How I Selected the Comprehensive Car Insurance for My SUV

Buying a car is not the end of spending for a car owner. It is the beginning of expenses. Maintenance, car wash, refueling, and even accessories like dashcam took a large chunk of my finances. Another big chunk of car expenses that I had to pay for annually is comprehensive car insurance.

I discovered how car insurance can empty my wallet when I renewed my insurance for this year. As someone who wants to save money, I researched car insurance providers and compared their offers.

My Car Insurance for the First Year

I got my car through a car loan with BPI. The car dealer offered a “free” comprehensive car insurance from AXA for one year. I had a good experience with AXA when I filed a self-accident claim.

AXA approved my claim about 1 month after I submitted all the required documents.

I Forgot to Renew the Car Insurance

My Toyota agent warned that I must start processing the renewal of my car insurance around a month before its expiration. I forgot about it and the car insurance just expired.

“No worries,” I said “It is still OK as long as I am careful and not be involved in any accident.” — well this is just pure ignorance as I later discovered that BPI can penalize me for not having comprehensive car insurance for my mortgaged car.

I panicked because not only do I have to spend money for insurance but now I have to pay bank penalties! I was fortunate that the bank “forgot” that my insurance had already expired.

I raced against time to search for affordable car insurance that has Act of Nature clause, which is required by BPI and is specified in my car loan contract.

Comprehensive Car Insurance Offerings

I researched insurance companies in the Philippines. I read reviews from social media pages, particularly Reddit and Facebook. After a comprehensive research and review, I narrowed my options to the following car insurance providers: BPI MS, BDO Insurance, Oona, FPG, Mercantile Insurance, Standard Insurance, and Axa.

BPI MS Motor Insurance Quotation

BPI MS car insurance quotation

The total premium for the proposed car insurance from BPI MS is 38,285.86 Pesos. The deductible or participation fee is 7,444 PHP.  BPI offered installment payment for the insurance premium through BPI Credit Card.

BPI MS offered the following benefits: 

1. Claims for own/self damage, theft, Acts of Nature = 1,488,800 PHP
2. VTPL - Bodily injury and property accident = 500,000 PHP
3. Unnamed passenger personal accident (UPPA) - 50,000 PHP/seat up to authorized seating capacity
4. Reimbursement of actual towing expense for accident-related incidents = maximum of 1,500 PHP
5. Reimbursement of actual ambulance charges - max of 5,000 PHP per occurrence
6. Free 24-hour emergency roadside assistance

BDO Insurance

BDO car insurance quotation

BDO provided proposals for Multi-year Insurance and the regular Annual Insurance. I just looked at the regular Annual Insurance, which had a total premium of 35,173.54 PHP. The Deductible or participation fee is 2,000 PHP for each and every loss.

BDO offered the following benefits:

1. Sum insured for Own/self-damage, theft, acts of nature, riot, strike, civil commotion, and political violence = 1,680,300 Php
2. Claims for self damage/auto personal accident = 500,000 PHP with 100,000 Php per passenger
3. Claims for excess bodily injury and third property damages = 500,000 Php

I thought about taking the multi-year insurance from BDO but I didn’t have enough money so I settled with the single-year car insurance.

OONA Insurance

Oona Car Insurance Quotation

OONA proposed three types of motor or car insurance: Auto Lite, Auto Premium, Auto Elite.

Auto Lite has a premium 17,522.41 Php because it doesn’t have Acts of Nature coverage. Auto Premium, on the other hand, has an insurance premium of 31,484.91 with repairs that can only be done in Oona Preferred Repairers. Lastly,  Auto Elite has a premium of 35,055.56 and repairs can be done in any workshop or auto repair shop.

The deductible or participation fee is 3,000 Php for any of the three types of Oona Car Insurance.

Online reviews have negative comments about Oona Preferred Repairers and the slow approval of claims. As for me, I considered Oona Auto Elite as it has Acts of Nature coverage and there is no restriction on car repair shops or “casa”.

