Visita Iglesia 2025 Part 2: Ilocos Sur Churches

We completed the first ten churches of our Visita Iglesia in Ilocos Norte. Then we continued our Holy Thursday pilgrimage southward into Ilocos Sur. Four more historic churches awaited us there. The transition between the two provinces was smooth. The landscape subtly shifted from wide open plains to more clustered towns and rolling hills. Each bore silent testimony to the centuries-old Christian heritage of the region.

Visita Iglesia 2025 Part 1: Ilocos Norte Churches

This year’s Maundy Thursday was a spiritually fulfilling one. We set out on a Visita Iglesia. We visited a total of 14 churches. There were 10 in Ilocos Norte and 4 in Ilocos Sur. More than a tradition, it was a quiet journey through centuries of faith and history in Northern Luzon.

St. Polycarp Church and the Sakdalista Massacre

One of the most tragic episodes in the history of St. Polycarp of Cabuyao, Lagjna occurred on May 3, 1935, during the Sakdalista uprising. Fifty-two members of the Sakdal Movement, a revolutionary group that called for immediate independence from the United States, land reform, lower taxes, and transparent governance, were killed inside the church by constabularies.

Baras Church

Nestled in the heart of Baras, Rizal, Baras Church, formally known as the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Saint Joseph, stands as one of the oldest churches in the province.

Vicente Manansala’s “Inang Bayan”

Painted in 1975 by National Artist Vicente Manansala, Inang Bayan is a monumental mural that blurs the lines between art, politics, and propaganda. Installed at the Philippine Heart Center—a premier hospital that was one of many legacy projects of then-First Lady Imelda Marcos—the painting was officially declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines on February 28, 2011. At the heart of the mural is a symbolic portrayal of Marcos herself, at the height of her influence during the Marcos dictatorship.

Marilao Church

While the town of Marilao in Bulacan is often recognized as the home of the National Shrine and Parish of the Divine Mercy, there exists an older, historically rich church that holds deep roots in the spiritual and cultural heritage of the town—St. Michael the Archangel Church, more commonly referred to as Marilao Church.

Nuestra Señora dela Lumen Church in Cainta

The Cainta Church traces its origins to 1707, when Jesuit priest Father Gaspar Marco built its first stone structure. Initially dedicated to Saint Andrew the Apostle, the church received a new patroness in 1727 when a painting of Our Lady of Light was brought from the Kingdom of Sicily. This Marian image became the centerpiece of the church’s spiritual devotion.

Short Vacation in Binalbagan

For a short vacation, we went to the municipality of Binalbagan in Negros Occidental. Binalbagan, originally called Inabagan or “The Haven of Refuge,” is one of the oldest towns in Western Visayas, founded in 1572 along with Oton. Binalbagan even holds the title Banwang Panganay (eldest town). Initially inhabited by Negritos and later by Malays from the ten Bornean Datus, the town became a major Spanish encomienda in 1571.

Hinigaran Church

St. Mary Magdalene Parish Church in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, was originally established in 1848 when Spanish missionaries arrived in the area, notably Augustinian priest Father Jose Maria Pavon. Father Pavon began by constructing a makeshift church using nipa, a local palm that grows abundantly in the swampy areas surrounding Hinigaran.

Vat That Khao in Vientiane

Vat That Khao, also known as Wat That Khao, is a serene Buddhist temple in Vientiane, Laos, located across from the Royal Park and Don Chan Palace on Fa Ngum Quay. It lies near prominent landmarks such as Vat Phiavat, Vat Si Meuang, and the King Sisavang Vong Monument. Most notably, it is nestled beside the revered Vat That Luang, Laos’ most sacred site, which houses a relic believed to be Buddha’s breastbone, dating back to 300 BC.

Pha That Luang

Pha That Luang, the “Great Stupa,” stands as the most revered religious site and a national symbol in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Originally built in 1566 CE on the site of a 13th-century Khmer temple, it was constructed to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. Over the centuries, the stupa has faced destruction and reconstruction multiple times due to wars and invasions, yet it remains a powerful symbol of the Lao people’s resilience and cultural identity.

The Black Stupa in Vientiane

That Dam, also known as the Black Stupa, is a 16th-century Buddhist stupa located on a tranquil roundabout in central Vientiane, near Talat Sao (the morning market) and the American Embassy. According to local legend, the stupa was once protected by a seven-headed water serpent, or Naga, and was covered in pure gold. However, during the Siamese-Laotian War in the late 1820s, the gold was looted and taken to Siam (modern-day Thailand), leaving behind the dark, weathered structure seen today.