Bajo las Campanas

18/12/2024

While the image of the Virgen de Guia was staying at the Capilla del Sagrario of the Manila Cathedral, the people of Ermita annually performed a dance ritual to her called “Bota Flores” every 18th of December, Feast of the Expectation of Our Lady. This became the date of the town fiesta of Ermita when the image was returned to their church in 1918.

16/12/2024

This sums up our culture-filled journey into the different towns of Ilocos Sur. From the ancient beauty of each heritage churches, to the delectable Ilocano cuisine, to the wonderful pieces of art here and there, every moment has enriched our knowledge of this heritage province of the north. So, we in Bajo las Campanas would like to thank our pilgrims for taking part in this amazing experience. This is definitely one for the books!

Also, thank you to NSCC Hotel Vigan for the warm hospitality, to the different restaurants for providing us with only the best meals, and for our transportation provider for ensuring our safety on the road.

We look forward to seeing you all again very soon 🙏🏽

13/12/2024

Feliz Fiesta de Santa Lucia!

13/12/2024

This is an appreciation post for our pilgrims who joined us last week in Bajo las Campanas MANILA: UN PUEBLO AMANTE DE MARIA INMACULADA Day Tour. We’re glad to have shared with you the different historical layers of Metro Manila through the devotion to the Immaculate Conception. Thank you for your eagerness to learn about the histories of each parishes that we visited.

Also, we thank each of the churches we visited for the warm welcome, and to Judy Ann’s Crispy Pata Restaurant for the delicious fiesta meal.

We look forward to seeing everyone again very soon!

12/12/2024

Feliz Fiesta de la Virgen de Guadalupe!

12/12/2024

Iglesia Prroquial de Santo Domingo de Guzman
Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur

Aside from being the hometown of the saintly statesman Benito Soliven, the claim-to-fame of this bustling town of Santo Domingo is its relation to the Ilocano hero Diego Silang. Always central to their stories is the parish church of the town, in which they both had served during their respective lifetimes. This church is a silent witness to some of the events that had shaped our country.

The area of what would become Santo Domingo was first called Pus-ac, a name that is still borne today by the area south of the poblacion. Some references say that Pus-ac was a visita of Bantay, but could not be verified in the Augustinian records. The parish was established by the Seculars in 1742 and was placed under the advocation of St. Dominic Guzman, founder of the Order of the Preachers. In turn, the town adopted the name of its patron, relegating Pus-ac to a mere barrio at the outskirts of the town center. Its first gobernadorcillo Don Pablo Arquero is considered the founder of the town, while Fr. Tomas Millan served as its first parish priest, and had initiated the construction of the church.

In the early years of the parish, the teenage Diego Silang worked here as a bell ringer during the tenure of Fr. Millan. Twenty years later, he would work as a government courier based in Vigan where Fr. Millan was also serving as the parish priest of the town. the former minister of Santo Domingo must have made a great impression to Diego Silang, that when he became the leader of the rebellion in 1762, he demanded for the removal of the alcalde mayor of Ilocos and have him replaced by the good Fr. Millan as the acting alcalde - a request that was heeded and arranged by the Archbishop Bernardo Ustariz.

After the Silang Revolt, the town of Santo Domingo enjoyed relative prosperity and peace. The presence of a Camestizohan district in the town for the Chinese-mestizo traders, and the need for the Augustinian friars to establish their own parish - San Ildefonso right beside the existing secular parish, are proofs that this area was teeming with commercial activity in the past. This prosperity is reflected in the grandeur of the town church of Santo Domingo, which is among the most spacious in the province. Also, it is only the only one in the province with a proper belfry affixed to the pediment of the facade.

During the term of Fr. Miguel Padilla from 1825 to 1869, he made many improvements to the church. It was during his time that the present neoclassical retablos and pulpit of the church were installed. Based on old photographs, he also commissioned muralists to decorate the ceiling and walls of the church with trompe l’oeil paintings. Unfortunately, these magnificent artworks did not survive modernity, despite it being spared from the damages of the Revolution and WWII. Msgr. Crisanto Padernal further enhanced the exterior of the church when he commissioned the plastering of its walls - an apperance that gave it an authentic Latin American aesthetic. There used to be a brick convent building that was completely destroyed during the earthquakes in 1957.

