Boljoon Church - Cebu.

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The Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Parish Church (Our Lady of Patronage of Mary Parish Church), commonly known as Boljoon Church, is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Our Lady of Patrocinio in the municipality of Boljoon, Cebu, Philippines, under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu.

It has been declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. It is also under consideration for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines as a member of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension).

Boljoon (also spelled Boljo-on) began as a small Christian settlement named Nabulho. It became a visita of Carcar in 1599, and a small chapel was placed under the advocacy of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was elevated to a parish on October 31, 1690, based on the decision of Father Francisco de Zamora, Provincial of the Augustinians, as a result of the increasing number of Christians in the area. The decision was implemented upon the appointment of Father Nicolás de la Cuadra as its first parish priest on April 5, 1692. As early as 1732, the Augustinians proposed to leave Boljoon, owing to a shortage of priests; they eventually left on September 27, 1737. Administration of Boljoon was later transferred to the Jesuits. The Augustinians returned to Boljoon in 1747 in exchange for Liloan, Cotcot and Maraling from the Jesuits.

In 1782, earlier buildings in Boljoon were destroyed by pirates. The present church of Boljoon was built by Augustinian priest Father Ambrosio Otero in 1783. Construction of the church was continued by Father Manuel Cordero in 1794 and completed by Father Julián Bermejo in 1841. Father Bermejo also built other structures as part of Boljoon's defense network, such as the watchtowers and blockhouse. The church was later restored by Father Leandro Morán, the last Augustinian priest of Boljoon, who served from 1920 to 1948. The following year, the Archdiocese of Cebu took charge of Boljoon. Father Zacarias Suñer was appointed as the first secular parish priest of Boljoon in 1958.

In 2007, restoration work was performed through the Boljoon Heritage Foundation, with funding from the Cebu Provincial Government.

The church was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 1999, and it was listed as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2001. It is the only church in Cebu listed as a National Cultural Treasure.

It is also a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines under the Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) nomination, along with the San Pedro Apóstol Parish Church in Loboc, Bohol, La Inmaculada Concepción in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, San Matías in Tumauini, Isabela, and San Isidro Labrador in Lazi, Siquijor.

The church is a fortress church, built of coral stones and located on a hill near the sea. It originally served as a watchtower for possible Moro raids. The church is known for its original terra cotta roof tiles and its distinct folk art or Filipino Baroque style, predominantly on its choir screen and pulpit. Twenty-eight pillars support the 2-metre (6.6 ft) thick walls made of mortar and lime. Its ceiling paintings are the work of Miguel Villareal, a native of Boljoon. The three gates and the walls of the church are made of coral stones and were constructed from 1802 to 1808 under the auspices of Father Bermejo.

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The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

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The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, also as The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and of St. Vitales (consecrated to the blessed name of Jesus and dedicated to the saint), or The Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Vitales is the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu in Cebu, Philippines. Cebu was established as a diocese on August 14, 1595. It was elevated as a metropolitan archdiocese on April 28, 1934 with the dioceses of Dumaguete, Maasin, Tagbilaran, and Talibon as suffragans. Before being raised as a primatial church in Cebu, the temple was the first church in the Philippines dedicated to St. Vitales and built near the fort in April of 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Fray Andrés de Urdaneta.

Construction of the cathedral took many years due to frequent interruptions, brought about by lack of funds and other unexpected events. At one time, funds meant for the building of the cathedral were diverted to the moro wars. The death of an incumbent bishop who spearheaded the construction/reconstruction and vacancies in the office were also factors.

The architecture of the church is typical of Spanish colonial churches in the country, namely, squat and with thick walls to withstand typhoons and other natural calamities. The facade features a trefoil-shaped pediment, which is decorated with carved relieves of floral motifs, an IHS inscription and a pair of griffins. The Spanish Royal Coat of Arms is emblazoned in low relief above the main entrance, reflecting perhaps the contribution of the Spanish monarch to its construction.

During World War II, much of the cathedral was destroyed by Allied bombings of the city. Only the belfry (built in 1835), the facade, and the walls remained. It was quickly rebuilt in the 1950s under the supervision of architect Jose Ma. Zaragosa, during the incumbency of Archbishop Gabriel Reyes.

