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Friday, January 23, 2004
Awe-inspiring Bohol churches
By Ana Felicia Dulay
THERE is only one word to describe the churches of Bohol: awe-inspiring.
One need not go to Europe to experience the grandeur of monuments. Right in the heart of Bohol, churches as old as the 15th century still abound. In a junket last December 2003, members of the Davao media were able visit at least three of these monuments: Baclayon, Loboc and Alburquerque.
Built by the Jesuits upon their arrival to Bohol in 1596, the churches started out as chapel was primarily for their own devotions, and here the Jesuits established their first mission.
When they left in 1768, the Jesuits left missions in Baclayon, Tagbilaran, Loboc, Loon, Malabojoc (now Maribojoc), Jagna, Inabanga, Talibon, Dauis, Malabago (now Cortes) and Loay.
As the missions grew, many eventually matured into parishes that chapels (kapilya) developed into churches (simbahan), both structures following a common plan: a longitudinal space, the nave, for the congregation; at one end, the narthex or vestibule and on the opposite end, the sanctuary or presbytery, where the priest said mass.
The first churches of Bohol were built of locally available materials such as wood and thatch.
The earliest surviving stone church is in Loboc, which according to some historians, may date from about 1670. This edifice is not the church as it exists today, but rather the core of the present three-storey convento.
Next in line in antiquity are the churches of Baclayon, scholars think was built around 1734. Stone belfries doubling as watchtowers rose in Loboc (after 1768), Dauis (1774), Baclayon (1777), and Punta Cruz, Maribojoc (1796). Meanwhile, the Alburquerque (1885-1920s) church was encircled by walls of stone.
When visiting churches in Bohol, do not forget to appreciate how splendidly located many of them are. Most of the preside serenely over expansive plazas and depicting a balance in the proportions of the complex around the church plaza.
Baclayon's facade reflects on the gentle waves lapping its shore. But Dauis by the sea has the most enviable location; it is beautiful from any angle.
(January 23, 2004 issue)
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