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

11/12/2024

Iglesia Parroquial de San Vicente Ferrer
San Vicente de Tuanong, Ilocos Sur

The treasure trove of historical structures is not only confined to the Heritage Town of Vigan, but are also sitting on a quiet corner of its periphery. One that is highly underrated is the Municipality of San Vicente, that is just a 10 minute drive from the core of the capital city. Its collection of well-preserved old buildings is more than anyone would expect, considering the quaintness of the town. At the heart of it all is the impressive town church.

The original place name of this town was Tuanong, and for a very long time was a barrio of Vigan. In 1795, the Seculars of Nueva Segovia established a parish in this barrio, and dedicated it to San Vicente Ferrer, considered as the Apostle of the Apocalypse. Like most in the country during the Spanish era, the identity of the town is greatly intertwined with the parish, hence the name of the patron was added, and became San Vicente de Tuanong. Overtime, the name Tuanong was dropped as a way of shortening it.

Records are scant regarding the construction of the present church, but it is believed that Fr. Pedro de Leon was the parish priest who initiated it. The facade is the a very fine Ilocano rendition of neoclassical architecture with how burnay jars are used as finials. Although the church has a relatively small floor area, its frontage projects a grandeur of scale, with its use of rows of columns and its twin belfries that flank its facade. A close inspection of the upper pediment suggests that the original facade may have only been the middle three bays, and was later expanded through the addition of the two outer bays.

The existence of the two sets of buttresses further support the theory that the church was renovated just a few decades after it was first built. The right lateral wall show signs of caving-in, hence the renovation of the facade may have been a by-product of a necessary intervention. The interiors of the church is equally impressive as its exteriors. The sanctuary display three pieces of neoclassical retablos, while its pulpit is Rococo. This suggests that its present retablos were preceded by some much-older Rococo pieces. This beautiful church is the central jewel to its plaza complex that includes a brick school building, a town hall, and a former residence of the Spanish Governors of Ilocos. Together, they are recognized by the National Museum of the Philippines as a National Cultural Treasure.

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

11/12/2024

Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Catalina de Alejandria
Santa Catalina de Baba, Ilocos Sur

The foundations of this town is often intertwined with legends. It is said that while some Spanish soldiers were traveling from Vigan, they chanced upon a water spring in the area. Needing to quench their thirst, they drank from it, but when it was already the captain’s turn to fetch some water, a vision of Saint Catherine of Alexandria had appeared to them. Thence, the place was called Santa Catalina de Baba in honor of her, and in relation to its location with Vigan. The spring eventually became famous for its healing properties. For most part of its early history, the town was administered as a visita of Vigan. Even today, this town serves as the mooring place for fishing boats that bring their catch to the city, hence an important suburb of the city.

It is believed that the very first location of the town center was in Barrio Cabittaogan where an evangelization cross is believed to the have been first planted. The visita of Santa Catalina finally separated from Vigan in 1795 upon the orders of Bishop Juan Ruiz. However, there was no permanent minister assigned to it until 1800 when Don Manuel de los Reyes became its first parish priest. Soon after, the present church was constructed near the miraculous well that had made it famous in the first place. The church is relatively small compared to its neighboring parishes. It is a single nave structure with its convent directly attached to its back wall - a unique feature that is not seen elsewhere in Ilocos Sur. It does not have a separate structure for its bell tower, but has a small lantern at the top of the pediment which serves as its belfry. The sanctuary features three retablos with a matching pulpit decorated in the Rococo style.

The original Rococo style of the retablo confirms its date of construction to be from the early 19th century. Although the church did not suffer destruction during the Revolution or WWII, its retablos have been stripped of decorative elements over the years, retaining only small traces. Had its original decorative components been saved, its style would have been close to the retablos of Sinait, built around the same time period. Recently, the retablos underwent engancement that gave them new decorative components. Unfortunately, it was a missed opportunity, as the new ornaments deviated from the existing Rococo details from its original configuration. The sterling silver altar was also replaced with a mass-produced material during this process, leaving this valuable artifact discarded to one side altar.

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

10/12/2024

Viva Nuestra Señora de Loreto Coronada!

