Visita Iglesia 2016: The Ruins of the 400-Year Old Church of Vinzons, Camarines Norte

Holy Week is that season of the year when I will try be featuring seven (7) church for each day of Semana Santa. I started this tradition in 2012 as a sort of virtual Visita Iglesia since I cannot do the actual Visita Iglesia during Holy Thursday.

Today is Palm Sunday and let us begin our virtual Visita Iglesia by visiting a very old church in Bicolandia.

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Years ago, the office gave me the opportunity to visit the sleepy town of Vinzons in Camarines Norte. This town is not the usual tourist destination in this part of Bicolandia. Its beach is not as good as the one in Caramoan. It doesn’t have a famous fiesta like the one in Naga City. It has little action unlike the provincial capital of Daet.

But there is one thing that Vinzons that can brag about and that it has the oldest church in Camarines Norte: St. Peter the Apostle Church.

Unfortunately, the Church is in ruins during my visit.

The 400-Year old church was gutted by fire the day after Christmas in 2012. It must have been the saddest Christmas Season for the residents of Vinzons. It was also a sad day for me to not experience the glory of the oldest church in the province.

The original church of Vinzons was established by Reverend Father Juan de Losar in 1611 in the place that was then called as Tacboan. The whole town transferred in 1624 from Tacboan to Indan where the current church of Vinzons stands. Indan is the old name Vinzons.

Since the church is in ruins, I just spent my time checking out the views outside where there is the image of Jesus and Mary, son and mother.

There’s a peculiar symbol at the icons’ pedestal...

...is it Unown? (Pokemon fans will understand this...he he he)

Aside from the Unown symbol, the base also marks the grave of Capt. Roman Pajarillo who died in 1936. I guess that he is the Roman Pajarillo of the Bicol Martyrs of 1896.

At the side of the church stood the image of Saint Peter the Apostle...

...and Mama Mary.

The church’s facade is made of plain adobe blocks. Near the top is the icon of the Church’s patron, Saint Peter. The bell tower also stand stoutly at the side. I am glad that the facade and the bell tower survived the fire.

How I wish that I climbed up Vinzons Church’s bell tower like what I did in Tabaco City in Albay.

The arch-gate of Vinzons Church is also a sight to behold since it was newly painted that time. The arch-gate features the life and martyrdom of the town’s patron saint.

Clockwise from upper left: Jesus handing the keys to Peter, The liberation of Peter from Prison, Peter the first pope, The martyrdom of Peter.

Another peculiar symbol that I found is the upside down cross, which is usually associated with satanism.

That association was a modern construct. The truth is that the upside-down cross symbolizes Saint Peter because he chose to be crucified upside down. Saint Peter believed that he is not worthy to be crucified in the same way as his Master.

Since the church is in ruins, I didn’t attend any mass. However, that didn’t end the activities of the parish. In fact, every early morning I hear the praying of the Holy Rosary being broadcasted to the whole town from the church. The life of the faithful continues.

Vinzons Church’s Rise from the Ashes

I read a good news that the church in Vinzons Camarines Norte, was just restored last year.  The restoration was made possible thru the generosity of parishioners and others living in other towns.

Another good news is that the newly built church followed the 15th Century architectural style of the Vinzons Church. The new church was similarly dedicated to Saint Peter.

Read more about the news of the newly restored church in Vinzons in Choose Philippines.

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Visita Iglesia is a Catholic tradition of visiting seven churches during Maundy Thursday. For each day, this Holy Week, I will feature one church as a sort of virtual Visita Iglesia.

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Info about the Roman Pajarillo was obtained from Bicol Mail.
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Cagsawa Ruins and the Dark Side of Daragang Magayon

Daragang Magayon is the most beautiful maiden in the whole Bicolandia. She is even praised for her goodness. Aside from beauty and goodness, Daragang Magayon is also a cruel woman. She buried people, houses and whole communities in her fury.

The ruins of Cagsawa Church are the testament to her cruelty. Daragang Magayon buried people, houses and whole communities under lahar and rocks in her fury. The ashes that covered the surrounding towns gave ancient Bicolanos a hard life.

I praised the beauty of Mayon Volcano in the previous post. This volcano is famous for having a perfect conical shape. Tourists around the world visit Legazpi City just to get a glimpse of Mayon Volcano. Seeing the perfect cone of Mayon Volcano is one my goals during my visit to Legazpi City. Another goal for me is to visit the famous ruins of Cagsawa Church in the town of Daraga.

