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 

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

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

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

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 .

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

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

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

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

Miagao Church -Miagao, Iloilo,

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The Miagao Church also known as the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church is a Roman catholic church located in Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines.
Miagao was formerly a visita of Oton until 1580, Tigbauan until 1592, San Joaquin until 1703 and Guimbal until 1731. It became an independent parish of the Augustinians in 1731 under the advocacy of Saint Thomas of Villanova. With the establishment of the parish, a church and convento was built in a land near the sea called Ubos. Father Fernando Camporredondo served as the town's first parish priest in 1734. When the town experienced frequent Moro invasion in 1741 and 1754, the town moved to a more secure place. From there, a new church was constructed in 1787 through forced labor under the supervision of under Fray Francisco Gonzales, parish priest and Spanish gobernadorcillo Domingo Libo-on. It was built on the highest point of the town to guard from invaders called Tacas. After ten years, the church was completed in 1797. It was designed to have thick walls to serve as protection from invaders. It was severely damaged during the Spanish revolution in 1898 but was later rebuilt, fire in 1910, the second World War and earthquake in 1948. The present day Miagao church is the third church built since its establishment in 1731. To preserve the church, it underwent restoration in 1960 and completed in 1962. It was declared a national shrine by Presidential Decree No. 260 of former President Ferdinand Marcos.

This photo of Iloilo City is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of Iloilo City is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of Iloilo City is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Nave of the Miagao Church also known as the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church

1. Old Churches in the Philippines

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