Our Lady is the patroness of the old town of Sampaloc in Manila since it was established by the Franciscans in 1613. The newly-crowned image is believed to be the same statue brought from Spain in the early 17th century.

Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto Network

08/12/2024

Ave Maria Purísima, sin pecado concebida

06/12/2024

¡Viva Nuestra Señora de Caridad de Agoo Coronada!

06/12/2024

We still have two slots available for our Ilocos Sur trip that’s finally happening next week 13 to 15 December 2024. Send us a message to register!

06/12/2024

Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa
Iglesia Parroquial de San Vicente de Paul
Ermita, Manila

Although its prominence today is somewhat eclipsed already by the present Mother Church of the Vincentians in Tandang Sora, or the National Shrine of the Miraculous Medal in Muntinlupa, this shrine in Manila still holds a special place as the first and historical center of the congregation in the Philippines, and the devotion to Our Lady. Its story started way before its foundation, back in 1862 when Queen Isabella had invited the Vincentians to administer the Diocesan seminaries in the Philippines.

As soon as they arrived, the CM Fathers took possession of their new assignments in Manila in 1862, Nueva Caceres in 1865, Cebu in 1867, Jaro in 1869, and Nueva Segovia in 1872. The need for establishing a mother house was only secondary, as their mission did not involve managing parishes unlike the other religious congregations. This important task was stalled until 1874 when the Congregation purchased a property and built a mission house along Calle San Marcelino which was then part of the district of San Fernando (Paco). After the Seminary of Manila in Intramuros was finally destroyed by the earthquake of 1880, it was briefly moved to San Marcelino until in 1883, when the Archbishop of Manila initiated the construction a new seminary building beside San Ignacio Church.

After the Manila Seminary had left, the CM Fathers initiated the construction of a mother church beside their house, under the advocation of St. Vincent de Paul, founder of their congregation. The structure started as a humble chapel, and was fortunately spared during the chaos of the Revolution in 1898. This structure became the temporary parish church of Paco until 1909. That same year, the parish of Paco was split in two, with the establishment of the Parish of St. Vincent de Paul. In time for the 50th Anniversary of their arrival, the CM Fathers initiated the reconstruction of the chapel to a proper church. Its architect was the celebrated son of Juan Luna, Arch. Andres Luna de San Pedro, and the church was inaugurated in 1912.

Because of the popularity of the devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, her image was moved to the main altar of the church in the 1920's. The church became the first de facto shrine of Our Lady, and every year a grand procession in her honor is held every 27th of November. The Virgen of the Vincentians were even the first in the Philippines to ride a carroza triunfal, an innovation by the Talleres de Maximo Vicente. During the American era, the church of San Vicente de Paul was a favorite for society weddings, another reason for its popularity.

The beautiful church was supplemented with a Neoclassical seminary building constructed in 1936. This was originally built to house the San Carlos Major Seminary, and was inaugurated in 1938.However, at the outbreak of WWII, the major seminary rejoined the minor seminary in Mandaluyong in 1941, leaving the new building as a mother house of the congregation. Unfortunately, approximately 800 Manila residents who sought refuge in the church and seminary were trapped and killed during the Battle of Manila in 1945.

The church and seminary were restored right after the war. Adamson College, fourteen years young at that time, rented out a portion of the old seminary building in 1946. Eventually, the Greek family entrusted the care of the school to the Vincentian Fathers in 1964 which remains up to this day. In 1979, the CM Fathers moved their mother house to Tandang Sora, which allowed Adamson to occupy the historic facilities in its entirety, and even acquiring the former facilities of nearby St. Theresa’s College and the old MERALCO Headquarters. The church was declared an Archdiocesan Shrine by the Archbishop of Manila in 2022. New retablos were inaugurated for this special occassion, which also marked the 160th year of the arrival of the CM Fathers. The revered image of Our Lady was episcopally crowned this year in November 2024.

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

06/12/2024

Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guia
Primer Imagen de la Inmaculada Concepciónn de Filipinas
Ermita, Manila

Situated right at the shores of Manila Bay is one of the oldest settlements in Manila dating from the early 17th century. Its origins can be traced back to a hermitage that houses the oldest Marian image in the Philippines, the Nuestra Señora de Guia. This revered Virgin was found by the soldiers of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1571 being venerated atop pandan bushes as an Anito by the natives, long before Christianity had arrived in our shores. Its origins is an enigma even to this day.