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Map of Mayon Volcano and its vicinity.

Mayon Volcano has a diameter of 6 kilometers. The volcano is divided like a pie by the towns of Daraga, Camalig, Guinobatan, Malilipot, and Santo Domingo; and the cities Legazpi, Ligao and Tabaco. Cagsawa Ruins is located at Barangay Busay in Daraga.

My companion and I left Legazpi City for Cagsawa Ruins by riding a jeepney bound to Daraga. We don’t know the location of Cagsawa Ruins. Fortunately, the jeepney driver helped us to find the place where we should alight. Our walk to Cagsawa Ruins began with a cemented street until we reached the river.

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I got excited when I saw the “untamed” crossing at the river. I thought that I will embark into an adventure that entails us to walk along trails, climb dangerous cliffs and swing from one tree to another. The thrill of adventure ended when we reached the other side of the river. I discovered, to my dismay, that the road to Cagsawa Ruins is made of well-paved concrete.

“Where is the adventure!?” I complained. “The path to Cagsawa Ruins is too tame.” I complained again. I kept on complaining until I saw this:

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I was awed by the remaining bell tower of Cagsawa Church. This is the only intact part of Cagsawa Church that remained after the 1814 eruption of Mayon Volcano. I only see this bell tower on the old 10-peso bill and postcards from Bicolandia. I am glad that I can finally see and touch the ruins!

An old photo shows that the façade of Cagsawa Church is still intact. Unfortunately, the passage of time and neglect caused the destruction of the façade. I wonder how long the bell tower of Cagsawa Church will continue to stand.

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Remains of the main church of Cagsawa.

Only the broken walls remained of the main part of Cagsawa Church. What angered me are the people who vandalized the walls as shown in this photo:

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It is sad that many Filipinos don’t value their heritage.

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The first Cagsawa Church was built in the 16th Century under the jurisdiction of the Parish of Camalig. The Dutch, which was then the enemy of the Spanish Empire, ransacked the towns around Legazpi Bay and burned Cagsawa Church in 1636. Another church was built after 1724 by Fray Francisco Blanco OFM. The church was then buried by lava and rocks during the eruption of Mayon Volcano in 1814.

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Image of the Lord of Divine Mercy.

The latest addition to the ruins of Cagsawa Church is the image of the Lord of Divine Mercy, which was dedicated during the 2007 Divine Mercy Convention. Cagsawa Church is still part of the Catholic heritage despite the fact that it is now being managed by the local government of Daraga. I am glad that Daraga allowed the image of our Lord to be erected inside the Cagsawa Ruins Park.

Stalls selling pasalubong can be found within Cagsawa Ruins Park. This is the best place to buy souvenirs and sweets. I suggest that you haggle with store owners so you can get the lowest price for their products. What surprised me is the presence of a swimming pool near the ruins of Cagsawa Church.

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I hope that no more swimming pools or resorts are built in the area. The place is already too tame for adventurers and the presence of resorts will just tame it more.

Mayon Volcano is hiding during my visit to Cagsawa Ruins Park. Is she ashamed of what she did to the people of Cagsawa? Possibly not because Mayon Volcano continues to be an active volcano. She is just waiting for the right time to spew her anger to Bicolandia.

Until her next eruption, let us marvel to power of this volcano and pray to all people buried under lava and rocks, which are now covered by green grass.

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When Daragang Magayon Removed Her Veil

Legend says that Mayon Volcano marks the grave of the most beautiful princess in the whole Bicolandia. She is so beautiful that the legend only refer to her as Daragang Magayon or “beautiful maid.”

I feared that I will not see the beauty of Mayon Volcano during my visit to Legazpi City. The volcano is always hiding behind the clouds. I waited for a long time but the weather is not improving. Rains, fogs and cloudy skies accompanied me in the days of my stay in Legazpi.

However, in one rare moment, Daragang Magayon heard my plea and removed her veil. At least I saw her beauty!

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I even saw the world-famous perfect cone of Mayon Volcano.

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Mayon Volcano's perfect cone.

Now I understand why Bicolanos of old made the story of Daragang Magayon the legend of Mayon Volcano. The volcano is indeed beautiful. It is way prettier than Taal Volcano of Batangas.

The legend of Mayon Volcano is a tragic one. Daragang Magayon, because of her beauty, has many suitors. She turned down mighty warriors, datus, and rajahs. She fell in love with a Tagalog prince named Ulap. One of Daragang Magayon’s unfortunate suitors became angry and killed Ulap and Daragang Magayon. The two lovers were placed side by side in a grave, which rose higher and higher until it became Mayon Volcano.

