My OperaVISITA IGLESIA 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010 10:40:04 AM
Last Holy Wednesday, we were once again invited by Lemuel & Happy, to our yearly traditional
Visita Iglesia, this time visiting the old churches in Cebu province, namely, Minglanilla and southwestern towns of Barili, Dumanjug, Ronda, (we missed Alcantara church), Moalboal, Badian and
Alegria.
MINGLANILLA Church - Patron Saint: Inmaculate Heart of Mary
Historical Notes
Minglanilla's former name was: Linao
Father Fernando Lopez, Minglanilla’s first parish priest, is credited as the founder of the town in 1858. Nicolas Lopez, Miguel de Burgo and Jose Alonso worked together in the construction of the church and the cemetery. Its roads and bridges were built by the same Fr. Lopez together with Fr. Magaz. In 1858, it was renamed Minglanilla by Fr. Lopez, after a place in Spain.
There were a number of capitanes who headed the town during the Spanish era. The first capitan was Hilario Castañares. During the American regime when the town headsman was called president, the first to serve as such was Canuto Larrobis. The first to be elected municipal mayor was Gregorio de la Calzada.
But what was the former name of Minglanilla? It was called Linao. In 1858, it was renamed Minglanilla by Fr. Lopez, after a place in Spain.
A popular legend explains the name of a barangay in Minglanilla. It is puzzling that Barrio Linao is so-called when there is no body of water in this locality. Linao in Cebuano means lake/bay. The legend goes:
It is told that Linao before was a bay, a favorite place for Chinese traders to anchor their frigates. At first the natives were afraid of the slit-eyed, fair-complexioned foreigners that they fled inland.
To attract the inhabitants to trade with them, the Chinese left their merchandise on the shore and sailed away. Soon enough, the natives got the wares and exchanged them with precious stones. The barter went on with honest natives always repaying the goods with valuables.
One day, because there was no wind at all, the boats could not set sail. To raise wind, the boat’s captain decided to make his dog dance. This was an act of sacrilege on the part of the anitos or native gods, who sent strong winds, lightning, thunder and heavy rains which inundated the place. The frigates sunk and all the Chinese drowned. The following day, the bay was no more. Instead, there was a wide plain where barangay Linao stands today.
A big socio-religious event in Minglanilla which attracts not only people from adjacent towns but also from Cebu City and farther, is the Sugat. Sugat in Cebuano means meeting. On Black Saturday night, a public dance is held at the Church Plaza to witness the re-enactment of the “meeting” of the risen Christ and His mother. Their images, borne on richly-decorated carrozas, meet amidst joyous songs and the presence of child angels suspended by wires.
BARILI CHURCH - Patron Saint: St. Anne (Sta. Ana)
The word Barili comes from the name of a local grass called balili.
The municipality was founded in 1632, though the parish of Barili was established in 1614. A cross was planted by Spaniards led by Captain Juan Juarado on their arrival in 1602, and still exists today.
It gradually evolved into a town, now the Municipality of Barili. In those days, Barili was one of the most coveted towns in the island because of its fertile soil where excellent tobacco thrived. During that time, a town was run by an encomendiero, a person responsible for the protection and welfare of the town. In 1632, Doña Catalina Jiminez, the encomendiera died. When word about her death reached Captain Juan Fernandez de Leon, a Manila resident, he filed a petition to become the next encomendiero of Barili. And on November 5, 1633, his petition was granted.
Began by Padre Juan Alcoseba in 1887, the church of Barili as it looks today, took over a hundred years to complete. Foundation is made of coral stones gathered by the parishioners and even schoolchildren from the ruins and remnants of the old church in the pueblo area somewhere near the Barili Central School.
DUMANJUG Church - Patron Saint: St. Francis of Assisi
Dumanjug church is probably the most handsome of the 19th century churches in western Cebu. Made of finely cut coral, it hews closer to the neoclassical idiom for the sedate and chaste simplicity of its decorative elements. The bell tower to one side of the church has a dodecagonal plan, usual for colonial churches. Although made of three stories the floors are unusually high; this is a general characteristic of the church. The engaged pilasters only add to the general sense of height. The facade's lofty elevation is broken only by double pediment.
Established as a parish on 28 March 1854, Dumanjug had as patron saint, Saint Francis of Assisi. It was formerly a visita of Barili.
