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For presentation at the 8th Biennial National Convention of Church Cultural Heritage Practitioners, Dapitan
City, Diocese of Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte, May 20-23, 2013

For publication in Pintacasi: A Journal on the Cultural Heritage of the Church in the Philippines, Volume IX

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author.

Copyright © 2013. All Rights Reserved.

Introduction

For ages, art has been used as a medium to evoke the senses, to create a human response, or to transfer
information and meaning across several contexts and perspectives. But to which space the medium is
specifically located, to whose audience it is presented, and to what use it is employed for, differentiates art
from its many typologies.

Sacred spaces create an effect to anyone who enters into them. Elated emotions, spiritual responses, or a state
of grace and awe are manifested as the human senses recognize the sacredness through the tangible pieces of
this domain. As the viewer looks at art, a tangible piece and part of a sacred space, a sensorial and cognitive
experience happens which then translates into an awareness of a more definite knowledge and vision that the
viewer could participate in. Art in a sacred space, therefore, is used to represent and re-create the divine
realities, in a temporary place of the real world.

Jesus once said to his apostles inside the temple: “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up,
and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28, KJV). While the eschatological
discourse of Jesus certainly forewarns us of the things to come, a more didactic approach can be inferred from
this verse, in analogy to the study of Philippine church ceiling paintings. For as the viewer looks up, and lifts
up his head, the beatific realities of Heaven are presented upon him to partake at the end times.

The study into the sacred art of Philippine church ceiling paintings was determined by its several intentions,
and acknowledging them thru this presentation. Spending a painstaking four years of work around the
Philippines, the author tried to photo document every single church ceiling panel available while mulling over
their wonder (and decay); digging into the archives from libraries and canonical books from parishes, and
reviewing available literature about the subject. The work has entailed as well repeated interviews with the
immediate descendants and families of the original artists who worked on the art, parish priests and
parishioners local to the town’s church, art historians and heritage advocates, as well as consultations from
contemporary painters, paint and canvas analysts, architects and engineers, structural and art conservators
specialized in the field of conservation and restoration.

The paper is an inspired presentation as a summation of all its parts, by sequence of its evolution, present
state, its usage and its future; to be read in its entirety by the intended audience, with the ultimate hope of a
translated appreciation thru perpetuation, preservation, and most importantly, actualization of the painting’s
real intentions.

In order to achieve this objective, this study tries to discuss and opens the critique of the subject in a way that
has not been done by any related literature that have been previously published. In its attempt to be
comprehensive (however not exhaustive) due to the interplay of history, culture, aesthetics and style,
sociology, religion, faith and the liturgy, we may assume this undertaking to be very difficult. The author
however, wishes that this paper will neither be too detailed, nor too abstract, for the reader to understand.

It must be noted, however, that the study at this point in time is still under development, as many of its
aspects and secrets are still waiting to be discovered and discussed. The text offers a basic introduction to the
study of church ceiling paintings together with its complexities and problems that the author wishes to
address. This paper, specifically written for presentation at the 8th Biennial National Convention on Church
Cultural Heritage Practitioners, and for publication in the upcoming issue of the journal Pintacasi, only serves
as a primer and an impetus to sustain the momentum of the work already gained from the past 4 years.

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The most probable end product of this study is a publication of the final material in several media: 1.) a book
(both in paper and digital form) written on academic lines that contain stunning visuals thru photographic
prints; 2.) an online version of the research available for the whole world to view; 3.) exhibits, talks and
workshops about the subject and the prospect of its conservation, using technology to create interactive
simulations, as if the viewer is actually inside the church where the ceiling paintings are located; and finally,
4.) a highly-detailed photo documentation of all existing church ceiling paintings around the Philippines using
state-of-the-art equipment, which will be archived digitally using the latest methods, for reference in future
conservation work by the parishes.

The author, excited and hopeful at this prospect, wishes to culminate this work to its fullest potential, where
God’s will allow.
The Philippine Church Ceiling: scheme, style and development

A ceiling is more than a simple, functional engineering solution. The word ceiling traces its roots from the
Latin word caelum, which means heaven or sky. In church architecture, the relationship of the ceiling to
church life is made very obvious. From the early days of Christianity to the most contemporary 21st century
design, the construction and art of a church ceiling painting is always an integral part of expression of
spirituality and worship.

The initial response of a person as one

goes inside past the church portals could
vary from a feeling of intimacy with God,
to an overwhelming sense of awe. An
elemental factor to the person’s foremost
impact from his viewpoint is the height of
the ceiling from the ground. The higher
the ceiling, the more heightened the
evoking emotion.

Another contributing factor is the

construction and engineering. All around
the world, church ceilings are constructed
with designs of increasing complexities. It Balilihan Church, Bohol

could be a simple, flat rectangular portion made of wood, or a complicated vaulted construction of stone and
steel with elaborate yet harmonic geometrical patterns and arrangements. The way the church ceiling is
constructed conveys signals of wealth, success and authority, but at the same time also highlights the human
intellect, will and creative power, all being put into use to echo God’s delightful order and creation in the
universe.

But where the ceiling’s structural engineering may only provide, art fills the void, in all its endless prospects.
Combining both sophisticated engineering with possibilities of geometry and theology, church ceilings
present an interesting design opportunity that defies the mind. Whatever the material, design or artistry, in
the end, a church ceiling provides the place to represent the order of perfection and heaven.

Paintings on church ceilings always take on an inspirational function. Many of the paintings contain objects
that are seen from above the earth: the sky, the stars, the clouds. They also take on abstracted motifs to
supplement the architecture. The all-important theme, however, is the instructive approach of visions of
heaven thru iconography, programs and texts, expressed both explicitly and figuratively. Depictions of holy
characters, biblical narratives, the angels, saints and martyrs, icons and symbols that could be both religious
and secular in nature, are all arranged and decorated in an orderly fashion. By using paintings as aids to
religious knowledge and spiritual enrichment, the church ceiling opens up the realm of the finality of
salvation and sharing of God’s glory to the believer.

Painting scheme and order

The shape and elements of a church ceiling determines the layout and order of the paintings. The main
construction of the ceiling usually has the same planar area as the floor area of the church interior, which

6
includes the narthex or choir loft, the nave, the aisles, the transepts, the chancel and the dome or cupola.
Ceiling construction takes on the shape of the usual cruciform plan of the churches prescribed by many
church builders. In some churches, paintings may not be applied to all the mentioned places, but they are
always painted in areas visible to the church goer and members of the clergy.

In general, ceiling construction in Catholic church buildings in the Philippines were of simpler engineering
(with a few exceptions) compared to the Western counterparts that take on larger, more complex and
intricate construction. Yet these basic parts of the church ceiling allow for dramatic and artistic expressions of
faith visible from the earth as one lifts his head up to the ceiling.

From the entrance at the main door of the church, the ceiling could be apparent already by the viewer, but in
some churches, the narthex portion is the first to be seen. It is not often that narthexes were included as parts
of the ceiling painting scheme, but a good number of them contain depictions of the triumphant entry of Jesus
into Jerusalem, a usual choice for the churches in Bohol.

The architecture of the nave is often complex enough to

St. Cecilia, Tubigon Church Choirloft
symbols, doctrinal expressions such as the Apostle’s Creed, and even instructional ways of practicing the faith
may also be found.
draw attention by itself. This is where both artistic
impression and illusion come into supremacy. There is no
prescribed church painting scheme followed for naves
around Philippine churches, however, but it has been a
tradition for artists to draw iconography and symbols
attributed to the patronage of the local parish. In many
Marian churches in the Philippines, naves may contain
ceiling paintings attributed to the life of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, usually depicted in her glorious form in heaven,
enthroned in the clouds and surrounded by clouds and
angels. She can also be depicted in her different names and
devotions, or with scenes from the Glorious Mysteries of
the Holy Rosary, or symbolized using iconography
mentioned in the invocations of the Litany of Loreto.1 In
non-Marian churches, biblical narratives from the Old and
New Testaments are the norms, particularly with Jesus’
pastoral life as mentioned in the Gospels. Imageries of the
lives of the apostles, prophets, saints and martyrs are
more apparent with parishes of their patronages, and are
usually placed around the ceiling edges, or at the wall
arcades that were painted as extensions of the nave
painting scheme. Catholic traditions and rituals, clerical

Side aisles, if present in a church, may or may not be part of the whole ceiling painting scheme. This could be
due to differences in the height, construction and design as compared to the nave. In some churches, however,
they may contain ceiling paintings that are secondary to the themes depicted in the nave ceiling. In Bohol, a
number of churches have paintings portraying the Lives of the Saints or depictions of the Joyful and Sorrowful
Mysteries.

1 Also known as the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, popularized by Pope Sixtus X in 1587.
The choir loft part of the ceiling is generally made part of the whole nave ceiling. The painting scheme of the
nave usually extends to the choir loft, but images portraying Santa Cecilia playing the piano and King David
playing the harp and singing the verses of the Book of Psalms are the usual paintings found there, providing
inspiration for the choir as the sing liturgical songs for the Mass.

Transept areas are usual locations of side altars and chapels that provide appropriate space for smaller
ceremonies. The side altars normally contain sacred images important saints that support the devotional
practices of the congregation. Thus the imagery may extend to the ceiling portions of the transept areas, but is
not necessarily followed in all churches. It is often that the elements and iconography contained from the
nave’s painting scheme spills into the transepts as well. In other places, the painting scheme of the transept
are made part of the painting scheme of the side aisles, especially when the side aisle ceiling paintings follow
a certain theme, such as the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, particularly the Nativity and the Crucifixion.
Sometimes, the transept portions may not be included in the whole ceiling painting scheme at all, except for a
few architectural motifs and ornaments.

The chancel, or the sanctuary area, is the holiest place on the whole church, where ceremonies are enacted
and allow people to partake in the divine. As such, specific attention is given to the design of its ceiling area.
Much of the ceiling imagery in this area is largely inspired by the Holy Eucharist, thus paintings of the Last
Supper, biblical scenes of the Passion and Death of Christ, as well as common iconography and symbols
attributed to Jesus’ sacrifice such as the Agnus Dei, the Pelican, and instruments of the Passion. It is also
common to include images of the Creation of the World, Adam and Eve and the Fall of Man in this area. A
number churches may also depict theocentric visions such as the Holy Trinity, or variations of the
Pantocrator, a common imagery in Byzantine church apses. 2 Side portions that accompany the central area of
the chancel ceiling may also contain images of saints that are considered secondary patronages of the parish.

But perhaps the most dramatic and awe-inspiring part of the whole ceiling painting scheme is the dome or
crossing area. As the locus of the whole church architecture, this area is usually adorned with glorious images,
such as the Resurrection and Ascension, final revelations of the Bible such as the Heavenly Host, the
Communion of Saints, the Last Judgement, and other imagery portraying promises of heavenly salvation.
Angels of different hierarchies are usually found surrounding these images. Invariably in some churches, the
circular dome or cupola is divided into equilateral parts, usually in slices of eight, each containing images of
the Archangels, the Saints, and in Marian churches, symbols from the invocations of the Litany of Loreto.

Supporting the dome are the four pedentives, where portraits of the Four Evangelists appear in their
personas or accompanied with their symbols: Matthew with the angel, Mark with the lion, Luke with the bull,
and John with the eagle.

Techniques, style and development

The development of Philippine church ceiling paintings was extensively an offshoot of European styles, with
Italian Baroque artistry as its biggest influence. The Baroque architecture of the 16th and 17th century was
the conduit of such styles, prompting parish priests to continue the existing trend as they decorate and
recreate the interiors of churches built in our shores. And even as the rest of the Western world started to
move towards Neo-Classicism, Romanticism, eclectic revivals and modernism in interior church design, the

2 Denis R. McNamara, How To Read Churches: A crash course in ecclesiastical architecture (New York: Rizzoli, 2011), p. 236

8
effects of the Counter-Reformation cultural movement in Europe was still very much evident in the evolution
of church ceiling paintings in the Philippines.

When the curas started to commission artists to paint church ceilings, they also became enormously
influential and effectively determined to the artists the style and content of the work. Ceiling decoration,
however, were largely not impressionable until 1876, when the works of Alberoni and Dibella in San Agustin
Church in Intramuros became the benchmark of the subsequent works ever since. Thus, a swift departure
from traditional church ceiling painting with medieval conventions took place, as flat images that do not
contain highlights or shadows were replaced with paintings that have the playfulness of light and darkness,
palettes of both subdued and varied hues, illusions of architectural space and profusions of theatrical air.