The environs of La Hermita was originally part of the town of Maalat (Malate). From the time that it was found, the ancient image of Our Lady is housed in a small chapel at the same site. Naturally, a community of natives grew around the hermitage, and thus in 1606 it was constituted as an independent pueblo, separating it from its matrix. Four years later, in 1610 the chapel of Nuestra Señora de Guia became a parish, with the Virgin as a representation of the Immaculate Conception as its patroness. Administration of the parish was given to the secular clergy of Manila, who had built its first stone church.

The earthquake of 1645 destroyed the first stone church but was promptly rebuilt. However, this rebuilt structure would also be taken down in 1662 by orders of the Governor General to prevent the Chinese pirate Koxinga from taking over any public buildings. The revered image was transferred to the Cathedral where she was placed at the main retablo of the Capilla del Sagrario. The image would return to Hermita in 1666 after the church was rebuilt. A century later, the British came to invade Manila in 1762. The Virgin was again evacuated to the Capilla of the Cathedral where it would stay for longer period. Meanwhile in 1771, the church of Hermita collapsed during an earthquake.

The town of La Hermita would have been among those erased from the maps after the British invasion. But the insistence of its native residents to use a camarin as their provisional church made the Archbishop reconsider the decision, and paved the way for its existence to remain. Despite this, the revered image was not brought back from the cathedral, and another image with ivory face and hands had taken its place. As a sign of plea, the Ermitenses would go to the Sagrario Chapel of the Cathedral annually to toss flowers to the Virgin, which would later be known as Bota Flores.

In 1810, a new church was built for the town, and was described as Cal y Canto. In 1873, administration of the parish was turned over to the Augustinian Recollects, to the dismay of the Secular clergy. Five years later in 1878, they started the demolition of the parish church in favor of a more modern structure. By this time, the parish of Ermita was already becoming a suburb for the affluent families of Manila. The new church was blessed in 1885 but was abandoned during the Revolution in 1898.

Administration of the parish was given to the Franciscan Capuchins by the time of the American occupation. It was them who had successfully persuaded the Archbishop for the return of the historic image of the Virgen de Guia from the Cathedral back to Ermita. And so in 1918, it made its historic return through a grand procession. The image was kept to safety in a private residence during WWII, as most of Ermita were reduced to rubble. The Capuchins rebuilt the church to its present form, Due to the strong devotion to, and historical significance of the Virgen de Guia, it was granted a canonical crown by Pope Pius XII in 1956. When Pope St. John Paull II visited the Philippines in 1981, the Virgen de Guia graced his holy presence. In 2005, the church of Ermita was declared an Archdiocesan Shrine by the Archbishop of Manila.

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

06/12/2024

06/12/2024

Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes
Iglesia de los Padres Franciscanos Capuchinos
Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City

The Fanciscan Capuchins were the last friars to arrive in the Philippines in 1886 for their missions to Palau and the Caroline Islands, and were the last religious congregation to build a church inside Intramuros. After moving to different houses within the first five years, they managed to secure a property along General Luna Street and build a chapel there in 1891. It was originally dedicated to La Divina Pastora, and was consecrated a year later.

There was a wooden statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, a meter tall, that the friars had commissioned from Manuel Flores which was intended for the grotto of the convent. But because the image was so beautiful, devotees urged the friars to move it inside the chapel, and soon after it became popular among Manileños. Novena is already being said in honor of Our Lady’s February apparition by 1893. Due to this growing popularity, Doña Carmen Macan commissioned the same sculptor to craft a much larger image to be the object of regular devotion, which was blessed in 1896. The following year, in 1897 the friars started rebuilding the chapel to a proper church according to the plans of Arch. Federico Soler. Construction of the Neo-Romanesque Church came to a halt as the news of impending American invasion broke out in 1898.

Due to their church’s proximity to the Military Quarters, the friars feared that their convent would suffer a direct hit from American bombs. The friars knelt before the image of Our Lady and prayed for their deliverance. They promised to dedicate the church to the title of Lourdes if they will be spared. Luckily, their house were kept safe, so they did rededicate the church to her in 1898. Construction of the church concluded in 1910, and it became a favorite for society weddings during the American Era. The Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Lourdes was founded in the church in 1920, which spearheaded the Saturday devotions to Our Lady.

