From Boljoon, I moved on to the next leg of my heritage
tour: historic Carcar. Exploring the newly-created city, I was surprised to
learn that Carcar has its own share of centuries-old landmarks attesting to its
historical, political and cultural significance in the province.
Founded in 1599, the seaside settlement was once called
Sialo during pre-Hispanic times. When the colonizers came, Sialo was renamed to
Valladolid. As it progressed, the town became the object of many Moro raids,
forcing the villagers to relocate to another place called Kabkad.
Later on, this new settlement came to be known as Carcar,
after a small town in the province of Navarra in Spain. Today, the village of
Valladolid, where the city traces its humble beginnings, has become one of
Carcar’s hubs for its shoe-making industry.
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Carcar Legislative Hall
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Carcar Museum
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Before going there, I used to think of the city as just the home of two of my favorite Cebuano delicacies—chicharon (pork crackling) and ampao (sweetened puffed rice)! Little did I know that Carcar also boasts of many colonial edifices that have earned for it the title, “Heritage City of Cebu.”
These old structures—ancestral houses, government buildings, schools, churches, plazas, among others, dating back to the Spanish and American eras—are scattered in many parts of Cebu, but there are cities and towns like Carcar which have more than their fair share.
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Mercado Mansion
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So far, over a dozen ancestral homes are found in
the heritage city, particularly along Sta. Catalina Street. Four of them have
already been recognized by the National Historical Commission (NHC) as
historical landmarks: Balay na Tisa, Ang Dakong Balay, the Silva House and
the Mercado Mansion.
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Monument of Leon Kilat
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Of the four, I was able to catch a glimpse of the Mercado
Mansion, once the abode of one of the town’s former mayors, Don Mariano
Mercado. The stately home has been declared a heritage house by the National
Historical Institute in 2010.
Going around the city, I noticed this life-size monument
of a man riding astride a horse—Pantaleon “Leon Kilat” Villegas, a Cebuano
revolutionary leader during the Philippine Revolution against Spain who was
killed in Carcar in 1898.
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Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria
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For me, however, Carcar’s most iconic structure is its house of worship. Rising prominently on top of a hill overlooking the city, the beautiful Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria is raved about in many of the blogs I’ve read mainly because of its eclectic architectural design.
Brimming with excitement, I headed towards the church,
said to be the second oldest in the entire province. It also counts among the
many notable period structures in Carcar that reinforce its reputation as one
of the most beautiful heritage cities in the country.
True to colonial tradition when Church and State were
deemed as one, the house of worship stands next to the public plaza and the
municipal hall. Beside it is a white two-storey structure that used to be the
dispensary, which now houses the city’s museum.
Seen in pictures, the church’s facade looks ravishing.
Seeing it up close and personal, however, is simply awesome! Here’s a fine
structure that boasts of several architectural elements splendidly put
together—Roman buttresses and arch, Baroque pediment and Moorish-looking twin
belfries.
At first glance, the church, probably the only one in
Cebu with touches of Muslim architecture, called to mind some European churches
I’ve seen in pictures, particularly the Greek Orthodox cathedrals in Eastern
Europe and the churches inside the Kremlin in Moscow.
Its three-tiered whitewashed facade was done in Greco-Roman
tradition. Two huge and thick buttresses flank a massive recessed arch
resembling the iwan of a mosque,
which frames the main portal, where most of the simple artworks are
concentrated—floral bas-reliefs, a medallion and a niched icon of the Sto. Niño
de Cebu.
Topping the decorations at the recessed arch is an
elaborate seal of the Augustinian Order.
At the pediment, a round window is surrounded with
bas-reliefs of three cherubs and a carved wreath. Flanking this pediment are
the most distinctive features of St. Catherine Church—the twin bell towers
topped by onion-shaped domes that reminded me of the minarets in the Middle
East.
Surrounding the church is a fence of coral stone and
wrought iron. Standing on top of the fence’s pedestals are huge statues of the
eleven apostles of Christ that seem to beckon the faithful to enter this house
of prayer. The traitor, Judas Iscariot, I believe, was kept elsewhere. LOL!
Once inside, this three-nave church, which was built by the Augustinians between 1860 to 1875, will definitely dazzle visitors. I was immediately drawn to its impressive woodwork, particularly the artesonado or coffered ceiling which resembles the one I saw inside the Shrine of Our Lady of the Assumption in Panglao Island in Bohol.
I wanted to linger in the church and take some snaps of
its interior but a wedding was about to begin so I had to limit my exploration
along the sidelines. Talk about perfect timing! Geez, it only meant one thing
for me: I need to stage a comeback.