Many grand churches in Luzon and Visayas followed

Quadratura, San Agustin Church
illusionistic ceiling painting techniques, particularly a
technique known as quadratura. The Baroque movement of
art in Europe introduced this trompe l’oeil concept of
perspective and representation of architectural space, which
has allowed artists to unify church architecture and painting,
giving a more overwhelming impression of illusion. 3
Paintings were encased in false spaces that seem to continue
the existing architecture in flat surfaces of the ceiling. Every
effort was made to ensure that no space visible to the eye is
left barren. In addition, Rococo elements of S- and C-shaped
curves amalgamated into complex forms, breaking thru
architectural borders, were added not just as accessories, but
supplemented to the overall late-Baroque scheme of the
interior church decoration of church furniture as well.4 In
many cases, paintings may also extend to the baptisteries and
vestry, such as the churches in Pila, Majayjay and Magdalena
in Laguna, Batangas City and Tayabas City, and in Daraga in
Albay. The camarin, or dressing room, of the image of Nuestra
Sra. de los Desamparados in Santa Ana Church in Manila is
decorated with ceiling paintings depicting several scenes
from the life of the Virgin Mary. Even the underground
cemetery of Nagcarlan in Laguna has wonderfully-executed
trompe l’oeil effects in its ceiling paintings.

Though quadratura, by the name’s implication, means a prescription to a four-side feigned space, its
application to our churches were delimited to include different and varied geometry. Toribio Antillon’s work
in Taal and Batangas basilicas were prime examples of deviation from the stiff spaces painted by his teachers
Alberoni and Dibella at the ceiling of San Agustin Church in Intramuros, as his quadratura paintings were a
puzzling lattice work of rhomboids, triangles, hexagons, and even curved and irregular frames.

Antillon’s ceiling paintings were also characterized by the heavy use of grisaille, another deviation from the
traditional use of bright colouring inside churches, pre-Alberoni. The monochromatic choice of colours may

3 Rudolf Wittkower, Joseph Connors, and Jennifer Montagu, Art and Architecture in Italy, 1600-1750, vol. 1 (New Haven, Conn.: Yale
University Press, 1999), pp. 35-36
4 Richard Stemp, The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals (London: Duncan Baird Publishers, 2010), p. 195
have been intended to create moods of somber and weight, but they could also be out of practical reasons, for
a limited variety of colours can mean quicker and cheaper work, 5 compared to a full-coloured palette and in
consideration with the largesse of the canvas and the infancy of the technique’s movement in the country.
Antillon, however, allowed himself to use light, golden colours that combine well with the colour scheme of
the walls, pillars, beams and friezes of the church interior.

Local artists from churches south of Luzon tried to adopt the Antillon school of painting, but weren’t
successful in fully imitating all the techniques. The result is a scion of both grisaille and quadratura but with a
full range of colours that exhibit provincial flair. The ceiling paintings of the churches in Visayas, particularly
of Cebu and Bohol, became the forefront in lavish decoration and ornamentation.

The colour palette varies from church to church, but most ceiling paintings simply use a very wide range of
colours to effectively give life to its subjects. In the churches of Calaca, Batangas and in Indang, Cavite, pink
and red was used as the predominant colour for its ceiling panels. The churches of Lazi and Guiuan used sky
blue for its ceiling to create an illusion of a blue sky. Hues of yellow, brown and gold are common across the
churches in the Visayas, but blue and red are also the usual colour combinations. The most striking, however,
is of Panglao Church, due to its unusual colour combination of lavender and brown all throughout the ceiling. 6

Anachronistic elements became increasingly common in some paintings, incorporating scenes and figures of
remote town life into Gospel scenes and Lives of the Saints in medieval times. The church convent of Dauis is
notable for including a picturesque view of Sitio Ubos of Tagbilaran City from across Panglao island, painted
in one of the sections of the ceiling of the convent’s receiving area. Another example is a ceiling painting of
John the Baptist, found at the church of Alburquerque in Bohol, foretelling the coming of Jesus Christ, to a
crowd of different races - Semitics, Orientals, Indians and Caucasians - illustrating that the good news of
salvation is for all mankind.

Di sotto in su: Church dome in Tubigon

For some reasons, not all church ceiling paintings followed the vogue of the times. In the churches of Lazi in
Siquijor and Guiuan in Eastern Samar, vast portions of the ceiling were not filled with details, save for a

5 Harold Osborne, Oxford Companion to Art. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1970)

6 Regalado Trota Jose, Visita Iglesia Bohol: A Guide To Historic Churches (Manila, NCCA, 2001), p. 87

10
number of folksy paintings, stars and supporting architectural motifs—an antithesis to the Filipino penchant
for horror vacui. In some churches of Ilocos Sur, particularly in the towns of Santa Cruz, San Esteban, Santa
Maria and Sinait, the beads of the Holy Rosary were spread in the edges around the ceiling, encompassing the
nave area of the interior. Others relied more into semiotics, prescribing uniform stylization that accentuated
the interior, rather than using apparent religious imagery, as in the churches of Sta. Lucia, Lucena, Carcar,
Dauis, San Jose and Duero. Devoid of even the most subtle symbolism, the tiled patterns of the ceiling of the
church in Dapitan City create an optical illusion that can bewilder an unsuspecting viewer.

Francia’s dome paintings in Bohol, particularly in the churches of Balilihan, Carmen, Tubigon and Anda,
employed the use of the Italian illusionistic painting technique called di sotto in su (“seen from below”),
although the influence is more Renaissance than Baroque, as popularized by Italian Renaissance artist Andrea
Mantegna.7 Whereas the Alburquerque church lack an actual dome structure at the crossing, Francia used
anamorphosis to create a distorted perspective of a dome projected into space from a particular vantage
point. Some recent church ceiling works, such as those of Lucena Cathedral, Candon Church and Taal Basilica,
were also painted in di sotto in su technique, where the ceiling opens up to the clouds, and into the blue sky.

The employment of techniques and illusions in Philippine church ceiling paintings can be seen from a Biblical
perspective: In the same way that the paintings only make sense from a correct viewpoint, so life only makes
sense if we look to Jesus. And in the same way that this painting is an illusion, so is the life that we lead on
Earth: only life with God in heaven after the end of time will be real and everlasting.

Thus the objective of the Baroque movement in art, however, is not merely of decorative excess. Its main
objective is to make the impact of religious art more immediate by placing the observers at the centre of the
work, turning them from spectators into actors. Enclosed space and architecture dissolves away into images
of the transcendental, and opening up into heaven—there, and within our sight. Illusions masterfully crafted
by the Baroque artists, and perpetuated by our Filipino counterparts, play on our sense of sight and with our
awareness of space, but it also comes with the realization of the divine vision—something that is not merely
being witnessed from the outside, but is happening here and now, as the perspective sweeps up beyond the
dissolved ceiling into the physical presence of God. 8

7 Trevor Hunt, From Mantegna To Michelangelo: Illusionistic Ceiling Paintings of the Renaissance Pave the Way for Baroque Excess,
University of California http://prizedwriting.ucdavis.edu/past/2001-2002/from-mantegna-to-michelangelo-illusionistic-ceiling-
paintings-of-the-renaissance-pave-the-way-for-baroque-excess (2002)
8 Stemp, op. cit., p. 194
The Evolution of Philippine Church Ceiling Art: A Historical Perspective

Filipino art has been mostly a product of Oriental, Western and indigenous influences. The art of painting,
however, was on its infancy in the Philippines before the arrival of the Spaniards. In its early days of church
construction around newly established pueblos, painting only started to gain ground not for its artistic merit,
but rather for its decorative purposes in architecture and interior design.

The austerity of stone churches will soon be accentuated with stylized ornaments, said to be of Rococo
patterns of medallions, cartouches and garlands using strong, contrasting colours. Such polychrome
accentuations over a whitewashed base of gesso were applied mostly on wooden parts of the church
structure, particularly altars, ceilings, domes, beams, trusses, corbels, pillars and pilasters. Evidences of early
designs can still be found inside the San Agustin Church refectory where a Marian monogram cartouche in
gold and red colour is painted in the ceiling, over a chandelier, as well as the floral designs inside the 1730
Jesuit House in Old Parian of Cebu City. Techniques on stone walls were also applied as well, using cow’s
blood as primer coating and tempera mixed with local pigments. Later on, these were applied on wooden
planks, tin sheets and ceiling canvasses as well.

First teachers, early techniques

The curas of the churches of Intramuros, having been sent from Spain and bringing with them memories of
the grandiose churches of the Iberian
Peninsula, have acted upon themselves to
become architects and designers of the very
first stone churches, and will later on develop
their inclination to paint and decorate the
interiors. Over the years, Western styles were
refined and mixed as well with Chinese and
Arabesque counterparts, having the priests
employ native apprentices and Sangleys that
will soon be known for their skilful techniques
and execution.

As early as 1602, the Jesuits who administered

the boarding school in Dulag, Leyte, have
chronicled that they added painting as part of Floral artesonado style of Pamplona Church, Cagayan.
(Archival picture by Regalado Trota Jose)
their standard curriculum so that future
catechists could “decorate their village chapels” and “provide themselves with the drawings with were in
common use at this time as visual aids to catechetical instruction”. 9

Provincial flair is evident in churches outside Manila, where local artists try to emulate the style of Manila
church interiors, but still retain folksy motifs of florals and blooms, as seen in the artesonado styling of the
ceiling vault of the church of Pamplona, Cagayan, and of the ceiling of Aguilar, Pangasinan and the pillars of
Mangaldan, Pangasinan. Some churches will also paint its walls with curtains, fringes and tassels, mostly as
framing devices for high altars, windows and other fenestrations.

9 Horacio de la Costa, SJ, The Jesuits in the Philippines, 1581-1768 (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1961), p. 288

12
When churches were started being rebuilt or renovated using stronger and more durable materials, interior
painting were also included. Records from 1701 show that Manila Cathedral had its ceiling painted and
gilded. In 1712, when the church of Nuestra Sra. de Guia in Ermita was inaugurated, the ceiling boasts of
paintings of flowers outlined in gold.10

From informal to formal

Apart from the decorative paintings applied to churches and related structures such as conventos and capillas
de mortuario, priests eventually taught figure and iconographic painting to their understudies, copying from
engravings and small cards called estampitas, which were brought from Spain by way of Acapulco galleon
trade. Many of the engravings and estampitas were reproductions of works of great engraving masters such
as Albrecht Durer, Martin Schongauer, Andrea Mantegna, and painters of the Baroque period, like Rembrandt
and Marcantonio Franceschini.

Consequently these replica works have been adapted by the native painters as soon as they were
commissioned by the parish priests to paint murals and estaciones inside the churches. Although elementary
in instruction and no formal discipline or school of thought is employed, the creations are characterized as
flat in effect, using only primitive colours but compensated by detailed rendering. Since the estampitas
available back then were all in black and white, the artists had the liberty to select their colours. Thus it paved
way to the creation of peculiar and ingenious works of Liberato Gatchalian of Bohol, Jose Luciano Dans of
Paete, Justiniano Asuncion of Santa Cruz, Nicolas Luis of Vigan, and even the secular works of Esteban Pichay
Villanueva of Vigan and Damian Domingo of Binondo.

It was only in 1821, the first school of painting in Manila, the Academia de Dibujo, was opened, but was closed
13 years after. Later on it was reopened and renamed to Academia de Dibujo y Pintura, in 1855 under the
directorship of a peninsular, Don Agustin Saez y Glanadell (ca. 1830-1891), and later on, by Filipino mestizo
Lorenzo Rocha y Icaza (1837-1898). The students learned the principles of drawing and painting on oil and
watercolour, as well as how to prepare a good canvas.11 Techniques not known before, such as perspective,
chiaroscuro and anatomy, were taught to students. Around the same time, the Junta de Comercio approved of
procuring reproductions of European works from the Royal Museum of Madrid, at a yearly fashion, to
acquaint and orient young students of the Academia of the European trends. 12 Copies from religious works of
Murillo, Rivera, Velasquez, Cano, Titian and Guido Reni influenced the first students, which greatly influenced
prevailing artistic styles, and dictated the direction and scope of academic art in the Philippines.

Most of the first works were largely uninspired, rigid and religious in nature, due to the way the professors of
the academia taught its students. This went on for a good length of time. Over the years, however, the
influence was mired with the inspirations of the Philippine landscape and everyday life, and certain genres
have developed, albeit in a slow pace. The result was a Filipino palette that became lighter, strokes that
become more confident, and details reflecting character, mood and even the painter’s individuality. Damian
Domingo, though having worked with the Academia as the director for a time, still followed his own
miniaturismo style to prevail on his own works, instead of going with the conventions of the school.

10 Regalado Trota Jose, Simbahan: Church Art in Colonial Philippines 1565-1898 (Makati: Ayala Museum, 1991), p. 148
11 Ibid, p. 155
12 Dominador Castañeda, Art In the Philippines (Manila: University of the Philippines, 1964), p. 31
Lombardy: origins of Italian opera scenography

One of the mediums that flourished in the art scene is the stage play telon. The works of the students of the
Academia, such as Simon Flores y dela Rosa, Toribio Antillon y Asona, Manuel Espiritu, Lorenzo Leogardo
Guerrero and Emilio Alvero have extended not only on paintings of portraits and figures, but as well as on
scenographic paintings of telon for stage plays and operas, and decorative interiors of churches that exude
Romantic tendencies.

