Scattered in nearly
two-thirds of Bohol’s forty-seven towns, many old Spanish churches are worth
invading simply because of their remarkable architectural designs and ravishing
rarities, objets d’art and other religious treasures found inside them. If only
to complete my anthology on these churches, I wouldn’t mind coming back to the
island province every now and then whenever my rather limited resources would
warrant it. 
As of this post, I’ve
visited nearly a dozen of Bohol’s majestic houses of prayer, particularly those
found in the towns of Alburquerque, Baclayon, Balilihan, Bilar, Dauis, Loay,
Loboc, Maribojoc, Panglao and, of course, Tagbilaran City. I’ve also explored
the church in Tubigon during a previous visit but I’ll reserve my travel tale
on that for my sequel to this two-part post on Bohol’s heritage churches
focusing on those found in the northern and eastern parts of the island
province. For now, this is the first installment. Read on... |
| St. Monica Church in Alburquerque |
Alburquerque Church. One house of prayer that’s worth visiting when you’re in Bohol is St. Monica’s Church in the town of Alburquerque, fondly called Albur by the locals. Rising prominently over a sprawling terrain just beside the coastal road going to Carmen (where some of the Chocolate Hills are found), this stone church was built in 1885 in honor of St. Monica of Hippo. What drew me to this picturesque edifice is its Mexican-inspired architecture which, I guess, is quite uncommon among the other churches I’ve seen in Bohol and elsewhere.
Built between the mid-1880s
up to the 1920s, the Alburquerque Church has at least two distinct features
that make it stand out as a one-of-a-kind edifice in all of Bohol: one, its
belfry, which stands in the middle of its façade, and two, its convent, which
is located at some distance from the main building, with an arcade connecting
it to the main building. I’ve first seen the church during a Lenten holiday way
back in 2006. It was a rather quick peek so I promised myself to go back there
whenever I’m in Bohol. And return I did. 
To my dismay, the edifice
was closed, just like the first time I was there. Too bad, I wasn’t able
to explore the numerous treasures found inside it, particularly the trompe
l'oeil adorning its ceiling which were done by Ray Francia, probably the most
prolific Visayan church painter of his time. I’ve read somewhere that the
church’s interior has undergone massive renovations over the years. Whew, it
was really one of the letdowns of my recent tour.  |
| Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church |
Baclayon Church. Topping my list of the most beautiful and breathtaking at the same time is none other than Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church in the town of Baclayon, one of the oldest stone churches in the country. Whenever I’m in Bohol, I make it a point to hie off to this church located along the coastal road, just a few kilometers away from downtown Tagbilaran. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve been there three or four times already. Still, I find myself in awe of its beauty each time I pay the church a visit.
One of the best preserved
edifices built by the Jesuit missionaries (and later improved by the
Augustinian Recollects who took over the reins after their predecessors left),
the church traces its roots to a visita which the friars founded sometime in
the mid-1590s. Baclayon was then considered the seat of the Jesuit missionaries
in Bohol but the threat of raids by Moro pirates compelled them to move their
headquarters into the interior town of Loboc. 
It wasn’t until 1717,
however, that the Jesuits decided to construct a church in Baclayon that is
made of sturdy and longer-lasting material: coral stones. From what I’ve
gathered, some 200 native laborers were forced to work on the massive
structure, hauling the stones from the sea, cutting them into square blocks,
relying on bamboo to move the stones into position and piling them like bricks.
About a million egg whites
were reportedly used to hold together the coral stones that make up the church.
It took the people of Baclayon about a decade to bring to completion what is
now known as the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Seeing
Baclayon’s huge edifice reminded me so much of Iloilo’s impressive heritage
church in the town of Miag-ao, which also made use of egg whites to keep the
bricks together. Whew, such awesome feats!
Baroque in style, the
fortress-looking Baclayon Church boasts of a façade with an arched portico
whose main function, I supposed, is to provide shade and shelter to churchgoers
during hot and rainy days. It has a plain upper storey and triangular pediment,
with arched windows adorning the two levels. Since it doubles as a fort against
Moro pirates, the church has immense one-meter thick coral stone walls replete
with buttresses for additional support.  |
| Retablo and altar of the Baclayon Church |
If its exterior dazzles,
wait till you see the interior of this cruciform church. The pièce de
résistance is an exquisite three-tiered, gilded retablo featuring the icons of
saints placed inside seven elegantly-lit niches. Vintage frescoes depicting the
Holy Trinity, the Holy Family and the Last Supper adorn the ceiling atop this
retablo. With all the architectural details found in this stunning work of art,
it is evident that the Jesuits wanted to make a statement about the wealth and
power of the Church. 
Adjacent to Baclayon Church
is an old convent which has a small museum laden with centuries-old ivory
statues, golden vests, and other precious religious relics and antiquities,
mostly dating back to the 16th century. It is said that the amount of
liturgical treasures preserved there is so remarkable. For security reasons,
however, the Baclayon Museum is locked most of the time and permission from the
parish to enter it must be secured. |
| Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church |
Balilihan Church. Next on my list is an edifice which I had a faint idea about at first. Much to my delight, Balilihan, one of Bohol’s interior towns found in the northeastern side of Tagbilaran City, has a mix-styled, turn-of-the-century church that’s a brilliant gem on its own. From the city, it would take about half an hour to get to this sleepy town. Going there wasn’t part of my itinerary but at the insistence of my tour guide who hailed from Balilihan, I gave in. Good thing, I acceded.
