When it comes to the Cagayan style pediment, only San Pablo also differs. This architectural style, which is prevalent in the Cagayan Valley churches, including that of Nueva Vizcaya also extends to these churches which were part of Cagayan province, geographically, before the province of Isabela was formed in the 19th century.

There used to be other old churches. However, the one in Echague is in ruins, with only the first level standing and a much newer but architecturally not interesting has been built a few meters from it. The one in Ilagan still has its old belfry, adjacent cemetery and other parts except for the facade which has been remodelled. I’m not sure about the one in Cabagan but only the cross on a pedestal of bricks remain. A newer church is built in front of it.

Tumauini Church

Tumauini Church, under the patronage of San Matthias was built in 1783 by Fray Domingo Forto, OP. This edifice is considered as the grandest of the brick structures in the country. While it has traces of the Cagayan style (Tuguegarao cathedral silhouette), it has diverged a bit by the inclusion of the circular pediment where a massive rose window is inserted.

The architecture is baroque and is heavily decorated with high bas reliefs of saints, flowers, wheels, spirals, and other motifs including those of the Dominican order. The adjacent belfry is one of the few belltowers that is circular and looking at its decorations and whitewash, looks more like a wedding cake festooned with ribbons, diamonds and clams.

It still has its original and beautiful low waving wall surrounding the church front with its stylized decors. At the back are flying buttresses, one of the few churches which has this one. The left side of the church are the ruins of the kumbento and chapel. The old cross with a brick pedestal has been replaced with a kitschy image of the patron saint.

Tumauini Church was declared a National Cultural Treasure in 1972.

San Pablo Church

San Pablo Church

San Pablo used to be the capital of Cagayan province with its church having one of the tallest belfries in the Valley. The structure is different from the rest of the Isabela churches: it is mainly built with adobe and later bricks, and it doesn’t follow the Cagayan style pediment which places it as much older than the Tuguegarao Cathedral.

Florentino Hornedo, in his book On the Trail of Dominican Engineers, Artists & Saints in the Cagayan Valley & Batanes writes that the present ruined church is probably the third structure to be built, possibly by Fr. Diego de la Torre. It may have been erected before the brick kilns in Tuguegarao were built. He places the date of construction between 1706-1766.

The church has been ruined and the facade damaged during World War II. Now, a galvanized iron roof covers part of the ruins to serve as a parish church.

Gamu Church

Gamu Church was built around 1750 under the patronage of Sta. Rosa de Lima. Compared to the other Isabela Churches, it is more austere and quaint with its facade quite simple and decorated with a few bas relief of which notable are the Dominican Order symbols at the arch framing the main entrance. Even the Cagayan style pediment is much simpler.

Cauayan Church

Cauayan Church, under the patronage of Nuestra Senora del Pilar has only its original facade remaining. The original belfry is in ruins while a new nave and belfry was constructed. Like Tumauini, the facade has lots of interesting bas relief and portions of the bricks have numbers and symbols etched on it.

Alicia Church

Alicia Church has the Nuestra Senora de Atocha as its patron saint. It was built by Fr. Tomas Calderon, OP and inaugurated in 1849. The facade is reminiscent of Cauayan Church less the bas relief and other embellishments. The balustrades are interesting in form.

Dupax del Sur Church

Dupax del Sur Church
Dupax del Sur church is probably the second structure to be constructed in the area. The current edifice was built by Fray Manuel Corripio, O.P. with the facade dated in 1776. Just like the rest of the stone churches in the Cagayan Valley, except San Pablo, Isabela, it is made of bricks sourced from two kilns built near the church, now a garbage dump.

The facade is quite austere with no engaged columns. Only a few embellishments are found in the form of the Dominican escudo and symbols of the order around the pair of windows and the main entrance archway. These are the same symbols that can also be found in the rest of the Dominican built churches in the region.

While simple in the outside, the visitor is greeted by two massive pillars of stucco carved with complex figures. The baptistry is also decorated with the same stucco carvings. There used to be lots of antique statues in this church but have been stolen by thieves including the antique cement statue of San Vicente Ferrer, its patron saint that used to adorn the niche at the belfry.