Backdrops for theatres and stage plays trace back its roots from the progressive movement of Italian theatre
scenographic art that spread across Europe by the pedigree family of renowned scenographer Ferdinando
Galli da Bibiena. The descendants of Galli da Bibiena have produced prolific practitioners during the second
half of 18th century and early 19th century, most of them having studied in Lombardy of Northern Italy.
Artists inspired by the highly ornate Late Baroque styles of Galli da Bibiena, employing masterfully-crafted
quadratura and illusionistic painting techniques, were largely sought after for several runs, inside Italian
opera houses.13

The Romantic period of opera in

early 18th century placed heavy
emphasis on the development of
realism, called “verismo” in Italian
opera. Hence, realistic subjects
from everyday life were chosen for
theatrical incidents. Realism
extended across several aspects of
opera, from libretto to music to
scenography. Led by the Italian
composers Gioacchino Rossini
(1792-1868) and Giuseppe Verdi
(1813-1901), as well as the
opening of the Suez Canal in 1869,
the golden era of Italian opera was
ushered, with the proliferation of
Teatro la Fenice, 1837.
traveling Italian opera troupes
performing outside European borders, and into Asia.

Alberoni and Dibella: A New Sensibility

One of the many Italian opera troupes that reached our shores is the Compañia Assi-Panadis, arriving in
Manila on March 24, 1875.14 Along with the group were two Italian scenographers, Cesare Alberoni and
Giovanni Dibella, who recreated the illusionistic backdrops for the opera troupe. Impressed by the artistic

13 Antonio Caimi, Delle arti del designo e degli artisti nelle provincie di Lombardia dal 1777-1862 (Milan, Italy: Presso Luigi di Giacomo
Pirola, 1862), pp.112-113
14 “Los Teatros de Manila: XII El Circo-Teatro de Bilibid,” La Ilustracion Filipina (Feb. 21, 1893), p. 50

14
trompe l’oeil techniques, Fr. José Ibeas of San Agustin Church wasted no time to commission both Alberoni
and Dibella to recreate the theatricality inside the cold church interior, and infuse it with life. 15

The project, spanning 15 months and amounted to a total of Php 8,000, proved to be gargantuan for both
painters. Nevertheless, the end result was a dramatic interplay of light and shadow, blending symbols of Old
and New Testament encased in geometric frames. Alternating rosettes, pilasters with mouldings, and lunette
windows framed with wreaths or faux porticos were spread across various segments of the nave, whereas the
angels with resounding trumpets chant praises and glory in Latin (“Laudate Dominum omnes gentes”) at the
top of the vault of the choir loft. The dome becomes like tiny crown as simulated iconic columns vanish
toward the centre in a flowery fashion. Beguiling and tricky at the same time, Fr. Pedro Galende, O.S.A.
described the vaulted paintings “having the likeness of bas reliefs; one has to touch them to be reassured they
are not real”.

Trompe l'oeil works of Alberoni and Dibella at San Agustin Church

The inauguration of the vaulted paintings in 1876—in fact—the only remaining and preserved work of the
two artists, were met with both awe and criticism. Fray Mariano Cil, O.S.A., who is both a painter and an art
critic, suggested that “the painting appeals greatly to the eye but lacks the depth of psychological intimacy.”
Furthermore, he notes that the painting “has turned the awe-inspiring, massive Romanic stone temple into a
luxurious Renaissance sanctuary that allures the sense but offends logic and artistic judgement,” as he

15 Pedro G. Galende, OSA, San Agustin: Noble Stone Shrine (Manila: G.A. Formoso Publishing, 1989), p. 81
disliked the anatomical figures of humans and animals found around the vaulted interior. 16 The heavy work
on grisaille and chiaroscuro and the monochromatic schemes of grey and black underscored severe tonality
of the work, juxtaposed with the design’s complexity.17 But in a more veritable explanation, it also
underscored the artist’s real intent by effectively harmonizing the pictorial design with the spatial format of
the church interior. Since realism and neo-classicism was the trend in scenography and church decoration in
Europe at that time, Alberoni and Dibella successfully introduced great innovation in sacred art by replacing
the prevalent Mexican style using tawdry and profuse colouring, usually found in tropical countries, for a
more serious countenance in interior decoration, fitting of Catholic churches.

Alberoni and Dibella were also commissioned to paint the interiors of Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros,
and redecorating of the Malacañang Palace interiors as well as the mansion of Jose Rocha, with the help of
their apprentices. The backdrop of the stage musical Junto al Pasig (On the Banks of Pasig River), lyrics
written by no less than Dr. Jose Rizal, was painted by both artists, together with their famous student Toribio
Antillon. The backdrops were described as “half-filled with columns that create an illusion of ample space”.

Dibella went back to Europe on May 3, 1881, six years after arriving in Manila. Alberoni remained, however,
and established his own school specializing in scenographic art on September 19, 1884. The school offered
courses such as linear drawing, ornamental drawing and figure drawing, and the classes were held inside a
building at Calle Quiotan in Santa Cruz. 18 Two famous Filipino scenographers Toribio Antillon y Asona and
Emilio Alvero y Vera, studied under Alberoni, who will both carry on the legacy of the two Italian painters in
scenographic design, and open a new cultural sensibility for church interior decoration.

The Glorious Era of Scenography and Church Ceiling Paintings

Antillon, however, proved to be more prolific than Alvero in terms of their craft. After separating from his
teachers as apprentice, he setup his own shop as well and independently did the theatre backdrops of Tondo
and Variedades in Manila. His reputation started to proceed before him, as private colleges such as Ateneo de
Manila, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, and Colegio de San Francisco Javier commissioned him to paint murals
and ceiling panel works inside the school buildings. 19 The early years of American occupation proved to be
very beneficial for Antillon, as Tagalog dramatic arts started to flourish in a way that has never been seen
before. During the production of Pedro A. Paterno’s first ever Tagalog opera Sandugong Panaginip, shown on
August 16, 1902, he painted illusionistic drop curtains and drapes for the backdrop. The production became
wildly popular, and soon after, his services for creating telon were in great demand.20

The ceiling works of the churches of Antipolo in Rizal; Daraga, Guinobatan and Tabaco of Albay, Batangas
City, Bauan and Taal of Batangas; San Fernando and Guagua of Pampanga; and even in his hometown in San
Juan, La Union, were treated with the touch of Antillon’s brush. The churches of Ermita, Malate, and the
narthex section of San Sebastian Basilica in Quiapo, also received such treatment. 21 Characteristic of the San
Agustin Church prototype, Antillon’s style heavily uses grey undertones and chiaroscuro, but with more

16 Pedro G. Galende, OSA, Angels In Stone: Augustinian Churches in the Philippines (Manila: San Agustin Museum, 1996), pp. 26, 30
17 Alicia M.L. Coseteng, Spanish Churches in the Philippines (Manila: UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, 1972), p. 53
18
Santiago A. Pilar, “Alberoni, Cesare and Giovanni Dibella”, CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art vol. IV: Philippine Visual Arts (Manila:
Cultural Centre of the Philippines, 1994), p. 304
19 Fr. Jose Ma. Clotet, S.J. “D. Toribio Antillon y Asona,” Cultura Social, Año II, No. X (Octubre de 1914), pp. 509-512
20 E. Arsenio Manuel, Magdalena Avenir Manuel, Dictionary of Philippine Biography (Manila: Filipiniana, 1995), p. 52
21 Ibid. Unfortunately, the ceiling paintings of Antipolo Church have been destroyed by war; elsewhere the ceiling paintings were lost by
other causes.

16
freedom with geometrical framing than the quadratura of Alberoni and Dibella, and is also replete with
anachronistic elements of exotic scenery. He also used aquarelle techniques, as evident on the ceiling
paintings of Batangas City basilica.
Other churches around the country have
also followed suit. Paoay’s original church
ceiling paintings were said to have similar
grisaille and quadratura patterns as those of
Antillon’s works, while the rosettes of the
church in San Jose, Batangas, were largely
inspired from the ornamental plants found
in Fr. Manuel Blanco’s book Floras de
Filipinas. It was even noted by Jose Rizal’s
travel diary from his departure in Dapitan
to his “aborted” medical mission in Cuba in
1896 that the ceiling of the church of Molo,
Ilo-ilo, painted by a native of the city, had
biblical scenes copied from the prints of

Paoay Church, Ilocos Norte. French artist Gustave Doré. The canvas
ceiling paintings inside the church of
Jimenez, Misamis Oriental, were done by a Spanish painter from Bilbao by the name of Julio Sanz Cruzado,
commissioned by the parish priest from 1896 to 1898. Creations by maestro Isidro Maria Lago of the School
of Arts and Trades in Ilo-ilo can be seen22 as well in the ceiling paintings of Bacolod and other churches in
Negros. Elsewhere, curas employed either local masters or brought artists from Manila to do the ceiling
painting designs, each exhibiting foreign inspiration while still exuding folksy flair, as seen in the churches of
Betis and San Luis in Pampanga, Pila and Majayjay in Laguna, Indang in Cavite, Daet and Vinzons in Camarines
Norte, Naga and San Jose in Camarines Sur, Boljoon in Cebu, and Guiuan in Eastern Samar.

But the most astonishing feat in church ceiling decoration took place in the 1920s to the 1930s, when two
Cebuano painters Raymundo Francia and Canuto Avila, painted many of the ceilings in the Visayas.

Raymundo Francia, a local of Parian and son of a Tagalog father, started his career as a telon painter for
zarzuelas and komedyas in Cebu. When he was commissioned by (then) Monsignor Juan Gorordo, first Filipino
bishop in Cebu, to paint the interior murals of the Archbishop’s Palace and the Colegio de la Immaculada
Concepcion (CIC), the nuns were so impressed with his work that he was even offered a scholarship for
further art studies in Madrid, to which Francia declined. 23 Insisting that he’d rather hone his self-taught styles
rather than be influenced by western fashion, he went on to paint the interiors of the churches in Cebu and
Bohol, starting with his first commissioned church ceiling work in Baclayon, Bohol. At his peak in the 1920s
and 1930s, he painted the church ceilings of Pitalo, Sibonga and Argao in Cebu, as well as the ceilings of the
churches of Dauis, Cortes, Maribojoc, Loon, Tubigon, Alburquerque, Loay, Loboc, Dimiao, Carmen, Balilihan,
Jagna and Anda in Bohol. It was possible that he painted as well some church ceilings in Samar and Leyte. 24

22 Jose, Simbahan, pp. 162-163

23 Romola O. Savellon, “Vol. II: Raymundo Francia, Cebu’s Michelangelo”, CNU Cultural Heritage Monograph Series on Local Arts (Cebu:
Cebu Normal University, 1999), pp. 1-2
24 Edilberto Francia, from an interview conducted at his residence in Cebu City, Feb. 22, 2013
Canuto Avila, on the other hand, started as a student from San Nicolas who underwent formal schooling of art
at Colegio Seminario de San Carlos.25 A contemporary of Francia, they often worked together on church
ceiling projects in Bohol, as evidenced by the interiors of Loboc Church. He will also adorn the ceiling
paintings of Basilica of Sto. Niño and Dalaguete Church in Cebu, as well as some churches in Negros and Leyte.
Aside from painting church ceilings, he also did murals of Visayan landscapes with influences from Chinese
and Japanese scroll art, as well as sculptures of busts and human figures, and portraits of personalities,
notably that of his classmate in San Carlos, Sergio Osmeña Sr., who would later become Philippine president.

The styles of Francia and Avila are livelier, more vibrant and with greater detail compared to the works of
Antillon. Up to this day, most of Francia and Avila church ceiling works in Cebu and Bohol were relatively
intact, and in various states of preservation. Nevertheless, their contributions had made the era of church
ceiling decoration, arguably, a glorious one.

Raymundo Rubi Francia, the great church ceiling artist of the Visayas

Decline and Facelifts

Canuto Avila continued to create more work after the war. He painted a portion of the ceiling of Dauis church
in 1949, as evidenced by his signature. Interestingly, a number of derivative works sprang forth during the
late 1950s to the 1960s in the towns of Tubigon, Maribojoc and Alburquerque in Bohol. As new parishes were
established in the far-flung barrios in the hinterlands, somehow the parishioners felt the need to bring the

25 Alice Guillermo, Cebu: A Heritage of Art (Cebu: Felipe Y. Liao, 1991), p. 22

18
grandeur of their mother parishes, if only at a much smaller scale. Chapels in the barrios of Bosongon,
Libertad, Cawayanan and Cahayag in the town of Tubigon were painted by a certain artist named Tinong
“Pungkol” Telmoro (pungkol in Boholano means “cut”, because the artist’s right arm was amputated), copying
the quadratura and trompe l’oeil techniques of Raymundo Francia, albeit with an untrained hand resulting to
crude and unsteady strokes. Similar works were done in the barrio chapels of Busao in Maribojoc and Butao
in Alburquerque.

In the years rebuilding towns and cities that have been ravaged and destroyed by the atrocities of World War
II, churches that have been either partially damaged or completely obliterated were either renovated or
rebuilt without fidelity, or even a complete departure, from the original design.

