We present Saysay Bikol’s “Pamibian” (meaning a place for prayer and reflection), an exhibit on the Spanish colonial churches and invite our readers to a “Visita Iglesia” of sorts during this Lenten season. This series was written by Saysay Bikol historians based on various sources, first published on their FB page in 2024. 

Part 2 features Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Paracale, Camarines Norte (est. in 1611); Our Lady of Peñafrancia Shrine and Parish, Peñafrancia Avenue, Naga City (est. in 1711); Sts. Philip and James Parish, Lagonoy, Camarines Sur (est. in 1736); Santo Domingo de Guzman Parish, Santo Domingo, Albay (est. in 1744); Saint Anne Parish, Magarao, Camarines Sur (est. in 1750); and, Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish, Daraga, Albay (est. in 1771) .

Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, Paracale, Camarines Norte (est. in 1611)

by Saysay Bikol

In the year 1581 and following the Franciscans founded this town, although it is not shown to have a resident minister until 1611 when Fray José de la Torre, OFM was assigned. Fray de la Torre built the Church under the invocation of Nuestra Señora de la Purificacion, and the year of 1632 were added the barrios of Gaugau and Capalongan. Due to scarcity of religious, its administration was given up in the year 1634, but returned to the Franciscans in 1638. In 1662 it was left again.

References:

• Huerta Fray Félix. Estado geográfico, topográfico, Estadístico, històrico-Religioso, De La Santa y apostólica Provincia De S. Gegorio Magno: De Religiosos Menores Descalzos De La Regular Y más Estrecha Observancia De N. S. P. S. Francisco, En Las Islas Filipinas. Binondo: Impr. de M. Sanchez y cia, 1865.

Our Lady of Peñafrancia Shrine and Parish, Peñafrancia Avenue, Naga City (est. in 1711)

by Paolo Gabriel D. Jamer

Don Miguel de Robles y Cobarrubias, who introduced the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Nueva Caceres, envisioned to build a chapel of stone dedicated to the Virgin. Through his and natives’ efforts, a chapel was erected in 1711.

According to Fray Domingo de Sena local natives donated money and rendered labor for the construction of the chapel. It faced several earthquakes and other catastrophes because of its sturdy materials that resulted to its deterioration. Bishop Felipe Molina initiated the improvements of the chapel but demolishing first chapel built by Don Miguel then constructing a formidable chapel to endure calamities and to accommodate the increasing number of devotees. Due to his untimely death however it was left unfinished. In 1750, the first stone-and-mortar shrine was completed during the time of Bishop Ysidoro de Arevalo.

Several renovations were made over the years but the most notable among them happened during the time of Bishop Francisco Gainza, who served as Bishop of Nueva Caceres (1862-1879). He writes: “when I arrived, the church was completely being neglected the year round, because the dear Virgin was dwelling in the cathedral once more, and she will be brought there only for the last three days of the novenary.” Devotees of wealthy families and local natives contributed to the beautification of the shrine especially the retablo and magnificent chandeliers from Spain. The shrine withstands all the calamities and wars including the Second World War because despite the bombing of the Japanese forces upon their invasion in 1941 in Naga City, the shrine was spared from complete annihilation of bombs from Japanese army. Devotees increased drastically because of the miracles and consolation they felt whenever they visited the shrine. On October 30, 1973, the Shrine was created into a Parish with the Auxiliary Bishop of Caceres, Most Rev. Concordio Sarte, DD as the first Parish Priest and it celebrated its 50th parish foundation anniversary last October 30, 2023.

At present, the shrine remains to be a cradle of fervent devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia, wherein most of the time devotees call her “Ina” and Holy Face of Jesus, the “Divino Rostro.” Mr. Lito Consulta and Benjie Consulta, who are also devotees of Ina and helpers in taking good care of the original and miraculous images of Ina and the Divino Rostro, recounted that the chandeliers that at present we can see were donated by Atty. Delfin Rodriguez which is the chandelier near the altar and the other one that is the biggest among all chandeliers is from Dona Emily Bichara. Both are ardent devotees of Ina.

References:

• Abella, Domingo. 1951. Manila. Bikol Annals Volume 1. The See of Nueva Caceres.
• Gainza, Francisco, O.P. 1867. An Simbahan nin satong Senora Peña de Francia sa Ciudad kan Nueva Caceres. Binondo: Imprenta de Miguel Sanchez y Cia.
• History of the Devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia, Archdiocese of Caceres.
• Ina: Little Stories of Faith. Our Lady of Peñafrancia 300 Years. 2010.
• Jamer, Paolo Gabriel D. Interview with Benjie and Lito Consulta. 2024.

Sts. Philip and James Parish, Lagonoy, Camarines Sur (est. in 1736)

by Maxine Bethamae M. Montilla

The Parish of Sts. Philip and James the Apostles was founded in 1734. According to Adolfo Puya Ruiz (1887), the first church is made of stone and wood with a roof iron and a beautiful convent. It is located along the riverbanks of Lagonoy but it was then destroyed because of the flood, leaving only the ruins of its belfry. By that time, Lagonoy was already administered by the secular clergy since the Franciscans left almost a century earlier in 1636.