Looking around, one of the first things I noticed were
the two columns adorning the interior which featured the statues of angels
holding lampposts, all leading towards the sanctuary. Then, I shifted my gaze
towards the main retablo which, I heard, was done in Neoclassical fashion.
To my dismay, it was nowhere in sight! Instead, a huge
white drape covered that part of the church. OMG! What happened to the main retablo? From some of
the parishioners, I gathered that it was severely damaged, along with the left belfry, during the
2013 earthquake!
Whew, what a loss, I thought. Good thing, the whole structure didn’t give in. Otherwise, it would be a big blow to Carcar’s bid to be a hub of history, culture and arts in the province. Most of all, without its church, the city would be losing its soul and perhaps, its salvation.
On my way out, I recalled a line from one of Emily
Dickinson’s poems. Sic transit gloria mundi. Thus passes the glory of the world. Ah,
the things here on earth are indeed fleeting. Nothing lasts forever. Even those
designed with the holiest of intentions.
At present, officials are raising funds to rehabilitate
the main retablo and other damaged
portions of the church. Donations from those who want to help are most welcome
so that restoration work could proceed, a process which, I supposed, would be a
daunting one. But as long as the people of Carcar have a will, they’ll find a
way. :-D
(to be continued)
In coming up with
this anthology on Cebu’s heritage churches, I’ve referred to the following:
Later on, this new settlement came to be known as Carcar,
after a small town in the province of Navarra in Spain. Today, the village of
Valladolid, where the city traces its humble beginnings, has become one of
Carcar’s hubs for its shoe-making industry.
These old structures—ancestral houses, government buildings, schools, churches, plazas, among others, dating back to the Spanish and American eras—are scattered in many parts of Cebu, but there are cities and towns like Carcar which have more than their fair share.
Brimming with excitement, I headed towards the church,
said to be the second oldest in the entire province. It also counts among the
many notable period structures in Carcar that reinforce its reputation as one
of the most beautiful heritage cities in the country. 
True to colonial tradition when Church and State were
deemed as one, the house of worship stands next to the public plaza and the
municipal hall. Beside it is a white two-storey structure that used to be the
dispensary, which now houses the city’s museum. 
Seen in pictures, the church’s facade looks ravishing.
Seeing it up close and personal, however, is simply awesome! Here’s a fine
structure that boasts of several architectural elements splendidly put
together—Roman buttresses and arch, Baroque pediment and Moorish-looking twin
belfries.
At first glance, the church, probably the only one in
Cebu with touches of Muslim architecture, called to mind some European churches
I’ve seen in pictures, particularly the Greek Orthodox cathedrals in Eastern
Europe and the churches inside the Kremlin in Moscow. 
At the pediment, a round window is surrounded with
bas-reliefs of three cherubs and a carved wreath. Flanking this pediment are
the most distinctive features of St. Catherine Church—the twin bell towers
topped by onion-shaped domes that reminded me of the minarets in the Middle
East. 
Surrounding the church is a fence of coral stone and
wrought iron. Standing on top of the fence’s pedestals are huge statues of the
eleven apostles of Christ that seem to beckon the faithful to enter this house
of prayer. The traitor, Judas Iscariot, I believe, was kept elsewhere. LOL! 
I wanted to linger in the church and take some snaps of
its interior but a wedding was about to begin so I had to limit my exploration
along the sidelines. Talk about perfect timing! Geez, it only meant one thing
for me: I need to stage a comeback. 
Looking around, one of the first things I noticed were
the two columns adorning the interior which featured the statues of angels
holding lampposts, all leading towards the sanctuary. Then, I shifted my gaze
towards the main retablo which, I heard, was done in Neoclassical fashion. 
To my dismay, it was nowhere in sight! Instead, a huge
white drape covered that part of the church. OMG! What happened to the main retablo? From some of
the parishioners, I gathered that it was severely damaged, along with the left belfry, during the
2013 earthquake! 
Whew, what a loss, I thought. Good thing, the whole structure didn’t give in. Otherwise, it would be a big blow to Carcar’s bid to be a hub of history, culture and arts in the province. Most of all, without its church, the city would be losing its soul and perhaps, its salvation.
At present, officials are raising funds to rehabilitate
the main retablo and other damaged
portions of the church. Donations from those who want to help are most welcome
so that restoration work could proceed, a process which, I supposed, would be a
daunting one. But as long as the people of Carcar have a will, they’ll find a
way. :-D
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