Bajo las Campanas

06/02/2025

Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Ana Madre de la Virgen
Santa Ana de Pinpin, Pampanga

This quaint town along the national road leading to Nueva Ecija is one of the few inconspicuous in the province of Pampanga. But unremarkable as it may seem at first, the town takes pride in their beautifully constructed parish church, and the tradition of Majigangga that is held nowhere else in the Philippines aside from here.

It is believed that there was already a settlement in this area as early as the 14th century, which was formerly called Pinpin. When the neighboring parish of Arayat was established in 1598, Pinpin was named one of its visitas. Some sources say that Pinpin means “an area laid aside”, and was called as such, in relation to its distance from its mother parish. The visita of Pinpin was placed under the advocation of Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary; hence the town came to be known as Santa Ana de Pinpin. Her husband, Saint Joachim is also honored as a secondary patron. Due to its proximity to Arayat, Pinpin stayed connected to it for a very long time, despite attempts to secede in the 17th century. This status was reconfirmed in 1617.

As a visita, it is presumed that a church structure was already existing; however, there are no records pertaining to its construction. In 1756, the town of Pinpin finally seceded from Arayat, after being able to reach the required number of 500 paying tributes to constitute a town. Presumably, they continued to use the old visita as the parish church.

In 1853, through the initiatives of Fray Vicente Ferrer OSA, the parish began the construction of the present cruciform church and its five tier bell tower. He would lated be assigned to the nearby parish of Candaba the following year. The total construction cost was P5,568 and 25 reales, as detailed in a document kept in Valladolid, Spain. Stones were brought from Meycauayan, while hardwood were sourced from Betis and Porac. Some other construction materials came from Manila. Construction was completed in 1857 during the term of Fray Lucas Gonzales OSA. In 1866, the convent building was constructed by Fray Antonio Redondo OSA.

The town practices the Majigangga tradition - a parade of huge puppets akin to a Higante, but represents evil and satirical characters instead of jolly townsfolk. These evil representations roam the streets on the nights leading to Chirstmas, and vanishes as the Savior is born. This tradition can be traced from the Mexican mojigangas, and made their way here, possibly because many Mexicans are believed to have settled in the adjacent town of Mexico.

During WWII, the church became a silent witness to the most horrifying events in the history of Pampanga. Japanese forces took over the convent and used it as a garrison. They made the church patio an ex*****on ground for the guerillas that they have captured; The most infamous method of which was “water cure” wherein they forced the victims to drink large quantities of water. The church and convent was fortunately spared from destruction, but its interior furnishings did not survive modernity. A simple 1950's retablo currently presides the sanctuary.

Reference: Angels in Stone by Fray Pedro Galende OSA

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

06/02/2025

06/02/2025

Iglesia Parroquial de San Andres Apostol
Candaba, Pampanga

Famous for its Pinac (swamps) that serve as a bird sanctuary, the town of Candaba is the most unique among the towns in Pampanga; for this is the ony town where the poblacion lies on the opposite bank of the Rio Grande. It has always sat on this site for centuries even before the arrival of the Spaniards, and it is said to be the most prosperous inland town.

The lands of Candaba were converted to an encomineda and awarded to the Alferez Real Don Amador Arriaran. He invited the Augustinians to spiritually administer the natives of his encomienda, to which they agreed; Candaba was attached to Calumpit as a visita in 1575. The Alferez also constructed a hospital for the natives during those early years.

Candaba must have been independent from its matrix already prior to 1581 when the parish of Nueva Mexico had pierced between the territories of the two. The church was placed under the advocation of Saint Andrew the Apostle. At its greatest expanse, San Andres de Candaba presided over the territories of Cabiao and San Miguel de Mayumo, and at times over the parish of Arayat and its visitas.

By 1591, Candaba was already equipped with a parochial building complex made of wood. Five years later, in 1596 its convent was converted into an Estudio de Gramatica. The hospital built by the encomendero was sold off in 1604 after it had been destroyed by an earthquake. The wooden structure was replaced by the present church upon the initiative of Fray Jose de la Cruz OSA while he was parish priest from 1665 to 1669. The church, made of bricks and volcanic tuff, is very sturdy due to its massive buttresses, still existing at present. In fact, there have been no record of destruction by earthquake or typhoon, by the time of its completion up to present.