The horrors of WWII did not spare the Capuchins in Intramuros. In time for the Lourdes novena, all of the men inside the walls were rounded up by the Japanese and taken as hostages in Fort Santiago, the friars included. The two images of Our Lady of Lourdes were taken to safety inside the convent of San Agustin where they remained until February 23, 1945. Unfortunately, the friars were among those massacred by the Japanese as they were making their last stand. The church of the Capuchins burned during the Liberation, and had stood in ruins for quite some time.

The friars were granted permission in 1946 to rebuild their church inside the walls, but their reconstruction efforts were halted in 1950 when the Tuason Family donated a much larger property in their burgeoning Santa Mesa Heights Estate in Quezon City. Ultimately, the Capuchins decided to abandon their old site in favor of the new one. The old site was acquired by El Amanecer who had built a bahay-na-bato in its place. A new church, according to the plans of Arch. Luis Ma. Araneta, was blessed in 1951. It acted as the parish church of the already-existing parish of Santa Mesa Heights (founded 1942), taking over from Santa Teresita Church in Mayon. Jursdiction of the two churches were settled in 1977 when the parish was split in two, and Santa Teresita given its own territory once more.

In 1987, the Archbishop of Manila declared the church as an Archdiocesan Shrine. Ten years later, it was elevated to a National Shrine. The parish was passed on to the Diocese of Cubao when it was established in 2003. Due to to popularity of the devotion, as evidenced by the presence of a Lourdes grotto in every Filipino home, and the historical significance of the images, Pope Francis granted it with a Pontifical crown in 2019. The coronation rites were delayed to August 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

06/12/2024

Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion de la Santísima Virgen Maria
Cubao, Quezon City

Before Quezon City was chartered in 1939, Cubao was originally a barrio of the town of San Juan del Monte. It was not usually listed in Spanish era references until it had been labeled in the map of Manila from 1885, suggesting that Cubao was a wilderness for most part of the Spanish period. In 1933, the German SVD Fathers established their mother house in the nearby Magdalena Estate (New Manila), known in the old as Barrio Ermetaño. This gave them the opportunity to tend to the spiritual needs of the community of farmers living in Barrio Cubao, because the seminary was closer than the parish in Pinaglalaban. The very first chapel was built of light materials and was dedicated to San Isidro Labrador.

In 1939, Barrio Cubao, along with Hacienda Diliman, Magdalena Estate (Barrio Ermetaño) and San Francisco del Monte were carved out of San Juan del Monte to form part of the new capital city that Pres. Manuel Quezon had envisioned. The newly established Quezon City was centered around the old Hacienda Diliman, and a new parish was established for it in 1941 under the stewardship of the SVD Fathers. Attached to the parish of Diliman was the visita of San Isidro Labrador of Cubao.

After the war, the visita occupied a former USAFFE quonset hut situated between Brooklyn Street and Spencer Street. It was rededicated to the Immaculate Conception in 1949, and the following year it was elevated to a parish church. The original image of San Isidro de Cubao was transferred to a chapel in Barrio Piñahan. Administration of the new parish was assumed by the SVD Fathers as a continuation of their ministry in the area. Fr. Juan Simon SVD was its first parish priest, who initiated the construction of the present church along Lantana Street.

The SVD Fathers offered to turnover the parish to the care of the Archdiocese of Manila, which was done in 1990. When a new diocese was created for Southern Quezon City in 2003, the already-established commercial district of Cubao became the most suitable choice as a seat. Thus, the church of Cubao was elevated to a cathedral. In keeping with its dignity as a cathedral, the Neo-Romanesque structure was decorated in the classical manner by Rafael del Casal.

The ceiling was painted in blue, and studded with golden stars reminiscent of that of Saint-Chapelle. Three classical retablos were installed, while the vaulted crossing was painted with roundels of the four evangelists. Each arch in the nave was also painted with an image of each of the twelve apostles. The beautification culminated in 2010 with a facelift of the facade. Twelve saints significant to the devotion to the Immaculate Conception now adorn the top pediment. Today, the cathedral is truly a classical masterpiece in the Philippines.

(C) Lorenzo Bukas