Immaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria, Baclayon - The churches in Bohol

The churches in Bohol are a distinct collection of Roman Catholic churches established during the early Spanish colonial period in the island-province of Bohol in the Philippines. Four of these churches - Baclayon, Loboc, Loon, and Maribojoc - are declared as National Cultural Treasures for its cultural, historical and architectural importance to the Filipino people

 Baclayon

About 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of Tagbilaran City is the town of Baclayon with its Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception', one of the oldest churches established in the Philippines. The Jesuit mission founded in 1596 was the first in the province. The present church, completed in 1727, is one of the best preserved Jesuit-built churches in the region. In the 19th century, the Augustinian Recollects added a modern facade and a number of stone buildings that now surround the church.

The Baclayon Church is a well-preserved edifice that was declared a national historical treasure in 1995. Its antique décor and religious relics, some of which are on display in the church museum, date back to the 16th century.

Baclayon’s main road is also home to over 65 Spanish-Filipino ancestral homes – some of which were built as far back as 1853!

Cap your visit with a stop at the Aproniana Gift Shop, which carries everything from local delicacies to tarsier plush toys.

Nearby Pamilacan Island has made a name for itself with its move from destructive fishing practices to sustainable eco-tourism and marine preservation. Most people head here for dolphin-and-whale-watching tours, but the island also has accessible white sand beaches, excellent dive sites and even a centuries-old Spanish fort.

History

The mission of Baclayon was established by two Jesuit missionaries or doctrineros, Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sanchez, who came from Cebu and arrived in Bohol on November 17, 1596. Torres reported that he could not find a decent place to celebrate Mass, not even a serviceable table is available in the dwelling they stayed in. The Jesuit convinced the inhabitants to build a visita (chapel-of-ease), which they accomplished in no time. This was most likely a bamboo and thatch church.

Although Baclayon was the first seat of the Spanish Jesuit missionaries and served as the residencia or center of the Bohol missions where the superior resided, fear of Moromarauders soon forced them to move their headquarters more inland to Loboc. Baclayon was one of two towns that did not join the Diwata revolt (1621), remaining steadfast in the Christian faith.

Some 200 native forced laborers constructed the church from coral stones, which they took from the sea, cut into square blocks, and piled on to each other. They used bamboo to move and lift the stones in position, and used the white of a million eggs as mortar to bind them together. The current building was completed in 1727. The church has a dungeon, which was used to punish natives who violated the rules of the Roman Catholic Church. The church complex was fortified with a defensive wall built by the Jesuits.

Immaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria, Baclayon

The Jesuit-built Baclayon church is considered one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. It was built of coral stones, with the whites of countless eggs used to cement them together.

Its modern facade, though, was added in the 19th century by the Augustinian Recollects.

Baclayon Church before the quake. Ederic Eder

Attached to the church is a museum containing centuries-old religious and historic artifacts. The church was, for a long time, considered one of the best-preserved Jesuit churches in the region.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_churches_in_Bohol#Alburquerque

http://philippinesfinest.ph/2014/05/02/bohol/

Shop Amazon - Top Gift Ideas

Parroquia de la Santa Cruz, Maribojoc, Bohol

The Maribojoc church was also  built in the 19th century by the Jesuit order.

The parish of Maribojoc, Bohol was founded in 1768, and construction of a church started 1798 and lasted 18 years. The Santa Cruz Parish Church (Church of the Holy Cross) is located in the poblacion of Maribojoc 14 km (8.7 mi) from the Tagbilaran.

Maribojoc began as a Jesuit mission in the 18th century. The Jesuits built a temporary church, which the Recollects replaced with the present structure by 1886.

Unlike other churches, the convent of Maribojoc is located behind the church rather than adjacent. This gives the convent an unobstructed view of the sea, especially from the balcony that runs the length of the structure. It is approached through the sacristy and is a continuation of the convent. Above the sacristy is a room which has been converted to the Maribojoc museum.

