San Joaquin Church of Iloilo: Stories Behind the Stone Carvings

5 April, 20125 April, 2012 Bernardo Arellano III 1 Comment

San Joaquin Church Rendicion d'Tetuan — San Joaquin Church Rendicion d' Tetuan

Last week, we were in Batangas for a visita iglesia in Taal’s prominent religious structures—the Basilica Minore de San Martin de Tours and Our Lady of Caysasay Shrine. Today, we fly all the way to the Visayas to visit Iloilo. Our first stop would go all the way to the southernmost town of the province, San Joaquin. This town is known to be one of the landing sites of the mythical Ten Bornean Datus. However, the crowning jewel of this southern town would be its 19^th century church and its cemetery. The church however tells the story of the San Joaquin’s history, carved in stone.

San Joaquin Church Stone Carvings — La fuerza moro y espanol

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Dilimbayan Central Mosque: Crown Jewel of Tugaya

12 January, 20126 March, 2013 Bernardo Arellano III 1 Comment

Dilimbayan Tugaya Central Mosque

While Tugaya in Lanao del Sur Province is known for being the arts and crafts center of the Maranao world, at the heart of its town center is the Dilimbayan Central Mosque. Set in a sloping steep yet green landscape and a few meters away from the placid Lake Lanao, Dilimbayan Mosque is the largest religious structure in the entire town and can accommodate hundreds of worshipers in one instance.

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Vintas and Death: The Old Badjao Cemetery of Santa Cruz Island

2 November, 201115 November, 2011 Bernardo Arellano III 2 Comments

The Boat and the Dead Travelers - Santa Cruz Island, Zamboanga City

As Santa Cruz Island is known for its pinkish-white beach, a lot doesn’t even know that it has one place that time and the elements have forgotten. For the culturally-inclined, this is the old Badjao Cemetery. For the paranormal and ghost hunters, this is where the dead were buried.

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Twilight at Taluksangay Zamboanga

27 October, 201127 October, 2011 Bernardo Arellano III Leave a comment

Minaret of Taluksangay Mosque

When I went to Zamboanga, one of my top priority destination that I would like to see and experience was Barangay Taluksangay and its red Masjid (mosque). It’s in history and travel books, and even on postcards about Zamboanga City. That Sunday afternoon, John Marlowe, a friend of mine and a local of the city, took me to this historical place that is a known bastion of Islam in Mindanao. Some people said, “delikado doon! Wag ka nang pumunta doon” (It’s dangerous! Just don’t go there.)-I said, “then let’s go there!” without hesitation nor fear for the people.

The Taluksangay Mosque

Barangay Taluksangay is located some 20 kilometers east of Pueblo (downtown Zamboanga City). The community is located at the swampy coastline of the peninsula. Taluksangay proper itself lies separated from the mainland by an estuary. One would see the towering minarets from afar, welcoming guests who have come to Taluksangay.

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San Juan de Bolboc: More than Just Laiya!

28 July, 2011 Bernardo Arellano III 10 Comments

When we say San Juan in Batangas, everyone would say-Laiya! Yup, this strip of cream white sand beach at this town has made this town a pilgrimage site for sun and sea lovers. From an obscure town in the southeastern portion of the province, it became an instant celebrity. Yet a lot of tourists or perhaps people in general took for granted the other San Juan, before Laiya went boom. Yes, I know it’s boring for the most, but the town center or poblacion itself is a treasure worthy of cultural recognition due to numerous heritage ancestral houses and buildings.

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The Golden Mosque of Cotabato City

10 June, 20116 March, 2013 Bernardo Arellano III 18 Comments

Cotabato City wasn’t really on my itinerary on my vacation in Gensan-Soccsksargen since it is too far AND a lot of things have changed since 2009 (refer to Maguindanao Massacre). Yet what caught my attention was the tweet from a good friend of mine who worked in ORC-Cotabato City. She said that there was this big golden mosque being constructed in Cotabato that was partly funded by the Sultan Bolkiah himself—big enough to be called perhaps the largest masjid ever constructed in the Philippines. And more confirmations came in, and even the people at Cotabato City Tourism Office recommended me to go there. Now, that caught my attention to go back to Cotabato City, six years after I last visited it.

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The Silence at Montemaria: After The Pilgrims Left

25 November, 201015 December, 2010 Bernardo Arellano III 2 Comments

With paved roads, it is easier to travel now from Ilijan unlike the by-gone days. However, there is one particular part of the road where I remember it has a very dangerous incline towards the cliff and the sea. It is where my dad’s personnel had an accident when their truck fell off the road. Beautiful, it is reminiscent to that of Batanes. Moreover, it has become a place of controversial pilgrimage. They call it Montemaria or Mountain of Mary. From this point, you could see the busy ships passing by and a magnificent panoramic view of Verde Island, Mindoro, Batangas Bay and even Batangas City from afar (hey, we’re still 20 kilometers away from the city center). Wow! This place is such a sight to behold (minus the cow dung everywhere).

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San Diego de Alcala Pro-Cathedral of Silay City: Of Prominence and The Secluded

13 November, 2010 Bernardo Arellano III 3 Comments

San Diego del Alcala Pro-Cathedral

I have seen the grand Pro-Cathedral of San Diego de Alcala or simply known as Silay City Pro-Cathedral, for so many times. It’s a landmark within the city center of Silay in Negros Occidental province. Dominating the plaza complex and sits beside the City Hall, for most passers-by, tourists, or even I, it catches their attention. One of the clear manifestations of the opulence of the by-gone sugar economy that once (and still is) the major propelling force of the province’s economy and society. For most Catholic Silaynons nowadays, this is where they go to church every Sundays and other special religious days.

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The Church of Angry Christ: Defying Norms

10 November, 201010 November, 2010 Bernardo Arellano III 1 Comment

While most of the Catholic religious works of art depicted either agony of pain or benign, the Church of Angry Christ inside the Victorias Milling Central in the Victorias City at the province of Negros Occidental, will defy the norms of God’s face looking over man. Literally, you’ll get the feeling you’ll fear God, because the very vivid murals depicted an angry Christ! Now if you take Leonardo Da Vinci as someone who defies the stereotypical Catholic art mindset, think about Jesus being depicted as our own—Filipino! Something like a taboo? I don’t think so. Nope, this is not another Robert Langdon novel teaser for you either!

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