Above: The Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu and monastery.

To go beyond the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu by entering the hallowed monastery is always a rare opportunity for anyone given that it’s not open to the public unlike its counterpart in Intramuros in Manila — the San Agustin Church & Monastery — which has been converted into a museum. Being a resident of Cebu, I have been to the basilica itself quite a number of times already. As such I have always wondered what lies beyond the iron grille fence that guards the portal leading up to the monastery. Continue Reading »

It’s a waste that the pipe organ assembled by the Diego Cera Organ Builders in 1995-1996 is just lying idle at the choir loft while accumulating dust as the years go by. According to someone, the pipe organ is only played during “special” ceremonies celebrated by the archbishop. Continue Reading »

This is the last of the three installments about my trip in Oslob.

Above: A view of the cuartel from the bell tower.

It was only a few weeks after the conflagration of the church and rectory that I was able to go back to this town. I was with a group of people who were members of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church (CACCHC), an author, an architect who specializes in old buildings, and a writer from a local daily. We were there first hand to inspect the statues of saints that were spared from the fire and to assess the condition of the ruins of the church itself. Continue Reading »

This is the second of three installments about my trip in Oslob.

Above: Entrance to the church complex of Oslob.

First timers in Oslob would have been able to discern immediately the location of the church if it hadn’t got burned due to its massiveness which can be sighted upon entering the town proper. Its most prominent feature was the pyramidal dome and the bell tower.

Upon disembarking at the bus stop from the highway one still needs to walk a few meters to the east. There’s a different aura here in Oslob perhaps because of the thought of a mystery that will unfold once one reaches the old town proper. Continue Reading »

This is the first of three installments about my trip to Oslob.

The first time I went to Oslob was in September 2007 upon the prodding of a friend since he was about to leave Cebu permanently for Manila. He hadn’t explored much of Cebu’s towns, including Oslob, during the entire one year of his stay here thus the last minute preparations which included compelling two other friends to join. Continue Reading »

Above: The beautiful town square in Argao where one can access the internet for free.

Went to Argao with a friend last June 29 to explore the new sights in the town like the recently rediscovered “mortuario” and the free wifi at the town square. We left Cebu City at around 8 o’clock in the morning and we thought that our day was doomed to be ruined because it was drizzling that moment and it seemed like it was going to be like that the entire day. Continue Reading »

I was delighted at the thought of sharing the van with Mr. Regalado “Ricky” Trota Jose, the author of Simbahan which was published by the Ayala foundation and considered as the bible of anyone interested in Philippine colonial church art and history. He is also the respected author of countless other books and publications, and an accomplished professor at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila.

Together with a group of heritage advocates, we went to Oslob last May to check on the church and convent which was gutted by fire at the dawn of March 26, 2008. Continue Reading »