In 1982, a mausoleum was built at the back of the sacristy at the initiation of Archbishop Julio Cardinal Rosales. It serves as a final resting place for the remains of Cebu's bishops and clergy. Cardinal Rosales, who died three months after inauguration of the mausoleum, is interred there along with Archbishop Manuel Salvador, a coadjutor archbishop of Cebu, and Archbishop Mariano Gaviola, the archbishop of Lipa (1981–1993). The remains of Bishop Juan Bautista Gorordo, the first Filipino and Cebuano bishop of Cebu, are also interred there.

The cathedral was renovated for the 75th anniversary celebration on April 28, 2009 of the elevation of Cebu into an archdiocese. An application is pending at the Vatican for the cathedral's elevation into a minor basilica in honor of St. Vitalis, an early Christian martyr. His feast day coincides with the day the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu was found almost 450 years ago, as well as the anniversary of the elevation of Cebu into an archdiocese.

Since early of 2014, the present rector and parish priest of the cathedral is Reverend Monsignor Ruben Labajo, PC

History

Before dispatching to the Philippines, Legazpi was mandated to build a church near the assigned fort by the Spanish Crown. When the Spaniards landed in Cebu, it was the feast of St. Vidal (April 28, 1565) and they honored the saint as their patron and advocate. His feast is kept every year, and his day observed.” On May 8, 1565, the sites for the Spanish quarters and the church of St. Vitales] were chosen' and the site of the house where the Sto. Niño was found 'as the site of the Monastery of the Name of Jesus [now Basilica del Santo Niño] . . . and from the said house the child Jesus was brought to the... church in solemn procession, and with the great devotion, rejoicing, and gladness of all the men. Arriving at the church, they all adored it, and placed it on the principal altar, and all vowed to observe, sanctify, and celebrate solemnly as a feast day each year, the day on which it had been found.'” Juan de Medina, prior of the Sto. Niño convent (circa 1603), alluded to the days of discovery of the Sto. Niño and said the tradition was continued that the image was “taken out, and carried in procession to the cathedral, after a paper has been signed, by decree of the justice, that it will be given back to the same religious.”

It is known that the first church is the Cathedral now because by 1598 there were two churches besides it in Cebu: San Nicolas (founded in 1584) and the Sto. Niño convent to which the two churches would administer the natives, while the first Cebu bishop Pedro de Agurto would cater to the Spaniards in the St. Vitales church chosen as the cathedral. When Cebuana anthropologist Astrid Sala-Boza effectively settled the controversy of the site where the image of the Holy Child was found, she also showed the metropolitan cathedral as the first erected church. Many times the church was destroyed and rebuilt, even being raised as Cathedral it suffered many destruction.

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Antipolo Cathedral- Antipolo city in Rizal

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Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje), also known as the Virgin of Antipolo (Filipino: Birhen ng Antipolo), is a 17th-century Roman Catholic brown wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated by Roman Catholics in the Philippines. The statue depicting the Immaculate Conception of Mary, is enshrined at the Antipolo Cathedral in the city of Antipolo in Rizal province.
On March 25, 1626, the galleon trading ship El Almirante left Acapulco, Mexico. On board was the newly appointed Governor of the Philippines Don Juan Niño de Tabora who brought with him the statue from Mexico. The new governor arrived on July 18, 1626. The statue was first taken to Saint Ignatius Church (Spanish: San Ignacio Church), the Jesuit church in Intramuros. When Governor Tabora died in 1632, the statue was donated to the Jesuits for enshrinement in the church of Antipolo in barangay Santa Cruz. During the construction of the church, the statue would allegedly disappear and later found on top of a Tipolo (breadfruit) tree (artocarpus incisa).
In 1639, the Chinese rose in revolt burning the Antipolo town and church. In fear that the statue would be destroyed, Governor Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera ordered the statue be transferred back to Cavite where it was temporarily venerated.
Don Sebastian ordered the statue removed in 1648, when it was transferred from its Cavite shrine and was shipped back to Mexico aboard the San Luis galleon. At the time, having a statue of a saint on the ship served as a patroness or protector of the Acapulco trade.
The statue crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean on Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade ships six times from 1648 to 1748 aboard the: San Luis — (1648–1649) Encarnacion — (1650) San Diego — (1651–1653)
San Francisco Javier — (1659–1662) Nuestra Señora del Pilar — (1663) San Jose — (1746–1748)

The cathedral's façade from the southwest

The cathedral's façade from the northwest

High altar, with the image of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage enshrined behind glass.

