Close up of the original wall that remains of the gothic church destroyed by the earthquake of 5 January 1948

The gothic church of oton before the earthquake of 1948

At the far left end of the present structure is a huge balete tree wherein a grotto is constructed. Upon close inspection, amidst the roots of the tree, are huge blocks of coral stones stacked on top of each other, forming a wall. This is no other than the remnants of the original structure.

At the opposite end, at the far right side of the present church is also a shallow protrusion of stacked coral stone slabs beside the national highway. I presume that this was part of the original walls of the church complex. When I saw these two structures, ruins, I just felt a sense of awe and sadness that one of the country’s unique and beautiful church is gone forever.

Back of the facade showing the remaining structure. The rest were burnt to the ground.

The facade of Dumarao Church left standing after the fire of November 2009. CLICK TO ENLARGE

Dumarao means to be in mourning.

On 16 November 2009, a fire broke out at the ceiling of the second level of the Our Lady of the Snow Institute at 0130H that gutted the whole building and the adjacent parish church of Dumarao. Faulty wiring was blamed and the flames were only put out at 0500H. Only the shell of the church: the belfry, the facade and the back remained standing.

Dumarao was accepted by the Augustinian Order in 29 April 1617 under the patronage of Nuestra Senora de la Natividad but an 1848 document also says that it was founded in 1705 under the advocacy of the Nuestra Senora de las Nieves.

According to Fr. Pedro Galende, OSA, in his book Angels in Stone, the first church was started in the first quarter of the 18th century, probably from 1710 – 1728. An 1875 typhoon greatly damaged the structure including the convent. In 1880, a temporary church was built by Fr. Abundio Garcia and was finished by succeeding priests. The convent was rebuilt from 1873 – 1876.

What I did notice about this church was that it was built by the townspeople with river stones that they got from as far as six kilometers from the site. This is very much noticeable at the back of the facade.

View of the presbytery

The church of Dumarao is currently being rebuilt but funds for its construction are greatly needed. Please donate to the parish. You can send in your donations by depositing it in the following bank accounts:

Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands
Branch: Plaridel St., Roxas City, Capiz
Account name: Fr. Delfin A Delfin & Mrs. Eleanor Abad
Account number (Peso): 001103-3785-47
Account number (Dollar): 001104-0208-32

Parish Priest: Fr. Delfin A Delfin
Contact No: +63 927 480 7041/+63 939 515 7892

The main altar was located at the center of the church which forms a Greek cross. Archival image from San Agustin Museum. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

It would have been a sight as one enters the lost church of Oton. From the main entrance with three gothic style doors, one is greeted with trompe l’oeils at the ceiling’s faux vault, the same features that now decorate the stone vault ceiling of San Agustin Church in Intramuros.

Where the four arms of the greek cross floor plan, a Byzantine style adaptation, of the church meet at the center, an impressive free standing and gothic style retablo rises.

This retable has four sides with each side having its own altar. It is separated from the nave by a beautiful wrought iron communion rail that ring the altar.

Above it, the pendentives, the triangular part where the dome connects with the walls below, are painted with the four evangelists, as is customary and still observed today.

As can be seen from the archival image at the left, the pulpit is not the typical one that hangs from the walls. Instead, it is supported from the ground. It is then topped with a gothic inspired torna voz with a spire rising at the center.

Oton Church is in the form of a Greek cross with four equal arms. It is mainly of the Gothic Order with other architectural styles blended. Image showing one of the side entrance. Archival image courtesy of San Agustin Museum.

The lost church of Oton in Iloilo was the only one of its kind in the Philippines in form and structure. It’s architecture is a combination of different architectural styles: gothic, classical and romanesque, a trait that is very much common in most Spanish colonial period churches in the country. It was in the form of a Greek cross, a byzantine floor plan with all four arms of equal length radiating from the center.

The structure has two levels. The first having semicircular windows running the length of its sides and each end of the arm having portals: three main doors at the main entrance and one each at the other arms. The second level has circular windows alternated with classical columns at each side and three openings with lancet arches top the portals.