As written on the Historical Marker:
• This old structure was completed in 1864, as engraved at the main entrance. Its construction started in circa 1854, when the Dumanjug Mission Post was elevated into a parish. The work was commissioned by the Spanish Bishop Romualdo Jimeno, O. P. and was undertaken by the pioneering Pilipino Secular Priest, Rev. Fr. Matias Cabrera and Doroteo Godinez, with the free labor support of the early natives.The basic materials used are sea corals stone, limestone and balayong (native black wood) which were abundant in the area then. It is interesting to note that this is one of the few old church structures in Cebu and probably in the whole Philippines, which was designed, executed, supervised and completed by Filipinos themselves.The year 2004 marks the 150th Founding Anniversary of the parish with St. Francis of Assisi as the titular.
• Centennial Historical Committee
Our notes: We were unable to see the church interior as it was totally closed on Holy Wednesday.
The historical marker written above was only made of painted plain GI sheet and
paint-lettered but the inscription can hardly be read because paint had already peeled
off. It is quite surprising that none of the eminent and prominent families of Dumanjug,
among them the politically-influential Garcia family, had not been able to have the
historical marker done in brass for posterity.
RONDA CHURCH - Patron Saint: Our Lady of Sorrows (Virgen de Soledad)
Ronda Cebu was called "HULYAW", a banana plant which grew abundantly along the banks of the settlement .It has originated with a popular legendary story of Jolo, a pirate from Jolo who came to plunder the village to loot and run away with properties and kidnap natives, who would be heard shouting “Jolo, ayaw!” or "Jolo don't.
There are two reasons why the town so-called name Ronda. First, Ronda before was a favorite hiding place of insurrectos or rebels and the law enforcers would raid (Ronda in Spanish) the town, while the 2nd reason which is more plausible one, is that the early Spaniards proposed the name because the place strikingly resembled Ronda in Spain. Both places are between highlands.
MOALBOAL CHURCH - Patron Saint: San Juan de Nepomuceno
Top photo: The new church of Moalboal
Bottom photo: Facade of the old Moalboal church
The parish of Moalboal was declared in 1852 under the advocacy of San Juan Nepomuceno.
The church, made from coral stones, was started by Fr. Agustin Melgar and was finished 38 years later in 1890 by its second parish priest, Fr. Pedro Brigaudit.
The facade design follows the Badian template but executed more elegantly consisting of three tiers with its triangular pediment, a pair of round windows and three portals at the central part. Several bas reliefs as well as fluted columns makes the front interesting.
Of all the churches in Cebu, this is the only one that was abandoned due to building defects. In 1956, a major renovation was done. The church was expanded including a massive belfry at the top. The facade and rear of the structure was retained while the walls were taken down and replaced with cement. Due to the rusting of the reinforcing metal bars of the walls and columns, it expanded and created fissures that the building was abandoned. A modern structure was then built right beside it.
Historically, the parish church is significant for it is the first and the oldest building of the town of Moalboal that manifested the unity of the Moalboalanons. Establishment of parish, then, was a joint concurrent activity of the local ordinary. The forebears of Moalboal concretely exhibited their jubilation by the building of the church structure sometime in the eighteenth century. The parish of Moalboal was established on Feb. 6, 1852. the town’s patron saint is San Juan Nepomuceno. The structure was strategically located at the center of the town.
Architecturally and ever aesthetically significant is the facade of the church where the stone carvings were beautifully and skillfully crafted in the coral stones. The structures were of Spanish baroque influence.
BADIAN CHURCH - Patron Saint: St. James the Apostle
Badian was separated as a parish from Barili in 1825 under the advocacy of Santiago de Apostol. Its church is unique compared to the others in the island province with its squat and unusual porticoed facade with four quadrilateral columns supporting a triangular pediment. Simple floral bas reliefs decorate these and four jar-shaped finials are found at each corner.
The original belfry, now built at it’s side, used to sit atop the pediment, but was taken down in 1990 upon the advice of NHI to ease pressure on the two free columns. The church still has its original and beautiful wooden retablo.
From Sun*Star News (Sunday, March 16, 2003)
Burglars stole the image of St. James the Apostle, the Parish patron saint, as well as the head of the image of St. Joseph.
The images of both St. James and St. Joseph, made of wood, have been in the Badian church since the Spaniards built it in 1825, Parishioners said their patron’s image had a helmet and sword made of silver and gold. His horse also reportedly had reins made of gold.