Daragang Magayon is known for her beauty but I think the tragedy of her life made her a cruel maiden. Mayon Volcano spewed smoke and lava since time immemorial. The volcano buried many towns, one of which is the town of Cagsawa that I will talk in the next blog post.

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Mayon Volcano's veil is creeping back.

Seeing Mayon Volcano’s beauty should be the top priority when visiting Legazpi City. Thus, you should visit Legazpi City before the onset of rainy season. Go during the season when there is no cloud that will block the view of Mayon Volcano’s perfect cone.

As for me, my visit to Legazpi City is somehow complete. I am glad that Daragang Magayon removed her veil even for just a moment.

A Few Shots Outside Albay Cathedral

Since my work is the major obstacle to pleasure, I had no choice but to finish the job assigned to me during my stay in Legazpi City. I toiled under the sun as quick as I could so I will get a free day to visit the ruins Cagsawa.

Woe to me! I am in the Queen City of Bicolandia but I didn't got the opportunity to visit its many tourist spots. Even Mayon Volcano hid behind the clouds most the time. I almost accepted the notion that I will never see the volcano's perfect cone. I was fortunate, however, because the beautiful Mayon Volcano showed herself one morning. I will talk about this wondrous event later.

Despite me being busy, I still managed to visit one place in Legazpi City. This city has many tourist spots like the tunnel used by the Japanese soldiers during World War 2, Ligñon Hill for those who love hiking and rapelling, and an eco-park. I never went to any of these places. The place that I visited is the heart of Legazpi City. The heart of Legazpi City is the Albay Cathedral.

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I consider Albay Cathedral as the heart of Legazpi City because it is this church that started it all. It represents the fact that Legazpi City exists due to the toils of Spanish Catholic missionaries, who went to Albay to bring the Good News to the natives.

Albay Cathedral strated as a wooden chapel in the 1580s when missionaries came with the Spanish conquistadores. The early Christian communitiy in Legazpi was under the care of Franciscan friars and also fall under the jurisdiction of Doctrina of Cagsawa. Albay Cathedral is currently the seat of bishop of Legazpi.

It was cloudy, with a chance of rainshower, when I visited Albay Cathedral. The first thing that I noticed is the arch at the front of the cathedral.

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The photo is not good. Electric wires spoiled the view. It is the same complaint that I have with Santa Cruz Church in Manila. Spaghetti electric wires are unsightly. It would be good if these wires were placed underground just like in Makati Central Business District.

The arch displays the name of San Gregorio Magno or Saint Gregory the Great, who is the pope 6th Century pope and Doctor of the Church. The saint is secondary patron of Albay Cathedral. The primary or titular patron of this cathedral is much greater and she goes by the title Our Lady Mother of Salvation.

Also displayed on the arch are the coat of arms of bishops who served the Diocese of Legazpi. One these is the coat of arms of Bishop Concordio Sarte.

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The bishop served the diocese from 1980 to 1991.

The cathedral is closed during my visit. I had no choice but to take photos out side of the church.

I noticed something peculiar in the structure of Albay Cathedral.

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The front of the cathedral has a finish of smooth cement. The side walls of Albay is still made of stone blocks.

My favorite photo that I took during my visit to Albay Cathedral is this:

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The welcoming gesture of this image of our Lord reminded of this passage in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew (11:28):

“Come to me, all you who labor and are brdened, and I will give you rest.”

I didn't linger long at Albay Cathedral. I took some photos and went back to work. I wish that I can enter Albay Cathedral during my next visit Legazpi City.

A Quick Peek at Tabaco Church

The grey Catholic church is the first landmark that I saw when our bus entered the poblacion of Tabaco City. Its massive structure is impressive and I vowed to visit this church. I was surprised when my companion asked me this question: “do you want to visit that church now?” It seems like he knows that visiting churches is part of my itinerary.

I answered “no” to his question. We came to Tabaco City to work and I placed work over my unofficial “sightseeing”. My time to visit this church will come so there is no rush to visit this church.

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That time came in the afternoon of our first day in Tabaco City. I left our cheap hotel and proceeded directly to Tabaco Church. The Holy Mass is currently underway so the church is crowded.

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I failed to take photos of the interior of Tabaco Church because of the crowd. I just contented myself with taking photos outside of the church. The bell tower caught the attention of my camera.

