We visited the San Pedro Macati Church, also known as Saints Peter and Paul Parish. San Pedro Macati was the original name of the City of Makati during the Spanish colonial era. Saint Peter served as the town’s patron saint, while “Makati” is derived from the Tagalog word meaning “of the low tide.” Situated in Makati Poblacion, the church stands in the oldest part of the City of Makati.

The initial construction of the first church was completed in 1620. Named San Pedro y Pablo Viejo, it was constructed using hewn stone, pebbles, and gravel blended with mortar. Unfortunately, the church was destroyed during the British occupation of Manila in 1762. It was eventually rebuilt in 1849.

Amidst the Philippine–American War from 1899 to 1902, the church served as a hospital to care for wounded American soldiers. Recognizing its historical significance, the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee, the forerunner of the present National Historical Commission of the Philippines, awarded a historical marker to Saints Peter and Paul Parish around 1937.

Throughout the years, the Makati Church has undergone numerous renovations and design alterations, yet many of its original features, such as the reredos and the church bells, remain intact. Reflecting the Baroque style of architecture, the church structure comprises a single rectangular nave with an apse and sacristy, typical of churches from the Spanish Colonial Period. The altar, adorned with its original carved reredos featuring motifs of various flowers and fruits in the Baroque Rococo tradition, still graces the church.

The church also hosts the image of Virgen dela Rosa de Makati, which was brought to the Philippines by Jesuit priest Father Juan Delgado in 1718 from Acapulco, Mexico. To commemorate its 300th year since arriving in the Philippines, the image was officially crowned in a canonical ceremony in 2019.