Visita Iglesia, a tradition of visits to seven churches, allows Filipinos to hear mass in, as well as marvel at, some of the most beautiful churches in the Philippines
This article was originally posted on March 17, 2016.
Religion is arguably one of the biggest cultural traits of the Philippines with an estimated 80-plus percent of Filipinos identifying with Roman Catholic faith. Expectedly, the Lenten Season or Holy Week is considered as one of the most important among the Philippine holidays. While for some it is the time to welcome the summer season, for many it is also a time to further their faith.
This time of the year is often incomplete without Visita Iglesia, or the Lenten tradition of visiting seven churches on Maundy Thursday (March 24 this year). As the country has a history where Roman Catholicism continues to be a very significant presence, Philippine churches are perfectly trite for this tradition. Lamudi provides a list of churches in the Philippines where one can go for Visita Iglesia with each structure exuding their own history and unique architecture.
San Agustin Church
Intramuros, Manila
A church in
Manila under the auspices of the Order of Saint Augustine, the current San Agustin Church is actually the third to be established on the site. The first was built with bamboo and nipa in 1571, but destroyed by fire in 1574. The second was wooden, but similarly burned down in 1583. The third is the one still standing today, and in 1993 it became one of four local Spanish-era churches to be chosen by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, collectively known as the Baroque Churches of the Philippines.
Manila Cathedral
Intramuros, Manila
Formally known as the Kalakhang Katedral Basílika ng Maynilà, the Manila Cathedral is a Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. It also serves as the See of the Archbishop of Manila. Originally established in 1571, the eighth and current rendition of the cathedral was completed in 1958. It was renovated and repaired for earthquake retrofitting and subsidence prevention in 2012, and re-opened to the public after a complete renovation in 2014.
Calasiao Church
Calasiao, Pangasinan
Photo by Elbert Malzano via Flickr
Also known locally as Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church,
Calasiao Church is a baroque church that was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. This Spanish-colonial-era church’s main composition are massive bricks or
ladrillo with a fortress-like façade designed to withstand revolts and rebellions. Beside it stands
Museo Calasiao, a mini-museum housing vintage photos and historical pieces of the church.
Binondo Church
Binondo, Manila
There are many churches in Manila and this one was founded by Dominican priests in 1596. The Binondo Church is also known as the Minor Basilica of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (the first Filipino saint) and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish, and has been rebuilt numerous times over the centuries due to constant damage by war and natural disasters. Sporting historic Spanish and European baroque design elements, the church has retained its original character. However, only the western façade and the octagon belfry, which suggests the
Chinese culture of the parishioners, are what remain from the original structure.
Quiapo Church
Quiapo, Manila
Quiapo Church is very popular because it is the location of the reputedly miraculous Nuestro Señor Jesús Nazareno, better known as the Black Nazarene. Located in downtown Manila in Plaza Miranda, the baroque church was expanded in 1984 to accommodate more devotees. Only its façade with twisted columns and the dome at the transept were retained from its classic design. The church was officially declared a Minor Basilica in 1988.
Santa Cruz Church
Santa Cruz, Manila
Photo by Elmer Domingo via Wikimedia Commons
Consecrated in 1619, the Santa Cruz Church was initially built to serve as a parish for the increasing number of Chinese migrants moving to Manila and converting to Catholicism. Through time, the church sustained damage from natural occurrences, and was eventually destroyed completely by the end of World War II. Reconstruction was completed in 1957, and it continues to stand now in its baroque style design that is reminiscent of the Mission Churches of Western Mexico and Southern California.
Malate Church
Malate, Manila
Another of the baroque churches in the Philippines fronted by
Plaza Rajah Sulayman and the Manila Bay, Malate Church is dedicated to
Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, or “Our Lady of Remedies,” the patroness of childbirth. One of only two churches with a twisted column and a
retablo-type façade, Malate Church’s look is said to be a blend of Muslim design and Mexican baroque. Inside is an image of Our Lady of Remedies enshrined on the main altar, bought by Augustinian Fathers from Spain in the 1600s.
Guadalupe Church
Guadalupe Viejo, Makati
Photo by Rich Somes via Flickr
Formally known as
Nuestra Señora de Gracia church, Guadalupe Church is a parish presently administered by the Augustinian friars of the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu. Stemming from the first sanctuary and monastery in
Guadalupe built by Fray Simon Dantes in 1601, the popular Metro Manila wedding venue features different architectural styles with a façade that is neo-Romanesque-gothic, and sets of Doric columns supporting the church’s cornice and the triangular pediment.
Paoay Church
Ilocos Norte
A UNESCO World Heritage Site (under the inscription Baroque Churches of the Philippines), the Saint Augustine Church in the municipality of Paoay, Ilocos Norte, is widely recognized for its distinct architecture characterized by 24 massive buttresses on the sides and back of the structure. Also declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973, it also has three-story coral bell tower that resembles a pagoda, which was built separately from the church for earthquake safety.
