Visita Iglesia around the Philippines

Whenever we hear the term Visita Iglesia, we normally associate it with visiting a number of churches during the Holy Week, most especially on Maundy Thursdays.

This post refers to churches or shrines which we had visited during our travels. Visita Iglesia literally means church visits. They say that whatever you wish on the first time you visit a church will be granted. I am not sure if this is true but we do go to the church to thank God that we had arrived safely and for Him to protect us during our travels.

The churches are not arranged chronologically but on how the blogger loads them here, he he he. Here goes:

Although this church is near my wife's hometown of Pangil, this is the first time I had visited the place. We were able to visit the place to attend a church wedding. The San Pedro de Alcantara church in Paete, Laguna was built in the 17th century and may be one of the best preserved churches in Laguna.

The Kamay ni Hesus Shrine is located in Lucban, Quezon at the foot of Mt. Banahaw. We went there on a Maundy Thursday and the place is swarming with pilgrims. Parking outside the Shrine was hard to find. The image was so high that I prefer to take a picture of it from below.

The The Our Lady of Conception in Baclayon, Bohol is considered one of the oldest church in the Philippines. I was fortunate to visit it twice. First in 2007 and the last one in 2011.

The Chapel of Transfiguration, Caleruega is often mistaken as part of Tagaytay City as it maybe part of the itinerary due to its proximity to the City. The place, however, is part of Nasugbu, Batangas.The retreat center is run  by the Dominican and usually is the venue for spiritual retreat of my alma mater, Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

The Immaculate Conception Church in Culion, Palawan is one of the hardest to reach church I've been to. To get there from Manila, one has to take an hour plane to Busuanga Airport, another another hour to get to the town of Coron and finally another hour or so to get to the island of Culion. It is near the Leprosarium although only a few patients are now housed there.

The Metropolitan Cathedral in Cabu is the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu. We never fail to visit the place whenever we go to Cebu.

The Immaculate Conception in Bulan, Sorsogon was one church we never planned to visit when we were in Sorsogon. We went to Bulan because it was the last stop of the jeep which we took in Sorsogon City.

Although found in Intramuros, where I was educated from elementary and high school in Letran College and college in Mapua Institute of Technology, it was only in my twenties when I got to see the inside of the church during the wedding of an officemate.

The Our Lady's Nativity Church is just a few houses away from my wife's home in Pangil, Laguna. Fiestas are held every 8th of September. The town holds the distinction of having the then crown prince of Spain, Prince Carlos, stay in their town before being crowned King of Spain.

The Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Bantayan, Cebu is considered one of the oldest church in the Philippines although its original structure burned in 1580.

The Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception or Manila Metropolitan Cathedral is found in Intramuros, Manila and is the seat of the Archdiocese of Manila.

The Basilica del Sto. Nino in Cebu houses the Sto. Nino, considered the oldest relic in the Philippines, which was given by Magellan to Queen Juana, the wife of King Humambon, in 1521.

The Church of St. James the Apostle in Paete, Laguna is just two towns away from my wife's hometown of Pangil. Although near, we only visited it recently to attend a wedding.

The San Isidro Labrador Church in Lazi, Siquijor is one of the latest churches that we had visited. I think this was the first time I had visited a church with a wooden floor. Across it is the convent, purportedly the largest one in Asia.

The St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral and its Belfry is located just across the Rizal Park in Dumaguete City.