They took the image of St. James and his horse but left behind the base where the figure of a dying warrior and his spear were attached. (Devotees explained that St. James was the patron saint to pray to during times of war.)
Parishioners claimed that this was not the first time their church was burglarized.
In 1979, five chalices and the pulpit, all from the Spanish period, were taken.
In 2000, the image of the Lady of Good Counsel was also stolen, even if it was hidden inside the convent. 5Years ago, they also said the image of St. James was once taken to the city to be fixed and when it was returned, one of his horse’s reins was missing.
But the saint reportedly could not accept it and parishioners swore they heard a horse galloping, as though uneasy that one of his reins was missing. The thief was reportedly bothered by his conscience and returned the missing rein, leaving it right by the icon.
”He must be in Cotabato or Iraq. He will come back after the war’, a parishioner said.
ALEGRIA CHURCH - Patron Saint: St. Francis Xavier
Alegria used to be barrio Tubod under the Municipality of Samboan, long before 1857. The name Tubod was derived from a famous spring which served both inhabitants and travelers alike for its crystalline and cool waters both for drinking and other purposes, under the shade of talisay trees. Ideally located in what is now sitio Sta. Rosa, Poblacion, it became the site for community celebrations. In one of these native festivities - feasting, drinking, singing and dancing in gay abandon, the first Spanish soldiers to visit the locality arrived.
They were welcomed to the celebration which they readily joined in. In a moment of extreme joy, stimulated by the native tuba drink, one of them shouted in joy “QUE ALEGRE, O ALEGRIA!” His comrades joined in unison: “ALEGRIA, ALEGRIA!” The word in Spanish for happiness or joy. And the name stuck from then on for barrio Tubod. It may also be worth to mention that all the barrios of Alegria bear Spanish names: Poblacion comprising the barrios of Sta. Rosa and San Roque, Sta. Filomena,
Legaspi, Montpeller, Lepanto, Guadalupe, Compostela, Madridejos and Valencia.
In 1857, Alegria became a municipality and its official name. The late Capitan Tolero was its first town executive and its first parish priest was Rev. Felix de la Concepcion.
Notes: All source materials, except our own photographs and a few notes, are copied from private and public blogs/webpages, too numerous to cite. However, a few portions of original text were edited for brevity and grammatical lapses. To the writers and owners of the blog sites & webpages, I wish to express my gratitude for the use of such materials.
Visita Iglesia, this time visiting the old churches in Cebu province, namely, Minglanilla and southwestern towns of Barili, Dumanjug, Ronda, (we missed Alcantara church), Moalboal, Badian and
Alegria.
MINGLANILLA Church - Patron Saint: Inmaculate Heart of Mary
Historical Notes
Minglanilla's former name was: Linao
Father Fernando Lopez, Minglanilla’s first parish priest, is credited as the founder of the town in 1858. Nicolas Lopez, Miguel de Burgo and Jose Alonso worked together in the construction of the church and the cemetery. Its roads and bridges were built by the same Fr. Lopez together with Fr. Magaz. In 1858, it was renamed Minglanilla by Fr. Lopez, after a place in Spain.
There were a number of capitanes who headed the town during the Spanish era. The first capitan was Hilario Castañares. During the American regime when the town headsman was called president, the first to serve as such was Canuto Larrobis. The first to be elected municipal mayor was Gregorio de la Calzada.
But what was the former name of Minglanilla? It was called Linao. In 1858, it was renamed Minglanilla by Fr. Lopez, after a place in Spain.
A popular legend explains the name of a barangay in Minglanilla. It is puzzling that Barrio Linao is so-called when there is no body of water in this locality. Linao in Cebuano means lake/bay. The legend goes:
It is told that Linao before was a bay, a favorite place for Chinese traders to anchor their frigates. At first the natives were afraid of the slit-eyed, fair-complexioned foreigners that they fled inland.
To attract the inhabitants to trade with them, the Chinese left their merchandise on the shore and sailed away. Soon enough, the natives got the wares and exchanged them with precious stones. The barter went on with honest natives always repaying the goods with valuables.
One day, because there was no wind at all, the boats could not set sail. To raise wind, the boat’s captain decided to make his dog dance. This was an act of sacrilege on the part of the anitos or native gods, who sent strong winds, lightning, thunder and heavy rains which inundated the place. The frigates sunk and all the Chinese drowned. The following day, the bay was no more. Instead, there was a wide plain where barangay Linao stands today.