Miag-ao Church
Miag-ao, Iloilo
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Also known as the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church,
Miag-ao Church was also called the Miag-ao Fortress Church as its two uneven bell towers served as a tactical location for the town’s defense against Muslim raids. It is one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and contains the limestone image of the
Birhen ng Barangay, traditional Filipino clothing recovered from the 1982 excavations, and the original late 1790s images of Saint Thomas of Villanova.
Santa Maria Church
Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, this structure that is also known as the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption was built on top of a hill to serve as lookout, citadel, and religious center during the early administration of the region by friars and soldier of the Spanish colonial era. The church and convent are surrounded by a defensive wall on all sides like a fortress, and is reached by way of an 85-step stairway made of granite rock.
Bantay Church
Bantay, Ilocos Sur
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Known as Saint Augustine Parish Church as well as Saint Augustine Parish Church, Bantay Church’s more common name comes from its old historic belfry, the Bantay tower, which is also the source of the town’s name. While there are many old churches in the Philippines, this one was established in 1590. It is one of the oldest churches in the region. Like most, however, it was damaged extensively during World War II, and rebuilt in the 1950s. Its façade is neo-gothic with pseudo-Romanesque elements, and meant to be grandiose and reminiscent of Spanish architecture.
Taal Basilica
Taal, Batangas
Measuring 88.6 meters long and 48 meters wide, the Taal Basilica is said to be the largest church in the Philippines and in Asia. Canonically known as the Minor Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours, the first rendition of the church began being built in 1575, 3 years after the founding of the
town of Taal. The present church began its construction in 1856, and has undergone restorations in 1953, 1972, and 2011. Its belfry was rebuilt in 1990.
Tayabas Basilica
Tayabas, Quezon Province
Photo by Roy de Guzman via Flickr
Canonically known as the Minor Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel, the Tayabas Basilica is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the province of Quezon. It is famous for its key-shaped architecture, which has garnered it the name Susi ng Tayabas among locals. The church is also widely recognized for the clock located inside its belfry, which is regarded as one of the oldest, if not the actual oldest, clocks of its kind in Asia.
Bacarra Church
Bacarra, Ilocos Norte
Photo by Arnel Manlises via Flickr
Widely recognized for its centuries-old, dome-less, leaning bell tower, Bacarra Church is arguably one of the most visited in the Philippines. Apart from the “beheaded” belfry known as Torres di Bacarra, there is alsoMuseo di Bacarra, a church museum housed in the former convent. The two-story convent dates back to the Spanish colonial era, and presently houses religious and cultural artifacts, as well as archival photos and documents.
Our Lady of Piat Church
Piat, Cagayan
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Dubbed as the Pilgrimage Center of the North, the Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Piat is one of twelve Minor Basilicas in the Philippines, and is home to a 407-year-old black image of the Virgin Mary, which the church is named after and is dedicated to. The church is made of red bricks, which is common in Cagayan Valley, but different from the limestone and coral sported by other churches in the Philippines. Enshrined at its altar is the Blessed Virgin Mary with verandas that makes the shrine more elegant.
Betis Church
Guagua, Pampanga
Photo by Rhonaramos via Wikimedia Commons
Declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum and the National Commission for Culture and Arts, the baroque-inspired Betis Church has a bevy of artistic features. The main attraction of what is canonically known as the Saint James the Apostle Parish Church is its ceiling mural done by painter Simón Flores (1839–1904). His painting of the Holy Family is also another feature of the church, as well as an artesian well in the church patio that was dug in the 1800s.
Barasoain Church
Malolos, Bulacan
Also known as Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Barasoain Church has also earned the titles of the Cradle of Democracy in the East, the most important religious building in the Philippines, and the site of the First Philippine Republic, thanks to its being the setting of key events in Philippine history. The three major occurrences were the convening of the First Philippine Congress, the drafting of the Malolos Constitution in 1898, and the inauguration of the First Philippine Republic in 1899.
Baclayon Church
Baclayon, Bohol
La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church, or Baclayon Church, is considered as one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. Built out of coral stones common on the island of Bohol, the church sports a cruciform layout with its juncture surmounted by a pyramidal wall. It was up for addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines, but unfortunately sustained extensive damage during the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol and other parts of Central Visayas in 2013. It is still undergoing restoration.
San Jose de Ivana Church
Ivana, Batanes
Photo by MON MD via Wikimedia Commons
Dedicated to Saint Joseph under the jurisdiction of the Prelature of Batanes, San Jose de Ivana Church was first established as a chapel by Dominicans in 1787. The present stone church was built in 1795 with the bell tower following in 1817. One of the better preserved churches in the country, it has only undergone renovation in 1869 and in 2001 after an earthquake partially destroyed it in 2000. The church features an old convent and a small museum housing centuries old relics.
