The Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church is considered one of the oldest churches in Pasig having been first built as a big chapel in 1798. It was established as a church in 1953 and was declared as a Pilgrim Church by Pope Francis through a papal decree on April 17, 2013.
Tag: Philippines
Flashnote: Sunset in Sunken Garden
It was already late afternoon, so there are many people jogging around the University of the Philippines Diliman sunken garden. But what amazes me is the beautiful sunset with pinkish sky shadowing the tall acacia trees.
Santa Cruz Church of Manila
Santa Cruz Church is one of the churches that I most often see whenever I travel to work. The church is officially called Our Lady of the Pillar Parish Church, and recognized as the Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament situated in the Santa Cruz district of Manila.
Jovel Lorenzo and the BoxCamera.PH
What’s interesting is that instead of using a digital camera, photographer Jovel Lorenzo is using a wooden contraption supported by a tripod. The box camera he built from scratch during the early quarantine phase of the pandemic was modelled from the 19th Century street box camera. More popularly known as the Afghan box, it serves as both a camera and a darkroom instantly producing black and white prints in a couple of minutes.
Early Christmas Dinner at the Café Claus
Café Claus is the first Christmas-themed restaurant in the Philippines. The owners, GMA 7 actor Ken Chan and his business partner Ryan Kolton opened this restaurant only last December 2021.
Lumban Church
Lumban Church is known as the first and largest stone church in Laguna being built in 1600. It was also the first Franciscan building outside Manila made out of stone.
St. Michael’s Cathedral in Iligan City
St. Michael the Archangel is the patron saint of Iligan City. The church is the main seat of Iligan’s archdiocese and has been separated from the parish of Cagayan de Misamis in 1834. It was said that the original location of the church is near the river but due to the great floods in that period, the church was transferred to it’s current place. Some renovations were made in the building including the tower, the Cross at the top of the steeple and the tall St. Michael’s statue.
The Pursuit of Maria Cristina Falls
The 320-feet high waterfall is also the main source of electricity for the city through the Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant. I felt so lucky that I have seen the majestic Maria Cristina Falls, also called “twin falls” during my visit in Iligan City.
The Unhidden Tinago Falls of Iligan City
Tinago Falls is surrounded by colossal rock structures covered with thick masses of trees and natural foliage. The blue-green water is the outflow of the man-made Lanao Lake flowing to the Agus River. Aside from being the main tourist attraction of the province, the 240 feet high Tinago Falls also serves as a water source for residents near the area.
Baclaran Church
A significant turning point for the church came on Wednesday, June 23, 1948, when the first perpetual novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help was held in Baclaran, attended by about seventy people. In the months that followed, participation steadily increased as the devotion became more widely known. What began as a local practice among nearby residents soon drew devotees from other parts of Manila and beyond.
Old Churches in Batanes
Aside from their beautiful chapels, I have visited two old churches in Batanes. : the San Carlos Borromeo Church in Mahatao and the San Jose de Obrero Church in Ivana, both established in 1787.
Beautiful Batanes Day 2
It was my second day in the beautiful Batanes and my students have included some side trips to see some tourist spots including the Honesty Coffee Shop, Alapad Pass and Marlboro Country.
Amoj In Wanderland 