The four entrances are crowned with a triangular pediment in the form of a gothic arch pierced with a rose window and flanked with two spires. Other than the three portals, the main entrance is also distinguished with bigger spires. A massive central dome has a lantern serving as a finial and below it are clerestory windows to admit light.

This blending of different architectural styles cohered in some way to become one of the unique structures in the country ever built. Unfortunately, it never survived to this day.

The stunning church of Oton, Iloilo was one of a kind in the Philippines but was destroyed not by war but by an earthquake. Archival image from the San Agustin Museum.

It would have been one of the country’s spectacular churches, if not the most beautiful were it not for a natural cataclysm that razed it to the ground. Oton’s once majestic church, in the form of a Greek cross, was unique as it was the only one with such a plan and architecture blending Byzantine with Gothic and classical elements.

The town of Oton was established by the Augustinians in 1572 after Cebu and Manila and was the center of their administration in Iloilo. In fact, the former name of the province is a namesake of the town. It’s name is the hispanized version of ogtong, meaning reef or tidal flat which is a main feature of the area and was then the encomienda of Don Miguel de Loarca.

The history of church building is a bit hazy but its first prior, Fray Martin de Rada was said to have built a church of good quality which was eventually destroyed during a Dutch attack in 1614. It was only in the 19th century that we get to know of a church being constructed during the curacy of Fray Demetrio Cobos who was parish priest from 1844-1854 that the first stones were laid.

Fray Diego de Hoz continued the project when Fray Cobos died in 1854. Fray Joaquin Fernandez, named in charge of construction in 1883 finished the edifice. The grand church was consecrated and blessed in 1892 by Fray Nicolas Gallo.

The edifice was spared during World War II but an earthquake on 5 January, 1948 destroyed it. It has never been rebuilt and only two bells, dated 1817 and 1887, and a portion of the wall, now built with a grotto, remain of the structure.

Dan Rivers featured the ruined San Pablo Church in Isabela in this short CNN mediea feature

Dan Rivers of CNN was on his way to Cagayan province chasing a typhoon but the further they went up, the typhoon was more unlikely to hit the area as it was downgraded to a tropical depression. As he said, their main story was falling apart. Along the way, as they passed San Pablo, the Isabela/Tuguegarao (Cagayan) border town, they saw this once magnificent church ruins.

I’ve been there myself and was able to do some photo documentation of the architectural details years ago and this is one beautiful church.

Last March 28, at 1 AM, a fire broke out in the room of the parish priest in the “kumbento” or parish house of the 178 year old church of Oslob, a southern municipality in Cebu and three hours ride from Cebu City. Of the two firetrucks available in the town, one was broken and the other cannot start that the townsfolk has to push it near the church. However, despite their efforts, the fire raged on. It was only contained when firemen from the neighboring towns of Argao and Santander came in to help. After eight hours, the “kumbento” burned down. Faulty wiring was suspected as the cause of the fire. The roof of the church crashed with only the galvanized iron sheets, blackened and crumpled, remained. Every wooden part: the pews, doors and ceiling, were consumed. It is now an empty shell with its belfry and cut coral stone walls left standing. Miraculously, the town’s icon and patroness, the Immaculate Concepcion, an antique wooden relief said to have been brought from Mexico during the Spanish colonial era and located at the central niche of the “retablo” at the presbytery was spared. Just like what happened during the second fire in 1955 that gutted the same church.

“I was so devastated since the church became a part and parcel of my life. As if everything crashed on me when that incident happened,” said Ryan Cabanlit, a 36 year old architect and landscape designer who was born and raised in Oslob but now based in Cebu City. “Everything that I used to feel proud of this building, the fond memories that I had are now on ground zero. Nothing remained, but walls that stood still,” he continued.

For Trizer Mansueto, 30, a full bloodied Cebuano historian and curator for research and documentation of the Cathedral Museum of Cebu, it was disbelief on his part when the news of the fire was first conveyed to him by a reporter of Cebu Daily News. For one who stood in awe the first time he gazed on the church and admired the tisa-roofed (tiled) “kumbento,” one of a handful still existing in the province, was deeply sad on what happened.

“I was shocked because the Inmaculada Concepcion church in Oslob is one of the most beautiful that I have seen in Cebu,” said Arnold Carl Sancover, 26 years old, a registered nurse and member and volunteer of the Committee on Archives of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church.

