Visiting One of the Oldest Church in the Philippines | #LakwatsaniIntoy Diary 028

Did you know that it's been 501 years since the Philippines became a Catholic country? A belief from Spaniard folks that has a huge influence on the Filipinos that still practice nowadays. It was brought to us in 1521 by the Portugues Explorer Ferdinand Magellan representing the Spaniard's Empire.

This belief was introduced to our ancestors when the fleet of Magellan reached the shores of one of the Philippines Islands and converted the indigenous people settler into the Christian faith. The faith is not only formed on one island but also in the remaining archipelagos of the Philipines during the Spanish invasion. Through the long colonization of Spaniards in the Philippines, they also built churches as places for worshiping God by Catholic individuals. A sacred place considers the house of God.

For this blog in my #LakwatsaniIntoy Diary 028, I will share with you one of those churches built during Spanish colonization that we visited last April 16, 2022. The church is called " Saints Peter and Paul Church "

Saints Peter and Paul Church also known as Bantayan church is located in the Municipality of Bantayan. The church is considered the first and oldest parish established in Cebu, Philippines. It was founded on June 11, 1580 by Augustinians as an offer to the Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion.Today, it was known as the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle, where St. Paul was added as part of the patron in the 20th Century.

The Church is not only the place for worshipping God. It also became the hiding place of the townfolks during calamities and War. Did you know that the church was burned and destroyed before by the Moro Pirates in 1600? Yes, long before a lot of Moro Pirates are trying to fight back against the Spaniards, and during their attack of 1600, the Bantayan Church was destroyed. But, It was repaired in the same year and turnover to the Management. The present church today was constructed from 1839 to 1863 and initiated by a priest from Iloilo Fr. Doroteo Andrada Del Rosario.

Just like most of the century-old structures built during Spanish colonization. The church was constructed using the old Engineering Method. The wall is made of coral, stones, egg white, sugar, and limestones. The roofing system is made of wood and Tisa clay roof but because of age the clay was broken and replaced with stainless steel roofing. The wall is thick, about 1 meter approximately. It is seen in the structure how old it was.

This church is on my list to visit when we decided to explore the Island. I heard about it before and read some blogs about the church that's why I pushed through to see it in person and I was excited.

It was overwhelming to see it, you will just recall the history you read about it and confirm that this church is strong, firm, and beautiful. Actually, on the first day, we visited the church we don't have a chance to enter inside because it was a Holy Friday, and a lot of people attended the mass where they control the people inside. It was nice that they have an extension area on the left side of the church where they put some chairs so we can still attend the mass.

This extension area, by the way, is just like a mini-park beside the church, It has trees, landscapes, food, and even a coffee shop, where you can also find and buy some souvenirs inside. It was nice to have this beside the church, a family can bond more in this area after mass.

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What makes you more excited about this church is on the inside. Upon entering the door this beautiful art on the ceiling welcome you with amusement. The art tells the story of Creation, The Fall of the Man, and Redemption. The talented artists came together to create this amazing project.

This creation was painted from 2018 to 2019 by Dibuho Kisame Team. Before it was just plain and bare, but through the parish raised funds from the community and benefactors this project was made. A project that entirely changes the church.

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How to reach the Bantayan Church?

The church is placed in the heart of the island. It is 20 minutes away from the Port of Sta.Fe. You can ride a bus or Motorcycle to reach the church. The cost is only 50 pesos for the fair.

Witnessing this kind of History and Creation is my valuable profit in traveling around. This is the best souvenir that I will bring in my entire life. Hoping to see more like this in the future. That's it guys for this blog in my #LakwatsaniIntoy Diary 028. Thank you for joining me in this travel story 😊.

This is @intoy.bugoy! See you in my next Hiventure

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