San Isidro Church-Siquijor

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The town of Lazi which is the home of the two old structures in Siquijor. The San Isidro de Labrador Church and its convent. The church was built in 1857 until 1884. It is made from coral stones and hardwood. The curtains in the entrance door which looks so organic and unique and which makes the interiors of the church more intriguing and dignified. 

The church complex was built by the Augustinian Recollects in the latter half of the 19th century. The church has two pulpits, the original retablos, and wood floors with herringbone pattern. The church walls are approximately a meter thick, The walls are reinforced with log post which are embedded in the wall. The façade is veneered with coral stone, while the rest is made of fill. The pediments of the church are made of wood panels.

Elevated from the ground and made in herringbone pattern, it covers the whole church floor from entrance to its marbled altar.
Another interesting  about the Lazi Church is its two pulpits which makes its interiors symmetrically balanced; one more unique feature that  only seen at this place.

The Nave - San Isidro de Labrador 

The construction of the convent began in 1887 and was completed in 1891. If Siquijor still got an unsullied vibe up to this day,  it was 128 years ago.  it was such an imposing building during its time, in the middle of nowhere.
Apart from the giant trees of acacia that surrounds the place, the breathtaking baroque architecture of the church and the convent will definitely give you a high regard of your history. To provide a more vivid picture, Lazi Convent stand high, shaped in “U”, encompassing an area of 50 x 50 meters. Complementing its remarkable architecture are the stones that compose the lower part of the structure and the hard wooden panels that make up the upper portion. Thus, sometimes, it is often called “bahay na bato”. The pink shade of the façade has become faint and made it more classic. This place was built by the Augustinian Friars way back in 1887. It served as their dwelling as well as a place for leisure.

 Historical Marker  San Isidro Labrador Parish, and Lazi Convent - Lazi  SIQUIJOR

Lazi Convent - Lazi  SIQUIJOR

The Nave -San Isidro Labrador Parish Lazi  SIQUIJOR

Baptistry - Lazi  SIQUIJOR

Interior Lazi Convent - Lazi  SIQUIJOR

Lazi Convent - Lazi  SIQUIJOR

Lazi Convent - Lazi  SIQUIJOR

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

San Agustin Church-Intramuros, Manila.

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San Agustin Church (Spanish: Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción de María de San Agustín) is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of The Order of St. Augustine, located inside the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila.
The present structure is actually the third Augustinian church erected on the site. The first San Agustin Church was the first religious structure constructed by the Spaniards on the island of Luzon. Made of bamboo and nipa, it was completed in 1571, but destroyed by fire in December, 1574 during the attempted invasion of Manila by the forces of Limahong. A second church made of wood was constructed on the site. This was destroyed in February 1583, in a fire that started when a candle set ablaze the drapes of the funeral bier during the interment of the Spanish Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa.
The Augustinians decided to rebuild the church using stone, and to construct an adjacent monastery. Construction began in 1586, based on a design by Juan Macías. The structure was built using hewn adobe stones quarried from Meycauayan, Binangonan and San Mateo, Rizal. The work proceeded slowly due to the lack of funds and materials, as well as the relative scarcity of stone artisans. The monastery was operational by 1604, and the church was formally declared complete on January 19, 1607, and named St. Paul of Manila. Macías, who had died before the completion of the church, was officially acknowledged by the Augustinians as the builder of the edifice.

The San Agustin Church is patterned after some of the magnificent temples built by the Augustinians in Mexico, its present edifice was built in 1587, and completed, together with the monastery, in 1604.The atmosphere is medieval since “both church and monastery symbolize the majesty and equilibrium of a Spanish golden era.”

The massive structure of the church, the symmetry and splendor of the interiors (painted by two Italians who succeeded in producing trompe l'oeil), the profile of the mouldings, rosettes and sunken panels which appear as three-dimensional carvings, a baroque pulpit with the native pineapple as a motif, the grand pipe organ, the antechoir with a 16th-century crucifix, the choir seats carved in molave with ivory inlays of the 17th century and the set of 16 huge and beautiful chandeliers from Paris.

The interior of the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila. Adorned for special wedding

This church is massive and majestic.  Its medieval atmosphere will make you feel the grandness  of the Catholic Church during the Spanish golden era.

San Agustin courtyard

This church dome is located right above the staircase that leads to the museum.

Museum halls of The San Agustin Church

At the entrance stands a 3,400 kg bell, taken down in 1927 from the belfry damaged by the 1863 earthquake. This museum showcases an important collection of medieval Spanish, Mexican, Chinese and Filipino art treasures. Originally the monastery of the adjacent San Agustin Church, it was converted into a museum in 1973.

The vaulted ceiling is beautifully painted and, you can get to see parts of this close up if you go into the museum.

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

Assumption Parish-Santa Maria,Ilocos S

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The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion), commonly known as the Santa Maria Church is the parish church of Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur province, Philippines
The parish of Santa Maria started as a chapel-of-ease (visita) of Narvacan, its neighboring town to the north, in 1567. The influx of the settlers after the full conquest of the Ilocos Region by the Spaniards greatly increased the population of Santa Maria. The chapel became an independent ministry in 1769 and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary depicted as Our Lady of the Assumption. Besides economic progress, evangelical missions were expanded. The mission at Santa Maria, located on a narrow flat plain between the sea and the central mountain range of Luzon, close to the interior settlements, made Santa Maria as the center of both the religious and commercial activities.
According to the legend, before the Santa Maria Church was built on its present site, the Virgin Mary was enshrined at a different place called Bulala. The frequent disappearance of the Virgin Mary from her previous place of enthronement only to be found perched on a guava tree that grew where the present church is located, had led the townspeople to move the church to its present location.
Construction of the present church was started in 1765. In 1810, the bell tower was built during the renovation of the church and furnished with a bell the following year. During the renovation of church complex in 1863, the protective wall around the sides of the hill was constructed. After the bell tower was remodeled the same year, its foundation must have gradually settled down making the imposing structure slightly leaning or tilting as it appears today. The convent was greatly renovated in 1895.

1. Old Churches in the Philippines