Oona offered the following benefits for the Auto Elite Car Insurance, which I considered:

1. Claims for theft, roadside assistance, acts of nature, strikes and riots, standard accessories, and inter-island transit cover are included but the claimable amount was not specified by Ooona.
2. Claims for unnamed passenger personal accident and auto personal accident is up to 100,000 Php
3. Claims for VTPL-Bodily Injury and VTPL-Property Damage is up to 200,000 Php
4. Road Assist which provide clients with 24/7 emergency assistance in case of accident, mechanical or electrical breakdown

Oona not mentioning the amount that can be claimed for theft, Acts of Nature, and other incidents is a red flag for me. Insurance companies should be transparent with their offers so as to establish trust with their clients.

FPG, Oona, and Mercantile Insurance through Zen Insure Philippines

I also checked car insurance offers from third party agents (a.k.a. middlemen). I inquired with Zen Insure Philippines and they provided auto insurance offers from FPG, Oona, and Mercantile Insurance.

Oona, FPG, and Mercantile Car Insurance Quotation from Zen Insure.

The total premium that Zen Insure offered for FPG is 28,662.30 Php. For Ooona Insurance they offered 28,731.25 Php. Finally for Mercantile Insurance they offered 28,639.31. The deductible or participation fee for FPG is 2,000 Php while Oona is 3,000 Php. Deductible for Mercantile Insurance is 2,000 Php for sedan and 3,000 Php for SUV.

Zen Insure offered the following insurance benefits applicable to FPG, Oona, and Mercantile:

1. Sum insured for own damage, theft, and Acts of Nature is up to 1,640,000 Php
2. Voluntary Third Party Liability (VTPL) for body and injury and property damage is up to 200,000 Php.
3. Auto-personal accident claims is up to 250,000 Php

Casa eligibility for FPG and Oona is up to 10 years for private cars while its 3 years for Mercantile Insurance.

Standard Insurance

Standard Insurance Car Insurance Quotation

Standard Insurance offered auto insurance for my car with a premium of 35,705.60 Php with deductible or participation fee of 3,000 Php. They also offered installment payment for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and 12 months with "absolutely zero percent (0%) interest" for credit card holders of BDO, BPI, HSBC, Metrobank, RCBC, and Unionbank.

Standard Insurance offered the following benefits:

1. Claims for own damage or theft and Acts of Nature is up to 1,867,000 Php
2. Claims for third party property damage and third party bodily injured is up to 500,000 Php
3. Claims for personal accident is up to 700,000 Php
4. Claims for Unnamed Passenger Personal Accident (UPPA) Insurance is up to 100,000 Php per person based on the insured vehicle's seating capacity
5. 24-hour emergency roadside assistance for specific areas only

Note that Acts of Nature Coverage only include typhoon, flood, earthquake, hurricane, volcanic eruption. Also, Standard Insurance will pay for casa repair of unit models up to 7 years old only.

AXA through Toyota Insure

I inquired about Axa’s auto insurance through a Toyota sales agent. The premium that Axa provided is 45,665.15. It can be paid in installment via post-dated checks for 6 months or BDO Credit Card for 3 or 6 months. Credit card installment is not “zero percent interest” for 6 months installments while it is “zero percent interest” for 3-month installment. Deductible or participation fee is 3,000 Php.

Axa Car Insurance Quotation

Axa offered the following car insurance benefits:

1. Claims for own damage, theft and Acts of Nature is up to 1,674,900 Php.
2. Claims for excess bodily injury and property damage is up to 200,000 Php
3. Claims for passenger auto personal accident is up to 175,000 Php
4. Assured’s 24/7 personal accident claims is up to 100,000 Php

I had my car insurance with Axa for the first year after I took out my SUV from Toyota. I had a good experience from Axa, particularly when I filed for self-damage claim.