Named in honor of Our Lady
of Mt. Carmel, the Balilihan Church has one of the most well-preserved frescoes
as well as replicas of famous artworks I’ve ever seen in Bohol. Made of
concrete, the church was designed in vintage 20th century architectural style,
reminding me of Davao’s old San Pedro Church which I saw in pictures.
Balilihan’s cruciform structure features a façade with a portico, which was
popular among churches during the 1920s to 1930s. 
The church’s original
building was said to have been erected somewhere between the 1880s to 1890s but
it was reportedly razed to the ground by invading U.S. troops during the
Philippine-American War.
What stands now is believed to have been completed in
the 1920s. Like many churches in Bohol, its interiors are adorned with Francia’s
trompe l'oeil, which have added grandeur to its ceiling. Meanwhile, the
church’s elaborate retablo and altar features an eclectic mix of Corinthian
columns, Neo- Gothic spires and crockets and Baroque volutes.
What stands now is believed to have been completed in
the 1920s. Like many churches in Bohol, its interiors are adorned with Francia’s
trompe l'oeil, which have added grandeur to its ceiling. Meanwhile, the
church’s elaborate retablo and altar features an eclectic mix of Corinthian
columns, Neo- Gothic spires and crockets and Baroque volutes.  |
| St. Isidore the Farmer Church in Bilar |
Bilar Church. Known
for its man-made forest of mahogany trees, the sleepy town of Bilar has another
attraction worth exploring: St. Isidore the Farmer Church. Built in 1831, this
house of prayer was named in honor of its patron saint. After visiting the man-made forest, my guide
and I stopped by this church, which is located near the highway, before
proceeding to the Chocolate Hills in Carmen.
Upon seeing the ornate
gateway leading to the main structure and the church’s imposing Neoclassical
façade, I was instantly swept away. I was grinning from ear to ear with
excitement. Overwhelmed, I ran towards
the church, leaving my tour guide behind. Now, here’s one edifice that’s surely
a treasure-trove of ancient icons, artifacts and other precious pieces from a
bygone era, I thought.
Inside
the church, I was dumbfounded with what I saw—no trompe l'oeil on the ceiling, no elaborate
retablo, no ancient pipe organ. Nada, naught, nil, nothing, none. Instead, my
eyes were assaulted by the sight of the usual trappings of a modern-day
structure that’s still largely a work in progress: newly installed steel
trusses, bamboo scaffoldings, freshly painted concrete walls, unfinished marble
flooring, incomplete stained glass windows. Then it hit me. The interior of the
Bilar Church was undergoing renovation! 
Woe is me! I expected
too much. Disappointed, I sank into one of the pews and fiddled with my Nikon. Sitting
there, I closed my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I tried to shut myself off from
the rest of the universe. Soon, I felt a wave of bliss engulfing me, making my cares
seem like half a world away. I awakened from my trance and it felt good again:
I was ready once again to move on to the next tourist attraction. Believe me, something
about the simplicity and serenity of that church touched the core of my being
one late afternoon in Bilar!  |
| Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Dauis, Panglao |
Dauis Church. Two impressive Spanish churches are found in the island of Panglao. One of them is in the town of Dauis: the stunning coral stone church of Our Lady of the Assumption, located near the causeway connecting the tiny island to Bohol. I’ve visited this house of prayer, which traces its roots to the one established by the Jesuits in 1697, on three separate occasions and I must say that I relished all those times I’ve been there.
Built by the Recollects
between 1863 to 1879, the present-day structure is a unique fusion of
Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic and Neoclassical elements. The modest facade
features an arcaded portico shading the entire width of the entrance. Above the
portico is the second level facade, built in an ornamental Neoclassical style.
This extension encloses the choir loft, a common feature in older churches in
the Philippines. 
At the altar, the image of
the town’s patroness, Our Lady of the Assumption, greets visitors. What makes
the altar unique is the way it was built, which is in the form of a temple, and
not a wall-like retablo. And unlike other Bohol churches whose ceilings are
painted with trompe l'oeil, the one inside the Dauis Church, particularly the
nave and the aisles, bears no such paintings. Instead of biblical scenes, it is
embellished with artwork that seems to create the illusion of the Renaissance
artesonado, or coffered ceiling. 
Perhaps the most
distinguishing feature of this house of worship is the legendary source of
water found at the altar’s foot, fondly called Mary’s Well. Legend has it that
when Dauis was once invaded by pirates, the townspeople holed themselves up
inside the church. Soon, they run out of provisions, including water. After
praying for help from their patroness, a well soon miraculously appeared at the
foot of the altar!
To this day, this well has
been a source of water for people living close to the church. The water from
the well is fresh considering that it’s just a few meters away from the sea.
Given that, the folks of Dauis claim it has miraculous healing powers. I
supposed the best scientific explanation for that is this: saltwater hasn’t
intruded yet into that part of the earth where groundwater is found.
Nonetheless, if you have a thing for miracles, bring along a bottle and take
some of the “miraculous” water the next time you visit this church. :D
(to be continued…)
In coming up with this post, I’ve referred to the following:
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