The church had a cruciform ground plan. Its façade was plain, decorated by thin pilasters and niches with images of saints. The interior had three Neogothic altars. The traceries andfinials of gilded hardwood are delicately carved. The main altar has an image of the Blessed Trinity and bas-reliefs of the life of Mary Magdalene. The church ceiling is made of metal and painted with catechetical and liturgical motifs

The 1886 Maribojoc Church crumbled to the ground entirely during the 2013 Bohol earthquake.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/330979/lifestyle/artandculture/from-treasure-to-rubble-heritage-churches-before-and-after-the-bohol-quake

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_churches_in_Bohol

Nuestra Señora de la Luz, Loon, Bohol

The last church building built between 1855-1864 was the biggest church in Bohol before it was completely destroyed by the earthquake of October 15, 2013.

The parish of Loon was established by the Jesuits in 1753 under the curacy of Fray Manuel de Elizalde. The Jesuits built the first church along the shore in Barangay Napo. TheAugustinian Recollects took charge of the town in 1768 following the expulsion of the Jesuits from the Spanish Empire. The first Recollects in Loon described the Jesuit-built church as a shed of wooden posts with a roof of nipa, in bad condition; the convent was not much better.  They transferred the town center and church to its present location on a plateau about fifty meters or more above the shore level. A four-flight stairway of 174 stone steps built by the Recollects connects it to Napo, the former seat of the town; a watchtower near the topmost landing serves as lookout tower for pirates. The Recollects built a church c. 1812 that burned down in the 1850s leaving just the front of the church. They began rebuilding the church in 1855. Wood to build the church was carried from the forest of Maitum by forced laborers, who had to beat their way through uncharted trails and across rivers.

This coral-stone church was seen as one of the grandest and finest churches in Visayas, and was also the biggest in Bohol. The Augustinian Recollects constructed the current church in Ionic and Corinthian style, and its facade was known for its symmetry.


After the quake, Loon residents were met with the devastating sight of their old church pulverized, reduced to a pile of rubble with no structure left at all.



The town of Loon in Bohol was one of the areas most affected by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that shook the province and nearby areas on Tuesday morning.


http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/330979/lifestyle/artandculture/from-treasure-to-rubble-heritage-churches-before-and-after-the-bohol-quake
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_churches_in_Bohol#Loon

San Pedro Church, Loboc - Bohol Churches

 is the second oldest church established in Bohol. It was originally built in 1602, but was soon reduced to ashes. In 1638, a stronger replacement was built. Located near the river, it has survived a number of floods. Inside the church, there are some remarkable frescoes on the ceiling. A Spanish coat-of-arms can be found in the stone wall near the entrance of the convent. The bell tower of Loboc is about 100 m (330 ft) across the street from the church. Attached to the building is a three storey convent, which today houses the Museo de Loboc (Loboc Museum) on the third floor. This museum houses a few old statues of saints, and some other antique religious artifacts. In Loboc, you can also admire a shameful witness of wasteful government planning. Exactly next to the church is a partly finished bridge across the river. The bridge was never finished as it involves the removal of the Church to be completed.

The Loboc church is decorated with carvings of cherubs, the Papal tiara and emblems of the Jesuit. It has two facades: the Jesuit-built Baroque façade decorated with unfinished medallions depicting saints and the Neoclassical portico added by the Recollects. Although main altar is Neoclassical, two side altars are Baroque and two at the transept ends are put together from several parts, creating a syncretic style. Many of the saints of Jesuit devotion have been replaced by saints of Recollect devotion except for the image of Saint Francis Xavier found at the side altar to the right of the main altar. Also, hidden by the main altar, is a bas relief of Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier done in stucco.

According to the NCCA website, this church was built in the 17th century by the Jesuits. The Augustinian Recollects added the porticos and funeral chapel in the 19th century. It was also decorated with paintings in the 20th century.

San Pedro Church in Loboc before the earthquake. Ederic Eder

The earthquake brought down parts of the ceiling and walls of Bohol's second oldest church. The facade has collapsed entirely and the bell tower (below) has been halved in height.

San Pedro Church Tuesday morning. Robert Michael Poole via Twitter

The kampanaryo (bell tower) before and after. Ederic Eder/Robert Michael Poole