Comparison of Car Insurance Proposals

I compared all of the car insurance offers that I received and here is the result:

Of the car insurance proposals that I received, the most expensive is Axa with a premium of 45,665.15 Php. However, claims for self-damage, theft, and Acts of Nature is 1,674,900 Php which is about 100,000+ less than the offering of Standard Insurance and at about the same amount as the smaller insurance companies such as Oona, Mercantile Insurance, and FPG. BPI, on the other hand, has the lowest claims for self-damage, theft, and Acts of Nature at 1,488,800  Php with the highest deductible or participation fee of 7,444 Php. Oona Insurance is the least transparent of the insurance companies because they did not mention the amount for claims for self-damage, theft, and Acts of Nature.

What Car Insurance Offer I Chose?

I chose BPI MS in the end through the help of my BPI Branch. The BPI Branch helped me in processing the car insurance application and assured me that they will ensure that I BPI will not penalized for the late car insurance application. They also helped me to make the payment of premium in installment through my BPI Credit Card.

If I have no problem with the late renewal or application of car insurance, I will definitely choose BDO since they offer a premium that is less than BPI MS with a lesser deductible amount and higher claims for self-damage, theft, and Acts of Nature.

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Nasugbu Summer Escapade: Our 3D2N Stay in Canyon Cove Hotel and Resorts

My children did very well in their study during the recently concluded academic year. That’s why me and My Beloved Wife Lei decided to reward them with a 3 days and 2 nights stay in our “suking resort”: Canyon Cove Hotel Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas.

I said that Canyon Cove is our “suki” because we visited this resort for the third time already.

Our first visit was in 2015 while our second visit is in 2023.

The reason why we keep on coming back to this resort is that it has swimming pools and access to the sea.

A view of the swimming pools in our room.

Canyon Cove’s swimming pool is big and can accommodate a large number of guests. The pool is divided into shallow sections for toddlers and kids. Then the biggest section of the swimming pool is for adults.

My kids had a blast swimming in those pools. We had a hard time pulling them out of the water because they really enjoy swimming a lot.

Unfortunately, the pool has no slide. I guess other resorts that we visited like Woodside Water Park and La Vista Pansol are better in this regard.

The beach is the highlight for me and my wife. Walking on the sand a swimming in the salty sea are better than swimming in the chlorinated pool.

The beach in Canyon Cove is not fine like the sands of Boracay but not as rough as those in Calayo Beach in Nasugbu, Batangas. The beach is well-maintained and clean of trash unlike the other beach that we visited in Batangas.

My kids also enjoyed the beach by building sand castles and digging the sand. In the afternoon, our family enjoyed watching the setting of the sun. The red ball of fire is great to behold as its sinks to the West Philippine Sea.

Many people stay at the beach at dusk just to watch a beautiful sunset. The ones that we saw while at Canyon Cove are indeed beautiful. My wife and I had good photos with the sunset at the background.

What I like with Canyon Cove is the large portion of sea grass in the sea fronting the resort. Colorful fishes can be seen in the sea due to these sea grass “forest” that serve as the home of sea creatures. This means that the ecosystem in the area is still healthy, which is a good thing for ecotourism. 

A sort of sea plant at the beach of Canyon Cove.

My Eldest Son complained that something was biting him while swimming in the sea. He said that jellyfish stung him. I did not believe my son but a long look in the sea revealed plenty of “baby” jellyfishes floating.

I immediately told the father swimming with his baby about the presence of the jellyfish. I was worried for the baby because many jellyfish have stings that are deadly to humans. My Only Daughter was so terrified of the jellies that she vowed that she will not swim in the sea again.

Baby jellies that we captured in Canyon Cove.

I actually enjoyed hunting jellyfishes I had no fear touching these sea critters and putting them in a bottle. I took them home with the intention of keeping them in an aquarium. I researched about the jellies that we captured and I was horrified when I discovered that the ones we caught could've killed me.

There is a possibility that the jellies that we caught is just a thimble jellyfish that can cause rashes but not fatal, or a box jellyfish that could kill a human. Well, the jellies died when we got home so we had no chance of putting them in an aquarium.

