The church of Carcar, situated on an elevated plain with a commanding view of the town, is one of the few well-built stone churches in Cebu. The harmonious design and the careful layout of the church itself are obviously the works of a lettered architect or planner.

Dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, a legendary 4th century scholar and martyr, the church was built by the Augustinians between 1860-1875 and features various influences including Islamic and Graeco-Roman. Islamic influences are evident in the massive recessed arch above the main entrance and the openings or the windows of the twin belfries. Continue Reading »

This blog will feature some of the remaining historical retablos in Cebu and will run for several weeks.

One of the most sought after sight when entering a Spanish-colonial church in any location in our country is the elaborately carved retablo which serves as a backdrop for an altar. The retablo usually has niches that contain statues of saints and is richly decorated with carvings of different motifs. It captivates the eyes of anyone entering the church from the main door and such may have contributed to the speeding up of the conversion of the natives. I myself have been fascinated with these old retablos that I can no longer count the number of times that I keep coming back to a particular church just to gaze at it. I look at them not on the religious side but as wonderful works of art bearing in mind that these are excellent products of Filipino craftsmanship.

Here in Cebu, some of the old churches that still have retablos are becoming popular sights for tourists and heritage buffs. Unfortunately though there are only a few left since some have been torn down while others were “deliberately removed” and “transferred” elsewhere to become an addition to a collection. Some were also destroyed during the last world war.

Due to my fascination to it, I have decided to dedicate the next few weeks to featuring some of the remaining historical retablos in Cebu. The criteria that I have set is that they must date back to the Spanish colonial era with the exception of the new retablos that were installed at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in time for the 75th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Cebu.

The deliberate destruction of our beautiful retablos must stop. I’m hoping that by undertaking this feature I will be able to educate Filipinos with regards to these precious works of art in wood.

By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News

CEBU CITY (Dec. 31, 2009) — ’Tis the season for reunions and family gatherings and so it came to pass that the writers and photographers of the hugely successful (my bias is showing!) 308-page coffee table book “Balaanong Bahandi” reunited at our residence in Sto. Nino Village the other day to plan the next step now that the book is out.

To recall, “Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu” was launched last Nov. 26 at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu by both the museum and its co-publisher the University of San Carlos Press. As its editor and project manager, I repeated what was promised during the pre-selling blitz for the book that was held in July this year: a smaller volume would soon follow. Well, the meeting-cum-swim party was finally held the other day in order to fulfill this promise. And the end result will hopefully come out when the Archdiocese of Cebu closes its Diamond Jubilee Celebrations on April 28, 2010. Continue Reading »

The book project entitled Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu, which would be jointly published by the University of San Carlos and the Cathedral Museum of Cebu, was formally launched yesterday at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu with the opening of a photo exhibit. The photo exhibit, running until August 3, 2009, showcases some of the photos that will be published in the coffeetable book which is expected to come out on November 2009. His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, archbishop of Cebu, along with other dignitaries and guests graced the affair. Continue Reading »

Above: Detail of the tabernacle at the retablo.

I went recently to the Camotes group of islands to wrap up my tour of several parishes in Cebu in relation to a book project being jointly undertaken by the Archdiocese of Cebu, through the Cathedral Museum of Cebu, and the University of San Carlos. There are a total of four parishes in Camotes, one parish for every municipality — Poro, San Francisco, Tudela, and Pilar. The first three are located in the two bigger main islands, which are connected together by a causeway, while the last is in Ponson Island, which is nearer to Leyte already. Continue Reading »

On May 29, 2009 six museums in downtown Cebu City — Museo Sugbo, Casa Gorordo, Yap-Sandiego House, Cathedral Museum of Cebu, Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino Museum, and Fort San Pedro — will open their doors to the public from 6 pm to 12 midnight for only a single ticket worth P100. For an additional P50, guests can avail of unlimited tartanilla rides in between museums. There will be around five tartanillas that will be stationed at each museum. Continue Reading »

Entering the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, one never fails to appreciate the beauty and the massiveness of a musical instrument at the choir loft just right above the foyer near the main entrance. It stands majestically and blends graciously along with the baroque interiors of the cathedral. A liturgical music enthusiast will surely not escape his eyes on this instrument hoping to hear how it produces sound at the singing of the Gloria, the Sanctus, and the Pater Noster. Continue Reading »