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The bell tower is old and grey like the church beside it. I noticed that the gate blocking the stairs leading to the top of the bell tower is ajar. I decided to climb without any permission.

The interior of Tabaco Church bell tower is dark and damp. Rubbles are everywhere and it seems like the place is in dire need of cleaning. Still, the place is the good place to take photos of Tabaco City. I took a good shot of the park in front of Tabaco Church.

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The monument of “Christ the King” is located at the center of the park. Do you notice the angels surrounding Jesus Christ?

I also took this shot:

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I am about to take another photo when an old man suddenly appeared inside the bell tower. I thought that he will scold me and throw me out of the bell tower. He didn't.

The old man told me that the kampanero (ringer of the bell) is dead that's why no one cleans the bell tower. He is at the bell tower to fix the wirings in preparation for Semana Santa (Holy Week). I am grateful that he allowed me to continue taking photos.

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Bell of Tabaco Church

The old man told me that the Tabaco Church was built through the donations of the parishioners. He told me that his grandmother and other Tabaqueños donated blocks that were used to build the church. The original structure of Tabaco Church was established in 1616 but it was destroyed by the 1814 Mayon Volcano eruption. The current structure was built between 1864 to 1879.

I didn't linger long in Tabaco Church. I left after I made a mini-tour of the bell tower. I hope to see the interior of this church in the future.

Bicolandia's City of Tabak

Rows upon rows of tobacco plants is the first thought that came to my mind when I first heard about Tabaco City. That same thought also played in my mind while we were traveling from Bulan to Tabaco City. I imagined myself in the middle of a tobacco plantation with arms outstretched letting my palms touch tobacco plants while I walk.

I was confused when I reached Tabaco City after half-a-day journey from Bulan. What I saw at the city park is a monument of tabak, which is a big knife being crafted in this city.

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Tabak Monument at the park of Tabaco City.

The monument was established by the city government to show that the accepted origin of the Tabaco City's name came from the “Tabak ko! Tabak ko!” legend.

The legend says that some Spanish soldiers came to the place where Tabaco City now stood and asked a maiden about the name of the place. The overprotective father, thinking that the Spaniards will kidnap his daughter, shouted “Tabak ko! Tabak ko!” (My bolo! My bolo!). The Spaniards thought that the father is shouting the name of the place. Thus, the overprotective father's “Tabak ko” became Tabaco.

The legend supported by the Tabaco City government is very common and many places in the Philippines traced the origin of their name from the misunderstanding between the locals and Spaniards. Other historians claim that Tabaco City's name came from tobacco or tabaco as rendered in Spanish. Tobacco is the city's major product during the Spanish period.

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(Source: Tabaco City Gov't website)

I prefer the “tobacco” over the “tabak ko” etymology because it is more probable. Another reason is it's horrifying to imagine that I stand in the middle of a field of tabak with outstretched arms and my palms touching the blades. The tobacco plantation is more idyllic than a field of tabak.

Tabaco City began when Franciscan missionaries began their apostolic work in the area in 1587. Tabaco Church marked the flourishing of Catholicism in the area when its first structure was established in 1616. The church is one of the earliest structure in Tabaco City.

The heritage of Tabaco City was inscribed at the base of the Tabak Monument. Inscribed of course, is the Tabaco Church.

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I will feature Tabaco Church in the next post.

Another heritage inscribed on the monument is tabak making.

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I didn't buy any tabak in Tabaco City. I was worried that the tabak might be confiscated at the airport.

The inscription that caught my eye is this:

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I never thought that a Chinese school could be found in Tabaco City. Tabaco Pei Ching High School was established in 1920. One of the popular alumni of this school is the showbiz writer Ricky Lo. Too bad that I failed to take a quick peek at this school.

The city park is the best place to stroll during dusk. Tabaqueños flock this park during the evening because it is located conveniently near the mall and Tabaco Church.

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I stayed at this park in my first evening at Tabaco City. The air at park was cooler than our “airconditioned” room in a cheap hotel.

Another interesting building is a white house that I saw while I am on my way to Tabaco Port.

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This white house is the house of the poetess Angela Manalang Gloria. I never know anything about this Filipina poet until I saw her house. Read more about Angela Manalang Gloria here.