Stained glass windows above one of the main doors

Bas-relief in painted wood depicting the first arrival of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in the Philippines

Cathedra of the Bishop 

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Sto. Niño Church - Poro, Camotes

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Poro Church -founded on 1737---established as Parish church on 1847 under the advocacy of the Sto. Niño, but the church was constructed in 1849

Sto. Niño Church of Poro in Camotes Islands
Pre-Spanish Poro were settlements scattered (settlements known as Maktang, now Esperanza and Taganito today known as Tudela) all over the islands. The catalyst that would bring people together was the encouragement of the Church and the Alcalde of Cebu to assemble in what is the town today to fight the Moro raiders. Sometime in 1780, another turning point in Camotes history took place, a man named Panganuron (the town’s gorgeous falls is named after him) gathered all the tribes, this according to local historian is the first ever meeting of all the Poro inhabitants. He is credited to having unified the tribes which is now commemorated with Tagbo festival (tagbo meaning ‘coming together’). This remarkable union was celebrated as a community triumph, this event would also show that during those years the Poroanons were already deeply religious in the Catholic faith as celebrations was capped with the building of their first chapel.

The location where the church is located was preferred by the Jesuits who were in charged in converting the natives. The Spanish missionaries’ choice of location was inspired by its strategic advantages, one being the areas elevation which grants them with the benefit of seeing the Moro raiders before they even get close to their thriving Christian poblacion. Unlike most of the old churches of mainland Cebu, their Iglesia is not facing the sea; its façade faces the town where some colonial houses still exist (some sample if this old houses can still be found in Pilar, sadly in Poro’s poblacion there are very few standing).

The Nave of Sto. Niño Church of Poro in Camotes Islands

Historical Marker of Sto. Niño Church of Poro in Camotes Islands

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Molo Church-Molo District of Iloilo City

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The Church of St. Anne, commonly known as the Molo Church, is a Roman Catholic parish church located in Molo District of Iloilo City in the Philippines. The church is one of the most familiar landmarks and tourist attractions in the city.

Built in 1831, Molo Church stands as a reminder of Iloilo’s rich history and a monument for Ilonggo artistry. The church exudes a fusion of the overpowering features of Gothic and the recessive characteristics of Romanesque architectural styles.
The interior is rich in Gothic elements. There are five gothic altars which are made of wood while beautiful paintings dominate the walls. Female Saints Stand on each pillar and a pair of interestingly decorated pulpits contrast the entire structure. The Spires of Molo are yet the most interesting colonial “skyscrapers” in Iloilo City aside from the neoclassic Belfry of Jaro.

Molo church is very sturdy and has survived fires, earthquakes, and artillery barrages in 1945. Molo church was made as an evacuation center for the civilians during WWII. One tower is said to have been destroyed by the Americans after suspecting it was used for military purposes by the Japanese during the Second World War. The bells still bear the scars of bullets shot at Philippine resistance fighters in the second world war. The National Historical Institute declared it a national landmark in 1992.

The main altar. The murals on the sides of the altar, which illustrate the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, were painted by Mariano Mabuhay and Jesue Huervas.

The Nave of the Molo church

The church is said to have the selection of the most number of female saints, each pillar that lines the aisle stands a female saint that is almost life-size.
These saints are:(on the left);  Sta. Marcela, Apolonia, Genoveva, Isabel, Felicia, Ines, Monica, Magdalena (on the right) Juliana, Lucia, Rosa de Lima, Teresa, Clara, Cecilia, Margarita and Marta .

