iloilo spanish era churches

San Joaquin Church

The militaristic motif of the San Joaquin Church distinguishes itself from other churches in the Country. Carved on a disproportionately large pediment on the church’s facade is an intricate sculptural relief depicting the Spanish victory over Moroccan forces in the Battle of Tetuan.

The low relief mural captures the drama of victory where cavalry and infantry are tearing down Moorish defense. So intricate is the sculpture that even the expression of agony by wounded soldiers is visible. The title of the composition “Rendicion de Tetuan” is carved at the base of this animated relief.

The unique features of the San Joaquin Church has received the admiration of its onlookers including the National Historical Institute, which has listed the church as a National Cultural Treasure. The declaration was made in support of the state policy to preserve and protect important cultural properties and safeguard their intrinsic value.

The San Joaquin Church, built in 1869, is made of limestones quarried from the mountains of Igbaras and gleaming white coral stones abundant in the shores of San Joaquin. The facade is decorated with rosettes and divided vertically by engaged columns. A plaque above the arched portal displays the Augustinian seal flanked by cherubs. The three altars are also of carved limestone, and were originally painted in bright colors. The San Joaquin Church is flanked by a three story bell tower to its right and ruins of its old convent to its left. Among the sprawling ruins of the convent are an oval well and a kiln for baking bread.

The church magnificently stands on a plain overlooking the sea and is located beside San Joaquin’s town plaza.

IGBARAS CHURCH

Igbaras is considered to be a visita of Augustinian missionaries. It was in Tinogpahan, in the vicinity of Binanuaan that the first “Iglesita” or chapel was founded by Rev. Fr. Juan de Medina. The old church was said to be built in 1784, and a convent followed in 1795 under Fr. Ignacio Marcos. Big floods washed away the structures, but the ruins are still visible up to these dates.

A new church was constructed by Fr. Celestino Fernandez in 1872. It has a big convent and was finished under the term of Fr. Jose Lavania. However, both structures were destroyed by the infamous earthquakeLady Caycay in 1948.

TUBUNGAN CHURCH

Feast Day: January 17

History: A Dominican, Ensayo II felt there was a necessity to build a permanent church upon the foundation of the parish in 1810. It was an Augustinian priest, however, Fr. Luis Toro who was commissioned to undertake the construction. In order to build the church, slabs and tiles cut out of rocks and stones found on hills and rivers. They bought the marble tiles for the floor from the city. Like other churches during the Spanish era, parishioners from the poblacion and barangay were forces to work in building the church.

After four full years of hard work, the main parts of the church were finally completed in 1814 under the incumbency of Fr. Serapio Gonzalez.

A story of martyrdom also happened inside the 1810 church. It was in 1873 when a parish priest, Rev. Fr. Isidro Badrena whose desire to spread catholic faith is strong that he sacrificed his life and died a martyr’s death at Sitio Balabago, Batga, Tubungan in the hands of the Babylans led by Ramos while holding the rites of the latter. The priest was buried inside the old church.

It was in 1900, when a Filipino priest from St. Vincent Ferrer Seminary became the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Felix Gedican. But only a decade later, he was replaced with Fr. John Janssen when the parish was turned over to the Mill Hill Missionaries.

The 1810 church was burned down by the USAFEE to prevent the Japanese army from using it as a garrison when the World War II broke out in 1942.

After the war in 1947, Fr. Andrew Jacobs built a bamboo church with salvaged galvanized iron roof inside the burned old church. However, in the 1948 earthquake, the church and the convent were destroyed. He built a new bamboo church fronting the ruins of the convent.

It was replaced with a wooden semi-permanent construction during the incumbency of Rev. Fr. Luiz Zotz in 1951. He donated much of his personal money for the construction. In 1958, the belfry was constructed and was finished two years later. Rev. Fr. Andres Sagra was able to continue several other renovations for the improvement and the restoration the grandeur that was once standing in the vast space in the middle of the plaza.

LEON CHURCH

According to MRF Julean Martin in his Archivo Historico Hispano, the Leon Roman Catholic Church is the biggest stone edifice in the whole Panay. The Renaissance-Romanesque style church stands proudly in the heart of the town, fronting the plaza.Although the town was established in 1866, the problem of where to build their house of worship surfaced. It was the Vicareate of Cebu that prearranged the church should be built in the most elevated section of the town. 

For two years, the governor of the town exempt from sending force labor.Stones, primarily lime stones were quarried from the adjacent hills of Ayabang in the north and Cabobogan in the south. Stones were transported by sledges, rafts of human labor. It was then shaped into shapes called “tabla.”The builder and architec was Fr. Manuel Arizmendi. The scaffoldings were placed on both sides of the walls. It covers almost two streets, Sta. Catalina St. and Sto. Niño St. extending to about 300 feet. The altar that was made in Camando was transferred to the main building when it was about to be finished. The slabs were pasted with a gutate substance from the hinaramay tree with mixture of lime, water and white egg.

The altar was made of wood with lateral carvings molded with lime and then painted. It was placed in the interior wall bordering Sto. Niño Street. The high altar of configuration was made by Fr. Jose Gorosari in Camando. It has two rows of five niches on top of the other, with one niche at the top most with St. Catherine’s image on it.

Fr. Serapio Gonzales officiated the first mass in 1873.

In 1898, when the Americans came they unroofed the crucero and the altar at the back and brought it to roof the school building on west side of the plaza. According to history, the mountains of Leon was a refuge during the time of unrest. Americans made it their haven during the revolution of 1898. The placed served as a prison for the natives during the Japanese era and served as their garrison as well.

The devotees made a barong-barong in lieu of the old church during the revolution amidst the debris and ashes of the old one. A church within a church was built by the Mill Hill fathers assigned in this parish with the rehabilitation fund in 1946.

Almost two decades later, in 1966 the plan for the reconstruction was started. Leonians here and abroad contributed to the fund that was to restore their house of worship back to its former glory.