Thursday, September 04, 2008

Iloilo Churches

i have been to Iloilo several times though this is the first time when i got there alone. i didn't want to just stay at my hotel room for the longest time thus wasting my time indoors so I thought of visiting the many old churches in the area, I did ask some friends, looked up the internet and made up my list. when i got to the city i contacted some taxi driver who could take me around armed with my list and my camera of course.



my first stop was in Molo Church, otherwise known as St. Anne's Church it is also considered as some feminist church as it has most of the female saint statues lined up towards its altar.



next stop was in Tigbauan, sad to say the church was closed that time so i didn't really get to see its interiors.



Guimbal looks so dainty from outside most especially with its yellow stone and dreamy looking drapes. its interiors was a bit plain so i didn't bothered taking pics anymore, yikes.



Miag-ao Church is actually my ultimate destination for this trip. i chanced upon this church years ago on the way to antique. it has been years but it's magnificent image lingered in my mind and i knew i just got to come back and see it again up close. and yeah, i did!



it was about noontime and the church was closed. i managed to approach someone who i've asked to open the church's doors for me saying i just came from afar and i needed badly to see its interiors after showing them my media ID ahihihi.

and lo and behold, i was truly held captive by its ornate design, its gold-ish interior, its high ceilings and well-carved windows.



and i'm not surprised at all if this was marked as some UNESCO Heritage site. It is also culled as a fortress church with its thick walls and secret passages.




my final stop was in Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral just amidst the bustling town of Jaro. The church has Our Lady of the Candles as its patroness and holds its fiesta celebration every 2nd of February with some grand pageantry. inside its church are mostly male saints, thus it is considered as Molo Church's counterpart haha!



just across Jaro Cathedral is the bell tower, it used to be a part of the church's compound but some road was built between them for the government's road widening project.

so that wraps up my early visita iglesia in the now colorful, busy town of Iloilo which also has about 3 SMs, a Robinsons, and a few more Gaisano superstores among all the other establishments in the area. And the new international airport is one thing i was truly amazed too. Viva Iloilo indeed!

2 comments:

  1. hi there. so on your next visit to iloilo and if you feel another bisita iglesia you might try another route. try pavia-sta.barbara-cabatauan-janiuay-lambunao churches.isang ruta lang sila

    plus sa sta.baraba side trip ka din sa oldest golf course in ASIA.

    actually there are 4 SMs (1 supermall, 1 mini mall, 2 ala-hypermart) there used to be 5 though.

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  2. Anonymous2:59 AM

    i haven't been to one church... Miag-ao, well, maybe next time.:-) cool post.

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