One can easily get distracted by the expanse of sugarcane fields that spread at both sides of the highway in Murcia town. And if you’re not observant enough, you’ll not notice the crumbling heritage arch of Murcia cemetery at the edge of the field. It is located in between this expanse and about 650 meters …
Maasin City is the capital of Southern Leyte is one of the oldest towns in the province and is the seat of the Diocese of Maasin. The Jesuits founded the town in the 1700s. After their expulsion, the Augustinians took over. In 1843, the Franciscans started evangelization. Located 1.5 kilometers east of the cathedral, a …
It was during a visit in Pulilan, on the occasion of the Kneeling Carabao Festival last month that I have finally explored more of this municipality in Bulacan. Before, I just pass the town enroute to Baliuag or Cagayan Valley and only know when I’m there once I see the statue of a kneeling carabao …
Mangarin is considered as one of the oldest town in Mindoro and said to be founded by the Augustinian Recollects in the 17th century although I haven’t found yet a document that says all these. The island of Mindoro was one of the most affected with the Muslim slave raidings that many of its town …
It was way back in October 2006 when I visited some cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental in search of old churches and cemeteries that I stumbled this one in Bago City, a Spanish colonial era cemetery that still retained its original entrance arch, portions of its perimeter fence and some interesting tombs inside. The …
I actually had second thoughts of visiting Donsol’s cemetery because of the inclement weather but when I passed by it along the national road and the house that I was shooting was just nearby, I really had no choice but to visit it. Donsol in Sorsogon is quite remote. And as I was already in …
Nagcarlan’s underground crypt is one of the unique landmarks in the Philippines. Built by the Franciscan Friar, Fray Fray Vicente Velloc in 1845, it is one of the few octagonal cemeteries existing in the country. Declared as a National Historical Landmark in 1973, it has undergone a series of restorations with the most recent resulted …
The town of Nagcarlan in Laguna isn’t only known for its cooler weather, being at an elevated area and at the foot of Mt. San Cristobal. It is not only known as the church where the local TV series was filmed, Ang Kampanerang Kuba, but more importantly, it is known for its unique cemetery with …
After two attempts of visiting Bauang as a side trip to shoot the celebrated San Pedro bell, I was finally successful for the third time, after a visit to the the Manaoag Shrine as well as its Catholic and municipal cemeteries in Pangasinan. All because I want to see the bell that was returned to …
The middle of the 18th to mid 19th century was not a good time for much of the coastal towns especially in the Visayas. Slave raiding by the Iranuns commissioned by the Sulu Sultanate devastated much of these communities. It was in this circumstances that the town of Catmon in the province of Cebu was …
It was thru the Jesuit priest Antonio Sedeño that the use of stone in building was introduced in Manila. After the great fire of 1583 where candles for the funeral of the fourth Governor General, Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa, consumed the then simple San Agustin Church and engulfed much of the other structures within the …
The belfry of Balilihan is one of the unique belfries in Bohol in that it is the farthest positioned from the present church, atop a hill overlooking a wide area. It not only acted as a bell tower but during the Spanish era and World War II, was utilized as a watchtower due to its …
History wasn’t really so good for coastal communities in Negros Oriental, like many coastal communities for most of Visayas, Bicol, Palawan and Northern Mindanao. During the height of the Muslim slave raiding which reached its peak in the early 19th century, several towns were pillaged and townsfolks sent to be sold in the slave market …
Lost in the row of houses in Barangay Luyang in Carmen, Cebu is a small fort that, unfortunately has been ruined and almost obliterated as vegetation and human habitation has overun this structure. Well, except for a section of the walls and a part of the watchtower. Cebu was one of the hardest hit areas …
Tucked inside the Central Bank Complex in Manila and just behind the Metropolitan Museum of Manila is one of the city’s existing fort, Fuerte de San Antonio Abad. The beginnings of this structure dates back to 1584 as a means of protecting the southern part of the city. However, it was taken over by the …