On June 17, 1775, by the decree of Manila Archbishop Basilio de Santa Justa, the administration of the town was entrusted to the Franciscans once more with Fray Ginés Antonio Fernandez as the cura. But for an obscure reason, the secular clergy took over the parish’s administration shortly after.

The second church was built in Barangay San Isidro Sur in 1874, but because the ground proved to have been unstable, the site had to be abandoned. A third church was built in the same year, which is the present stone church located in Barangay Santa Maria. In 1877 D. Hilario de Vera and D. Eulalio Escobar were the cura and coadjutor respectively in Lagonoy with 7906 almas (souls).

Fr. Vicente Ramirez, who was then a parish priest but later took an active part in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente. Bishop Jorge Barlin demanded Fr. Ramirez vacate his Church but he refused because they had already occupied the church buildings and properties. Bishop Barlin brought the case to the Court of First Instance of Ambos Camarines. Applying Article 8 of the Treaty of Paris which exempted Church property from the sale exacted between Spain and the US the court ruled in favor of Bishop Barlin in 1904, and when it was reheard in the Supreme Court in 1906, Bishop Barlin secured legal victory. Since then, Ramirez and his cohorts were ordered to vacate the church owned by the Catholic Church.

Lagonoy annually celebrates its town fiesta in honor of the two Apostles Sts. Philip and James on May 1, but on the Liturgical calendar the feast of the two Apostles is celebrated on May 3 the day when their relics were transferred to Rome. The Parish has also a secondary patron, Nuestra Senora del Santissimo Rosario whose feast is usually celebrated on the last Sunday of October.

References:

• Barlin v Ramirez. G.R. No. L-2832 24 November 1906 (chanrobles.com).
• Huerta, Félix de, O.F.M. 1865. Estado geográfico, topográfico, estadístico, histórico religioso de la santa apostólica Provincia de S. Gregorio Magno. Binondo. Imprenta de M. Sanchez y Cia.
• Moreno, Francisco. 1877. Historia de la Santa Iglesia metropolitana de Filipinas : con las vidas de arzobispos y varones insignes, extensiva a hechos culminantes de la conquista y fundacion de varias instituciones en esta capital hasta 1650. Manila: Imp. de El Oriente.
• Owen, Norman G. 1990. Problems in Partido: 1741-1810. Philippine Studies.
• Puya Ruiz, Adolfo. 1887. Camarines Sur: Descripción general de esta provincia en Luzón, acompañada de un plano del territorio que la provincia ocupa. Manila: Establecimiento Tipografico de La Oceanía Española.

Santo Domingo de Guzman Parish, Santo Domingo, Albay (est. in 1744)

by Roland Gile A. Gregorio, Jr.

The Parish of St. Dominic de Guzman is a church located in Sto. Domingo, Albay. The parish owes its name from Saint Dominic de Guzman, founder of the Dominican Order. Unlike most towns in the Bikol region, Sto. Domingo never came under the pastoral care of the Franciscans but of the secular clergy.

Sto. Domingo, which was originally known as Libog, used to be a part of the town of Albay (now Legazpi City). According to Sto. Domingo’s entry in the National Memory Project, the name “libog” appears to be a corruption of the Bikol word, “libot” which means roundabout. In 1749, Libog became a separate town and a church was initially constructed on a site close to the sea. In its original form, the church was made using light materials such as split bamboos (basag).

In 1820, the original church was destroyed by fire, prompting the construction of the present church closer to the town center. With a town like Sto. Domingo being situated at the foot of the Mayon volcano, the history of its church and local culture has been greatly shaped by the volcano. The construction of the present church utilized pyroclastic/ volcanic materials that came out of the Mayon volcano. Both men and women were ordered to gather volcanic materials from a nearby area called Maranlog, now Brgy. San Isidro. The diocesan clergy closely supervised the construction of the church and it was designed with two dome-shaped belfries, a unique feature that highlights the church’s distinct symmetry. The natives constructed this church with volcanic stone blocks and used a mixture of lime, egg albumin and “tangguli” (molasses) to bind its massive stone walls.

In Sto. Domingo, the locals express their Catholic faith and devotion to St. Dominic de Guzman through unique traditions. Early inhabitants of Sto. Domingo had their unique way of expressing their praise and worship through the “tarahadi”, a thanksgiving event which they usually celebrate during bountiful harvests. In times of disaster, the locals often turn to prayer by reciting the rosary and the Oratio Imperata. The gozo or religious hymn to St. Dominic mentions protection from the wrath of Mayon. Ritual activities dedicated to him include the Kristyanong Turog, a religious rite usually performed by locals at 2 a.m. to ward off evil spirits and grant them protection from any harm that the volcano might bring. Another religious rite performed by the locals is the Procession on Foot and Novena to Señor Sto. Domingo, which is used as a ritual to prevent the eruption of the volcano. These traditions stand as a testament to the town’s unwavering faith despite the constant threat of Mayon’s fury.