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The white house was established in the 19th Century by Mariano Villanueva. It was then owned and used as headquarters of Smith, Bell and Company. It was bought by the poetess in 1965. Aside from being the house of a poetess, this building was considered as one of the biggest house in Tabaco and the only remaining example of a house made of stone in Bicolandia dating to Spanish period.

It can be seen that Tabaco City is more prosperous than other towns, excluding Legazpi City, located around Mayon Volcano. The city is also rich in history and heritage. What made me sad is that the tobacco plantations are gone. My dream of touching tobacco plants didn't happen. I guess I have to go to Ilocos for that.

Affordable Beach Resort at Bulan

One of the things that I like in Bulan is the Sabang Park and Beach Resort. I like it because it is very affordable. I only paid 5 pesos to enter this beach resort. This is the reason why the park and beach resort is packed with people. Anyone can bring their own family without paying so much just for a dip in the sea.
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Too bad that I reached Sabang Beach while I was walking around Bulan. I had no beach wear nor extra clothes so I didn't dare to dip in the sea. I didn't even had a companion that will guard my precious camera. I have no choice but to walk around the resort and take photos.

Sabang Beach is located at a place where the sea meets the river. The visitors of the beach resort can either swim on salt water or fresh water.
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The river beside Sabang and the place where it meets the sea.

The place boasts of a beach with fine sands. There are cottages that can be rented by families who are picnicking.
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The sea is quite fine. People can dip in its waters during calm weather.
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Sabang is both a beach resort and a park. Park amenities is just few meters away from the beach. I saw that Sabang Park and Beach Resort has a conference hall, which was being used by the members of Couples for Christ (CFC) during my visit. It is also a mini-zoo of sorts because there is a cage that holds some birds. There is a playground for the kids and some benches where couples “smoochie smoochie” without care.
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What interested me is an old monument that honors those who fought the Japanese during the Second World War.
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I think that no one is honoring the Second World War heroes now based on the condition of the monument. No one, not even the resort management, cared to clean the monument.

The people of Bulan is blessed to have a beach resort that is so affordable and accessible. How I wish that we have this kind of beach resort in Manila. When will Metro Manilans enjoy a dip in a crystal clear water at place where Pasig River meets the Manila Bay? That is a dream that the people of Bulan enjoys now.

At Bulan the Second Time Around

The Sorsogon town of Bulan is the first place in Bicolandia that I ever set my feet on. A big ship brought me to this town in my first visit. For my second visit, a passenger boat brought me from Masbate City to Bulan.

It is evening when we reached Bulan after the long and noisy travel aboard Kulafu. I am glad to stand on solid ground again. It is good that our guide in Bulan bid us to stay in his house. At least we are spared from looking for a hotel after the exhausting sea voyage.

Nothing changed much in Bulan since my last visit. Jollibee is still the only fast food restaurant in the town. The noisy market is still there. The only change that is noticeable is the pier of Bulan. The old pier was demolished and was replaced by a new one.
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The improved pier of Bulan, Sorsogon.

The sea was calm during my stay in Bulan. The wind was still but the days were hot. It is still a perfect day to do my work. I prefer the sun than the rain when I am outside of the office.
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Calm sea and sky of Bulan.

Bulan is strategically located near the tip Bicolandia peninsula. The town is an important port for vessels going to Masbate and Ticao Islands. The poblacion of Bulan is small because the whole town is still dominated by trees and farms. This means that the air in Bulan is still not that polluted.
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The small poblacion of Bulan.

I only visited two places in Bulan. One is the Sabang Park and Beach Resort, which I will talk about later. The other is the Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church or more popularly known as the Bulan Church. According to Dennis Lizano of Historical Bulan blog, Bulan Church is the biggest parochial church in the whole Bicolandia.
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Most notable landmark of Bulan Church is the reproduction of the Pieta.
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Bulan Church is truly big. It even has an altar on the side for masses for small group of people. I think that this church is old but I can't find a plaque or monument saying its date of establishment. Its belfry is fairly new because it was erected in May 2000.
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I attended the Holy Mass in the early evening. It all went well because I memorized the flow of the Holy Mass so I could still get the gist of it even if the priest was speaking in Bicolano. The only parts that I didn't understand are the readings and the homily.

Bulan Church is plain since it lacks the complicated designs that can be found in other Catholic churches. But, it doesn't mean that Bulan Church is not beautiful. This photo from Flickr shows a good shot of Bulan Church. What disappoints me is that the church is dusty. The image of Mama Mary and other saints are covered in dust. I hope that the parishioners of Bulan Church become more active in cleaning their church.