Sarrat Church
Sarrat, Ilocos Norte
Photo via Wikimedia Commons
Originally known as the San Miguel Church, this church in the Philippines is now the Santa Monica Parish Church or Sarrat Church. It was originally built in 1779 and is a complex that includes the associated convent that connects to the church via an elevated three-level brick stairway. Declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2009, the church is famous for being the largest of its kind in Ilocos Norte, particularly because of the length of its nave.
Daraga Church
Daraga, Albay
Formally called Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish Church, Daraga Church was built in 1772, after the then-settlement of Daraga was established a year earlier by those fleeing the town of Cagsawa for fear of another eruption of Mayon Volcano. It is a fine representation of baroque architecture with a Churrigueresque architectural style in its façade. Its walls are made of volcanic rock that is common in the Daraga locale.
Paete Church
Paete, Laguna
Photo by Carlo Joseph M. Moskito via Wikimedia Commons
Paete Church is identified by several names, all of which are centered on its patron saint, Saint James the Apostle. The church has the distinction of being the only Roman Catholic church in the municipality. It is widely popular for its extensive collection of images depicting the Passion of Christ, as well as century-old paintings and wooden images of saints. With its storied past of being lost to earthquakes, the current church features large buttresses on each side to be more resistant to the calamity.
Liliw Church
Liliw, Laguna
Also known as Saint John the Baptist Parish Church and Lilio Church, Liliw Church was initially established as a reduccion, particularly an annexed vista of the then-town of Nagcarlan that became independent in 1605. Adorned with red bricks, the feel of the church’s interior is what makes it a must-visit for many. The inside is said to be comfortably cool with the only source of natural light being the weak rays that filter through the church’s unique stained glass windows.
Pakil Church
Pakil, Laguna
Photo by Richard Eusebio via Wikimedia Commons
Designated as the Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de Turumba and as Saint Peter of Alcantara Parish Church, Pakil Church is the home of the Our Lady of Turumba painting. Constructed in the Corinthian and ionic architectural orders, the church takes on the shape of a cruciform, and sports a façade with classical Corinthian columns and cornices across a floral stone relief. Typical of Laguna churches, its side entrance is elaborately designed, and it also has a belfry housing one huge bell and four smaller bells.
Church of San Juan del Monte
San Juan, Metro Manila
Photo by Shubert Ciencia via Flickr
Built at the onset of the 1600s, the church more formally known as Santuario del Santo Cristo and its convent has undergone numerous destructions and subsequent renovations throughout San Juan’s history. The current church was built in 1774, and was used as a shelter by the Katipuneros during the 1898 Philippine Revolution. It serves as the seat of the Cofradia del Santísimo Cristo de San Juan del Monte or the “Confraternity of the Holy Christ of Saint John of the Mountain.”
Pasig Cathedral
Malinao, Pasig City
Photo by Joymdngo via Wikimedia Commons
Also known as the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the Pasig Cathedral is one of the oldest structures in Pasig City. Its establishment in 1573 coincided with the foundation of the then-town of Pasig, and was initially consecrated to the Visitation of Our Lady and changed to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception 14 years later. It previously belonged to the Archdiocese of Manila, but became the seat of the Diocese of Pasig in 2003. Its status was elevated to cathedral on the same year.
Paranaque Cathedral
La Huerta, Paranaque
Photo by Slickdeejay via Wikimedia Commons
Officially called the Cathedral Parish of Saint Andrew, Paranaque Cathedral was founded by Augustinian friars in 1580, making it one of the oldest and most historical churches in the Philippines. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Parañaque, which is the church that comprises the cities of Parañaque, Muntinlupa, and Las Piñas. The cathedral is the home of the Nuestra Señora del Buen Suceso, which was canonically crowned as the Patroness of the City of Parañaque in 2000.
Santo Niño Basilica
Cebu City
Officially called Basilica Menore del Santo Niño, the Santo Niño Basilica is recognized as the oldest church in the Philippines, and is the location of where a statue depicting the Child Jesus, known as the Santo Niño de Cebú, was discovered by Spanish explorers in 1565. The present church is part of a larger complex that also includes the open-air theater-like Pilgrim Center, a museum containing antique relics and religious exhibits, and an extensive library.
San Sebastian Cathedral
Bacolod City
Photo by Ninya Regalado via Wikimedia Commons
A late 19th-century Church, San Sebastian Cathedral serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bacolod. The church began the construction to its current form in 1876 with coral stone source from the island of Guimaras being the material it was primarily built upon. About nine years since its initial construction, the church’s two bell towers were built to accommodate two different sized bells as well as a large clock. The bells are now seen in a special belfry situated in the church’s courtyard.