Over the course of decades, churches will be subject as well to a number of fires, typhoons, earthquakes and
other calamities. The scarcity of the original materials and its sources and the convenient availability of
cement, as well as introduction to quicker techniques and methods of building construction, and the shift of
artistic tastes in interior design, led to the significant decline of church ceiling decoration. Consequently, some
of them have been utterly lost and were never replaced again, as in the case of the churches in Paoay, Guagua,
Antipolo, Daet, Vinzons and Tabaco, to name a few.

For the other ceiling paintings that have somehow

survived, the 80s and 90s have been an era of
“restoration” projects. A number of those projects
were notable for commissioning artists that have been
taught by the original painters. As early as 1976, some
portions of the ceiling of Loay Church were retouched
by Arthur Apalisok, son of one of the assistant
painters of Raymundo Francia back in 1927. The
ceiling paintings of Betis church in Pampanga,
originally painted by local artist Mariano Henson in
1890 and 1895 (later repainted by Macario Ligon of
1939), were redone by Ligon’s nephew and art
student Victor Ramos between the years of 1972 and
1985.26

The San Agustin Church in Intramuros underwent a

general restoration project from 1969 to 1970, led by
Angel Nakpil.27 The ceiling paintings by Alberoni and
Dibella were cleaned and retouched by Fray Niceforo
Rojo, OSA. In Indang, Cavite, the rose and gold-painted
ceiling work of San Geronimo Magno Parish Church
was restored from 1989 to 1991 by local artist David
Sierra, together with his 7 apprentices.28 It is worth
noting that at the time of the restoration, Sierra had
created a different mural design for the ceiling, but the Ceiling paintings of Betis Church, Guagua, Pampanga, attributed to
parish priest insisted to only restore the original Mariano Henson

26 Tomen, Nina L.B., David, Pablo Virgilo S.S.,

Suli: Legacies of Santiago Apostol Church of Betis (Manila: NCCA, 2012), p. 96
27 Pedro G. Galende, OSA, Regalado Trota Jose, San Agustin: Art and History, 1571-2000 (Manila: San Agustin Museum, 2000), p. 72
28 Viner dela Cruz, during an interview inside San Gregorio Magno Parish Church, Indang, Cavite, March 23, 2013
painting, retouching only what had worn out.

Other restoration projects, however, have partially or completely replaced the original ceiling artwork. In
1965, the original Avila paintings of the church ceiling of Basilica of Sto. Niño in Cebu were repainted with a
completely different design. The repainting was part of the supposed “restoration” work of the whole church
and convent, in commemoration of the quadricentennial of the arrival of Christianity in Cebu.

Many of the churches in Bohol that were decorated by Francia and Avila were also retouched or repainted. In
the 1950s, Boholano painter Max Aya-ay retouched the chancel part of the ceiling inside Baclayon Church. In
1979, the parish priest of Dauis Church commissioned a certain Lito Arcaya to repaint a part of the ceiling
above the altar table in the presbytery area. Another instance is of Anda Church in 1986, repainted by
Concordio Licos. In 1990, an earthquake hit Bohol that damaged both the churches of Loay and Jagna. Soon
after, celebrated Boholano artist Rosalio Ortiz was tasked to repaint the lost/damaged parts of the ceilings of
both churches. In 1995, Chris Naparota retouched some parts of the ceiling of Loboc church. 29

Other churches outside Bohol were retouched as well. In 1989, Pat Arcaya repainted the Francia originals
inside the church of Pitalo in San Fernando, Cebu. Lucena Cathedral’s majestic trompe l’oeil artesonado style
ceiling was re-done by the artists of the Lagos family in 1991, while the ceiling paintings of Tayabas Basilica
were also done by Delfin Antiola around that time as well.

Sadly, there were also church ceiling paintings that were whitewashed or have undergone “botched”
restorations. This was true in the case of the controversial “restoration” work of the Baclayon Church in Bohol
during the 1990s where an attempt to decorate the church interior with a design that wasn’t favored by the
parishioners. Eventually, the project was undone, but the ceiling along the nave and the dome that used to
display the works of Francia were now bereft of any decoration. The ceiling of Santa Maria Church in Ilocos
Sur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, used to have a beautiful painting of the Holy Rosary that surrounded the
ceiling outline of the whole church, until it was whitewashed in 2005, leaving no trace of the earlier painting.
In the churches of Cortes in Bohol and Basey in Samar, major portions of the ceiling have been whitewashed
as well.

New Works, Old Inspirations

A good number of churches have gone thru major renovations in the recent years. Typhoons, earthquakes,
floods and occasional fires continue to be threats to these old buildings. As foreign styles dominated the local
architecture scene at the turn of the 21st century, parishes find it more convenient to remodel the building
using more readily-available materials (cement, G.I. sheets, steel trusses, commercial plywood, etc.) at a
cheaper cost. As a result, local religious architecture has lost its original Filipino baroque adaptations.

To a certain extent, church ceiling paintings have been affected by these renovations. But somehow these
newer works, much like the works of Toribio Antillon, Canuto Avila and Raymundo Francia, will find its way
tracing its roots from their great predecessors. The ceiling paintings of Candon Church in Ilocos Sur, painted
by a local artist from Narvacan, used the old di sotto in su (seen from below) tradition of Italian renaissance
painters like Mantegna and Pozzo. The new ceiling paintings inside Binondo church, depicting the mysteries
of the Holy Rosary, were copied from the works of European baroque painters like Peter Paul Rubens (1577-

29 Jose, Visita Iglesia Bohol, p. 70

20
1640), Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674), Antonio Ciseri (1821-1891) and Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834-
1890).

A more interesting amalgamation of foreign and local styles can be found at the church ceiling of Angat in
Bulacan, painted by Jess Santos in 2002. An almost exact copy the Sistine Chapel frescoes by Michelangelo
were created, but adding depictions of historical events such as the First Mass of Limasawa and Filipino
religious traditions such as the singing of Christmas carols, Oracion, Santacruzan, Pasyon and Salubong. These
paintings that surround the Michelangelo copy along the nave were framed in quadratura style, but bamboos
are painted in place of rigid lines and shadows.

There were also newly-constructed ceiling paintings that deviated from the traditional placements of church
ceiling imagery and painting scheme. In the church of Catanauan in Quezon, the Four Evangelists, usually
located in the pedentives of the church crossing, were instead lined up along a longitudinal axis at the centre
of the nave. Symbols of the Virgin Mary, mentioned in the Litany of Loreto, were placed on either sides of the
nave portion. A more contemporary depiction of the Last Supper, suggesting Jesus foretelling the betrayal of
Judas (Luke 22:20-25) can be seen at the church crossing, instead of its usual placement at the chancel area
above the altar table.

Ceiling paintings of Catanauan Church, Quezon

Even so, as surviving church ceiling paintings continue to dazzle locals and tourists, they also continue to
deteriorate at an exponential rate. Realizing the importance of their preservation, some parishes started to
seek help from professionals specialized in structural and art conservation. The newly-restored ceiling work
at the nave of Taal Basilica is commendable for faithfully copying the original patterns of the old Antillon
grisaille paintings on lead sheets at the altar apse, and in effect, perpetuating the memory of Alberoni and
Dibella. In the church of Boljoon in Cebu, an on-going restoration work of the whole church structure is being
supported by both government agencies and local foundations. The aim of the restoration is to preserve the
original painting works of Mariano Villareal by cleaning the wooden surface from dirt, soot, stains from water
leaks, and guano from birds and bats, before applying any further treatment and protection to the paintings.
However, before the ceiling restoration project commences, the roof system was reinforced first by replacing
old terra cotta with new ones, steel trusses and corrugated sheets constructed in place of wood, and leaks
plugged and repaired. This is to ensure that water does not seep thru the roof and into the ceiling, and to
better stabilize the inner temperature and humidity—both factors that greatly affect the wooden ceiling. This
project in Boljoon is seen as a crucial one, as the success (or failure) of this conservation project can be a
precedent for similar conservation work for other parishes in the future.

22
Decoding the Catholic Faith: Themes, Symbols and Meaning in Philippine
Church Ceiling Paintings

The Church has always made use of imagery in art: in sculptures, stained glass, architecture or paintings—all
made to make the doctrines and mysteries of the Word understandable and accessible to the illiterate. In the
words of St. Thomas Aquinas, “man cannot understand without images”. 30

Church writings often described sacred art as “the Bible of the poor”. But throughout history, religious
imagery and its use by the Roman Catholic Church has been challenged as to its validity during the ages of
Byzantine iconoclasm, and later on, during the Protestant Reformation. The Second Commandment, as
recorded by Moses when he received the Tablets of the Law, stating “Thou shalt not make unto thee any
graven image, or any likeness of any thing.” (Exodus 20:4), has been the main argument of several faiths using
the Bible as their only source of faith.

But what really constitutes the Christian Bible? Why do several faiths do not use the 3rd century Latin
Vulgate that the Roman Catholic Church use up until today? What led to its several versions and iterations,
even removing certain apocryphal texts considered hidden or spurious? That is already a different matter.
But as far as church decoration is concerned, it doesn’t matter where Biblical stories and texts do originally
come from, more so as to how they are interpreted through art.

The way in which these stories are depicted in paintings, or in which they are shown in relation to one
another, can tell us a lot about the way our sources of faith is interpreted. 31 They are like illustrated sermons
that convey certain messages. In the absence of a priest, the paintings resonate God’s timeless words to its
people. Our Philippine church ceiling paintings are replete with stories from the Creation of the World, the
Life of Jesus Christ, and the finality of God’s creation. In between are stories of apocryphal texts, ranging from
the beheading of Holofernes from the book of Judith, to the Presentation of Mary at the Temple as accounted
by the Protoevangelium of James. Paintings attributed to our Philippine history as well as traditions and
rituals of faith all accompany them as well.

Biblical Narratives and Catholic Themes

We may see a certain thread that ties all these stories together. Much like the writings of the Gospels, they tell
the fulfilment of the coming of the Messiah from the prophets of the Old Testament. Types and antitypes are
always found when interpreting these prophecies in both divisions of the Bible. Precursors such as the
symbolical depictions of Jonah and the whale will be linked to the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, or
Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac becoming the type for God willingly offering his son Jesus Christ as the ultimate
sacrifice. These closely interwoven threads of Biblical types and antitypes are evident in the painting schemes
of church ceilings.

Stories can be interpreted allegorically as well, or interpreted using ideas existing outside canonical contexts,
in order to understand the mysteries of faith and heaven through earthly means. We may see several
paintings of Jesus Christ handing to Peter the “keys to the Kingdom” (Matthew 16:18-19), depicted by artists

30 Richard Taylor, How To Read A Church: A Guide to Symbols and Images in Churches and Cathedrals (Mahwah, NJ: HiddenSpring, 2005),
p. 2
31 Stemp, The Secret Language Of, pp. 26-32
as a literal key to the door. Parables and
stories such as the Good Shepherd finding
the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:12-14), the
Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:4-26),
and Mary, sister of Martha, anointing Jesus’
feet with oil (John 12:1-8), were favourite
subjects found in a number of paintings in
Bohol.

The understanding of the Holy Trinity, one

of the seemingly complicated doctrines of
the Roman Catholic Church, is made
possible through the use of geometry, for
the understanding of the general population
of believers. Though paintings of the Triune Painting of the Holy Trinity, Dome of Anda Church in Bohol

prescribe to the traditional depictions of God the Father (an old man), God the Son (a younger man seated at
the Father’s right hand, carrying the cross) and God the Spirit (hovering as a dove in between the two), the
symbol of the triangle, in equilateral parts, complements giving faces to the three persons, in order to explain
its equally divine nature. A different type of image of the Triune, called the “Mercy Seat”, is present at the
dome of the church of Anda, reminding the parishioners of the protective nature of God the Father, while at
the same time reminding us of His sacrifice.

From the accounts of the Holy Gospels, the paintings referring to Jesus Christ can be divided into three stages
of his life: the Nativity, the earthly ministry, and the Passion, Death and Resurrection. The nature of Jesus
Christ as God the Son, however, is not frequently depicted in the church ceiling paintings (with a number of
exceptions such as the account of the Transfiguration and the El Juicio). Artists were more concerned with his
life on earth rather than on his divinity. Hence a lot of ceiling paintings show Jesus Christ speaking of parables
and performing miracles, as well as accounts of his Passion, starting from the Triumphant Entry to Jerusalem,
all the way to the Ascension.

Like Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary is depicted more often in church ceiling paintings—even more often than
God the Father and the Holy Spirit—because of her role in the fulfilment of God’s salvation. Being called
theotokos, or “God-bearer”, she is effectively called “Mother of God”, and being given that role as such, 32 the
Church started to increasingly desire to know more about Mary’s life on earth. While the books of the New
Testament only focused on certain events of Mary such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, and the Pentecost,
apocryphal texts from the Protoevangelium of James and the Infancy Gospel of Matthew such as the Young
Mary with St. Anne and St. Joachim, the Presentation of Mary to the Temple, and the Betrothal of Mary to
Joseph. The Protoevangelium of James also asserted the virginity of Mary—before, during, and after the birth
of Jesus Christ—although this is a separate doctrine from the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception,
depicted in many ceiling paintings of Marian churches. The doctrine of the Virgin assumed into heaven has
been a very long tradition as well in the Roman Catholic Church, and therefore, in ceiling paintings as well. 33

The paintings of the Prophets were also made important subjects in various church ceilings because of their
presaging roles in the Old Testament. There were four Major Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel;

32 The declaration was done during the Third Ecumenical Council of the Early Christian Church in year 431, held at the Church of Mary in
Ephesus in Asia Minor
33 The doctrine of the Assumption of Mary was only dogmatically defined in recent times by Pope Pius XII in the Apostolic Constitution
Munificentissimus Deus on November 1, 1950.

