected in 1955, this was the venue of the K of C’s social and religious functions, foremost of which were the Holy Masses held regularly for the members and the families of this fast-growing organization. With Boholanos being well-known for their religiosity, these masses were a great boon to nearby communities.

Eventually, the church became a chaplaincy, whose primary goal was to provide for the spiritual needs of the increasing number of the Filipino-Chinese populace. Rev. Fr. Thomas Chao, a refugee from mainland China, was the first resident chaplain.  In 1995, it finally became a full-pledged parish.

From a clubhouse, the structure of the church building has metamorphosed into a work of art -- reminiscent of old Gothic designs -- with its roof sharply pointing heaven-ward and with three gables in each side. This well-ventilated church can properly seat 500 people at a time.

The altar differs sharply from the altars of ancient churches that abound in Bohol. The main altar is a landscape painting on the wall, of sea, clouds and sky as backdrop to a sculpted heaven-ward rising Christ in its midst. Beneath the bronze figure of the Risen Christ is the sepulcher from which He emanated, with its half-opened tomb and stone cover.

Midway on the right side wall is a beautifully-made rock grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, with St. Bernadette kneeling beneath, among the rocks where a real fountain flows. Across the aisle, in the middle of the left side wall, stands a life-sized Crucified Christ. A portrait of Jesus of the Divine Mercy is placed nearby.

The lovely stained glass windows reflect Biblical scenes. Above the right wall is that of the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, and the Presentation of the Child at the Temple. On the left wall are clearly shown Mary and Joseph Finding the Lost Child at the Temple amidst synagogue elders questioning Him, Jesus Changing the Six Jars of Water into Wine, and the Crucifixion Scene, with St. John and the Blessed Mother looking up at the Crucified Christ.

OUR LADY OF LOURDES PARISH

Gov. C. Gallares St., Tagbilaran City, 6300 Bohol

Telephone: (038) 411-2413, (038) 235-3600

Feast Day:  February 11th

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Baclayon Church

Baclayon Church in Bohol is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines made of coral stone.  It is also known as the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

The first Spanish missionaries or doctrineros in the region, Fr. Juan de Torres and Fr. Gabriel Sanchez, first settled in Baclayon in 1595. Shortly after their arrival, a visita was erected on the spot.

Although Baclayon was the first seat of the Spanish Jesuit missionaries, fear of Moro marauders soon forced them to move their headquarters more inland, to Loboc.

It was only in 1717 that Baclayon became a parish, and construction of a new church commenced. Some 200 native forced laborers constructed the church from coral stones, which they took from the sea, cut into square blocks, and piled on to each other.

They used bamboo to move and lift the stones in position, and used the white of a million eggs as to cement them together. The current building was completed in 1727. The church obtained a large bell in 1835.

In the Baclayon church is a dungeon, which was used to punish natives violated the rules of the Roman Catholic church.

It is one of the best preserved Jesuit build churches in the region, although in the 19th century, the Augustinian Recollects added a modern facade and a number of stone buildings that now surround the church.

A major tourist attraction of this church is the image of Padre Pio, or Saint Pio, which is imprinted on one of the pillars of the church.

Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887 in Italy. He had poor health but despite that, he was able to finish his studies due to strong will and soon enough, ordained as a priest in the year 1910.  It was on September 20, 1918, that his simple life as a priest changed when he became the first stigmatized priest in history. All 5 wounds of Jesus appeared on his body, marking his deep love for God and the Eucharist and beginning his life of apostolic activity for the many that flock to his confessionals.

After a devotee found the image on the photos of tourists taking pictures against the wall, Ramon Rodriguez, who had been healed through the intercession of Padre Pio of his half-blindness, called on Fr. Antonio Pompilio, an Italian priest to evaluate and confirm the image.

Right next to the church is the old convent, which also houses a small museum with centuries-old religious relics, artifacts and other antiquities, dating back to the 16th century.

Included in the collection are an ivory statue of the crucified Christ looking towards heaven; a statue of the Blessed Virgin, said to be presented by Queen Catherine of Aragon; relics of St. Ignatius of Loyola, old gold embroidered ecclesiastical vestments, books with carabao skin covers, and librettos of church music written in Latin on sheep skins. 

Here you can also find the cuadro paintings made by the Filipino painter Liberato Gatchalian in 1859.

Baclayon Church started the trend in Bohol of establishing parish museums. The amount of liturgical material preserved in Baclayon is impressive. The church inventory books have helped in dating some pieces. 

In Baclayon cantorals (large handwritten music books) was found the Misa Baclayana, a musical setting for the Mass which has been revived and is part of the repertoire of the LobocChildren's choir. Permission from the parish is needed to see the museum, which is generally locked for security reasons.

In 1835, a large bell was installed and in the 19th century, the Augustinian Recollects added the front facade of the church with its three arches and a number of stone buildings which now surrounds the church. All these are still standing at present making it the most preserved church in Bohol.

