A trip to the mystical island of Siquijor wouldn’t be complete without a visit to their centuries-old Catholic churches. These churches provide a peek on the religious vehemence of Siquijornons in paying reverence to their town's patron saint. Moreover, these churches have been part of the rich history and culture of the province, hence, a visit to these churches is highly recommended. Here are some of the must-see churches in the island of Siquijor.
Upon entering the province, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi will greet you. Located in the capital town of Siquijor, it is one of the most photographed churches in the island as it is just located outside the port.
Constructed from 1795 to 1831, it is made mostly of coral stones and its bell tower was erected some meters away from the church. The roof is originally made of cogon and has been replaced by a tin roof.
Of course, I have a photo at the famous "Welcome to Siquijor" marker in the garden located just in front of the church.
Next is another century-old church, the Lazi Church and Convent dedicated to St. Isidore Labradore. Upon entering the streets of this town, you'll see the huge acacia trees that is said to be as old as the church.
Completed in 1884, it is considered as one of the few remaining Baroque Churches in the country, and a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Made of cut coral stones engraved with intricate designs, the church has a wooden flooring and steel ceiling. It's the first time I've seen a church like this.
We also climbed the bell tower which has numerous antique bells.
Across the church is the equally impressive, U-shaped two story structure Lazi Convent. Known as the biggest convent in the country (and probably in Asia), it is used to be a place for rest and recreation of the Friars.
A typical "Bahay na Bato" (stone house), with the ground floor made of thick stone layer and the second level made of hard wood. Now it is where the parish priest resides.
The National Historical Institute declared the church and convent as National Historical Landmarks.
At the town of Maria is the Sta Maria Church which is also made of coral stone. Built in 1880, it is dedicated to Nuestra Señora de Providencia (Our Lady of Divine Providence).
Unlike the other century-old churches in the island, this church has an unassuming and humble façade and a hexagonal belfry on its right side.
Inside, you'll see Sta. Rita de Cascia. Its dress resembles the Virgin Mary’s dress, only black. Encased in a glass at the right side of the altar, the statue holds a small skull and an inverted crucifix.
This is part of our tour around the island of Siquijor. For transportation and guide, you may contact JOAM at 0927-6932095. He knows where to bring you and tells a lot of stories on the places that you go. Standard rate is PHP 850. A highly recommended guide in Siquijor!
ALSO READ: 13 Things You Should Not Miss When Visiting Siquijor
This is part of my adventures in the provinces of Siquijor and Negros Oriental that happened last November 20-22, 2011 with my MBA friends, Clarice and Marvin. Siquijor is the 48th province on my list. Join us as we discover the majestic and enchanting “island of fire” that is distinctively Siquijor. | |
 Map By: Wikipedia |
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What picture I like the most is the first one.
ReplyDeleteLook at the cloud formation, and the historical church! ;-)
Great one! Sexy blogger in red. :)
ReplyDeleteGood to know that people in Siquijor still preserves this old churches :)
That Lazi convent is spooky. The next time Jose Rizal's role is reprised, it should be shot in Siquijor. Cuz from the looks of your photos, the place has maintained its antiquity -- classic!
ReplyDeletei like your skin, golden!! haha yun talaga napansin.
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ReplyDeleteito ang yaman ng siquijor. buti at nakadisplay na yung mary. pero pinalitan na nila yung bungo.
ReplyDeleteLove the infrastructures! Hope they stand still. :)
ReplyDeletenapakaganda! sana'y magawi din ako sa lugar na yan pero para na rin akong naglakbay dyan dahil sa mga larawan mo. Maraming salamat!
ReplyDeletethe name of the place itself seems to be old... as in aged, ancient.
ReplyDeletebut knowing that the different structures like the church has been preserved.
nice photos...
Nice! Buti naman pinapasok ka? I remember when I was in Bohol, di ako pinapasok kasi naka shorts lang ako. Bawal daw.
ReplyDeleteSta. Rita de Siquijor is scary!
Beautiful old churches. they are indeed treasures of the city.
ReplyDeletehope one day i can be in siquijor...
My co-staff came from that place, I shown to her your blog and she told me additional facts about the place, mostly superstitious. ^^
ReplyDeleteAhhh I remembered Lazi. It was back in college when we chose to document the church and the convent for an architecture course. We stayed at the convent for a good 5 days. Everyone was so friendly there! I can't wait to go back :)
ReplyDeleteenvy*** i wish i cud make a travel blog too, very informative, awesome!
ReplyDeleteyour posts about Siquijor is driving me crazy..waaaaaaaaaah! gusto ko na talga tuloy magpuntang Siquijor!
ReplyDeleteIt is always fun to tour churches. Pero sa latter part ng post mo may eerie feeling ewan ko ba waaa nakakatakot.
ReplyDeleteAng astig ng Churches! Sana makapunta din ako sa Siquijor =)
ReplyDeleteNatakot ako sa Mary.. hehe.. Maganda talaga ang nakakapunta ka sa maraming lugar. Hope sa susunod mong pupuntahan sama mo ako.. hehe.. first time ko dito.
ReplyDeleteHi Mervs,
ReplyDeleteYour blog reminds us of the TV travel program Trip na Trip. We love following your blog and we include it in our blogroll. ^_^
Wow, Siquijor is really worth to visit. We love churches, temples and mosques or any Religious Edifice that has been part of the history of that place...
We'll put it on our bucket list.
Sky (Joey)
great to see the churches of Siquijor again... Lazi is my favorite... even the stinking smell of old wood... love it.
ReplyDeletekatakot mervs yung image ni sta. rita de siquijor.i am researching now about sta. rita- na curious ako dun kc black magic , taz siquijor pa:)
ReplyDeletei don't understand why a lot of ignorant Filipinos deem Siquijor as home to aswangs and such when it has in fact a lot of churches. will definitely make plans to visit soon!
ReplyDeletejust curious lng po... buti ndi po kyo ntakot pumunta dito... just hearing some scary stories coz may kakilala po me n mlapit dyan... yes nkktakot nga po ung 2nd to the last photo...
ReplyDeletehindi po.. sobrang mababait ng mga taga-Siquijor. Punta po kayo, mawawala ang lahat ng takot nyo... :)
DeleteHello! :) Jamila here... Thank you very much for this, it was very useful for my class project. No worries, i will cite your website as my source! Thanks again, happy traveling! :)
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