24
as well as twelve minor ones. Other prophets such as Melchizedek, Moses and John the Baptist, were favourite
subjects as well. They have one central theme in their presaging ministries: they all foretold, or have
performed acts, about the coming of Christ. When depicted in paintings, they are usually identified by their
appearance and symbols or attributes which accompany them, to underscore their relevance to Christ and the
Christian doctrines.

The veneration and reverence of the

saints and martyrs are important figures
in church ceiling paintings for two
reasons. First, they are deemed worthy of
respect because of their virtuous life and
their deeds on earth. Second, they are
invoked upon for intercessions for both
the living and the dead.34 A very common
group of saints were the Four Evangelists,
each usually found in the four pedentives
supporting the church dome. In many
churches across the country,
representation of the saints in ceiling
paintings vary widely, depending on the
Marian symbols, Boljoon Church religious order (e.g. churches built by the
Augustinians will mainly depict saints
from their order), but they were chosen mainly for their exemplary lives and the virtues they led which the
parishes would want to emulate. Doctors of the Church, such as St. Augustine, St. Gregory, St. Thomas
Aquinas, St. Thomas of Villanueva, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Catherine of Sienna, St. Teresa of Avila and St.
Therese of Lisieux, were the main choices, but medieval and modern-day saints such as St. Isidore the Farmer,
St. Mary Torribia, St. Roch, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. John Bosco can be found
as well. Martyrs such as St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Lucy of Carthage and St. Sebastian were also painted
as main focal points of the ceiling in the parish where they were made as patronage. A more popular painting
that is usually found in several church ceiling paintings is the Communion of Saints, mentioned in the Nicean
Creed. In a way, portrayals of saints provide a general, if not being made comprehensive, appreciation of the
study of hagiography for the believers.

Angels and demons were integral personalities in religious imageries because they both represent two
realities: one of Heaven, and one of Hell. Depictions of the angels were according to the hierarchies set by
Thomas Aquinas in his work Summa Theologica, although not all of the hierarchies were represented. The
most notable of all the angelic hierarchies, however, is of the Archangels, because of their several
appearances in Biblical texts and their harbinger roles in the fulfilment of the prophecies. Such is the
numerous paintings of St. Michael the Archangel defeating the Devil, or of St. Gabriel announcing to the
Blessed Virgin Mary that she will bear a Son conceived by the Holy Spirit. Angels were also included in
paintings to accompany the Biblical narratives depicted, such as an angel comforting Jesus during the Agony
in the Garden, or of Jacob wrestling an angel, or of an angel announcing the birth of Jesus Christ to the
shepherds. Others were painted to simply illustrate their guiding roles in Christian life, as portrayed in the
Sacraments of Baptism, Confession and Extreme Unction, and in particular as the guardians and watchful eyes
for children. Child-like or baby-like cherubims always accompany images of the Assumption and Coronation
of the Virgin Mary (an exception of a depiction of the cherubim can be found in paintings of the Fall of Man,

34 Stemp, op. cit., p. 92

where God puts a cherubim to guard the Tree of Life from Adam and Eve). Elsewhere, angels will almost
always fit into all Biblical accounts, from the Creation to the Last Judgement, and displaying a state of
continuous grace and communion with God.

In a similar fashion, the Devil and the Demons are displayed in their horrifying figures, personifying evil and
Hell, and the sins they represent. The Bible does not specifically mention how the Devil looks like, except for
allusions of the Serpent (appearing in The Fall of Man in the Book of Genesis), and the Dragon (mentioned in
the Book of Revelation) Many of the depictions of the Devil and the demons were popularly based on Dante
Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, a rather secular work. However, their animal-like forms could be traced to a much
earlier work35 by St. Athanasius of Alexandria in his bibliography of St. Anthony the Abbot, a desert ascetic in
Egypt who experienced temptations of the Devil, appearing to him in the form of a snake, a wild beast, a
basilisk, or a bat. The seemingly various natures of the Devil and the demons were the result of the artists
with excited minds that allowed their imagination to depict these subjects in diverse, grotesque forms.

In ceiling paintings, the Devil may also be portrayed as an allegory that represents the sins of the world and
the crisis of faith. Such are the numerous depictions of the Devil accompanying sinful people in certain
paintings of the Sacraments of Confession and Extreme Unction. They are usually painted in shades of fiery
red and black, representing the consequences of damnation, absence of God's grace and torments of Hell that
burns with fire and brimstone.

A lesser known theme employed in ceiling paintings were Virtues and Vices. The church ceiling of Dalaguete
in Cebu has portrayals of two out of seven virtues: La Templanza (Temperance) and La Fortaleza (Fortitude).
The Vices were not usually depicted explicitly, but could be seen in several paintings that exemplify the Seven
Deadly Sins, such as a man refusing to receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction (because of the sins of pride
and greed) or a woman not properly receiving confession (because of repeated sins of lust). Angels in these
paintings were usually seen turning their heads away and covering their faces with their palms in frustration
and despair for not being able to guide their earthly subjects properly.

Cultural and Historic Themes

Religious iconography and portrayals in the paintings necessitated socially and politically acceptable
treatments of subject matter, such that they instill a much deeper formation and prompts an almost
instantaneous reaction to the parishioners. Aside from the purposely straightforward depictions of biblical
narratives, the lives of the holy characters and glorious promises of the Second Coming, it is common for the
church ceiling paintings in Bohol to include terrifying visions of the Devil and Hell, the consequences of
refusing the Sacraments, and eternal damnation at the Last Judgment.

Invariably, it also led to additions of historical events that have a significant meaning to the life of the
Philippine Roman Catholic Church, as part of the ceiling painting scheme. Some ceiling paintings, such as
those of Basilica of Sto. Niño in Cebu City, illustrate the introduction of Christianity by Ferdinand Magellan, as
well as the important personages of the archdiocese and the celebration of the Sinulog. The church in Loboc
has a painting of the apparition of the Our Lady of Guadalupe, appearing to 400 refugees inside the church
during the Great Flood of Loboc, dated November 26, 1876. In the church of Balilihan in Bohol, the coat-of-

35 The Temptation of St. Anthony is an oft-repeated subject in art and literature. Although the accounts of St. Athanasius of Alexandria
provide a first-hand account of the subject, a derivative book by French author Gustave Flaubert (La Tentation de Saint Antoine, 1874)
may give a more detailed interpretation.

26
arms of the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress held in Manila from February 3-7 1937, can be seen at
the arcade of the dome.

The paintings also provide a window to the people’s cultural sensibilities and stereotypes of their time, which
still applies in our modern time. Many church ceiling paintings in Bohol tend to use composite subjects
(arguably a method only found with Raymundo Francia’s works and its inspirations) to let the church goers
tell the difference between the proper and improper ways of Christian living. Female persons, attributed to
Eve as the cause of the Fall of Man, are almost always portrayed as making a bad confession, being dragged by
a demon from the confessional, as compared to a male person led by an angel and remorsefully repenting his
sins to the priest. There were also composite paintings of receiving a holy death, usually templated by the
depiction of the Death of St. Joseph, to a painting of refusing the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.

In the church of Anda, a composite painting entitled “Santificar Las Fiestas” (translated as “sanctify the
holidays”) shows two scenes of a town celebrating a feast day - one a solemnity being held inside the church,
while the other displaying decadence and merrymaking with the townsfolk. An image of the Devil with the
souls in Hell is superimposed on the second scene, indicating the consequence of not doing the proper
celebration of the town’s feast day. Another amusing subject can be found inside the church of Carmen in
Bohol, where two painting panels show the proper and improper decorum for females inside a church—one,
titled “Moda Dicente” wearing a white gown with a veil, signifying piety and chastity, and accompanied by an
angel leading her to the house of prayer; and the other, titled “Moda Indicente” [sic], wearing a skimpy
sleeveless red dress, resplendent of indecent passions, and being led by the Devil to a fiery serpent, waiting
for her doom. It is interesting to think that the problem of not dressing up properly for the Holy Mass, by
evidence of “what-to-wear and what-not-to-wear” posters that we see on the doors of our churches today, or
even disregarding certain holidays (e.g. Holy Week, Christmas, etc.) have been a prevalent issue even long
before.

In a way, curas and artists became effective

with the fairly benign use of psychological
threatening (for lack of a better term) and
mind conditioning, inflicting sufficient
duress but not too distressing as to effect an
overly adverse fear. Those paintings, though
causing a certain degree of uneasiness, were
not being made the focal points of the ceiling
painting scheme. The artists, in planning the
painting panels around the ceiling, were still
obedient to the Baroque trait of
concatenation, where all elements are linked
together, and exhibiting a sense of being

drawn and led to the centre, where it’s given Moda Indicente, Carmen Church, Bohol
the most emphasis. This is especially true
for cruciform plans, where the nave and transept paintings are resplendent with scenes that are part of the
Salvation History of Mankind. As the viewer walks from the entrance to the cimborrio, these nave paintings
make their final approach to the locus—the dome, painted brightly and blazingly, inviting believers to focus
on the glory of Jesus and the eternal promise of heaven.
Signs, Symbolisms, Colour, Text, Numbers and Geometry

Where illustrations may not convey specific meaning to a Biblical text or a Catholic teaching, symbols may be
employed as a language for experiences of faith. Since the beginning of time, man used signs and symbols to
make inward realities known. However, distinction should be made to aid the understanding: a sign
represents and points to a thing, taking character from what is done with it, while a symbol resembles,
acquiring a deeper meaning by completely identifying what it represents, and deriving its character from
what is known by it.36 For example, a cross as a sign represents the Christian Faith and points to the
Crucifixion of Christ. But the cross as a symbol, symbolizes God’s love for man in the sacrifice of His only
begotten son.

Ecce Agnus Dei, Guiuan Church, Eastern Samar

Church ceiling paintings in the Philippines are replete with Christian signs and symbols. One of the most
famous symbols used in symbolic imagery is the Agnus Dei, or the Lamb of God, usually depicted as a lamb
laid over a book, with a spear lanced thru its body, and with a banner hanging on a cross that reads Ecce
Agnus Dei Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi (“This is the Lamb of God Who Takes Away The Sins Of The World”). The
banner would also sometimes read IHS, short for the Greek word ichthus, or fish (fish was the symbol of Jesus
for the early Christians), or as an acronym for Iesus Hominum Salvator. Another symbol attributed to Christ's
loving sacrifice is the pelican, usually shown wounding her breasts to provide food for her young.

Many signs that were used point to Christ and His death on the Cross. Instruments of his Passion, also called
Arma Christi, were painted—mainly the Nails, the Crown of Thorns, the Hammer, the pillar, the whips, the
Sponge, the Lance, and the Veil of Veronica—either collectively surrounding the Cross, or being carried by the
angels. Sometimes the Instruments would also include the Holy Grail, the Dice, the Ladder, the Seamless Robe
of Jesus, the Rooster, the Pincers, the Chain of Cords, the Sword, and the Thirty Pieces of Silver.

Ceiling paintings for Marian churches will almost always have symbols and monograms of the Blessed Virgin
Mary. Most of the Marian symbols were taken from the devotional titles mentioned in the Litany of Loreto.
Invocative symbols most commonly used were the Tower of David, Tower of Ivory, House of Gold, Mirror of
Justice, Mystical Rose, Ark of the Covenant, Seat of Wisdom, Gates of Heaven, Morning Star, Spiritual Vessel,
Vessel of Honor, Singular Vessel of Devotion, among others. There were also stylized monograms containing
letters MRA juxtaposed, specifically for the Blessed Virgin Mary’s titles as the mediatrix (intercessor),

36 George Ferguson, Signs & Symbols In Christian Art (New York: Oxford University Press, 1954), p.8

28
reparatrix (restorer), adjutrix (aide) and auxiliatrix (helper) of Christians. Other symbols used in paintings
that are associated to the Virgin Mary are the fountain (of living waters), lily (symbolizing purity) and the
fleur-de-lis, mostly used as architectural motifs in Marian churches. Rosettes made as insets of artesonado
style ceilings, are always found in Marian churches of Dauis and Loon to signify the symbolism of the Virgin
Mary, although at first they may only seem to be subtle architectural resonations.

Other symbols frequently found on church ceiling paintings are the anchor and the heart. The anchor
symbolizes hope and steadfastness, while the heart is the source of love. A flaming heart means utmost
religious fervour, while a heart pierced by an arrow symbolizes contrition and deep repentance. The cross,
while almost always shown singly as a symbol of Christ’s death, is less often shown together with the anchor
and the heart—when placed together,37 they all symbolize the three theological virtues that Paul wrote in his
letters (1 Cor. 13:13). Shown as well are the symbols of the monstrance and the chalice, both incidents of the
Holy Eucharist.