References:

• Albay Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office. 2021. Albay Heritage Month Feature: St. Dominic de Guzman Church of Sto. Domingo.
• Arao, Cesar. Mapping the Cultural Heritage and the Relevance of Mayon Volcano to the Locals of Santo Domingo, Albay, Philippines. BU R&D Journal, Vol. 23, December 2020.
• Santo Domingo, Albay. National Memory Project. National Historical Commission of the Philippines.

Santo Domingo de Guzman Parish, Santo Domingo, Albay(est. in 1750)

by Ruben Jeffrey A. Asuncion

Saint Anne Parish church’s exact year of establishment in available sources is unclear. However, it can be inferred this took place after 1750, when Magarao was formally separated from its mother town of Canaman. After Magarao’s elevation to being a town and parish from being Canaman’s visita, Fray Francisco de los Angeles o de Cadalso was assigned as its first curate.

The first edifice was destroyed during an earthquake in 1811. The second edifice was built from nipa and bamboo. However, from 1826 until 1849, an edifice made from stone and other sturdy materials was constructed. This had a length of 225 pies and a width of 54 pies. This edifice was completed during the stint as parish priest of F. Gabriel de Lillo. Unfortunately, the church was damaged again in 1887 when earthquakes hit the area. This was subsequently restored. Furthermore, in the 1880s, the parish was noted for its convento, whose design stood in contrast with the lightly built casa tribunal.

A historical marker was installed in the church in 1939 by the then Philippine Historical Committee. At present, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines maintains the marker and had also included the church in its national inventory of historical structures and sites. At present, pilgrims also go to St. Anne Parish church as part of the traditional Visita Iglesia.

References:

• Huerta, Felix de. Estado Geografico, Topografico, Estadistico, Historico-Religioso, de la Santa y Apostolica de S. Gregorio Magno. Binondo: Imprenta de M. Sanchez y Cia. 1865.
• National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures in the Philippines: Church of Magarao.
• Puya Ruiz, Alfredo. Camarines Sur: Descripcion General de Esta Provincia en Luzon. Manila.
• La Oceania de Español. 1887.

Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish, Daraga, Albay (est. in 1771)

by Ruben Jeffrey A. Asuncion

Perched on top of a hill in Daraga, Albay is the Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church. The structure’s design has been described to be Churrigueresque, a style that emerged at the peak of the Spanish Baroque period. It was first built in 1773 but had to be rebuilt and then completed after the destructive 1814 eruption of Mayon Volcano compelled the relocation of the pueblo from Cagsawa to its present site and now renamed as Daraga. According to the eminent Jesuit historian Francisco Mallari, this move had actually been proposed sometime after the 1766 eruption. However, this was continuously delayed by Spanish era bureaucratic bottlenecks until the fateful eruption occurred in February 1814.

According to the Historical Data Papers (HDP) of Daraga, a church had been constructed upon Cagsawa’s construction after an undated eruption of Mayon Volcano. As Cagsawa flourished, a “network of streets” that radiated from the church. Furthermore, a legend also recounts how bells from the church–designed with gold and silver–were hidden by the townspeople upon hearing that slave raiders were coming to plunder Cagsawa. The bells were said to have been quickly left behind by the people in Busay as they were fleeing.

As recounted by folk accounts recorded in the HDP, when Mt. Mayon erupted in 1814, and apparently also in fear of renewed slave raiding attacks, young ladies and other individuals fled to a spot near a hill to reestablish anew their settlement. Believing that the hill can shield them from Mayon’s eruptions, the ladies helped in the establishment of a chapel, that was in time replaced by a larger stone-based edifice. The town was said to be renamed to “Daraga” in honor of the young ladies who assisted in the endeavor to build the chapel.

References:

• Albay Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office. 2021. “Albay Heritage Month Feature: Our Lady of the Gate Church of Daraga.”
• Historical Data Papers. Daraga, Albay. National Library of the Philippines.
• Mallari, Francisco, S.J. 1990. Ibalon Under Storm and Siege. Cagayan De Oro: Xavier University.

About Saysay Bikol

Officially launched on March 13, 2021, during their first Zoom assembly, Saysay Bikol is a civic organization based in Naga City that has grown in terms of its influence, reach, and members, which include historians, educators, and cultural heritage advocates. The promotion of Bikol history and heritage is at the heart of its mission and purpose. Saysay Bikol is affiliated with notable institutions, including the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the NHCP Museo ni Jesse Robredo, and Local Historical Committees Network (LHCN).

Shown in the inset photo are Saysay Bikol’s co-founders: (L-R) Javier Leonardo V. Rugeria , Fr. Francis A. Tordilla, and Victor Dennis T. Nierva at the Holy Rosary Minor Seminary, Naga City, November 10, 2022 (credit: Marvi Torres). The word “saysay” means to narrate or chronicle, to tell a story, or to tell of an experience.