Due to its prosperity, the parish of Candaba was tasked to shoulder the expenses of the missionaries working for the conversion of the Aetas in nearby areas in 1704. The territory of Candaba was reduced for the first time in 1725 when San Miguel de Mayumo had separated from it. Four decades later, students of the San Agustin Monastery in Manila were temporarily housed in Candaba as the British took over the walled City of Manila in 1762. At least 20 Chinese converts were resettled in this town in 1784 following the abolition of the Chinese town of Parian in Manila a year earlier. Another four decades have passed and Candaba was once again reduced when the visita of Cabiao had separated from it in 1834.

Fray Vicente Ferrer OSA enlarged the convent building in 1854. When Fray Esteban Ibeas OSA took over the administration of the parish in 1878, he renovated the aging yet sturdy church. As the structure had already sunk due to the raising of the ground, the friar added a considerable height to it, as seen on the exposed stones of the exterior walls. He also constructed a dome, which unfortunately is no longer existing. Fray Antonio Bravo OSA constructed the current bell tower from 1887 to 1890. Fray Urbano Vedoya OSA left his parish in 1898 for fear of Katipunan retaliation because Candaba had remained loyal to Spain. It is unclear if the church had suffered damage during the Revolution, but there are no more remnants of the original furnishings from the Spanish period. The current retablo, enhanced recently, dates from the American Era. The convent building was also modified into a beautiful Art Deco structure in the 1930's, which today is used as a school building.

Reference: Angels in Stone by Fray Pedro Galende OSA

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

06/02/2025

Iglesia Parroquial de Santa Catalina de Alejandria
Arayat, Pampanga

Viewing from the outside, the church of Arayat seems to be small and quaint. It is almost cramped by its neighboring houses, that one would think this church is just a small community chapel. But its greatness is evident when one enters its hall, as this church is at par with the great temples of Lubao, Guagua, Bacolor and Macabebe. This signals the spectator that Arayat holds a prominent place in the history of this side of Pampanga.

Arayat was already a thriving settlement along the Rio Grande de Pampanga as early as the 14th century. The town got its name from the great Mt. Arayat, which has long been regarded as a sacred place by the Kapampangans even before the arrival of the Spaniards. Arayat in itself came from the Malay word Raya, meaning uplands. Its is said that the sun god named Aring Sinukuan, later Mariang Sinukuan resides in the holy mountain. Legend says that Aring Sinukuan threw rocks with Apung Malyari residing Mt. PInatubo, which then contributed to the formation of the lands of Pampanga. This legend likely pertains to a real-life, simultaneous eruptions of these two volcanoes in a very distant past.

The town was established as a parish in 1590 under the name Santo Domingo de Araya, with the visitas of Macapsa (Magalang), Pinpin (Santa Ana), San Juan and Tunas attached to it. During its early years, the Augustinian ministers of Arayat also attempted to convert the Aetas living in the mountain, but were unsuccessful. The parish was initially not as prosperous compared to the other towns in the province, hence it was often aggregated with the parish of Candaba.

It is unclear as to when the patron saint of the town was changed to Santa Catalina de Alejandria, but it was possibly after one of the splits with Candaba. There are no records regarding the construction of the earlier church structures. The very first one was said to have been built of the customary wood. The present church was constructed in 1753 using brick and volcanic tuff, and is noticeably large compared to its contemporaries still surviving today. It follows a cruciform floor plan with a very spacious sanctuary. Attached to it is a tapered, three-tier bell tower, as well as a spacious convent.

The church may have sunk over the years due to the raising of the ground. So in 1858, Fray Jose Torres OSA deemed it necessary to renovate the structure. As seen on the exterior walls, the height of the church was increased significantly during this renovation. The work was still ongoing when Fray Juan Terraro OSA assumed the administration of the parish in 1877. It was only completed in 1892 during the term of Fray Urbano Bedoya OSA. Although structurally complete, by the time of the Revolution, the facade of the church was devoid of any ornamentation. This was improved in 1923 through the donation of Php20, 000 by Don Juan Medina Kabigting and Doña Luisa Gabriel, as immortalized by a plaque on the facade.