A tip for swimmers in Canyon Cove or in other spots in Nasugbu, please check the sea first if there are jellies before dipping in the water.

Our Room in Canyon Cove Hotel

We booked a family room during our latest stay in Canyon Cove. The room was located at the far end of the hotel so it was a pain going to the swimming pool or the beach as the only access is at the central part of the hotel. Canyon Cove should really consider providing access to the pool and beach from the far ends of the hotel.

Our room is very big as it has a living room and kitchen. The room is OK but has seen better days. The wooden panels in the bathing room were collapsing because of the termites. The room is also full of mosquitoes.

The bathroom sink with wooden parts breaking off.

The best part of the room is the view of the pool and the beach.

Our sunbed with a great view of the sea.

Despite our complaints we still had a good sleep during our stay in Canyon Cove.

Dining in Canyon Cove

Breakfast for two was included in our hotel stay. So we had to pay 350 pesos for breakfast for each of our two kids. Our youngest child eats free.

The breakfast is OK but nothing to gush about. They have the typical Filipino breakfast like dried fish, hotdog, tocino, eggs and rice.

Our family just went to Nasugbu for lunch and dinner despite Canyon Cove offering such a meal.

Guests dining at Canyon Cove at night might get a chance to watch a fire dance. Our family was lucky to see some fiery performances.

Canyon Cove has changed compared to our first visit in 2015. Canyon Cove then has a more high-end atmosphere and caters more to families. The hotel now expanded by catering to tour groups and corporate outings. The result is that the hotel is now more crowded and noisy. Well, it is understandable since Canyon Cove is still a business and their goal is to earn money.

Final Say about Canyon Cove

The main lobby of the hotel still gives the high-end atmosphere but the room that we had shows that the hotel had to renovate to please its original clientele.

Our family truly enjoyed our swim in the pools and the sea but it remains to be seen if our 25 thousand payment for 3 days and 2 nights stay will still be reasonable in our next family outing.

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Visita Iglesia: Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life (Pasay City)

“Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life” - as we end this year’s Lenten Season let us contemplate on this mystery by checking out this church located just across Ikea in SM Mall of Asia (MOA).

The Shrine of Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life is the church nearest to SM MOA, which is perfect for mall employees and shoppers to unwind and relax their weary spirit.

As for me, I make it a point to visit this church whenever I go to MOA.

The Shrine got its name from the message of Pope John Paul II during the 10th World Youth Day in Rizal Park in 1995 where he highlighted Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life.

The land and the construction of the church was donated by the SM magnate Henry Sy, Sr. and his wife. The church was consecrated and dedicated in 1999 by Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.

The church, despite being built during the modern era, is of classical church architecture. This is a plus point for me because I prefer old architectural styles like Baroque or Medieval. Churches with modern architectural styles tend to be ugly or banal because they look like an office or commercial building. Beautiful churches uplift the spirit because they mirror the beauty of God.

The church interior also didn’t disappoint. The altar is of classical church design but without the usual image of the Crucified Jesus.

The shrine’s altar features a painting of the Gospel scene where Mama Mary and Saint Joseph found the missing Jesus in the Temple. The designers of the Shrine chose this painting as it connects the young Jesus with the World Youth Day. The painting is telling young people visiting this church that Jesus was once a youth like them. This means that Jesus understands the challenges, joys, sufferings, and experiences of the youth. That Jesus will not belittle their prayers just because they are young.

The stained-glass window of this church features the patron saints of the youth: Saint Maria Goretti and Saint Dominic Savio.

There is also a beautiful stained glass art of the Virgin Mary.

The Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life is the eighth and the last church that I featured for this year’s virtual Visita Iglesia. This is one more than the usual 7 churches I featured in the previous years. I did this because my Visita Iglesia journey leads to Easter. And the central figure on Easter Sunday is the resurrected Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

HAPPY EASTER to everyone!

