Visita Iglesia 2026: Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church (Boracay Island)

When people say “Boracay” the images that conjure up in my mind are the white sand beach, calm sea, beautiful sunsets, and party people enjoying the cool nights with their friends. Going to a church will not be included in the list of activities of tourists going to Boracay. That’s why I am glad to discover that a Catholic church exists in this touristy island paradise.

This church is the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church or colloquially known as Boracay Church.

Boracay Church is somewhat hidden away from tourist eyes since it is located away from the beach. It is within the residential area near Station 1. My search for this church is not in vain because my exhaustion was blown away when I saw its facade.

The outstretched arms of our Lord Jesus shows that He is welcoming me to His church.

The art also depicts palm trees and fishes, which points to the island life in Boracay.

It was afternoon when I reached Boracay Church so the place had very few visitors. I was able to pray in silence with no distractions.

The church’s altar is simple as it has an image of our Crucified Lord at the center.

Located at the side is the image of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary clothed in gold. But my fave image of Mama Mary in this church is on the stained glass window at the back.

What a beautiful image of Our Lady seated on her throne with the infant Jesus in her arm. She is holding the holy rosary as if she is handing it to us, the viewer of the image.

Other stained glass arts depict the evangelists like Saint John symbolized by an eagle.

This church is full of symbols like these tiles depicting a boat, which may symbolize the church.

Finally, there is a painting of the serene sea of Boracay with the island that has the popular Our Lady of Lourdes grotto on top.

My visit to Boracay Church was a great blessing for me. It gave me the opportunity to get away from the noise of tourism. I believe that I am not the only one who appreciated the peace that this church brings but also other Filipino and foreign tourists that happen to visit it.

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Who is Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary?

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary is one the popular Marian titles. The title originated after Saint Dominic de Guzman, a Dominican, received the holy rosary from the Virgin Mary during an apparition. Mama Mary gave the rosary to us as a weapon against heretics.

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Mass schedule in Boracay Church

Monday - Friday: 06:30 AM, 05:00 PM

Saturday: 06:30 AM, 05:00 PM (anticipated Mass)

Sunday: 06:30 AM (Hiligaynon), 08:00 AM (English), 11:00 AM (English), 04:00 PM (Tagalog), and 05:30 PM (English)

Baptism is every Saturday at 09:30 AM

Confession is after every Mass

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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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Visita Iglesia 2026: Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church (Guadalupe Viejo, Makati)

“Lakad nang lakad” — this is how I was described by a colleague during one of our work trips in South Korea.

It is true. I have a habit of walking short and long distances, even if riding a bus or jeepney is more convenient. My reason for walking is for health because it is a good exercise. Another reason is that walking allows me to discover hidden gems that cannot be seen if I am inside a vehicle. And one hidden gem that I discovered recently is this ancient church in Makati:

This church is Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church or Our Lady Grace Church located in Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City.

I was awed when I saw this church because I did not expect to see an ancient church in this area of Makati. This church is located just a short distance from Rockwell and MRT-Guadalupe Station in EDSA.

It was closed when I discovered this church on a Monday, which is the usual day-off for churches. I vowed that I will enter this ancient church so I made sure to pass by again on a day that isn’t Monday.

My efforts to visit this church are rewarded the moment I enter through its doors. I instantly felt the hundreds of years of history of this church. I imagined the thousands of Masses, weddings, baptisms, and funerals held generations after generations since its establishment in 1601.

This church was originally dedicated to Our Lady of Grace, which was the foremost Marian title used by the Augustinians to venerate the Virgin Mary.  The name of the church was changed to Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1603 due to the arrival of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe from Badajos, Spain. The devotion to the newly arrived Marian image was so popular that many people, particularly those from Spain and Mexico, visited this church. The popularity of this devotion is the reason the place name “Guadalupe” remained even today.

Our Lady of Grace Church served as the center of Christianity in Makati as it is the city’s oldest church. The city government is proud of this heritage church that they included it in the city seal. In fact, the Makati City Government contributed to the restoration of the church after World War 2.

The church also served the community by being an orphanage and trade school for the children of 1882 Cholera epidemic victims.

Just like many old Philippine churches, Our Lady of Grace Church was not spared from the horrors of war. It was ransacked by the invading British Forces in 1762 and the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was almost stolen. It was saved by an Irish soldier who hid it somewhere in Pasig. Sadly, the image was destroyed during the 1880 Earthquake.

The church passed on from one occupier to the next — from Katipuneros led by General Pio del Pilar during the Philippine Revolution, then the Americans during the Philippine-American War, and the Japanese during the Second World War. The church was destroyed by war and fire that its ruins were feared by the locals as a haunted place.

The church was formerly administered by the Augustinian Order from its founding until they vacated the area during the Philippine Revolution. They returned after the Second World War. Finally, they transferred the administration of the church to the Archdiocese of Manila in 2024. 

The altar of this church is simple. There is Our Lady of Grace at the center flanked by Saint Augustine and San Nicolas de Tolentino.

The church is quite narrow and can only accommodate two rows of chairs. I think it has similar crampiness as the Malate Church.

The church is a mixture of various architectural styles such as Baroque and Neo-Romasque-Gothic. The mixture is maybe the result of the reconstruction efforts after every destruction of the church.