Biblical characters such as prophets and apostles will usually be recognized by their dresses, or specific
attributes or symbols associated to them. Moses will always be depicted holding the Tablets of Law. King
David will be seen playing the harp. Daniel will be seen with a lion. Jonah is painted with a whale, the latter
throwing him up back to the shore after three days. John the Baptist is seen wearing sheepskin and holding a
lamb. St. Peter is always painted holding a key, while Mary Magdalene is painted holding a jar (containing
alabaster and myrrh, associated with the embalming of Christ after deposition from the cross). Saints and
martyrs, in particular, are accompanied with symbols of their virtues, or instruments or incidents of their
martyrdom. Paul is usually depicted holding a sword (he was said to be beheaded in Rome), Catherine of
Alexandria carrying a wheel with spokes, Andrew with a diagonal cross, St. Sebastian transfixed with arrows.
Some martyrs are also painted holding a palm frond in addition to their instruments of martyrdom,
symbolizing the martyr’s triumph over death. Doctors of the Church, such as St. Augustine, St. Thomas
Aquinas and St. Gregory, will usually be painted holding a book, or a miniature church building, to symbolize
their titles. The list can go on and on.

Geometry and mathematics are also

important in explaining the mysteries of
faith, in particular when they are
incorporated into the images. One of the
aims of the artists and architects was to
recreate the perfection that God intended
for the universe, and one way of doing this
was through the perfection of shapes and
the power of numbers. For a very long time,
the ancient Greeks have considered the
circle to be the perfect shape because the
outline continues without a break, and
therefore symbolizing eternity and heaven.
Therefore, paintings of heaven and the
The Octagon Dome, Batangas City Basilica Heavenly Host are the usual subjects of
circular ceiling domes. When domes are not circular, octagonal shapes are also preferred, for an octagon is
halfway between a circle (God) and a square (man), just as Christ is the mediator of God and the earth. In the

37 A painting instance of the juxtaposition of the cross, anchor and heart can be found in the ceiling painting of the Minor Basilica of
Immaculate Conception in Batangas City
octagonal church ceiling dome of Batangas Basilica, the number eight is ascribed and fixed in all eight
sections, which seem to convey the meaning of perpetual perfection. While the number four always refers to
the Four Evangelists, it also found its symbolic relevance in church architecture, for the four pedentives act as
major supports to the dome, just as the Four Gospels are seen as the major pillars of Christ’s salvific mission.

The circle may also represent Mary’s unbroken virginity and purity. The ceiling paintings along the nave of
the churches of Duero and Carcar, however simple, contains geometric designs that resemble the rose, the
symbol of both the Immaculate Conception as the patronage of Duero, and the martyrdom of St. Catherine of
Alexandria, patroness of Carcar. The Op Art dome design of Dapitan church uses one of the most-used
symbolic archetypes of faith: the spiral. Symbols such as the swastika, the yin and yang, and the Jacob ’s
ladder are metaphors of spiritual journey, but in the context of Christian teaching, an upward spiral creates a
visual perspective of the truth of our personal spiritual journey towards heaven. 38

The application and use of colour also purports certain Christian symbolisms, though they could be very
much flexible. However the general usage of colour is ascribed to the colour scheme of the Sacred Litrugy.
Blue and white are the colours that represent the Virgin Mary—white, as symbols of purity and chastity, and
because she was conceived without original sin; and blue as preferred choices made out of reverence and
respect: natural ultramarine and lapis lazuli pigments are expensive. Red is the symbol of blood, therefore of
Christ’s passion and the martyrdom of saints. In many church ceiling paintings across Cebu and Bohol, yellow
and gold is the more preferred colour scheme, for gold is the symbol of brightness, and expressing the
splendour of heaven.39 Artists have known for a fact that the application of gold colours in paintings has a
psychological effect on the viewer, for gold excites both the body and soul. And so they have used it with a
vast visual exuberance designed to raise the spirits and inspire confidence to the truth.

38
Rev. Dr. Richard G. Leaver, Ph.D., “The Spiral as Spiritual Metaphor”. Journey of the Heart. (Gloucester, NJ: Alpha-Omega Computing
Services, April 2005). http://www.gbgm-umc.org/journey/articles/spiral.htm
39 Stemp, op. cit., pp. 108-110

30
State of Preservation and Current Conservation Initiatives

Method of Research

The study was able to gather preliminary photographic documentation and historiography of more than 60
churches around the Philippines with extant ceiling paintings that mostly cover the nave, transept,
dome/crossing, chancel, choir loft and narthex areas. Some church ceiling paintings may not have paintings
on all parts; however all of them will cover the nave area at the least.

Documenting and surveying the state of preservation of the ceiling paintings is done mainly by empirical
methods. Photographic documentation was essential (and a lot more practical) thru the whole research as it
allows the observer to have a closer look at the paintings using a computer screen instead of observing close
to the ceiling themselves, which is a lot harder to do.40

Observation of the church structure itself was just as important as well. It is thru the materials, construction
and current state that the effects and conditions of the church ceiling painting may be derived as factual as
possible. Immediate structures and fixtures such as the roof system, walls, windows and fenestrations, as well
as primary and auxiliary support such as trusses, beams, architraves, friezes and mouldings were also
documented. Lighting from chandeliers and lamps, and other fixtures such as corbels and balusters can have
a direct or indirect effect to the proximate location of the painting. The geographical location of the church
and its surrounding environs are accounted for as well.

The research also tried to identify the materials used for the canvas, the medium and pigments for the paint,
the age and method of construction, painting and assembly. Whenever available, sources such as archives,
libraries, and even inventarios or libros de cargo y data from parishes that may contain information about the
artists, the materials used and the years of creation, renovation and restoration were included for
identification. Interviews from parish priests, locals, architects, paint and structural conservators and
historians were also made as essential sources. Published and unpublished works from similar technical
studies on paint conservation, particularly with church interior paintings, were also used to supplement this
research.

Review of Related Literature

Documentation about conservation of church ceiling paintings in the country is somewhat limited, as studies
had been limited to only a number of churches. Often, restoration projects for church ceiling paintings were
either not documented properly and extensively, or were not subject to proper diagnostic procedures using
scientific methods and consultation with conservation practitioners. The results are usually irreversible
alterations to the original design, losing much of the history and the proper aesthetics.

However, a number of published studies were found to be valuable. In 2002, a conservation project funded by
the National Museum was awarded to the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist in Jimenez, Misamis
Occidental, to restore the ceiling murals of the church interior. Research work was conducted on the history

40As a matter of inventory, simple photo documentation with annotations may be enough for the purposes and interest of the parish as
well. In a country where heritage documentation is largely unpracticed by the common folk, it can be said that poor documentation is
better than no documentation at all.
of the church dome, structure, ceiling paintings, and the prevailing conditions of the murals. Using proper
documentation procedures in recording the condition of the murals, the team of conservators facilitated a
series of conservation treatments aimed not only on the ceiling panels made in cloth canvas, but also with the
auxiliary support around the ceiling structure.

Ceiling paintings of Jimenez Church in Misamis Occidental. Painted by Julio Sans Cruzado in 1896.

A 2003 technical study of the wall paintings and ceiling mural scheme in the church of Dauis in Bohol, led by a
team of students of Ian Potter Art Conservation Centre (IPACC) of the University of Melbourne, gave a very
detailed and comprehensive insight on the state of the ceiling paintings done by Raymundo Francia, Canuto
Avila and their assistants. The team documented the iconography and history of the paintings, investigated
the attributions, painting sequences, and timelines of the restoration campaigns in the previous decades. The
graphic and photographic documentation also involved preliminary condition assessment, sampling of the
wall painting scheme and murals, as well as scientific examination of samples using appropriate analytical
techniques in the identification of some of the original materials used in the paintings. The findings and
review of the study have enabled the team to come up with recommendations that could address the issues
presented in the conservation of the wall and ceiling murals.

Another significant study for this research is the conservation of San Sebastian Basilica in Quiapo, Manila, led
by the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation (SSBCDF). Probably the most
interesting and the most challenging study in this research, the conservation program carried out a very
exhaustive survey of the condition of the church’s steel structure and its interiors, most notably the wall and
ceiling trompe l’oeil paintings over steel. The very complex severity of the deterioration of both the paint
layer and the steel canvas was highlighted, which posed a perplexing issue for the conservators involved in
the program. Although the prognosis of the study appears to be dreary, the preliminary findings have also

32
paved way to determining the next steps of research and preliminary treatments to clean and conserve the
paintings.

The subjects of the studies were of three different ceiling constructions: one of wood, one of steel, and one of
textile. All three of them very well represent the current state of preservation of almost all church ceiling
paintings in the country, and thus proved to be inestimable sources for the context of this research.

Scientific methods of assessment of conditions

In those three studies mentioned earlier, emphasis is given to the appropriate procedures on diagnosing the
conditions that cause the rapid deterioration of the ceiling paintings. Time is always of essence; as days go by,
more and more parts of steel, wood and textile canvas corrode, supports weaken, or worse - whole panels fall
down to the ground. Practical approaches, wherever applicable, helps to document the conditions in more
efficient ways possible.

Documentation is usually accomplished thru the use of photographic prints, digital photos and video. Each
rectangular portion of the ceiling is photographed on high resolution to get a clear, picturesque and detailed
image. Panoramic and high-resolution shots are accomplished using digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras,
appropriate telephoto and wide-angle lenses, and strategic ambient lighting without using flashes, as much as
possible. Identification systems are adopted to recognize the sequencing of the paint scheme throughout the
church ceiling. To help with the positioning, scaffolding and hoisting are installed for close access to high and
hard-to-reach areas where preliminary assessment may not be accurately possible when done from the
ground.

However, the ceiling is not just the only structure that is being documented. It is just as important as well to
take pictures of the complete church structure, its surroundings and environs. Detailed photographs of the
primary and auxiliary support, the roof system, the walls, windows and fenestrations, pathways and passages,
and other structures that have a direct or indirect effect to the ceiling painting, were taken. Where
photography may lack in providing a complete picture of the church structure, there are other technologies
available that can be combined with traditional methods to create a very exhaustive, highly accurate survey. A
more powerful technology currently being used for the surveying of San Sebastian Basilica in Quiapo, is high-
definition laser-scanning, which uses pulsed lasers that generate 3D points of clouds and then rendered as
surfaces at an accuracy to within millimetres. The result is a highly-detailed media that is composed of photo-
textured animation and 3D flythroughs. This method is very fast, convenient, and effective, and has now
found itself in use for documentation projects of several UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world. 41

Temperature and relative humidity of the church’s microclimate is also a big determinant in the outcome of
the current state of the ceiling paintings. To understand the effects of these factors, instruments that measure
the changes of temperature and relative humidity are installed on several areas around the church. Over a
period of time, data is collected, interpreted graphically and identify levels and timelines at which the
deterioration rate of the paint has either accelerated or slowed down.

41 Ben Kacyra is a digital preservationist who founded the non-profit organization CyArk to bring and promote high-definition laser
scanning technology in documenting cultural heritage sites around the world. A big beneficiary of this technology by CyArk is the San
Sebastian Basilica, which is currently being surveyed by local architectural firm Digiscript. More information can be found at
http://www.ted.com/speakers/ben_kacyra.html
 Graph of microclimate of San Sebastian Basilica choirloft. Temperature and relative humidity over the course of 12 months were recorded
and found to be beyond the optimal range at which the wall and ceiling paintings are protected. (Picture by SSBCDF)

Sampling of the paint and canvas specimens is usually followed. Information obtained from the samples can
provide important insights into the original materials and techniques of these paintings, and could resolve
questions and recommend solutions for its conservation. However, a carefully planned sampling strategy
should be employed due to its invasive nature. Selecting on discrete, inconspicuous places for obtaining
samples should best represent the conditions of the whole ceiling area, and serve as basis to guide the
conservators on the assessment. Samples are best taken using scalpels and dental tools, which could facilitate
obtaining of minute scrapings of the paint layer and the canvas.

The samples are then tested using microscopic instruments of different magnifications. Paint samples are
mounted as dispersions on polarising light microscopy (PLM) to obtain photomicrographic shots of the paint
layer. When possible, cross sections are also obtained to examine the painting stratigraphy and its geological
characteristics. Microchemical tests are also undertaken to separate the medium from the pigments to
observe the chemical compositions of the paint and identify its possible sources. More advanced techniques,
such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) can be used to isolate and examine paint layers.

Pigments obtained from the samples are also tested for solubility, which will determine the appropriate
solvents to be used for surface cleaning and chemical treatment, in accordance with conservation principles.

Findings and Analysis

A significantly large number of ceiling paintings were done on both wood and metal sheets. Many of these
paintings were done from 1920s to 1950s, inside churches that were located mostly along the coastal areas
and/or around mountainous land with lush forestry.

Being located on a country with a tropical climate, our church structures were subject to both hot and cold
weather. The various canvasses of the ceiling paintings—wood, tin and lead sheets, textile, steel—all have
different thresholds of stability. Left exposed to ever-changing humidity and temperature for a long period of
time, these canvasses will experience wear and tear.

