The kumbento of Carcar Church is one of the biggest in Cebu, a testament to its wealth in a prosperous town. The masonry and wood structure was built, probably around 1885, during the term of Fr. Mauel Fernandez Rubio, an Augustinian friar who has done much for the town.

Atop of a wooden door at the sacristy is a relief of a church that is unlike the present structure.

Behind the presbytery is Carcar Church’s sacristy. It’s spacious and almost bare that one’s eyes notice immediately the lengthy antique cabinet/table between the two doors that opens to the main altar. Wide windows give ample lighting as the musty coral walls give an old feel to it. At the back, a wide, wooden and rickety staircase leads to the attic that serves as the church’s storeroom.

Inside Carcar Church are still several interesting details that would easily catch a visitor’s eye. There are angel relieves done in different generations, heavy stations of the cross to beautiful octagonal marble water fonts.

Like most old churches in the country, one can find many tombs of notable people of the town inside Carcar Church. Creepy as it may sound but it has been the practice especially for those individuals and their families who contributed greatly to the church through it’s construction or donated something for the church’s use.

In most old churches in the Philippines, the choirloft is situated at the far end of the church and just above the main portal. Carcar Church is no exception. Entrance is through a flight of wooden stairs at it’s left. A close inspection of the walls near these steps indicate a previous installation that shows a direct ascent up. Today, one negotiates a total of three flights.

Carcar Church is one of a few simbahan in Cebu that still has its pulpit intact. Like it’s simple neoclassic façade, it echoes the architectural style and you’ve got an unassuming woodpiece that nevertheless, stands out from the whitewashed walls

Of all the churches in Cebu, Carcar Church differs for it’s breathtaking coffered ceiling at the lateral naves. The series of patterns done in wood looks simple but upon close inspection, the intricacy is stunning. Despite its simple and almot bare façade, the details on the ceiling does give a pleasant surprise to the visitor.

Central to the interior of the church is, of course, the presbytery. In the church of Carcar, the neoclassic retablo mayor is the main focal point and complements well the façade. Unlike other churches, it is unique in design with lots of beautiful details and symbols.

At one’s right directly beside the main portal, space has been cordoned off with a low open grilled partition with a twin entrance. This is the baptistry or baptistery. But is this the original location considering that a portion of the baptismal font was cemented and integrated into the wall, marks of renovations done?

The church of Carcar has one of the simple yet beautiful interiors that I’ve seen in the country. It is one of very few, if not the only original edifice in the province that has three naves. The massive and simply decorated door opens below the choirloft to an interior 66 meters in length, 22 meters in width and 12 meters high at the center. Each nave is partitioned by an arcade with massive, around a meter thick, pillars that run all the way until a few meters to the presbytery.

Carcar Church is only one of three religious structures in Cebu that incorporates Muslim architectural features. The minaret like domes capping the twin belfries is it’s defining feature though it is also paralleled, to some extent, by the one in Naga. Not many people have gone up these parts but for the curious, going through the narrow stone steps from the choirloft are in for a delightful surprise. Make that three surprises!

The Catholic cemetery in Carcar is the oldest cemetery in the municipality. I haven’t got information when this was constructed but it might be 19th century as it is located far from the current church, following the decree of King Charles IV in 1787. It is still in use with modern niches tightly crowding any available space. It might have lost it’s original chapel but there are still remnants of the perimeter fence.

I was in Oslob over the weekend to check on the progress of the reconstruction of the burned church of Oslob and was happy to find that it now has a roof so that masses can again be said at this old structure. While this is commendable development, there is still much to be done. I asked Jun Tumulak, a member of the Parish Pastoral Council and he said that the total cost needed in bringing it back to a functional church complete with it’s flooring paved and tiled, pews, windows, painting, etc. is about P35 million.

The three tiered Graeco-Roman façade of the church of Carcar is simple yet elegant. While such style can also be found in a few other places in the country, it is not as severe as that of Talisay, a few towns to the north or Bacnotan, La Union in Luzon. The interplay of planes, arches and quiant details make this tall and compact church one of the unforgettable structures in this island province.