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Mass schedules of Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 6 PM

Wednesday - 5 PM and 6:30 PM with novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Saturday - 5:30 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday - 9 AM, 10:30 AM, 5:30 PM, and 7 PM

Weddings - schedule provided to Parish Office at least two months prior to the wedding date

Baptism - schedule provided to Parish Office at least two weeks prior to actual baptism date

Confession - 5 PM every day except Monday and Sundays

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. Brief History of Archdiocesan Shrine of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, the Life

Visita Iglesia: National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio (Santo Tomas, Batangas)

I have been listening to podcasts about Padre Pio of Pietrelcina lately. What struck me is that Padre Pio seems to have existed in a plane beyond the physical realm. He saw angels and devils, he perceived the state of the souls of the people he met, and he was able to see the impact of human actions not only on his or her soul but also to others.

That’s why I am blessed that I was able to visit the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio last year.

National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio in Santo Tomas, Batangas

The Shrine is a “rotunda” or round church architectural style that is made to look like a giant “salakot”, which is the conical hat worn by Filipino farmers. The Padre Pio Shrine has similar architectural style as UP Chapel and the Greenbelt Chapel.

Atop the roof is the statue of Mama Mary whom Padre Pio loves very much. It is said that the padre is so devoted to Mama Mary that he prays the rosary multiple times each day. There was a time when he admitted that he prayed the Rosary 34 times on that day! He considered the Rosary as his weapon in his spiritual battles.

A short distance from the Shrine is the bell tower with its own salakot.

The National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio began as a small chapel under the Santo Tomas Parish of Santo Tomas, Batangas. The chapel was elevated to a separate parish in 2003 to cater to the large number of Catholics in the area. The new parish was dedicated to Padre Pio because of the first-class relic of the saint received by the Archdiocese of Lipa for the creation of the said parish.

First-class relic and glove worn by Padre Pio.

It was further elevated into a national shrine as approved by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in 2015.

I was amazed by the shrine’s premises. The place has ample parking space for cars. Then aside from the main church there are other chapels and facilities. And, of course, the main church is huge!

The builders of this church rightly predicted that many would come to visit the church dedicated to Padre Pio. They made the church spacious enough so as to accommodate all the devotees and pilgrims coming to ask for Padre Pio’s intercession.

Hanging from the center ceiling of the church is the image of crucified Jesus being held by God the Father. It is an image that reminds us that the Father was also deeply affected by the sacrifice and death of His only Son.

Behind that image is the image of young Jesus with His earthly parents: Joseph and Mary.

These two images, which are connected by the cross, show the Divine and human nature of Jesus.

We were fortunate because there was a Holy Mass during our visit to the National Shrine of Padre Pio. It was a perfect time for us to receive graces from God during mass and also ask for Padre Pio’s intercession.

The altar of the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio uses bamboo as the backdrop. At center is the crucified Jesus then at the sides is Mama Mary with baby Jesus, and Saint Joseph. Also standing at the altar is a statue of Padre Pio.

Our visit to the National Shrine of Saint Pedro Pio was one of our stops while on our way to a beach resort in Batangas. I am glad that our family decided to drop by and say “hello” to this holy servant of God. I am hoping that Padre Pio interceded for our family, not only for our temporal concerns but, more importantly, our spiritual concerns.

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Mass schedules in National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio:

Monday to Friday: 6 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM, 12 Noon, 2 PM, 5 PM

Saturday: 6 AM, 8 AM, 10 AM (Healing Mass), 12 Noon, 2 PM, 5 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday: 5 AM, 7 AM, 9 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM

Note that the Healing Mass is every Saturday at 10 AM

Confession is every Saturday 8 AM to 12 Noon and 2 PM to 5 PM

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. Faith in City of Sto. Tomas website

2. Padre Pio and the Madonna in Franciscan Media

3. Padre Pio Shrine in Wikipedia

Visita Iglesia: Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Santa Cruz, Manila)

It was 12 years ago when I did a virtual Visita Iglesia of Santa Cruz Church in Manila. For that many years I witnessed this church change from white to brown-orange then back to immaculate white. Spiritually, this church grew from a simple parish in Santa Cruz to minor basilica dedicate to Our Lady of the Pillar.