34
The canvas and the supports, both primary and auxiliary, went thru natural and accelerated aging. Most of
them were almost a century old, and for many of those who were done in the 1920s to the 1930s, the canvas
and supports have lost much of its elasticity, opacity and tensile strength.

It was observed that many of the original and surviving ceiling paintings greatly lack protection, due to
several factors. First, artists were only concerned with completing their ceiling painting projects, and
protecting the ceiling paintings were not an issue to them. Rather, the issue should be of a concern by the
owners. However, there was no knowledge of protecting paint at that time, simply because it was not needed
back then. Second, some artists do not apply coating over the canvas that will serve as a primer; instead, the
painting is done directly over the canvas. This is mainly attributed to the kind of knowledge the artists have
during their time. Many of them are either self-trained only, without the proper knowledge of paint
technology as well as the lack of resources or materials designed for proper execution. Third, the ceiling
paintings are subject to everyday elements: temperature, direct or indirect sunlight, relative humidity that
change throughout the day, as well as surface deposits such as cobwebs, accretions, grime, dirt and dust,
flyspecks, soot, foreign matter, and in almost all cases, guano from roosting bats and birds.

The roof systems of some churches have

deteriorated or have become decrepit due to
age and neglect. When these roof systems
are not repaired or reconstructed, wood or
steel parts may deteriorate due to changes
in humidity and temperature, creating
cracks where water may seep thru. Water
may then migrate to the ceiling structure,
where it can cause stains and moisture
diffusion. From there, mechanical movement
or slackening can trigger fading and/or
deformation. The usual results are warping,
distortions, undulations, cracking, flaking-off
and cleavaging, all of which occur
Holes resulting from rust and corrosion in one of the ceiling panels of
Lila Church in Bohol
conspicuously on different areas of the
ceiling. In other church ceiling paintings,
blistering and bubbling have been observed, especially in areas where the canvas is subject to excessive
heat.42

Fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity cause the paint layer, the canvas and the support to
expand and contract everyday. These mechanical stresses and pressure subject the materials to wear and
tear, losing elasticity and tensile strength. Expansion of metal will usually result to warping, distortion and
lifting-off of the canvas, causing further leakage when water has already seeped thru. The paint layer, besides
drying up, may also oxidize and polymerize, becoming brittle and prone to flaking and chipping off. Many of
the ceilings are subject to these temperature and relative humidity changes that go beyond the optimal range
and threshold of the materials, posing great risk for the paintings.

42Engr. Orlando V. Abinion, “The Conservation and Restoration of the Ceiling Paintings of the St. John the Baptist Parish Church, Jimenez,
Misamis Occidental”, Pintacasi: A Journal of the Cultural Heritage of the Church Vol. IV 2008 (Manila: Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, 2008) pp. 142-153
The paint layer itself could cause problems with the canvas. Studies have shown that calcium carbonate, a
typical compound found in paints, and used by many of the works of Raymundo Francia, undergo
subflorescence from repeated, reversible cycles of crystallization and hydration of soluble salts (from
aqueous solution to crystalline stage) due to climate changes. 43 The deterioration process is then caused by
the interaction of the salts with moisture and microbial colonisation. Porosity of the canvas, especially wood
and textile further aggravates the problem when it comes with contact from moisture. It was also found that
some incompatible components found in the paint might also cause the problem. Furthermore, bacterial
activity can act as catalysts in producing compounds that can create chemical reactions with the other
compounds in the paint layer, leading to further deterioration.

The natural aging of oil paint can also cause corrosion of the metal sheets. Craquelures form and paint chips
off, which exposes the steel to air and moisture. As iron oxide forms on the exposed surface, metal expands,
which then lifts the overlaying paint around the cracks, therefore exposing more metal. This destructive cycle
can go on and on.

Wood or steel planks that serve as

auxiliary support to the ceiling could
retain significant amount of moisture,
therefore becoming damp during rainy
season. The steel part that is attached to
the support gets oxidized, forming rust.
Iron nails and rivets used to attach the
ceiling panels to the support corrode and
fall off thru time, leaving holes that expose
unprotected metal. Over they years, rust
form at an exponential rate, and
eventually the rusted parts crack and fall
off, creating holes and depressions around
the ceiling. These holes widen as time
goes by. This explains the linear formation
of holes evident in the ceiling paintings of
the churches of Loon and Inabanga.
Similar effect is also observed on wood
canvasses, where wooden parts will rot,
chip and fall off in the same manner, as Flaking and chipping off of paint from the Sta. Monica steel wall painting in
San Sebastian Basilica (Picture by SSBCDF)
observed in the ceiling of Tayabas Basilica.

Damaged windows and other fenestrations around the church can become easy entries for bats and birds,
where they usually roost in humid and dark areas of the church interior by day. They cause scratches, tears,
abrasions and holes on the canvas, progressing over years and years, leading to significant fading and
washing out of the paint layer, and even exposing the canvas itself. Bird and bat droppings create an acidic
chemical reaction over the paint, causing stains which could be very hard to remove. In worse cases, birds
would even form nests that dangle on certain areas, as seen in the church ceiling of Boljoon and the church
convent of Dauis, both of which were built in areas surrounded by mountainous terrain and forestry, which in
turn are ideal environments for bats and birds.

43 Eric May and Mark Jones, Conservation Science: Heritage Materials (Cambridge, UK: The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2006), p.243

36
In the case of wood, xylophagous agents such as insects like termites, fungi, bacteria, and even plant material
greatly weaken wooden support for the ceiling. Humic deposits can be found in between the planks and
canvas, loosening the attachment of both.

The resulting damage to the church ceiling are a complex combination of several factors, both having direct
and indirect effects to the paintings. Identifying all these factors accurately are key to accurate
recommendations for much-needed conservation and maintenance.

Recommended Conservation Treatments and Strategies

Previous conservation treatments were aimed at some of these church ceiling paintings. Retouching, over-
painting and filling of losses are the usual methods employed, but given the limited resources and lack of
proper and informed research and assessment, results have been mixed. For instance, the church ceiling
paintings of the towns of Dauis, Jagna, Loay, Dimiao and Anda in Bohol have been retouched by local artists,
each using materials, pigments and its constituents, techniques and applications which were different from
the original work that have remained, therefore losing a certain degree of harmony and compatibility with
the overall aesthetic appearance of the painting. Often, these retouching works are almost irreversible, and
have caused further deterioration of the painting over time.

Some treatments were somewhat successful, however, thru the application of protective coating over the
paintings. Findings from the tests carried out at samples from the paintings of San Sebastian Basilica indicate
that dammar varnish, a type of natural resin, was applied as protective coating at some of the interior
paintings back at a recent restoration campaign in the 90s. The coating seemed to have slowed down the rate
of the painting’s deterioration at its early stages, as compared to the paintings where the coating was not
applied. Although dammar varnish may not be perfectly suitable due to its yellowing through time and its
difficulty for removal, it does help protect the metal from the damp environment. 44 Furthermore, there are no
prescribed methods yet for preserving paint on corroding metal in an unregulated environment, which is one
of the greatest challenges of the conservation project. It is hoped that further development of technology for
long-term, reversible protective solutions in the coming years could eventually save the remaining original
paintings of the San Sebastian Basilica.

In most cases, current and prescribed treatments that are in accordance with international conservation
standards for paintings are available, following an extensive study and careful assessment of the state of the
ceiling paintings. Conservators and restoration specialists, however, are trained and/or following on different
standards, so it really depends on what standard we are referring to. Especially in the Philippines, there are
no defined standards in structural and art conservation. Given that there are available resources both online
and on print, plus previous studies and conservation projects done on similar sites located in the tropics, a
trained professional in structural and art conservation may be able to guide the stakeholders on the study
and assessment of such projects.

The author recommends the following methods and strategies that can address several problems
encountered in church ceiling paintings, in most cases. But just the same, the author also stresses out (or
rather, cannot stress enough) the importance of an extensive, careful and informed assessment of the

44Christine Leggio, “Corroding Canvasses: Saving San Sebastian Basilica’s Wall Paintings”, BluPrint Magazine Vol. 1 2013: March of the
Modern (Manila: Mega Publishing Group, 2013), p.57
conditions by a trained and guided conservation professional, prior to making a decision on
conservation and restoration.

Surfaces should first be cleaned using mechanical means such as brushing of dust, grime, soot and other
foreign objects with the use of soft bristled brushes, then by using chemical cleaning agents to remove surface
dirt that has accumulated over the paint layer through time. Chemical cleaning lessens the surface tension
and facilitates the wetting of the surface dirt with water. Because chemical cleaning is irreversible, extra care
and adequate knowledge of the effects of these chemicals over identified paint must be taken into account,
such that the cleaning is effective but never aggressive and detrimental to the painting. When needed,
chemical cleaning should be conducted in sections and may require several passes to ensure that the dirt
particles are removed completely.

The canvas layer itself must be treated too. For lost portions of wood, wooden panels should be replaced with
the exact size, shape, hardness, texture and thickness, and if possible, made from the original wooden source.
Wood preservatives must be applied as well to prevent invasion of insects such as termites and other
xylophagous agents. If natural wood may not be the appropriate replacement, artificial wood might be an
alternative to complete the loss. For textile canvasses, exhibitions of loss of firmness, elasticity, stiffness and
brittleness is usually assessed. Relaxation of textile canvas using water and chemicals is recommended, which
will lessen the slackening and shrinkage and makes the textile more flexible. Relaxation may be done either in
situ or temporarily removed for treatment in the conservation laboratory, depending on the conditions.

Flaking and/or chalking of paint is characteristic of paintings done on textile. Consolidation using organic and
natural consolidants such as rabbit skin glue can be applied using delicate chiangmai papers under controlled
thermal pressure. Repeated applications can be done to ensure that the flaked paint stuck back on the canvas.

To patch the losses of the paintings done on textile, grafting of fabric inlays that match the shape of the holes
in the canvas can be fitted into the gaps, ensuring that the manner of grafting is on the same direction with
the warp and weft of the original textile. The patch is then glued to the original support with an emulsion
suited for cotton fabric. For the filling, freshly-prepared stucco or pure-grade calcium carbonate is applied
and polished after a prior application of rabbit skin glue, which facilitates strong cohesion and adherence to
the filler and the patch. When the stucco has properly dried, retouching of the area with paint losses can be
done next.

In-painting using watercolours are used for the retouching of the paint losses. Techniques such as tratteggio45
and imitative in-painting must be carefully executed such that the subjective reinterpretation is as closest to
the original design and artistic intent of the original artist as possible. In-painting may be carried out on
several passes as needed. To protect the final retouching, a uniform coating of varnish may be applied.

Such conservation treatments can prove to be costly, especially when not carefully planned. Therefore, clear-
cut objectives must be agreed upon the stakeholders to reach the final desired state of the church ceiling
paintings. If limited budget and resources is of consideration, other alternatives may be employed. There are
significant trade-offs to these, such as the loss of, or deviation from, the original design and the overall
aesthetic of the church interior, plus the risks of further deterioration and damage over time. Careful planning
and assessment must be done to mitigate the risks involved.

45 Tratteggio is a technique that uses discrete vertical brush strokes in the colours of the missing elements of the picture, which allow the
original colours in the missing area to be reproduced. Read Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method and Decision Making by C. Caple,
Routledge, 2000.

38
In one good example, most of the ceiling paintings of the church of Alburquerque in Bohol, originally done by
Raymundo Francia, are damaged beyond repair. A catastrophic event back in 2009, where a large portion of
the ceiling panels fell down to the ground, prompted the parish to carry out a conservation plan for the
church building, the roof system, and its ceiling paintings. Since many of the remaining ceiling paintings have
lost portions of steel, significant rusting and loss of paint, it was determined that the best way to preserve the
murals as found, using transferral method.

Holes in steel canvas were soldered and/or welded if the surrounding steel conditions are still stable, but for
areas where soldering is not applicable, riveting of new steel plates were used to cover the holes. Rivets must
be done carefully so as it becomes not too aggressive or conspicuous when seen from down below. After the
riveting procedure, rust proofing is applied to the patch, which becomes the ground layer for the in-painting.
For the final coating, an acrylic emulsion is applied both to the patch and the cleaned-up original panels,
which not only protects the paint but also intensifies the colours of the original paint.46

The transferral method, however, was not applied to

the rest of the damaged ceiling paintings, however.
Instead, the steel panels were removed altogether
and were replaced with new GI sheets. The artist has
then reconstructed the original painting, imitating
the techniques done by Francia and using
watercolours and appropriate coating on both the
ground layer and the protective layer. Prior to the
removal and reconstruction, a complete photo
documentation and diagramming of the original
ceiling painting was carried out to ensure that the
new work does not deviate from the original artistic
intent and overall church interior aesthetic.47

An interesting and noble initiative of the parish in

Alburquerque was to take down the damaged and
irreparable, but still recognizable portions of the
ceiling painting panels, then flattened using a
wooden sledge, applied with acrylic coating, and
installed on wooden frames. The wooden frames will
then be displayed inside the walls of the church
interior, and on the convent museum, therefore
perpetuating the memory of the original artist.

