August Visita Iglesia - The Churches of Ilo-ilo

A fellow hobbyist, upon learning that I just came back from Ilo-ilo, asked me what's interesting with the place aside from their batchoy -- 'their churches' was my quick answer.

Miag-ao Church

An hour jeepney ride from the city proper to the municipality of Miag-ao took almost two hour.  It was raining heavily the past days due to a recent typhoon that passed by the island causing most of the rivers to overflow and thereby delaying the traffic.  I was not able to find any van-service to miag-ao that it seemed taking the PUJ is the only available option.  Oh, the taxis were offering 'pakyaw' but an exorbitant price, almost equivalent to my round-trip airfare ticket!

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/100sec, f/6.3

Taking the jeepney turned out enjoyable, seeing the outskirts of Ilo-ilo on a rainy morning and experiencing firsthand commuting with the locals.  Oh that 'malambing' intonation of the ilonggos as they converse is so lovely to hear.  The Miag-ao jeepney terminal is in public market near the robinsons place. Locals call the market 'super'.  Fare is 40pesos, one way.

Canon 40D, EFS10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, 1/500sec, f/8

I arrived in the church almost noon time.  Learning that the church closes for lunch, I went immediately inside the church to check the interiors. The church is what they call the baroque-Romanesque style.  

Aside from the church rich history, it is the church artistic facade that captures the attention of any visitor to this church. The intricate carving on the stone is awesome considering the period when this was done, around the 1700's.  

Canon 40D, EFS10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, 1/320sec, f/8

It is decorated with a relief sculpture of St. Christopher carrying the Christ child amidst coconut, papaya and guava shrubs. A large stone image of St. Thomas of Villanova, parish patron saint, dominates the center. Carved life-size statues of the Pope and St. Henry with their coat-of-arms above them flank the main entrance. Supporting the facade are the twin belfries, one towering two-storeys and the other three-storeys high.  No wonder, this church has been included  in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/320sec, f/8 

I decided to finish checking the exteriors of the church before having my lunch in a carenderia just outside the church gates.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/400sec, f/5

Guimbal Church
15 minutes from Miag-ao, on the way to the city proper is the town of Guimbal.  The church here is not as breathtaking as the one in Miag-ao but nevertheless interesting.  

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/200sec, f/9

What amazed me is the plaza infront of the church.  It's so wide.  It has started to drizzle already that i have to cut short my visit at the Guimbal church and head on to the next church in Tigbauan.  I took the next jeepney that passed by for short, 7 pesos ride.

St. John of Sahagun Parish, Tigbauan

From Guimbal town, Tigbauan is around 5 to 10 minutes ride. I have to wait for another thirty minutes after arrival before i had the chance to explore the church interiors since a requiem mass was on-going.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/250sec, f/8

The St. John of Sahagun Parish church may not have the intricate facade of the miag-ao church but the interiors would make every visitor at awe. 

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/8sec, f/8 

The church interiors are made up of colorful stone murals.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/8sec, f/8

The stone mosaics adorning the church interior, including the altar and the Stations of the Cross, were created by local artists in the last twenty years.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/5sec, f/8

Molo church - The Feminist church of saint Anne

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/100sec, f/8 

This is one of the more visited churches in Ilo-ilo considering its just within the city proper.  The Molo Church is unique because all saints depicted inside are female.  That's why this church is referred to as a Feminist Church. 

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/5sec, f/4.5

There are sixteen statues of female saints and the church is named after St. Anne, who is considered to be Jesus’ grandmother and the Virgin Mary’s mother.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/4sec, f/6.3

This church is also one of the most photograph churches in the city. During my visit there, group of photography enthusiast were also present, taking pictures of the church interiors as church aides were preparing for the 5pm mass about to take place.


Here's their schedule of services :

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/160sec, f/6.3

Jaro Cathedral
The Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and home of the Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria (Lady of the Candles), is the first and only cathedral of Panay.  This was where one of the our heroes, Graceano Lopez Jaena was baptized.

Canon 40D, EFS10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, 1/400sec, f/11

This is the other more visited church in Ilo-ilo.  The Jaro Cathedral is the counterpart of of the Molo Church. All saints featured here are male, which line the walls of the cathedral's interior.  

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/13sec, f/4.5 

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM,
1/45sec, f/4.5  

The Lady of Candles (Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria), the church patron, is perched on a glass encased shrine carved out of the facade. 

Accordingly, the limestone image is said to be continuously growing and had become too large to fit into its original niche just above the present one. 

Her shrine is visited often by many devotees who believe the statue to be miraculous.

The paintings on the choir loft is one not to be missed when visiting the church.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/8sec, f/8 

The old belfry of the church is across the street. Very typical of churches from the old.  By the looks of the structure it lacks the necessary maintenance it needs to last it for the next 100 years or so.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/125sec, f/8 

I always like parishes that publish their mass schedules. It becomes a guide to non-parishioners who may want to hear mass in their churches.

Canon 40D, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, 1/500sec, f/7

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