It is sad that this church experienced a cycle of death and rebirth. I am just glad that this church endured and still stands today to serve as a testament to the enduring faith of Filipinos who donated their resources in rebuilding this church after each destruction.

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Who is  Nuestra Señora de Gracia?

An image of the Virgin Mary in Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church

Nuestra Señora de Gracia or Our Lady of Grace is the oldest of the Marian titles by which the Augustinians venerated the Virgin Mary. This Marian title harks back to the Annunciation event where Mama Mary was described as “full of grace”. 

Catholics call on Our Lady of Grace to ask for her intercession, particularly in asking for graces coming from God.

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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. Seals and Logos by Makati City LGU

2. Nuestra Señora de Gracia Church in Wikipedia

3. Augustinians to turn over Makati parish to Manila archdiocese in Philippine Ness Agency

4. May 8 – Our Lady of Grace in The Augustinians
5. Undiluted devotion: Exploring the centuries-old tradition of Visita Iglesia in Inquirer.Net

Visita Iglesia 2026: Saint Michael the Archangel Church (BGC, Taguig)

I treat churches in the city as my spiritual oasis that brings me comfort from the chaos of city life. These churches serve as my rest stop where I can stay for free rather than going to coffee shops with their overpriced sugar-loaded drinks.

That’s why I was glad when I stumbled upon Saint Michael the Archangel Church in the middle of Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

I was awed the moment I saw the altar with the image of our crucified Lord literally hanging from the ceiling.

The image is quite expressive and the raw pain is visible in his body posture and his fingers almost closing around the nails piercing His palms. I “felt” the pain that He is feeling and made me recall that I am one of those who crucified Him because of my many many sins.

Just beneath the image of the Crucified Lord is the image of Saint Michael — the patron saint of this church.

Saint Michael became the patron saint of this church because of its origin as a military chapel in Fort Bonifacio.

The chapel was established in 1957 and was later replaced by a new chapel in 1995 after Fort Bonifacio was converted into BGC. From then on the chapel was transferred from the Military Ordinariate to the Archdiocese of Manila and efforts began to establish a new parish church.

The efforts of the priests and laity bore fruit and the military chapel transformed into a new Saint Michael the Archangel Church, which was consecrated in 2017.

Filipino soldiers have special devotion to Saint Michael. In fact, I already visited another chapel in Fort Bonifacio that is dedicated to Saint Michael. 

Other angels present in the church are Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael. And then we have Mama Mary in her title as the Queen of Angels:

It seems that this church is reminding us that angels are all around us and that they are always guiding us and protecting us from harm.

I spent a good time inside Saint Michael the Archangel Church praying to our Lord and asking the intercession of His saints. The time I spent praying refreshed my soul and prepared me for the meeting that I had to attend later.

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Who is Saint Michael the Archangel?

Saint Michael’s name was mentioned in the Bible four times. In the Book of Daniel, he was mentioned as the helper of Saint Gabriel the Archangel and the protector of the Israelites. The Book of Jude recorded Saint Michael protecting the body of Moses from the evil plans of Satan and in Revelations, he led the heavenly army against the dragon and its army.

Saint Michael is the protector of the Church and Pope Leo XIII composed a prayer for his intercession after seeing a terrifying vision. He asked the whole Church to say the Saint Michael Prayer after every Mass as protection for the whole the world from the Devil.

In the Philippines, the most popular and oldest church devoted to Saint Michael is the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels in Malacañang Compound, which was founded in 1603. Other notable churches devoted to Saint Michael are Minor Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel in Tayabas, Quezon and Archdiocesan Shrine of San Miguel Arcangel in Argao, Cebu.

As for me, I only visited two churches dedicated to Saint Michael, aside from the one in BGC, I also visited the Saint Michael the Archangel Chapel in Fort Bonifacio.

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Here is the Mass schedule for Saint Michael the Archangel Church:

Monday to Friday - 06:30 AM

Saturday - 06:30 AM and 06:30 PM (Anticipated Mass)

Sunday - 07:00 AM, 09:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 04:00 PM, 05:15 PM, 06:30 PM

Contact numbers:

General inquiries and wedding services: 09175159255

Precana seminar: 09171799255

Baptismal services: 09911274798

Masses for the dead and columbarium services: 09051139463

House/condo/office blessings: 09933357564

Car blessings and confessions are available after scheduled Masses

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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. "Saint Michael the Archangel Parish" from Bearers of the Cross: Defenders of the Kingdom in the Far East

2. "St. Michael the Archangel" from the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia

Algorithmic Bias and the News on Iran War

The current war in the Middle East spurred me to watch news and latest updates in Youtube  as I no longer rely on free TV or newspaper. The news outlet that I clicked first is Fox News and from that moment on Youtube just give me video clips from Fox. I have to scroll a lot to find other news outlets like BBC. The CNN? Nada, they don't appear in my Youtube feed.

The algorithm machine of Youtube thought that I prefer Fox over CNN --- which is correct. But just showing me Fox is just too much. I actually wanted to see other News Outlet for a balanced perspective.

This incident showed me the danger of algorithmic bias of social apps. In a bid to make me watch longer, Youtube, FB, etc. will just show me the things that I like. Longer views translates to higher revenue.

Relying on algorithm limits our understanding of the complex issue that affects us all. Thus, it is imperative for us to actively search for the facts rather than be blinded by platforms nd their algrithmic bias.