A big socio-religious event in Minglanilla which attracts not only people from adjacent towns but also from Cebu City and farther, is the Sugat. Sugat in Cebuano means meeting. On Black Saturday night, a public dance is held at the Church Plaza to witness the re-enactment of the “meeting” of the risen Christ and His mother. Their images, borne on richly-decorated carrozas, meet amidst joyous songs and the presence of child angels suspended by wires.
BARILI CHURCH - Patron Saint: St. Anne (Sta. Ana)
The word Barili comes from the name of a local grass called balili.
The municipality was founded in 1632, though the parish of Barili was established in 1614. A cross was planted by Spaniards led by Captain Juan Juarado on their arrival in 1602, and still exists today.
It gradually evolved into a town, now the Municipality of Barili. In those days, Barili was one of the most coveted towns in the island because of its fertile soil where excellent tobacco thrived. During that time, a town was run by an encomendiero, a person responsible for the protection and welfare of the town. In 1632, Doña Catalina Jiminez, the encomendiera died. When word about her death reached Captain Juan Fernandez de Leon, a Manila resident, he filed a petition to become the next encomendiero of Barili. And on November 5, 1633, his petition was granted.
Began by Padre Juan Alcoseba in 1887, the church of Barili as it looks today, took over a hundred years to complete. Foundation is made of coral stones gathered by the parishioners and even schoolchildren from the ruins and remnants of the old church in the pueblo area somewhere near the Barili Central School.
DUMANJUG Church - Patron Saint: St. Francis of Assisi
Dumanjug church is probably the most handsome of the 19th century churches in western Cebu. Made of finely cut coral, it hews closer to the neoclassical idiom for the sedate and chaste simplicity of its decorative elements. The bell tower to one side of the church has a dodecagonal plan, usual for colonial churches. Although made of three stories the floors are unusually high; this is a general characteristic of the church. The engaged pilasters only add to the general sense of height. The facade's lofty elevation is broken only by double pediment.
Established as a parish on 28 March 1854, Dumanjug had as patron saint, Saint Francis of Assisi. It was formerly a visita of Barili.
As written on the Historical Marker:
• This old structure was completed in 1864, as engraved at the main entrance. Its construction started in circa 1854, when the Dumanjug Mission Post was elevated into a parish. The work was commissioned by the Spanish Bishop Romualdo Jimeno, O. P. and was undertaken by the pioneering Pilipino Secular Priest, Rev. Fr. Matias Cabrera and Doroteo Godinez, with the free labor support of the early natives.The basic materials used are sea corals stone, limestone and balayong (native black wood) which were abundant in the area then. It is interesting to note that this is one of the few old church structures in Cebu and probably in the whole Philippines, which was designed, executed, supervised and completed by Filipinos themselves.The year 2004 marks the 150th Founding Anniversary of the parish with St. Francis of Assisi as the titular.
• Centennial Historical Committee
Our notes: We were unable to see the church interior as it was totally closed on Holy Wednesday.
The historical marker written above was only made of painted plain GI sheet and
paint-lettered but the inscription can hardly be read because paint had already peeled
off. It is quite surprising that none of the eminent and prominent families of Dumanjug,
among them the politically-influential Garcia family, had not been able to have the
historical marker done in brass for posterity.
RONDA CHURCH - Patron Saint: Our Lady of Sorrows (Virgen de Soledad)
Ronda Cebu was called "HULYAW", a banana plant which grew abundantly along the banks of the settlement .It has originated with a popular legendary story of Jolo, a pirate from Jolo who came to plunder the village to loot and run away with properties and kidnap natives, who would be heard shouting “Jolo, ayaw!” or "Jolo don't.
There are two reasons why the town so-called name Ronda. First, Ronda before was a favorite hiding place of insurrectos or rebels and the law enforcers would raid (Ronda in Spanish) the town, while the 2nd reason which is more plausible one, is that the early Spaniards proposed the name because the place strikingly resembled Ronda in Spain. Both places are between highlands.
MOALBOAL CHURCH - Patron Saint: San Juan de Nepomuceno
Top photo: The new church of Moalboal
Bottom photo: Facade of the old Moalboal church
The parish of Moalboal was declared in 1852 under the advocacy of San Juan Nepomuceno.
The church, made from coral stones, was started by Fr. Agustin Melgar and was finished 38 years later in 1890 by its second parish priest, Fr. Pedro Brigaudit.