I am always drawn to this church simply because this is the only church that I encountered having Blessed Sacrament displayed upon the altar almost whole day every day. Praying directly to Jesus, in His mystical form of Holy Bread, is the closest we have to conversing to Jesus face-to-face. And I took advantage of that in Santa Cruz Church almost each time I go to the City of Manila.

Holy Eucharist at the altar of Santa Cruz Church

The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, which is the flesh of Jesus, is the charism of the Sacramentinos who administer this church. This religious society, known officially as Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, focuses on promoting Jesus in the Eucharist. They do this by Eucharistic Adoration in their churches.

The Congregation was founded by a French priest Saint Julian Eymard, who felt an overwhelming love for Jesus Christ in the Eucharist while holding the Blessed Sacrament during a Corpus Christi procession. This experience led him to profess the love of Jesus through the Blessed Sacrament. Thus, the Holy Eucharist became the center of the religious life of the Sacramentinos.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard, founder of the Order of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Sacramentinos were assigned by the Manila Archbishop to manage Santa Cruz Church in 1957. Saint Peter Julian Eymard was established as the secondary patron of the church in 1984. His image stands at one side of the altar. On the other side is the most revered image of Santa Cruz’s primary patron: Nuestra Señora del Pilar or Our Lady of the Pillar.

Nuestra Señora del Pilar

The devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar was introduced by the original caretaker of Santa Cruz, Church: the Jesuits. The image of Our Lady of the Pillar was enshrined by the Jesuits in Santa Cruz in 1643.

The started Santa Cruz Church as a simple stone and wood church in 1619 to minister to the Chinese immigrants living in Santa Cruz area. It was the Chinese who built the church, thus this is one of the heritage churches by the Filipino-Chinese Catholics like the Binondo Church located at the other end of Ongpin Street.

The devotion to Our Lady of the Pillar originates to the earliest apparition of Mama Mary. It is believed that Mama Mary appeared to Saint James the Apostle when is having difficulty in converting pagans in  Spain. Mama Mary and many angels appeared to Saint James to motivate him and his disciples. This is the first case of bilocation since she is still alive in Jerusalem 

The altar of the church was temporarily changed during the elevation of the church into a minor basilica.

The temporary altar looks grand but the real altar is much simpler. It is meant to honor our Holy Mother during the special occassion. The Sacarmentinos and devotees worked hard for their church to receive the recognition from Pope Francis as minor basilica.

Speaking of Pope Francis, I distinctly remember Santa Cruz Church as the church where I learned about his death. It was afternoon and the bells of Santa Cruz Church is tolling. There was a pig tarpaulin photo of Pope Francis at the side of the altar. I wonder why but I am thinking that maybe the Pope is dead because. And it was true. Pope Francis has just died.

The altar of Santa Cruz Church features the image of the lamb standing on a spring. The water from the spring flows down to the tabernacle indicating that the life-giving water comes from Jesus. The Holy Table features two angels holding the symbol of the Virgin Mary. This definitely shows the honor that the Sacramentinos give to the Holy Mother.

Aside from Our Lady of the Pillar, the Sacramentinos also honor Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

They also honor Our Lady of Deliverance, Empress of China Dong-Lu. This reflects the roots of Santa Cruz Church as the church built for the conversion of Chinese immigrants living in Santa Cruz.

During the Boxer Rebellion, soldiers attacked the Chinese village of Dong-lu because it has a small community of Christians. Our Lady of Deliverance appeared with a "fiery horseman" and drove the soldiers away thus saving the Christians and the whole village.

Santa Cruz Church is one of the two churches that I frequented whenever I am in Manila. I always find this church a good place for prayers, especially when the Blessed Eucharist is at the altar.