In the case of the ceiling of Taal Basilica, only the

painted lead sheets in the apse area of the altar, in
Guy Custodio reconstructing the ceiling paintings of grisaille style originally done by Toribio Antillon,
Alburquerque Church in Bohol have remained. The whole dome, transept, the nave
and the choir loft-narthex area have totally lost the original paintings, having been whitewashed over a series

46 Francia’s original paintings were mostly done in oil. As a matter of principle of using compatible materials for paint and coating, oil-
based varnish should have been applied instead of acrylic.
47 Guy Custodio, during an interview inside the Parish Church of Sta. Monica in Alburquerque, Bohol, November 30, 2012
of restoration campaigns from the past decades. In 2012, a massive restoration campaign was aimed at
restoring the original grisaille design of Antillon on the whitewashed areas of the ceiling. However, since
photographic archives of the church interior that were obtained were very few, it was impossible for the
planners to execute the same quadratura details that were already lost. It was proposed that the original
design on the apse be repeated over the whole length of the nave. Using computer software, the photographs
of apse ceiling painting were rendered along the whole nave, which was found to be favourable by the
parish.48 Religious iconography and symbols similar and coherent to the design and theme of the original
apse ceiling painting were insetted on quadratura around the nave.

With all these conservation treatments and alternative methods available for conservators and project
planners, these recommendations for a conservation plan for the ceiling paintings should neither be localized,
nor focused only on the ceilings themselves. The final approach to the conservation plan should address the
suitability of the church building in order to provide an ideal and secure, if not museum-like, environment for
the paintings. While the actual treatment of the paintings could come at a big cost, it should not be
implemented at the expense of the conservation and maintenance of the church structure, as observed by
many previous projects. A specific and on-going maintenance plan for the building should help resolve many
of the basic causes of the ceiling painting deterioration.

A good example is the restoration plan for the conservation of the ceiling paintings in the church of Boljoon in
Cebu, in which a maintenance plan was done by repairing broken windows that provide entry to birds and
bats, removal of bird nests that infiltrated the ceiling, and installing a speaker system on strategic places of
the church that emits ultra high-frequency sound waves undetectable by human ears, but very irritable for
bats, birds and insects to be driven away from the church itself miles away from a proximate radius. The
speaker technology has been used for airports around the world to resolve issues of bird collisions on
cockpits of landing airplanes, but has now found its way for a more specific purpose in church ceiling
conservation. 49

Replacement of damaged wood for primary and auxiliary support is imperative. As much as possible,
replacing wood should be ideally cured and treated with anti-xylophage chemicals and preservatives. Much of
the replacements to be done may be localized on the roofing system, where trusses and beams supporting the
roof structure have already shown signs of deformation. An installation of heat-insulating material can also
be done on the roof system’s primary and auxiliary support to reduce the hot air temperature and heat
transmission to the ceiling panels, and therefore reducing thermal tensions, thermoplastic deformations and
accelerated chemical reaction of the paint layer. Lower temperature translates to less rapid aging of the paint
from oxidation, polymerization and photochemical reactions. This was done in the roof system of Boljoon,
where new terra cotta tiles that were more effective in insulating mid-day heat were installed in the roof.

The San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation is also studying a plan to install a
passive cooling system to lower the ambient temperature and relative humidity of the church interior to
reach ideal levels, which will greatly stabilize or slow down the rate of the deterioration of the paintings. At
this time, both temperature and relative humidity are above optimal levels brought by climate change in the
recent years.

48Ramon Orlina, announced from his Facebook page, March 2013.

49The author of this paper made the proposal to the Boljoon Heritage Foundation, Inc. to install the speaker system inside Boljoon
Church to drive away bats and birds. The proposal was implemented in May 2012.

40
Local awareness of the significance of the church history and its ceiling paintings can be raised via several
means: tours of the church and the complex, information boards written in English and the vernacular, and
highlighting the historical significance of these artworks during local events. To carry out these plans, it is
recommended that a management team composed of members representing different groups such as the
clergy, the parish and the conservation communities must be formed. The team will then develop and
implement an continual maintenance plan for the church to address the general maintenance problems
presented, and to regulate any future building or maintenance work conducted at the site.50

50Caroline Kyi, Technical Study of the Wall Painting and Mural Scheme: Dauis Church, Panglao Island, Bohol, August 2003 (Melbourne:
IPACC, University of Melbourne, 2003), p. 19
Conclusion and Afterthoughts

To discuss the theological science of catechesis through Philippine church ceiling paintings in this paper could
mean another difficult undertaking. Having tackled a great length about them in this paper so far, it is already
apparent, even understood to a certain extent, to all of us the messages of this iconographic program. But for
another moment, and to close this academic primer, let us try to understand yet another higher meaning that
these paintings bring: partaking of the sacred and divine.

These Philippine church ceiling paintings are, in fact, inviting us to partake in our final destiny as Christians:
sharing the very divinity of the Triune God. The celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacred Liturgy
becomes more animated within the sacred space of the church. The church structure, being the “template of
Heaven” and the principal paradigm of the Kingdom of God, situates the believers to a distinct space on earth
where they are provided with a transcendental experience. As worshippers yearn to be with God, in His
perfection, all the sacred things conspire with the human faculties to achieve what they are longing for: the
faculties of hearing which receives the sermon of the priest, the sense of smell that receives the incense, the
tongue that receives the Body of Christ, the human intellect that engages with the common understanding of
the Catholic community, and the church ceiling painting’s vision of God’s Kingdom through the eyes of the
believer. This could be the greatest paradox of the church experience: understanding the deepest meanings of
the highest orders of God’s universe. As we Filipino Catholics who are blessed with these sacred art around
our country, and we who have greatly received and benefited from its spiritual gifts, even as many of them
are in dire need of scientific conservation—this is the penultimate intention that we need to actualize.

It is through this hope and fervour that the author wish to see a gradual, yet progressive paradigm shift in the
perceived Filipino attitude of heritage apathy. To the best of the knowledge acquired and the fruits of a
laborious four years’ work in documenting and understanding these Philippine church ceiling paintings, the
author now concludes this paper and exhort everyone who have read these pages to go see a church ceiling
painting—whether of Alberoni, Francia, or de Rosas,51 and lift their minds and hearts to heaven, and
ultimately, to God.

“Eye has not seen, ear has not heard,

nor the mind of man perceived,
all that God has prepared for those who love Him.”

1 Corinthians 2:9, KJV

51Randy de Rosas is the painter of the church ceiling art of the Parish of Immaculate Conception in Catanauan, Quezon, under the
chaplaincy of Fr. Enrique Luna. The ceiling paintings were recently finished last Holy Monday, March 25, 2013.

42
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de la Costa, Horacio, SJ. The Jesuits in the Philippines, 1581-1768. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press,
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Ferguson, George. Signs & Symbols In Christian Art. New York: Oxford University Press, 1954

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Guillermo, Alice. Cebu: A Heritage of Art. Cebu: Felipe Y. Liao, 1991

Hunt, Trevor. From Mantegna To Michelangelo: Illusionistic Ceiling Paintings of the Renaissance Pave the Way
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mantegna-to-michelangelo-illusionistic-ceiling-paintings-of-the-renaissance-pave-the-way-for-baroque-
excess. 2002

Jose, Regalado Trota. Simbahan: Church Art in Colonial Philippines 1565-1898. Makati: Ayala Museum, 1991

Jose, Regalado Trota. Visita Iglesia Bohol: A Guide To Historic Churches. Manila: NCCA, 2001

Leaver, Rev. Dr. Richard G. “The Spiral as Spiritual Metaphor”. Journey of the Heart. Gloucester, NJ: Alpha-
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Leggio, Christine. “Corroding Canvasses: Saving San Sebastian Basilica’s Wall Paintings”, BluPrint Magazine
Vol. 1 2013: March of the Modern. Manila: Mega Publishing Group, 2013

Manuel, E. Aresenio and Magdalena Avenir Manuel. Dictionary of Philippine Biography. Manila: Filipiniana,
1995

May, Eric and Mark Jones. Conservation Science: Heritage Materials. Cambridge, UK: The Royal Society of
Chemistry, 2006
McNamara, Denis R. How To Read Churches: A crash course in ecclesiastical architecture. New York: Rizzoli,
2011

Osborne, Harold. Oxford Companion to Art. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1970

Pilar, Santiago A. “Alberoni, Cesare and Dibella, Giovanni”, CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art vol. IV: Philippine
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Savellon, Romola O. “Vol. II: Raymundo Francia, Cebu’s Michelangelo”, CNU Cultural Heritage Monograph
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Stemp, Richard. The Secret Language of Churches & Cathedrals. London: Duncan Baird Publishers, 2010

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44
Further Reading

KISAME: Visions of Heaven on Earth. Fr. Milan Ted D. Torralba. Ayala Foundation, Inc. 2008

Quadratura : studies in Italian ceiling painting. Ingrid Sjöström, University of Stockholm, 1978

Quadratura : Geschichte, Theorie, Technik, ed. Pascal Dubourg Glatigny and Matthias Bleyl, Berlin, 2011.

Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method, and Decision Making. C. Caple. Routledge, 2000
Acknowledgements

There was never a good time to write this paper: it was a labor of love and dedication that surpasses my
understanding and common sense, measured against the increasing pressures of professional and personal life.
This paper was made possible with the help and support of several people and institutions around the country. I
am forever grateful to you. I hope you enjoyed reading. - Joel

Fr. Milan Ted D. Torralba and the Diocese of Tagbilaran

Most Rev. Bishop Julito B. Cortes and the CBCP Permanent Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church
Hon. Dir. Jeremy Barns and the National Museum of the Philippines
Hon. Chairman Felipe de Leon Jr. and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts
Edilberto Francia, Elizabeth Francia and the City Government of Cebu
Regalado Trota Jose and the Archives of the University of Santo Tomas
Fr. Patrick Dalangin and the Diocese of Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte
Christian Aguilar and Escuela Taller Intramuros
Christine Leggio and the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation
Archt. Manolo Noche and the members of the Heritage Conservation Society
Guy Custodio and the Municipality of Alburquerque, Bohol
Reigh Prudente Monreal and the Municipality of Loon, Bohol
Fr. Marlon Lumanas and the Parish of San Isidro Labrador, Tubigon, Bohol
Fr. Leonardo Tan of the Parish of San Isidro Labrador, Lazi, Siquijor
Fr. Roque Reyes of the Parish of San Vicente Ferrer, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur
Atty. Edmund Villanueva, Ronald Villanueva and the Boljoon Heritage Foundation, Inc. of Boljoon, Cebu
Raymund N. Cayme of Boljoon Parish Ecclesiastical and Archaeological Museum
Benjamin and Fritzel Liston of Dalaguete, Cebu
Angelito Perez and Camp Suki
Fr. Enrique Luna, Randy de Rosas and the Parish of Immaculate Conception of Catanauan, Quezon
Viner dela Cruz of the Parish of San Gregorio Magno, Indang, Cavite
Philip Abaya Jamisola and the Immaculate Conception Parish Archives of Baclayon, Bohol
Myrna Bituin and Nina L.B. Tomen of the Santiago Apostol Parish of Betis, Pampanga
Archt. Ramon Orlina and the members of Taal Active Alliance Legion
Fr. Romulo Castañeda Felix and the Diocese of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
Fr. Gabriel Delfino, Parish of St. John the Baptist, Brgy. Longos, Kalayaan, Laguna
Jerome Labra† and the Municipality of Danao, Bohol
The Silva Family and Carcar Heritage Conservation Society
Butch and June Dalisay, Dr. Nilo Valdecantos and the Municipality of Paete, Laguna
Fel Ceasar Cadiz
Fung Yu, Bernardo Arellano II, Marcos Caratao, Dylan Chan and other fellow Pinoy Travel Bloggers
Brian Cua
Ralph Emmanuel Reyes
UST Miguel de Benavides Library
Lopez Museum Library, Filipinas Heritage Library & Ortigas Foundation Library
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Ayala Triangle
The Philippine CouchSurfing Community of Ilocos, Ilo-ilo, Cebu, Bohol, Samar and Leyte
The generous parishes around the Philippines, from where these church ceilings were documented
Andrew Jay Rollon
To my mother Teresa, my sisters Joanna and Janise, my cousin Cheryl and my nephew Thomas

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

46
About The Author

Joel Lucky Celis Aldor is an IT project manager by profession. He studied BA

Multimedia Studies in the University of the Philippines. Since 2008, he has
taken a deep interest in ecclesiastical and anthropological heritage of the
Philippines through extensive research and documentation efforts around the
country, using photography, literature and the Internet as his media.

He is also a feature writer for several local magazines and newspapers,

writing articles about Philippine travel and cultural heritage. He specializes in
organizing and facilitating educational and immersive cultural tours for both
students and adults through his own tour business outfit. He also acted as
project liaison officer in a number of previous heritage conservation projects
around the country.

Outside his profession and projects, he also writes poetry and performs original songs on guitar.