The church foundations were first laid on May 4, 1830 by Fr. Julian Bermejo, the dynamic Augustinian priest of Boljoon, a town north of Oslob. The design was based on plans done by Bishop Santos Gomez Marañon. Finished 18 years later, it has undergone additions and restorations across the years. According to Pedro Galende, OSA, in his book, “Angels in Stone,” the church was first gutted by fire, though a minor one, in 1942 when guerillas burned it and another bigger one that entirely consumed the interior, in 1955. The church’s design, done in neoclassic style, is one of a kind compared to the other colonial era churches in the province built by the Augustinians.

Three months after the fire, plans are afoot to rebuild and restore the church back to its former self. But it would not be cheap. According to Architect Melva Rodriguez-Java in her lecture last June 21 regarding the findings of experts who checked the stability of the foundations and walls, restoration is possible but will cost from P25,000 – P30,000 per square meter or P30 million. Daunting it might be, Arnold Carl thinks that the church will rise again as “a lot of stakeholders have their eyes on this and are following developments closely.”

This recent disaster brought to light conservation efforts and awareness in the province. For Ryan, he laments that it is still a long way. “It’s just mere awareness. Cebu is very rich in heritage but little is done to inform how important these structures are to us, to the whole nation.” Arnold Carl also thinks that there is a need to educate the people about the value of heritage especially the stakeholders. According to Trizer who is in the forefront of heritage advocacy, admits that it is still in its infancy but added that the event was an eye opener for Cebuanos. He considers the Oslob experience as something that should not be taken at a negative light. He noted that a few days later, parish pastoral councils called for meetings to address various issues regarding safety and security of their heritage churches. “Cebuanos are catching up. Some are now beginning to realize the value of heritage. I believe, it is gaining strength and this certainly is something to be happy with.”

Note: My appreciation and thanx to Ryan Cabanlit, Trizer Mansueto and Arnold Carl Sancover for giving their time for the interview.

The church now a shell after the fire as seen from one of the belfry’s window.

View from the altar.

It was a very disheartening experience to see what was left of the beautiful church of Oslob that I visited a week after the fire. I am not a parishioner there but I felt the anguish, the hurt and pain that the townspeople had. Seeing its roofless shell, I cannot help but become teary eyed at the sight. Sayang! I had fond memories of visiting this church a few years ago. Climbing its belfry and roof to get some of the shots shown in the previous posts. Marveling at the simplicity of its architecture and pondering about its history.

I’m hopeful also that the people of Oslob will be able to bring it back just as what they did after the fire of 1955. And I hope to be there once it will rise back again.

To know the extent of the destruction the fire has wreaked on this church, check the previous posts and compare these with the ones shown below.

For purposes of this post, I am featuring the seven major churches of the different religious Orders in Intramuros that existed before WWII. After the war, all but San Agustin was left standing. The Manila Cathedral was rebuilt but the rest never rose again when the Orders abandoned there lots and relocated to other parts of Metro Manila.

San Agustin Church

1 Testament to its solidity and strength of structure, it was only San Agustin that was left standing in the aftermath of World War II.

Considered the Mother of all Churches, construction started in 1587 and was finished in 1607. It is the mother church of the Augustinians.

A more detailed treatment of this church, contained in 24 posts can be found by clicking on the San Agustin tag. You can also go to the start of these posts here.

Manila Cathedral

2 Where else can you find a city in the world where its cathedral was built on the same site seven times?

From its beginnings in the 16th century made of light materials to lofty structures over the centuries destroyed by typhoons, a fire, earthquakes and the last world war, the Manila Cathedral, seat of the Archbishop of Manila (Secular) is like a phoenix that has many times risen from its ashes. The current structure was rebuilt in 1958.

Sto. Domingo Church

3 The Sto. Domingo Church was the fifth to be built on the same site after the fourth was destroyed by the 1863 earthquake, including the Manila Cathedral. Its in the Neo-Gothic/Gothic Revival style and is said to be a literal imitation of the facade of the York Cathedral in England (13th and 14th centuries). It also has one of the beautiful carved main church portal in the country.