The current Neo-Romanesque retablos also date from the improvements of 1923, as well as the pre-cast ornamentation that decorate the pillars inside the church. The nave is lined with very graceful paintings of the fourteen stations of the cross, likely from the same time period as the improvements. In one of the niches at the left transept, there is an 18th century image of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, which is the oldest piece inside the church. The main retablo has been recently embellished with baroque details, deviating from its original design.

Reference: Angels in Stone by Fray Pedro Galende OSA

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

06/02/2025

Iglesia Parroquial de San Bartolome Apostol
Magalang, Pampanga

The infamy of Padre Severino Mallari’s thriller story has brought the parish of Magalang into the spotlight of pop culture very recently. But beyond the mystique of “the story of the first Filipino Serial Killer”, Magalang’s contribution in Kapampangan culture is great on its own, and indeed undeniable.

The town of Magalang is located on the northernmost plain of Pampanga. Its present poblacion is the third location of the town since it was conceived in 1598 as a visita of Arayat. It was placed under the advocation of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. The town was originally called Macapsa, and also included the neighboring town of Concepcion in Tarlac. It took the place name of its first location in the said barrio, which is now part of Concepcion. San Bartolome de Macapsa was separated from Arayat in 1605. However it was aggregated back in 1607.

In 1686, Macapsa was annexed to the parish of San Sebastian de Tarlac. It regained its independent status in 1732, and two years later in 1734, it was moved to its second location in Magalo due to the constant flooding of Rio Chico de Pampanga. Barrio Magalo is presently Barrio San Bartolome in Concepcion. This place name was eventually corrupted to Magalang, giving the town its present name. Due to the secularization controversy, Magalang was removed from the Augustinians, and assigned to the Seculars in 1774.

One of the secular ministers of Magalang was Fr. Severino Mallari who had served the parish from 1816 to 1826. While in this town, he is believed to have been responsible for the death of 57 parishioners. It was suspected that he had done these crimes due to his belief that his mother was bewitched, and could only be cured if he would kill. During this time of terror, Magalang was still located in its second location. He was imprisoned for 14 years, and executed by hanging in 1840.

A great flood that is said to have turned Rio Chico into a lake, occurred on September 22, 1858. This disaster was so great that it had inundated the towns of Magalang, Mabalacat and Bamban. The Augustinian minister of Magalang promptly transferred the town to its current location in Barrio San Pedro de Talimunduc. Fray Ramon Sarrionanda initiated the construction of the present church in 1866. Because the poblacion was already too distant, the visita of Concepcion petitioned for their separation from Magalang that same year.

The church follows a Roman Basilica layout. Its clerestory windows were originally supported by a row of hardwood columns until it was replaced with masonry arches in 1899. The facade was evidently intended to follow neoclassical lines but had been tweaked to a more localized design in 1875. That same year, its three-tiered bell tower was constructed. There used to be a spacious convent beside the main body.

The church was used as a prison by the Filipino forces during the Revolution. It was then turned into a headquarters by the US Army when they captured it in 1899. It remained untouched during WWII, but unfortunately, its neoclassical retablo was demolished in the 1950's. The old convent was also demolished in 1978. The surge of cultural appreciation prompted for the revival of its retablo in 2015. That same year, it was declared an important Cultural Property by the National Museum. San Bartolome de Magalang is the home parish of National Artist Emilio ‘Abe’ Aguilar Cruz.

Reference: Angels in Stone by Fray Pedro Galende OSA

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

05/02/2025

Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario
Angeles, Pampanga

Recognized as the regional center of Central Luzon, the progressive Angeles City came from humble beginnings. It was nothing but a wilderness during the early years of the colonial era, until it was transformed by Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda, who is regarded as the founder of the town.

Angeles traces its roots from when it was still a barrio called Culiat of the neighboring town of San Fernando. In 1796, Don Angel initiated the clearing of the area north of the mother town for rice and sugar farming. This was the time when the Philippines had slowly been opening to world trade, and cultivation of cash crops were encouraged. Hence, the former forests of Culiat were converted to farm lands. Soon after, farmers from nearby towns started settling in Culiat. This steady growth prompted Don Angel to petition for Culiat’s separation from San Fernando in 1812.