The church may have avoided getting totally destroyed during the Second World War, but it remains vulnerable from forces of nature. The occasional typhoons made it impossible for caretakers to protect its walls from moss patches.  Moreover, the coral stone walls are susceptible to breaking when exposed to mists.

There were supposedly several attempts to repaint the church ceilings but no one knew of any preservation technique that would protect the original paintings.  Another probable sentiment is that the church may not be able to afford the professional fees of restorers like those in Italy.

Be that as it may, Baclayon Church has been a significant aspect of Philippine history, not just in its attempts to propagate Christianity in the archipelago, but in serving as the political backbone of Spanish colonial rule, when Church and State were regarded as one.

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Most Holy Trinity Parish - Loay, Bohol

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity in Loay, Bohol, locally referred to as Santissima Trinidad Parish was established by the Recollects in 1799.  The church was built in 1822, the convent in 1838, and the bell tower in 1865. 

The church complex is built on a plateau facing the sea and near the mouth of the Loboc River. A flight of stairs connects the church complex to the rest of the town located below the hill. The vehicular entrance to the complex is via the road to Loboc.

The church has two facades; the older is decorated with low relief, while the newer was reinforced in concrete and completed in the 20th century. The whole is surmounted by cement statues depicting the virtues.  The bell tower is a separate structure built at a short distance from the church. 

Like many Bohol churches the interior is painted with trompe o'eil and with Biblical scenes. The altars are in the Neoclassical style.  But since these photos were taken on Good Friday, the altar of the church was completely obscured by curtains.

It should be noted that during the Spanish colonial times, the Church and State were regarded as one; thus, the churches not only promoted Christianity, they also exercised political power that enforced complete Spanish rule over the land.

Moreover, the unique architecture of the churches were not simply reflections of Spanish/Latin American architecture, these churches were designed to withstand rebellious attacks; giving them the appearances of formidable fortresses.

The parish organ was built by Diego Cera Organ in 1841.   It was restored in 1999 by Diego Cera Organbuilders of Las Pinas

    Address: Loay, 6303 Bohol, Philippines

    Phone: +63 38 538-9158; +63 38 501-1145

    Population: 10,337; Catholics: 10,161

    Titular: Blessed Trinity, Feast Day: Trinity Sunday;

    2nd Patron: St. Francis Xavier, Feast Day: Dec. 3

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San Sebastian Church

Unlike the ancient churches here in Bohol that were mostly built by the Jesuits, using forced labor in some cases, the all steel San Sebastian Church in Manila was fabricated in Belgium and then erected in Quiapo.

The Order of the Agustinian Recollect (OAR) Parishes Manual cited that the San Sebastian church “is the first all-iron church in the world and the first iron edifice in Asia.”

The church has its beginnings in 1621 when Don Bernardino Castillo, a generous patron and a well-known devotee of San Sebastian donated his lot for the church to be built on. The original church, which was made of wood, was burned in 1651 during a Chinese uprising. The succeeding structures were destroyed by fire and an earthquake in 1859, and 1863. They then rebuilt using stone, but it was also destroyed by an earthquake in 1880.

The exasperated parish priest, Fr. Esteban Martinez approached the Spanish Architect Genero Palacios who proposed the novel idea of a steel church.  It was approved by the Recollect Provincial Council and Palacios was commissioned to design it.  His concept for a Gothic revival structure was approved on June 14, 1883. Hence, San Sebastian Church also became known as the only Gothic church ever built in the Philippines.

In 1886, the Societe Anonyme d’Entreprise de Traveaux Publics of Brussels, Belgium was awarded the contract to undertake the construction of this grandiose design for an all steel church. The steel parts with a total weight of 1,527 tons were manufactured in the Societe Anonyme’s foundry in Binche, Belgium and were shipped to Manila during the steel temple’s fabrication phase.

On June 12, 1888, the ship William Burkitt docked in Manila bringing with it the first shipment of steel parts of the church. And for the next two years, the church was assembled with local artists and craftsmen joining the Belgian engineers in applying the final finishing touches on this magnificent new church made of steel.

The idea of fitting stained glass windows in the design of the Basilica was also conceived by the architect, Genaro Palacios.  He thought of it while in Belgium monitoring the progress of the fabrication phase of the church and was introduced to the products of the Henri Oidtmann Company, a German stained glass firm which had won in various international competitions during the 1880’s.  This company produced the stained glass windows for Palacios.

Eventually, the all steel San Sebastian church was completed and inaugurated in 1891.

The Augustinian Recollects quietly celebrated the church’s centennial.  Perhaps,  they consider it a sacred space -- a house of worship -- more so than an architectural gem. 

Incidentally, the hearsay that this all-steel church was designed and built by Gustave Eiffel is false.   

Another story was that the Recollects were the original owners of the San Miguel beer formula, which they supposedly sold to the Sorianos with a stipulation that they also receive a royalty fee of one centavo for every bottle of beer sold.  This I do not know whether true or not.  However, the church is a mere walking distance from the original San Miguel brewery compound.

