Details of the facade.

(Text below written by Fr. Pedro Galende, OSA from the booklet, Santo Niño Church and Monastery: An Augustinian Legacy to the Filipino People)

The Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño is the center of the oldest Christian devotion in the Philippines. It houses the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, a representation of the child Jesus, which was brought by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.

Three churches have been built before the present one. The first church, by Fr. Diego de Herrera, was made of Nipa and Wood and was burnt down in 1566. The next church, also of light materials, was constructed by Fr. Pedro Torres and also got burnt in 1628. The third church, made of bricks and stones was started by Fr. Juan de Medina. It fell down on 1629.

On February 29, 1735, Fr. Juan de Albarran started the construction of what would be the present church; hewn stone was used. The church was finished in 1739.

The church and the monastery.

The facade of the church is a blending of Muslim, Romanesque, and Neo-Classical features. It follows the classical pattern and is divided into two levels. Shallow pilasters divide each story into three segments decorated with stone bas-reliefs representing Augustinian saints. The bell tower serves as counterbalance to the opposite end. A triangular pediment crowns the solid, but not massive, facade.

Focus of attention is on the center section. The trefoil arched main entrance is balanced by the side rectangular statued niches. The vertical composition is echoed by the small design on the second level above the cornice, the trefoil arch, the pediment and the side scroll-like ornament, a facade within a facade. A double-edged triangular pediment crowns the facade.

In 1995 a “Pilgrim Center” was built at the plaza across the Basilica since the church could no longer accommodate the throves of devotees and visitors (an average of almost a thousand per day on normal days) coming from the different parts of the country and even abroad. Most masses (weekdays, Sundays, and special days) are already held at the Pilgrim Center.

The main altar retablo of the basilica.

Interiors

In 1773, the interior of the church was painted. The church itself was retouched and reinforced in 1782. In 1886, Fr. Fernando Magaz added two side altars. From 1880 to 1890 Fr. Mateo Diaz installed glass windows with iron rails, painted the interior, added four new altars and refurbished the floor with marble at the cost of six thousand pesos. Fr. Valerio Rodrigo brought the chandeliers in the early 20th century. Aside from these embellishments, the church has remained in its original form.

The interiors of the church were renovated in time for its elevation as a basilica during the 4th centennial celebrations of the Christianization of the Philippines in 1965.