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Manila Cathedral

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The Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica (Filipino: Metropolitanong Katedral Basílika ng Maynilà; Spanish: Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Manila), informally known as Manila Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic basilica located in Manila, Philippines, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Principal Patroness of the Philippines. The cathedral serves as the see of the Archbishop of Manila, the de facto Primate of the Philippines.
The cathedral was originally the "church of Manila" officially established in 1571 by a secular priest, Padre Juan de Vivero, who arrived in Manila Bay in 1566. De Vivero, the chaplain on the galleon of San Gerónimo, was sent by the Archbishop of Mexico, Alonso de Montúfar, to establish Christianity as the spiritual and religious administration in newly colonized Philippines. De Vivero later became the vicar-general and the first ecclesiastical judge of the city of Manila.
Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi chose the location of the church and placed it under the patronage of Santa Potenciana. The first parish priest of the church was Padre Juan de Villanueva.
When the church was raised to a cathedral in 1579, a new structure made from nipa, wood and bamboo was constructed in 1581 by Bishop Domingo de Salazar, the first Bishop of Manila. The new structure was consecrated on December 21, 1581, formally becoming a cathedral. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1583, which started during the funeral Mass for Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa in San Agustin Church that razed much of the city.
The second cathedral, which was made of stone, was built in 1592. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1600. Construction of the third cathedral began in 1614. The new structure, consisting of three naves and seven chapels, was blessed in 1614. It was toppled by another earthquake which shook Manila in 1645. The fourth cathedral was constructed from 1654 to 1671. In 1750, a media naranja ("half orange") dome was added to the crossing by the Florentine friar Juan de Uguccioni, who also introduced a transept to the structure.
It was severely damaged in 1863 by a very strong earthquake that also damaged the palace of the Governor General of the Philippines. In 1880, another earthquake toppled its bell tower, rendering the cathedral towerless until 1958. The seventh cathedral was constructed from 1870 to 1879. It was solemnly blessed in December 1879. The cross atop the central dome is a reference point of astronomical longitudes of the archipelago.

Plaza de Roma, also known as Plaza Roma, is one of two major public squares in Intramuros.
During Spanish colonial times, the plaza was the Plaza Mayor of Manila, and was thus considered the center of the city, with bullfights and other public events being held in the plaza until Governor-General Rafael Maria de Aguilar converted it into a garden in 1797. It was also often referred to as the Plaza de Armas (not to be confused with the Plaza de Armas inside Fort Santiago) during this time. In 1901, with the start of American rule, the plaza was renamed Plaza McKinley, after U.S. President William McKinley, who authorized the colonization of the Philippines by the United States. The plaza was given its current name in 1961, following the elevation of Rufino Santos to the College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church as the first Filipino cardinal. In recognition of this, the city of Rome reciprocated by subsequently renaming one of its squares Piazzale Manila.
Its current configuration as a garden does not anymore allow Plaza de Roma to function as a public square like Plaza Miranda and Plaza Moriones. However, the Intramuros Administration plans to revert the square to its appearance in the Spanish Era.

Portrait of the Manila Cathedral before
 the 1880 earthquake. Note the octagonal,
 pagoda-like belfry, showing the influence
 of Chinese artisans on Filipino
 ecclesial architecture of the time.

The high altar

Manila Cathedral belfry after

 the 1880 earthquake

The patinated dome of the cathedral
 and its four-armed cross

Interior of the Manila Cathedral

The central nave and vaulted
 ceiling of the cathedral

The vaulted ceiling of the cathedral

A wedding at the high altar

Damaged during world war March 1945

Reconstruction of the  Manila
 Cathedral, 1954-1958

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Manila Cathedral after the 1883 earthquake

Sto.TomasParish- Danao City

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Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish The church was built in 1755 by Fr. Manuel de Santa Barbara. It was made of materials that came from sugar cane and rocks from the sea. The church’s crucero was built in the 1800′s but was partially burned in 1942 during the World War II as well as other important religious items. From the original construction materials of the church, only the solid stones were spared from the fire. It was reconstructed in 1946. In 1981, the building underwent another renovation, this time almost a complete overhaul (only 30% of the original stands). The renovation was completed in 1985.
The Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church of Danao City would have stood out as a historical relic were it not for a number of renovations introduced by well-meaning parishioners which resulted in material departure from its original architecture when the church was built in 1755.

The Nave of the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church

1. Old Churches in the Philippines