The petition was denied due to the protest of Fray Jose Pometa OSA, minister of San Fernando. Another request was lodged in 1822 but was again denied due to the inadequate number of tributes to constitute a separate pueblo. This did not deter Don Angel who filed a request for the third time in 1829. This time, he covered the missing amount of taxes out of his own pocket, and completed the required 500 tributes. Thus, Culiat became an independent pueblo that same year. It was renamed Pueblo de los Santos Angeles Custodios, after the namesake of Don Angel, the Holy Guardian Angels.

A year later, in 1830 a separate parish was established for Angeles under the administration of the Augustinians. Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario La Naval was confirmed as patroness of the new parish, after the patroness of the Kapampangan People, the Virgen de la Naval de Bacolor. Earlier during the clearing of Culiat in 1796, an image of Our Lady was already brought by the family of Don Angel to be the spiritual guide of the new settlement. In 1812, his son-in-law Don Mariano Henson had already donated the parcel of land where a chapel was built. This chapel served as the first parish church.

The current church was built starting 1877 to replace the older chapel that have stood in its place for sixty-five years. This magnificent structure was built according to the plans of Don Antonio de la Camara of the Manila Public Works. The structure was completed in succession. The main nave was inaugurated in 1886, while the dome and the transepts were finished in 1891. Its distinctive twin bell towers were completed in 1896, just as when the Revolution was starting.

Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo led the celebration of the First Philippine Republic’s anniversary on the grounds of the church in 1899. It was then converted to a hospital by the US Army during the Philippine-American War. By 1909, repairs to the church were done. Japanese forces used it as a garage during WWII, giving the Americans enough reason to drop a bomb into it during liberation. Fortunately, only the roofing sustained damages, sparing much of the structure. It sustained major cracks during the Luzon earthquake 2019, prompting for its temporary closure and restoration. The church is declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum.

Reference: Angels in Stone by Fray Pedro Galende OSA

(C) Lorenzo Bukas

05/02/2025

Cebu is really best experienced during the Sinulog Festivities, and we in Bajo las Campanas would like to thank the pilgrims who joined us last January 17 to 20 for our Sinulog 2025: Pit Señor Tour of Cebu’s Heritage Churches. Most of our participants are first-timers in our group, and we are very grateful for choosing our team for this memorable trip. Thank you also for being the best companions to each other as we marvel the best-preserved churches and the most delicious food!

We also thank the parishes in Metro Cebu and Southeastern Cebu for accommodating us despite this busy season. Also, special thanks to Amber Hotel Cebu, Sugbo Lokal Tours & Car Rental Services, and AirAsia Philippines for making our stay very comfortable.

We’re looking forward to see you all again very soon!

05/02/2025

The image of Nuestra Señora de Anunciata, venerated in the old church of Bosoboso, is granted with a Canonical Coronation by Pope Francis. Devotion to Our Lady was started by the Jesuits in the 18the century when they established the parish of Bosoboso in 1741.

Nuestra Señora de Anunciata
Annunciation to Our Lady Church
Bosoboso, Antipolo, Rizal

04/02/2025

Today is the 126th Anniversary of the start of the Philippine-American War. This episode is often overshadowed by the more infamous WWII because of the abundant documentation proliferating online. However, this war was also as disastrous, and many of our heritage churches have burned to the ground during the battles.

Below was the Spanish-era church of San Fernando de Dilao in Paco, Manila that was one of the hardest hit during the Philippine-American War. Built in 1809, this former church structure stood for 90years. Its destruction prompted the parish to rebuild the church in its entirety to what we see today.

03/02/2025

03/02/2025

Today is the Memorial of St. Blaise, who is invoked for throat ailments

02/02/2025

In Mabalacat, Pampanga, the Virgin Mary is celebrated as the titular patroness every Candlemas Day under the title “Our Lady of Grace”

02/02/2025

Today is Candlemas Day

02/02/2025

Today is the Candlemas Day

02/02/2025

29/01/2025

January 29 is the traditional Fiesta of Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Manila, as decreed with a Papal Bull in 1691