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San Augustin Church

The whole town of Panglao celebrates the fiesta of their patron saint, St. Augustine, on the 28th of August. Every chapel in the different barangays has also their own patron saint, such as Santa Cruz, San Vicente, San Roque, or the varied affiliations of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

They also celebrate, individually, their own fiesta. Of 20th century vintage is the devotion to the Santo Niño del Panglao where the faithful of the main church and all the chapels observe the novena of the Child Jesus and converge in the vast town plaza, with all the trimmings of a fiesta celebration, on the last Sunday of January which marks the end of the novena.

There are three Masses on Sundays: 6:30 am, 8:30 am, and 5:00 pm 

There is one Mass for ordinary days: at 6:30 am for M-T- Th-S
and at 5:00 pm for W-F

For more historical information, click here.

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Dauis Church

Schedule of Regular Masses: Saturday: 6pm / Sunday: 6am and 8 am

For historical facts and architectural details, click here.

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Dong, where's the music?

Whenever I travel to new places, once settled, I begin to search for certain things.  Among which is the music distinctly inherent to the region that warms yet exalts the collective soul of the natives, so to speak.

In old San Juan, during the late afternoons, you start to hear salsa being performed with such electrifying fervor by the locals that it makes you want to dance right there on the street.  They do not do it to solicit some loose change from passersby.  They do it as a way to recharge their mind and spirit after a hard day’s work; perhaps, with the help of some Bacardi.  Such merry-making, especially on weekends, can extend to the late nights.  I can only assume the same thing happens in Havana, Kingston, Port-au-Prince, and other Caribbean cities and townships.

You can imagine my disappointment, therefore, when after some months, the local music of Bohol remains elusive.  What I hear often are out of tune ballads belted out by some drunken karaoke barflies; imported love songs beautifully rendered by acoustic bands along Alona Beach; and bossa nova as ambient music at various establishments. 

Speaking of which, bossa nova gets played so much around here – even at the buy-one-take-one burger joint along the highway.  Its popularity would certainly make Jobim proud, but its dominance of the airwaves makes me wonder if there’s any underground Brazilian society around here, which controls the minds of the populace.  If there were any, I’d like to check it out because I used to hang out with a bunch of dazed and confused, though fun-loving Brazilian expats in Manhattan.  In addition, I took percussion lessons from Nana Vasconcelos one summer in New York City.

Yes, I took serious music lessons for more than four years.  I term it serious not because I attended Julliard, but I paid serious money for private music lessons just to demystify the mechanics of music for self-edification.  In the process, with the advent of wondrous technology – synthesizers, drum machines, personal computers and sequencers – I learned all about playing the keyboard, as well as the craft of music composition, arrangement, and orchestration. 

I subsequently profited from such endeavor when some New York friends – artists and musicians – hooked me up with gigs creating background music for TV commercials and industrial videos.  This enabled me to become a member of BMI and the American Guild of Authors and Composers since I started earning royalties from my works.

I also had a great record collection amassed during my earlier 3-year stint as an assistant to the VP of merchandising of a record distribution company in Long Island City.  I practically received a promotional copy of every record released by the major and independent labels – of various genres from classical to punk rock.  Again, through the auspices of friends and by making use of my record collection, I accepted additional lucrative projects, such as programming music for a couple of trendy, upscale Manhattan restaurants and helping some Seventh Avenue couture houses select appropriate music for their showrooms and runway shows.  And I still managed to keep my day job.

The highlight of it all was when I was sought out and recruited as a paralegal by the prestigious intellectual property law firm, Fish & Neave.  I was to become a member of its defense team for one of its clients, Warner-Elektra-Atlantic (WEA), a major force in the American music industry.  It was sued along with all American and European record companies by a French conglomerate, S.A. Thompson, for copyright infringement that involved the compact disc technology.  Except for WEA and a medium-sized compact disc manufacturer in Chicago, all parties acquiesced and began settlement dialogues with the plaintiff.  On the other hand, we worked even harder and ultimately won the case, much to the delight of all defendants!

Going back to the matter at hand – my search for the local Bohol music – the gods must have finally taken pity on me, because last Sunday, during mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, I was suddenly enthralled by the hymns being sung by the priest, choir and parishioners.  The lyrics were in Visayan, while the melodies were incredibly transporting.  Like Puccini’s arias, I need not comprehend the lyrics. I simply had to close my eyes and immerse myself in such sublime experience at that very moment.  Indeed, I was feeling exhilarated by the time I exited the church. 

When I mentioned this to some local friends later on, they immediately recommended that I check out the live performances at the Loboc Children’s Choir Theater.  They also suggested that I attend mass at the St. Augustin Parish Church in Panglao Island for its music.  And without missing a beat, I replied, “I most definitely will!”

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The Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker

On ordinary days, the Cathedral celebrates Holy Mass hourly, from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. There is a Mass at noon and another in the evening. On Sundays and holidays of obligation, there are more.

The Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Worker, the main seat of the Catholic faith in Bohol, sprawls on a wide area facing Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, the principal street of Tagbilaran City. In front of it is the Plaza Rizal.

Read more about the Cathedral’s historical facts here.

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