This church is part of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’s (NCCA) list of National Cultural Treasures.

Bayombong Cathedral

Bayombong Cathedral
Bayombong Cathedral is a ghost of its former self. First built in 1780 by Fray Juan Crespo, OP, it is a complete copy of the much older Dupax Church, mentioned above. After suffering much from fires and earthquakes (latest is 1990), only the facade and belfry are original. The nave and the rest of the structure has been rebuilt and is now bigger.

Of the Cagayan Valley churches, Bayombong’s belfry is different. Unlike most of the quadrilateral ones, this one is octagonal. It is dedicated to the Dominican’s founder, St. Dominic de Guzman.

Bambang Church

Bambang Church

Bambang Church was constructed by Fray Domingo Caro OP in 1778 and finished in 1791. Like Bayombong, the facade is a copy of the much older Dupax Church. Each level of the belfry is inscribed with the year it was finished. The church is under the patronage of St. Catherine of Sienna.

Workers demolish the controversial cemetery chapel extension. With vigilance, comes victory! Photo by NEREO CAJILIG LUJAN

And this was experienced in Cabatuan, Iloilo, where the parish priest, Fr. Patricio Salarda, bowed down to the outcry and had his controversial cemetery chapel extension, which the local government said was illegally built, demolished.

This just proves that heritage awareness is alive in these modern times and with the power of social media that eventually seeped in to the traditional media outlets, can do wonders.

Of course, our great thanks to Nereo Cajilig Lujan who acted on the defacement of the heritage cemetery chapel in the first place. Without him, we would have just woken up to an illegal structure already finished.

I do hope that in the future, we can effect heritage awareness not only in Cabatuan but in the rest of the country where countless mindless defacement and destruction, in the name of restoration or improvements have led to the great loss of our heritage treasures.

Let us savor this victory!

Below is the news item that made us smile and proud!

Priest to demolish cemetery chapel

Nereo Lujan, chief of the information office of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol and a Cabatuan native, initially exposed what he called as a desecration of a heritage structure.

This news item originally posted March 7, 2013 12:19 AM at The Daily Guardian news site.

A covered extension of the chapel constructed infront of the old one.

I was aghast to see a photo of the beautiful Cabatuan cemetery chapel being desecrated with a modern covered extension, in the process of completion, right infront of its central entrance when I opened my Facebook. A friend, Vincent Valencia, tagged me the photo below. The image is just one of several that Nereo Cajilig Lujan took and posted in an album at the Old Iloilo FB group.

Looking at especially, the image above, one can just feel how blatantly the parish priest, Fr. Patricio A. Salarda imposed his sense of taste by constructing an ugly covered structure directly infront of the main entrance of the chapel, violating Heritage Preservation laws and disrespecting cultural heritage structures.

Cabatuan cemetery is one of only eight beautiful cemetery complex in Iloilo and one of the few with still existing central chapels that are highly stylized, artistically designed and architecturally significant. Completed in 1894, this is one of the heritage sites that I first visited in the province.

Front view of the new chapel

Iloilo is one of a few provinces in the Philippines rich in heritage churches, cemeteries and secular buildings. It has also an active heritage group and government plans of reviving the downtown area, starting with the refurbishing of some old structures there are laudable. One would then think that heritage preservation and awareness is very much alive in the province. Then this happened right under our noses.

It is disheartening and frustrating that the Catholic Church in this country, with its own heritage commission and guidelines to religious heritage preservation is often ineffective with violators priests who should know otherwise. It doesn’t mean that if its church property, the current parish priest can just do whatever he wants. In the case of Cabatuan cemetery, the intent might be noble but the action is ill advised and insensitive to the heritage preservation cause.

The parish priest should be made to account for this. Ignorance of the law is never an excuse.

Check the following:

My posts on the Cabatuan cemetery complex
Nereo Cajilig Lujan’s album in Old Iloilo FB group entitled STUPIDITY

All images by Nereo Cajilig Lujan

UPDATE! This is great news for the Cabatuan heritage cemetery chapel!