This church may change its facade, be raised to another level of recognition but its mission remains the same throughout all these centuries. That mission is to bring people closer to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. Manila’s Sta. Cruz Church now a minor basilica in CBCP News

2. Saint Peter Julian Eymard in Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament Province of Saint Ann

3. Sta. Cruz Community in Blessed Sacrament Philippines

Visita Iglesia: Caleruega’s Transfiguration Chapel (Nasugbu, Batangas)

From a church in San Mateo, Rizal that has a red brick facade let us now do a virtual Visita Iglesia to a famous chapel in Nasugbu, Batangas that stands out because of its red brick walls. This chapel is popularly known as the best church for weddings in Nasugbu: the Transfiguration Chapel a.k.a. Caleruega Church.

Our family visited this church on a whim enroute home from a beach outing in Calayo, Nasugbu. It is on our way, so why not visit this church, right? Turns out that it was a good decision for us because our visit to Caleruega became a memorable part of our family trip.

Caleruega is not just a church but a spiritual retreat center for the Dominicans. The center’s motto is “closer to nature, closer to God” as the lush scenery of Batulao Mountain Range gives the priests a good place for meditation and contemplation. This lush scenery gave our children a chance to experience nature.

Our first stop was the Dominicum, which I thought was already the Transfiguration Chapel. I was wrong because it is just a retreat house.

What I noticed immediately at the Dominicum are the pineapples on its facade. I wonder why they placed pineapples there? Is it because this part of Nasugbu has pineapple plantations?

Inside the Dominicum is the beautiful replica of Our Lady of Manaoag.

The image of our lady is present in Caleruaga because her basilica in Manaoag, Bulacan is under the care of the Dominicans.

I guess Our Lady of Manaoag is telling me to also visit her in Manaoag.

The Dominicum also features Saint Dominic, who is the founder of the Dominican Order. His relic is also on display.

Saint Dominic is called “de Caleruega” because the small town of Caleruega in Spain is his place of birth.

According to Shoestring Diary, the Caleruega Retreat Center was established in 1994. It was developed with as minimal disturbance to the environment as possible. In fact, the designer of this retreat center, Arch. Yolanda D. Reyes, was awarded with the 1996 Design Awards in Architecture for her “graceful blending of man-made structures with the natural curves preserved through careful architectural handling and biotecture planning”.

We walked around the Caleruega Retreat Center before climbing up to the Transfiguration Chapel. We looked at images of the saints amidst the greenery.

Our kids experienced crossing the hanging bridge with much fear and trembling. My wife and daughter enjoyed the beautiful flowers planted around the retreat center.

Climbing up to the Transfiguration Chapel is difficult and a little bit exhausting because we walked up through a steep set of stairs dubbed as the Dominican Steps. My kids are as energetic as ever because they bet on who can reach the chapel first. They were up the stairs in no time! It is enviable to be a kid sometimes.

My exhaustion was blown away when I saw the Transfiguration Chapel.

The red brick walls really made the chapel stand out from the surrounding greens.

The Transfiguration Chapel is of Spanish-Moorish design as can be seen in its use of horseshoe arch on the doors, facade, and windows.

Unfortunately there was a wedding during our visit so I was not able to explore inside the chapel. It is difficult to explore this chapel peacefully because it is one of the popular churches for weddings.

I think the name “transfiguration” is apt for this chapel. Just like the apostles who experienced the transfiguration of Jesus up on a hill, the bride and groom in this chapel experienced similar transfiguration in front of the altar. They are “transfigured” from two separate persons into one body after their wedding ceremony.

Our visit to Caleruega Retreat Center and its Transfiguration Chapel was a good sidetrip. It allowed us to experience God in the nature that He created and also with the beautiful chapel that draws hundreds of pilgrims every year.

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Visita Iglesia is the Filipino tradition of visiting churches during the Holy Week. This virtual Visita Iglesia is my own tradition wherein I post about one church each day of the Holy Week.

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References

1. St. Dominic of Guzman, Priest, Founder of the Order of Preachers in Vatican News

2. Caleruega Church and the Scenic Views of Mt. Batulao in The Shoestring Diaries