The Loop

Whenever I go to a vacation anywhere in the Philippines, I make sure that I try to check out the oldest Catholic church in that area.  Although I am not Catholic, I have this fondness for this kind of structures.  I see them on the historical, cultural and aesthetic aspects.


I've had the privilege to see some of the oldest in Luzon and the Visayas, I am yet set foot in Mindanao.


Hands down, I could say with conviction that the Rizal-Laguna Province has the collection of the most stunning churches in the country.  They are very well-preserved that stay true to the original form.  I have seen older churches in a few provinces, but they have already been altered almost blasphemously, like replacing old floor tiles with bathroom tiles, the kind that goes on sale in home depots.


It is hard for me to rank them based on over-all beauty because each has its own particular charm, so I will just present them according to the order by which you see them coming from Antipolo, Rizal and ending with Nagcarlan, Laguna.


SAINT JEROME CHURCH, Morong, Rizal.

The facade is its centerpiece, with the very intricate design...

you can't be unimpressed as soon as you enter the church's elevated compound...

which makes up for the bareness of its interior.

SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH, Baras, Rizal.

What I love about this church is the gruffness of the dark adobe that it is made of inside and out.  I am not sure how much repairs it underwent, but this is probably the most unaltered of all the churches, except for its iron roofing.

It is so rustic bordering on the eerie...

See the bats?

SAN ILDEFONSO CHURCH, Tanay, Rizal.

I also love the dark worn out look to it but it lacked the oomph that makes your heart jump at first sight.

The same can be said about the interior...

it is spacious but lackluster.  But it would still shame some of the old churches I've seen elsewhere.

SAINT PETER OF ALCANTARA CHURCH, Pakil, Laguna.

Even if I am biased for this one having half my roots coming from nearby Pangil, I believe you would agree that this one has one, if not the best, facade among the churches.  It is beautifully aged outside...

while having the most elaborate altar inside.  The Pieta painting on the ceiling looks embossed but is actually just artfully hand-painted.

A bonus is that you can access the living quarters of the church caretakers, in which you can also see the collection of dresses of the Lady of Turumba and the exquisitely carved altar in the prayer room as shown above.

SAINT JAMES THE APOSTLE CHURCH, Paete, Laguna.

What make this church different are the vine and flower carvings unusually seen in Catholic churches.  The wall for me actually looks like a giant toasted uraro (powdery cookies made of arrowroot flour).

I love the wood parquet ceiling which makes it stand out from the rest of the churches which usually have painted ones.

Another important attraction of this church are the huge centuries old  paintings inside that are sadly left to decay.  I hope the National Historical Institute and the local government do some serious restoration before they become unsalvageable...

but then again, I am not very hopeful when they built this hideous looking platform obstructing what could be a beautiful view from the side.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CHURCH, Pagsanjan, Laguna.

Now, this is the kind of simplicity that I like.  Immaculate, that matches the...

simplicity of the altar.  If you would look more closely, you'd see the impeccable skill of the tinsmith in crafting the altar.

PARISH OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD CHURCH, Cavinti, Laguna.

Looks a little like Baras Church plus the stained glass windows minus the eeriness...

with plain...

interior.

SAINT MARY MAGDALENE CHURCH, Magdalena, Laguna.

This one has the biggest compound among the churches, partly because the municipal hall shares it.  A favorite location for movies that it is called the Hollywood of Laguna.

The newly restored ceiling.  It fell and was being repaired when we first went there.

PARISH OF SAN GREGORIO MAGNO, Majayjay, Laguna.

This is probably the tallest and the biggest of the churches but the drama is not in the frontispiece...

but in the side walls that evoke a Parisian ambiance!

The very old twin trees also added to the old world feel!

The interior is not one to be ignored as well!

SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, Liliw, Laguna.

This one has one of the nicest compounds because even the perimeter wall is made of red bricks.  My only problem is that parking is very limited and the area outside has the busiest and narrowest streets.  But if you want to go shopping for footwear, this is the place for you.

But I'd say this has the most expensively elegant interior. 

It looked solid and meticulous.

SAINT BARTHOLOMEW CHURCH, Nagcarlan, Laguna.

I also love the frontispiece but I am not liking the front yard cum parking space that appears overlooked in terms of maintenance.

The interior is rather dark and...

not quite altogether...

but the climb to the belfry is the clincher...

with the photo op with a huge really old bell...

 and a spectacular view of the mountains and the surrounding towns.

NAGCARLAN UNDERGROUND CEMETERY

I know this is not a church but since you're in Nagcarlan already, you might want to drop by.  I would say that it is a very well maintained historical site.

The chapel...

the interior...

the crypt underneath where only the most affluent but very dead bodies are buried.

It can give you the creeps... sometimes.

So there, our answer to Cambodia-Thailand's old temples in one easy sweep.  See them before some culturally and historically challenged local government officials or church leaders decide to go panic buying at some builder expo somewhere.