Pitogo Church

Pitogo, or the Parish of the Conversion of St. Paul was established as a town as early as 1754 but was relocated to its present site in 1760 due to the frequent Moro slave raids. The parish was erected only in 1850. One reference date the building of the present church starting 1917 but I doubt its veracity, more like Spanish colonial era. Made of coral stones, it has a semi circular pediment facing the sea on an elevated section of the town.

Although it has a simple facade, the right side entrance is interesting with its niches, columns and decorative bas reliefs. The interior has long been renovated, and the second storey kumbento at the left side has been demolished and the remaining coral stone first level now an activity area of the church.

Catanauan Church

The town of Catanauan was called such because of, according to oral traditions, two moro watchtowers that were erected within sight of each other as a lookout to the moro slave raiders in the area. The parish was erected in 1883 under the protection of the Immaculate Conception but there are no records as to when this edifice was constructed. From the facade, there is no emblem of the Franciscan Order too.

The church has three levels with a triangular pediment and capped with a belfry at the top. The cement coating has probably erased some interesting details judging on how one of the keystones at the top was just etched crudely. The interior has already undergone a major renovation with the side windows altered to fit with the stylized frame.

Macalelon Church

The town of Macalelon was established as early as 1787 and the parish erected under the protection of the Immaculate Conception only in 1875. However, the first church was built as early as 1854 and the kumbento in 1870. I’m not sure if this was erected by the Franciscans but I can’t find any emblems of the order on the facade.

This small church is one of the most intereseting, especially the many folk bas reliefs that adorn its facade. The interior has already been renovated and what remains of the original structure is just the facade and a low stone wall for its nave.

Mulanay Church

Mulanay is one of the oldest towns in the country, having been established by the Franciscans as early as 1600, as a visita of Bondoc. It became a separate town in 1688. In 1695, the town was turned over to the Seculars under the Diocese of Nueva Caceres (now in Naga City). The parish was erected only in 1835 under the protection of St. Peter the Apostle and building of the church was started in 1861.

Facade of main entrance arch and gate

A short tricycle ride from the beautiful church of San Jose, Camarines Sur is the catholic cemetery. It still has its original cemetery entrance arch and parts of the perimeter wall intact but only the cemetery chapel facade base is left, now a ruin. Still original niches can be found at the back part and filled with new ones.

The cemetery entrance has a triangular pediment with three tapering finials except that only the left one is still intact, the center broken off while the right member is completely gone. The black stone, probably the same type used in building the church has been eposed to the elements. There are no inscribed dates or other information that can be seen at the front.

The heavy looking base has four decorative columns and a wide enough entrance arch but the way the pediment was built looks awkward, an after thought. It’s not well proportioned compared to the base as much of the top finish is gone. At the back, one can see that the pediment is made of mamposteria, rocks piled on top of each other.

As far as the base of the cemetery chapel is concerned, its design is similar with the entrance arch. With the pediment gone, we can’t really say that it is exactly the same. Two flanking finials remain. Much of the structure is also built of mamposteria as can be seen at the back.

The perimeter wall is still intact although parts have eroded and some columns have started to erode. Interestingly, some parts have retained the balustrade of this wall. As these images were taken in 2006, I’m not sure how the current situation is.

The now gilded altar of Argao Church. Almost 3 centuries of old beauty erased in an instance

Below is the article of Bambi Harper in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. I posted this one since the original link at the old inq7.net website is no longer accessible and I feel that this is an important article about the cultural desecration of the church in Argao.

Sense and Sensibility : A crying shame

First posted 00:40am (Mla time) Aug 06, 2005
By Bambi Harper
Inquirer News Service

Editor’s Note: Published on page A13 of the August 6, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

The beautiful baroque church of Argao built in the 18th century. CLICK TO ENLARGE

Close up of one part of the main retablo. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

The present church of Argao, whose first titular saint was Michael the Archangel, dates from around the beginning of the 19th century. It may have been the second or third to be constructed since the parish was founded in 1733. When I first saw it more than 30 years ago, it was a sleepy little pueblo by the sea although I learned later that antique dealers from Manila had already been there and the stunning ivory statue of St. Michael had long been gone.