The facade design follows the Badian template but executed more elegantly consisting of three tiers with its triangular pediment, a pair of round windows and three portals at the central part. Several bas reliefs as well as fluted columns makes the front interesting.
Of all the churches in Cebu, this is the only one that was abandoned due to building defects. In 1956, a major renovation was done. The church was expanded including a massive belfry at the top. The facade and rear of the structure was retained while the walls were taken down and replaced with cement. Due to the rusting of the reinforcing metal bars of the walls and columns, it expanded and created fissures that the building was abandoned. A modern structure was then built right beside it.
Historically, the parish church is significant for it is the first and the oldest building of the town of Moalboal that manifested the unity of the Moalboalanons. Establishment of parish, then, was a joint concurrent activity of the local ordinary. The forebears of Moalboal concretely exhibited their jubilation by the building of the church structure sometime in the eighteenth century. The parish of Moalboal was established on Feb. 6, 1852. the town’s patron saint is San Juan Nepomuceno. The structure was strategically located at the center of the town.
Architecturally and ever aesthetically significant is the facade of the church where the stone carvings were beautifully and skillfully crafted in the coral stones. The structures were of Spanish baroque influence.
BADIAN CHURCH - Patron Saint: St. James the Apostle
Badian was separated as a parish from Barili in 1825 under the advocacy of Santiago de Apostol. Its church is unique compared to the others in the island province with its squat and unusual porticoed facade with four quadrilateral columns supporting a triangular pediment. Simple floral bas reliefs decorate these and four jar-shaped finials are found at each corner.
The original belfry, now built at it’s side, used to sit atop the pediment, but was taken down in 1990 upon the advice of NHI to ease pressure on the two free columns. The church still has its original and beautiful wooden retablo.
From Sun*Star News (Sunday, March 16, 2003)
Burglars stole the image of St. James the Apostle, the Parish patron saint, as well as the head of the image of St. Joseph.
The images of both St. James and St. Joseph, made of wood, have been in the Badian church since the Spaniards built it in 1825, Parishioners said their patron’s image had a helmet and sword made of silver and gold. His horse also reportedly had reins made of gold.
They took the image of St. James and his horse but left behind the base where the figure of a dying warrior and his spear were attached. (Devotees explained that St. James was the patron saint to pray to during times of war.)
Parishioners claimed that this was not the first time their church was burglarized.
In 1979, five chalices and the pulpit, all from the Spanish period, were taken.
In 2000, the image of the Lady of Good Counsel was also stolen, even if it was hidden inside the convent. 5Years ago, they also said the image of St. James was once taken to the city to be fixed and when it was returned, one of his horse’s reins was missing.
But the saint reportedly could not accept it and parishioners swore they heard a horse galloping, as though uneasy that one of his reins was missing. The thief was reportedly bothered by his conscience and returned the missing rein, leaving it right by the icon.
”He must be in Cotabato or Iraq. He will come back after the war’, a parishioner said.
ALEGRIA CHURCH - Patron Saint: St. Francis Xavier
Alegria used to be barrio Tubod under the Municipality of Samboan, long before 1857. The name Tubod was derived from a famous spring which served both inhabitants and travelers alike for its crystalline and cool waters both for drinking and other purposes, under the shade of talisay trees. Ideally located in what is now sitio Sta. Rosa, Poblacion, it became the site for community celebrations. In one of these native festivities - feasting, drinking, singing and dancing in gay abandon, the first Spanish soldiers to visit the locality arrived.
They were welcomed to the celebration which they readily joined in. In a moment of extreme joy, stimulated by the native tuba drink, one of them shouted in joy “QUE ALEGRE, O ALEGRIA!” His comrades joined in unison: “ALEGRIA, ALEGRIA!” The word in Spanish for happiness or joy. And the name stuck from then on for barrio Tubod. It may also be worth to mention that all the barrios of Alegria bear Spanish names: Poblacion comprising the barrios of Sta. Rosa and San Roque, Sta. Filomena,
Legaspi, Montpeller, Lepanto, Guadalupe, Compostela, Madridejos and Valencia.
In 1857, Alegria became a municipality and its official name. The late Capitan Tolero was its first town executive and its first parish priest was Rev. Felix de la Concepcion.
Notes: All source materials, except our own photographs and a few notes, are copied from private and public blogs/webpages, too numerous to cite. However, a few portions of original text were edited for brevity and grammatical lapses. To the writers and owners of the blog sites & webpages, I wish to express my gratitude for the use of such materials.