The famous image of the Nuestra Senora del Rosario or what is popularly known as the La Naval de Manila is venerated in this church, so named because of the miraculous aide that the Blessed Virgin Mary extended to the Spanish fleet who was victorious over the Dutch in the 17th century. After the war, the Dominicans relocated in Quezon City along Quezon Avenue where the current Sto. Domingo church now stands. The current lot is now occupied by a bank (BPI).

Franciscan Church

4 The Franciscans occupied this site as early as 1577 and dedicated the Franciscan Church to the Nuestra Senora de los Angeles. Perpendicular to it, the Chapel of the Venerable Orden Tercera (VOT or the Venerable Third Order, right).

The Franciscans relocated in Quezon City while the VOT relocated in Sampaloc. The current lot is now occupied by Mapua Institute of Technology.

Augustinian Recollects's Church

5 The pre-war Church and Convent of San Nicolas Tolentino, built in 1881, was the third church to be built by the Recollects on the same site. The second was destroyed in the earthquake of 1863. It has a five tiered belltower and elaborately carved facade.

The Recollects relocated to San Sebastian in Quiapo and the current lot was bought in 1976 by the Manila Bulletin where it built its offices and printing plant.

Right, ruins of the church built before their expulsion; left, new church when they returned to the country

6 The Jesuits before their expulsion in 1768 had their first San Ignacio Church of what is now the location of the Pamantasan Lungsod ng Maynila.

In 1859, they returned to the country but it was only in 1878 that the last San Ignacio Church was started. It was finished in 1889. Done in the Neo-Classical style, it had two flanking towers and an impressive interior done by Filipino artisans. The woodwork done by Isabelo Tampinco is considered to be the height of woodcarving ever achieved in the country. Unfortunately, it was burned by the Japanese during World War II.

The Jesuits relocated in Quezon City and what remained in its present site are the ruins of the church.

Franciscan Capucin Church

7 The Franciscan Capuchins were the last major religious Order to arrive in Intramuros in 1886 and they constructed the Church and Convent of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1891. The church was popular for weddings and first communions but during the war, it sustained heavy damage. Instead of rebuilding it, the Capuchin Fathers relocated in Quezon City.

The site is now occupied by the El Amanecer Building, a shop for arts and crafts.

Plagues and diseases ravage settlements and are abandoned. Volcanoes erupt thereby forcing villagers to transfer locations like what happened in Taal, Batangas where the town and the church have been relocated several times or, as popularly known, the Cagsawa ruins in Albay, covered with the lava flows of Mayon, except its belfry, in the 19th century.

Periodic flooding like that of Laguna Lake which forced the town of Pila, Laguna to transfer to its present site. There were also rivalries and jealousies and a good example is the church in Parian, Cebu City (photo above, c. 1870) which was eventually abandoned and demolished when the Augustinians at the nearby Sto. Nino instigated and successfully had it downgraded into a visita. At the height of the 1898 revolution against Spain, several churches, houses and casas de haciendas were torched.

In the 20th century, World War II had left much ruin and damage when the Americans bombed churches across the country to flush out the Japanese. The magnificent churches of Intramuros were all, except San Agustin, razed to the ground. The same thing with what happened in Cavite Puerto (like Intramuros, it has a settlement, 8 churches and other structures were enclosed within the fortification walls) where only the belfry of the Recollect church was left standing. Just like in the previous centuries, earthquakes also took their toll. The one in 1990 totally destroyed the one in Vintar, Ilocos Norte.

But one other factor that led to the destruction of churches in the last century was brought about by human neglect and indifference. The church in Opon in Cebu was bulldozed upon orders of the Dutch priests assigned there. The columned Recollect Church (current location of USJR main campus, Cebu City) was demolished when the Recollects decided to build a modern parish structure.

Fire gutted out the one in Camalaniugan, Cagayan just a month before I visited the place around 2 – 3 years ago and during that time, it was just the belfry left standing with its priceless bell, said to be the oldest in Southeast Asia (dated 1595). Progress has also contributed. Pantabangan in Nueva Ecija was submerged when the dam was built.

We are now conscious of our rich heritage now and we should make sure that what we can preserve should be preserved.