Original side altar that escaped the paint job. CLICK TO ENLARGE

Last year, I began to hear whispers about the destruction of the images by a parish priest for reasons best known to himself (God knows what he told his bishop or whether he even bothered). Perhaps he saw the movie “Goldfinger” and imagined himself to be a latter-day Midas. Whatever insanity possessed him compelled him to go to the nearest hardware store, buy several gallons of gold paint and slather all the statues on the main altar. Perhaps he thought this was the way gold leaf was applied in the old days. During the Revolution, the donors from the town probably would have strung him up from the nearest tree and left him to the vultures.

Closer view of side altar. CLICK TO ENLARGE

Not satisfied with his grand feat of vandalism, Father Montecillo went off to continue the destruction of the town’s heritage. In the cemetery, he had the carved main arch of the gate demolished to make way for his own design because it is said he wanted to enlarge the space. You think perhaps these people do this on purpose or are they just stupid?

Having been a member of the Committee on Monuments and Sites of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for more years than I care to remember, we had already zeroed in on parish priests as part of the problem in the efforts to conserve this country’s heritage. Ever since the NCCA was formed in the late 1980s, we kept trying to send lecturers on preservation to the seminaries. For years, we couldn’t even get an appointment with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Our reasoning was that the value of patrimony and cultural identity had to be explained to the seminarians and the responsibility of their stewardship emphasized.

Remaining part of cemetery entrance arch. CLICK TO ENLARGE

If I were younger, perhaps I might have felt anger at such arrogance but what I feel now is regret. I’m sorry for us. I’m sorry that we don’t have the leaders who care enough or are enlightened enough, whether in the Church or in government. I’m sorry that our egos overwhelm us and we can’t seem to see beyond our noses. Here is a country where so much has already been destroyed and here was a treasure that had been preserved all these many years, only to be destroyed by some idiot.

Photos are mine

The page spread containing my photos, except for Betis Church interior

Third page showing Batanes heritage churches

In an article written by Mico Manalo entitled VISITA IGLESIA: 7 Expressions of Art and Faith, my photos of the churches of Guiuan in Samar, Sta. Ana in Manila, interior of Tayabas church in Quezon and the Batanes churches of Mahatao, Ivana and Sabtang.

While the author seems to know these churches, he still propagates the myth that Gustave Eiffel of France’s Eiffel Tower fame built the San Sebastian Minor Basilica in Quiap, Manila, the only steel church done in neo-gothic architecture in Asia.

I’ve been a photo contributor for Mabuhay for some years now, including other churches in last year’s visita iglesia write up. This month of May, my first article with them plus photos got published.

The facade of the fortress-church of Capul in Northern Samar

For so many years, I’ve been wanting to visit the Capul fortress-church complex in Capul Island, Northern Samar but it was only last weekend that I finally made it. And I was in awe of the structures.

The fortress church of Capul guarded the embocadero, the passageway from the Philippines to the Pacific Ocean. The galleon, the lifeblood of the colonial economy, passed this way on its annual trip to Acapulco, hence, the strategic importance of this islet off the Samar Coast.

- Rene Javellana, author, Wood and Stone for God’s Greater Glory

It is unsure when the Jesuits arrived in Capul, but Javellana posits 1610 according to data that the Jesuits were working in Capul that year. The first structure was made of wood and light materials and was an important mission with Calbayog as its visita.

Not much is known when the church and the surrounding wall were built or when it was finished but in 1768, the last Jesuit priest of Capul, Fr. Esandi died on one of its ramparts during a Moro raid. After the Jesuit expulsion,of the same year, the Franciscans took over.

The bell tower was built in 1781 by Fray Mariano Valero and repaired the church. In 1869, it was made a separate parish. In 1898, the Franciscans opened a gate at the side wall facing the sea with its entrance arch pediment bearing the order’s seal and year.

