A Selection of Philippine Church Facades

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2 A Selection of Philippine Church Facades

3 2009 SIMBAHAN.NET Concept, layout, text, design and photos by Estan Cabigas Cover: Pediment detail of the church in Lucban, Quezon.

4 Table of Contents About this e-book, vii About the Photographer, viii Simbahan, Majestic Structures, 1, 3 The Images, 4 Tayum, Abra, 5 Laoag, Ilocos Norte, 6 San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, 7 Luna, La Union, 8 Balaoan, La Union, 9 Calasiao, Pangasinan, 10 Manaoag, Pangasinan, 11 Tuguegarao, Cagayan, 12 Tumauini, Isabela, 13 Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya, 14 Angeles, Pampanga, 15 iv

5 Barasoain, Bulacan, 16 Calumpit, Bulacan, 17 Malolos, Bulacan, 18 Abucay, Bataan, 19 Malabon, Metro Manila, 20 (Manila Cathedral) Intramuros, Manila, 21 (San Agustin) Intramuros, Manila, 22 Pasig, Metro Manila, 23 Nagcarlan, Laguna, 24 Pakil, Laguna, 25 Taal, Batangas, 26 Lucban, Quezon, 27 Tayabas, Quezon, 28 Romblon, Romblon, 29 Cuyo, Palawan, 30 Naga, Camarines Sur, 31 v

6 Tabaco, Albay, 32 Guiuan, Eastern Samar, 33 Argao, Cebu, 34 Carcar, Cebu, 35 Naga, Cebu, 36 (Santo Niño) Cebu City, 37 Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, 38 Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, 39 Index to the Images, 40 vi

7 About this e-book This e-book brings you a selection of 35 churches that were included in the PHILIPPINE CHURCH FAÇADES book as photographed by Estan Cabigas in 23 provinces from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. vii

8 About the Photographer Estan Cabigas is a freelance documentary photographer based in Makati City, the Philippines. The book PHILIPPINE CHURCH FAÇADES is his first major work being the principal photographer who took 100 of the 160 featured churches. viii

9 Simbahan, Majestic Structures Simbahan. What originated as a word connoting a three centuries, have been mute witnesses to the unfolding history of its people s lives and daily struggles. place of adoration, a temporary structure or refurbishment made in honor of anitos, (lesser deities), during feasts in pre-hispanic Philippines has, with the conversion of its inhabitants to Christianity during the Spanish colonization period, come to mean a permanent place of worship, a church. The colonial church, imposing and grand as what the friars planned and built was more a product of what materials were available, of what natural disasters conspired to shape it, of what extant memory the padre has of the flamboyant churches in the mother country in Spain or, in most cases, those in Mexico From their itinerant lifestyles and widely scattered settlements, the reducciones, the system implemented by the Spaniards to hasten the Christianization and Hispanization of the natives, has led to the formation of Christian communities thus founding the towns and and of what the artisans, without a concept of how a Baroque church actually looked like, eventually executed their versions of it to become a truly unique Philippine version that most scholars now categorize under Peripheral Baroque. later, cities. The simbahan thus, emblems of faith and authority for most of these communities for more than It is this uniqueness that has made the Philippine colonial churches special that makes it more apparent to 1

10 conserve these, or what remains of it. Unfortunately, rainbow. The list can go on and on. through the years, wanton destruction and neglect has There is a need to know what we still have or what we have lost and in the process hope that something can be done about it before its too late and a major Filipino identity will just become a distant memory preserved in pictures and words. Estan Cabigas taken its toll. Eager parish priests and parishioners have made their mark on these churches to update their look with the times. Parts of a section have been demolished to give way to a wider door or an additional portal or to construct an adoration chapel. Centuries old ceiling paintings, testament to folk artistry, erased forever and in its place poor copies of Michaelangelo s masterpiece from the Sistine Chapel. Paletada, the skin that covers the exterior of the church is peeled off to appease some peoples concept of a romantic look but in the process weakening the very building blocks. Or demolishing an original structure and with it anything old and aging and in its place, a gaudy piece of concrete painted with the colors of the 2

PHILIPPINE CHURCH FAÇADES by Pedro Galende, OSA, director of San Agustin Museum has brought us another landmark work that will surely benefit the study and appreciation of heritage colonial churches

11 PHILIPPINE CHURCH FAÇADES by Pedro Galende, OSA, director of San Agustin Museum has brought us another landmark work that will surely benefit the study and appreciation of heritage colonial churches in the Philippines. archival photograph as well as two, three, or four facade details like embelishments, finials, columns and the order s seals are included. The text is usually limited to a short history and architectural description of the structure. Never in this scale and magnitude, that a work has been devoted to 160 colonial era churches in the country found from Luzon to Mindanao. This book includes the edifices built by the Seculars and the different religious orders: Recollects, Dominicans, Jesuits, Franciscans and of course, the Augustinians in the 16th-19th centuries. Get this book to fully appreciate this important reference. Copies are availabe at the San Agustin Museum The book consists of over 600 colored and 161 archival photos. Each church is treated in two pages. in Intramuros, Manila with contact numbers at or Other than the main photo of the current facade, an 3

12 The Images

13 Tayum, Abra 5

14 Laoag, Ilocos Norte 6

15 San Vicente, Ilocos Sur 7

16 Luna, La Union 8

17 Balaoan, La Union 9

18 Calasiao, Pangasinan 10

19 Manaoag, Pangasinan 11

20 Tuguegarao, Cagayan 12

21 Tumauini, Isabela 13

22 Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya 14

23 Angeles, Pampanga 15

24 Barasoain, Bulacan 16

25 Calumpit, Bulacan 17

26 Malolos, Bulacan 18

27 Abucay, Bataan 19

28 Malabon, Metro Manila 20

29 (Manila Cathedral) Intramuros, Manila 21

30 (San Agustin) Intramuros, Manila 22

31 Pasig, Metro Manila 23

32 Nagcarlan, Laguna 24

33 Pakil, Laguna 25

34 Taal, Batangas 26

35 Lucban, Quezon 27

36 Tayabas, Quezon 28

37 Romblon, Romblon 29

38 Cuyo, Palawan 30

39 Naga, Camarines Sur 31

40 Tabaco, Albay 32

41 Guiuan, Eastern Samar 33

42 Argao, Cebu 34

43 Carcar, Cebu 35

44 Naga, Cebu 36

45 (Santo Niño) Cebu City 37

46 Jimenez, Misamis Occidental 38

47 Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte 39

48 Index to the Images

51 Visit Estan s photography portfolio and blogs at - Photography Portfolio - Philippine Church Architecture blog - Travel blog 43

52 End

Status of Philippine Mission. A Look at the Current State of Mission among Churches of Christ

Status of Philippine Mission. A Look at the Current State of Mission among Churches of Christ Status of Philippine Mission A Look at the Current State of Mission among Churches of Christ Land Area / Language 298,192 Km2 (115,133 sq. miles, almost same size as Georgia and Alabama put together) An