The current Talisay church still has its original facade in place as well as portions of the wall along the nave and transept at gospel side. Unfortunately, recent expansions and additions are just horrible and doesn’t harmonize with the facade that it undermines the massiveness of the twin belfries.

Perhaps the overall beauty of the church facade is carried by the massive and grandiose flanking twin belfries that doubles as front buttresses, precede the entrance and pediment that easily catches the attention of the viewer. Today, its only the left side that still has its bells intact with two still sturdy wooden ladders that carries one to the upper levels.

The embelishments on the facade are subtle that a casual observer might fail to notice it from a distance. One of the striking decoration is the triangle found just below the statue of the patron saint, St. Therese of Avila. Representing the Trinity, it has 40 rays emanating from it. I am not sure if the original has an eye drawn at the center but now its just a plain surface.

The city of Talisay, located around 12 kilometers south of Cebu City at the eastern side of this island province, was formerly an estate or hacienda of the Augustinians and was a visita of San Nicolas. As early as 1589, the first recorded rebellion in Cebu happened here when land was acquired by a Spanish colonist and angered a few Cebuanos who then rebelled but were swiftly quelled, executed and their possessions sold at auction.

The back end of the camposanto is a wall filled with niches. During the colonial era, families of stature are interred here while the general public were buried at the grounds. The material used is not only limestone blocks but also bricks which form the frame of the niche as well as at the top portion of the columns. The capital are tuscan but some are already missing.

The cemetery capilla or chapel is octagonal in form with three gated entrances. It is found at the center of the camposanto grounds just like in Miag-ao and San Joaquin, this province. Unlike in Dalaguete and Argao in Cebu and EB Magalona in Negros Occidental which are located at the back, connected to the perimeter wall.

Entrance into the cemetery is via three stone archways conveniently distanced, about a few meters from each other. All have the same design from the iron cross, the floral motif, down to the columns, lunettes and gate. A pair of urn like finials used to decorate the sides of the top arch. Now, only on finial remains which can be found at the right arch.

The octagonal capilla of the Cabatuan cemetery. The camposanto of Cabatuan is one of the country’s well maintained and artistic cemeteries, one of a few extant structures that have survived in Iloilo province. It is located along the highway, just a few kilometers before the massive and equally beautiful brick church in this municipality.

This book covers all the Augustinian built churches in the country authored by Pedro Galende, OSA.

One of the most accessible book on Philippine Churches is the earlier landmark work of Pedro G. Galende, OSA, Director of the San Agustin Musuem, entitled Angels in Stone: Augustinian Churches in the Philippines. It has been dubbed as the first comprehensive documentation of Augustinian churches in the Philippines and the most authoratitative piece of literature in its class. Here the author documents the 162 churches that the Augustinians have erected in the country from the start of their evangelization in 1565 until the end of Spanish administration in 1898 spanning a good 333 years.

The beautiful and ancient church of San Agustin San Agustin, the oldest stone church in the country has the distinction of being made entirely of stone and the first earthquake-proof structure to be erected on Philippine soil. It is solid, compact and well executed that it has survived earthquakes, bombings and both natural and man-made disasters in its 400 years of existence.

San Agustin: Art and History, 1571 – 2000 by Pedro Galende, OSA and Regalado Trota Jose, both noted and respected figures of Philippine colonial church history and its ardent supporters and proponents, is a wonderful book on the oldest stone church in the country. It is a follow-up to the first author’s work, San Agustin: Noble Stone Shrine, which was published 10 years before this title.

Chinese fu dogs/lions guard the portals and the patio of San Agustin: four located at the facade with one (not shown) have a broken part of the head, and two at the front entrance of the low fence around the patio. One figure is holding its baby while two other figures seem to be playing and holding a ball. These are interesting since these are clearly Chinese in origin but is part of a Christian religious structure.

Just before one enters San Agustin, one is already introduced to the massive and richly carved portal bearing the symbols of the Augustinian order as well as the carvings of the order’s founder and his mother. It awes. Its rocaille embellishments, said to be a characteristic of Rococo, a successor to the Baroque style, are highly stylized forms of leaves, rocks and shells.