The grand and baroque cemetery chapel of San Joaquin, Iloilo

The old cemetery chapels located in the camposanto built during the Spanish colonial era is one of the interesting religious heritage structures in the country. Unfortunately, many don’t have the focus they deserve. Only a few remain that still exists in the Philippines and their deterioration continues to this day.

This Top 10 list is a good start and that Filipinos should visit or be aware of. This listing is in no way complete as there are still some places that I have to visit but do note that this list covers cemetery chapels found outside of Metro Manila. Unfortunately, I haven’t found any cemetery chapels in Mindanao. Another note, this doesn’t include mortuary chapels which are found beside or infront of the church.

This is my entry for the Pinoy Travel Bloggers’s blog carnival hosted by The Pinay Solo Backpacker.

1 San Joaquin, Iloilo
Perhaps one of the most beautiful in the country, the cemetery chapel in San Joaquin, Iloilo is a head turner as one passes by the highway. A gated entrance leads to a grand staircase and on to this beautiful baroque structure that always awes visitors.

The cemetery chapel of Cabatuan, Iloilo has stylized bas relief

2 Cabatuan, Iloilo
Cabatuan in Iloilo is known mostly for its massive and beautiful church with a retablos made of sandstone. But few know that its cemetery chapel along the highway has one of the most stylized skull and cross bones in mortuary art during the Spanish colonial period. More info and images here.

Tabaco City cemetery chapel in Albay is unique for its construction material

3 Tabaco City, Albay
The cemetery chapel in Tabaco City is one of the well preserved structures in the Bicol region. It uses black lava stones abundant in the area, similar to the construction material of the old church. It has interesting bas relief details at its facade.

Tayabas's Santuario de las almas

4 Tayabas, Quezon
The Santuario de las almas in Tayabas is one of two cemetery chapel found in the municiaplity. This beautiful structure is one of the biggest in the country and where Spaniards and Filipino elites were used to be interred. Though located a few hundred meters from the basilica, it faces it directly.

Tayabas cemetery chapel in Quezon is unique with its twin towers and architectural style

5 Tayabas, Quezon
The cemetery chapel in Tayabas, Quezon is interesting as it is one of a few chapels with twin belfries, similar to Lucban, in the same province, which is now in ruins. What makes it more interesting is the use of Gothic architectural style which is represented by the trefoil pediment reminiscent of Lucban church and the lancet blind niche, central niche and entrance.

Nagcarlan's cemetery chapel done in the baroque style

6 Nagcarlan, Laguna
Nagcarlan in Laguna is famous for its underground cemetery, the only public catacomb in the country. Like the simbaan a bassit in Vigan, it has an espadana at the top serving as its pediment, a pair of blind oculi and a central niche. It is also the highlight of a circular cemetery.

Vigan's Simbaan a bassit in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

7 Simbaan a bassit, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur
Historic Vigan City is admired for its old structures and one of these is the cemetery chapel also called Simbaan a bassit. Done in the neoclassical style and adorned with a pair of volutes at the side (a baroque style) and some floral details, its the only one that has an espadana (top part where the bells are hung) in the Ilocos region.

The Calamba cemetery chapel in Cebu City is unique for its beautiful and unusual bas relief of death

8 Calamba, Cebu City
Of the cemetery chapels listed here, its only the Calamba chapel that has been refurbished and renovated badly with the front added with a badly designed portico and the lower portion cemented. This chapel is interesting for its bas relief located at the center of the pediment. It shows death with a scythe, crowned and holding an hour glass which readily drives down to men his mortality.

The quaint baroque cemetery chapel of Laoag City

9 Laoag City, Ilocos Norte
Tucked in one of the least visited places in Laoag City (well, except during 1 November), the cemetery chapel of this city is one of the bigger ones but quaint and built in subdued baroque style. Like Saravia, it is one of the few intact brick cemetery chapel in the country.

Saravia's cemetery chapel with brick facade

10 E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental
E.B. Magalona, formerly Saravia, in Negros Occidental has a beautiful cemetery chapel that is located near the highway. Of the many places I’ve visited, it is one of the very few brick structure that has an intact facade that I have seen. However, the interior has been renovated already and the roof has been replaced. More info here.