Rizzah Cae Rojas 9 - Helium

1| San Agustin Church (1607)

Parish Church of San Agustin of Intramuros

Intramuros, Manila

San Agustin Church is

considered the oldest
church in the
Philippines that's made of
stone. Before its stone
structure was erected in
1607, its first
incarnations, the earliest
in 1571, were constructed
using bamboo and nipa
leaves. Built in the
southern wall of
Intramuros, these were
eventually destroyed
because of typhoon and
strong winds.
In 1586, a resolution was passed to build a stronger structure using adobe stone, one of the strongest
construction materials back then. Huge slabs of adobe were cut from quarries as far as Guadalupe,
Meycauayan and San Mateo, Rizal.

Designed by architect Juan Macias, the structure built along the intersection of Calle Real and St. Lucia
Street, later became a monastery. Construction started in 1587 and was completed in 1607, under the
supervision of Augustinian Fathers Francisco de Bustos, Ildefonso Perez, Diego de Avila, and Brother
Alonso de Perea.
It has withstood many earthquakes and man-made disasters from 1645 up to the present. This includes the
British occupation in Manila in 1762, when the church and its graves were profaned. The church was also
spared during the Spanish–American War in 1898, the Japanese invasion in 1942, and the bloody Battle
of Manila.
San Agustin was finally chosen as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. It remains the oldest
church in the Philippines and the only church dating to the Spanish Colonial Era still in existence within
the walled city.

2| Quipayo Church (1616)

Parish Church of Immaculate Concepcion of Quipayo

Calabanga, Camarines Sur

Established as a town in 1578 by Franciscan missionaries, Fr. Pablo de Jesus and Fr. Bartolome Ruiz, not
only is Quipayo one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, it's one of the earliest structures built during
the Spanish Regime in the region. Until now, the church stands as an enduring symbol of Catholicism in
Bicol.
This church services the parishes of Ligmanan (Libmanan), Baigon (Siruma), Calabangan (Calabanga),
and Bombon. The patroness of Quipayo is Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion. There were also
some artifacts excavated at the site of the church, which are now displayed in a museum behind the
church altar.
It was declared a National Historical Landmark by Presidential Decree No. 260, dated August 1, 1973,
and amended by Presidential Decree No. 1505, dated June 11, 1978.
3| Majayjay Church (1649)

Parish Church of San Gregorio Magno of Majayjay

Majayjay, Laguna

This structure was originally

made with plywood, which
didn't last long. The version of
the Romanesque church of
Majayjay we see today is 200
feet long, 56 feet wide, and 54
feet meters high. One of the
most noticeable things about it
is the façade—not only does it
have three levels, but each
level is scaled proportionally.
Atop the highest level is a triangular pediment with a circular window.
The church’s central nave consists of the huge wooden door of the main portal, choir loft windows, and a
saint's niche. Inside the church is a retablo mayor and four other minor retablos with intricate designs.
The floor is tiled with azulejo, a glazed, colored Spanish tile.
The five-storey square belltower with a conical roof and ballustrated windows on each level is connected
to a catwalk called the langit-langitan. It is located above the ceiling, which leads to the crossing over the
transept. Another interesting feature is the belfry—its arched windows are each decorated with a bell-
trimmed with finials and a large antique bell.
As one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, it contains antique images of saints, reliquaries, and
century-old liturgical objects.
4| Pililla Church (1673)

Parish Church of Saint Mary Magdalene of Pililla

Pililla, Rizal

The first missionary priests arrived in

Pililla in 1572. Franciscan priests
ordered that a church be made, and
the natives managed to build one
made from bamboo and cogon in
1583. Another structure of palm trees
was used from 1670 to 1673, before
the current stone structure was
erected in its place. Pililla Church is
the fourth oldest church in the
Philippines.

The altar and convent were renovated in 1848 and another round of renovations happened from 1962 to
1972. The current structure is made of adobe, which is the same building material used in other churches
in the Philippines.

The church was built to pay tribute to St. Mary Magdelene with a small retablo housing the image of the
saint inside the baptistery.
5| Baras Church (1686)

Parish Church of Saint Joseph of Baras

Baras, Rizal

The Franciscans originally built the church in 1595. After Aetas burned down the town as an act of
rebellion, the town was transferred to Ibayo in 1636; it returned to its present site in 1682. The Jesuits
administered the parish from 1616 to 1679, and the present church was completed in 1686.

Baras Church is designed in the Baroque style, evidenced by its dark and simple layout. Even the facade
is quite bare, save for the stream of balustrade, trimming its triangular pediment, and the checkerboard
pattern of brick and stone on the pediment’s upper portion.
Inside, you'll see exposed wooden trusses that support the church's roofing, lacking a decorative ceiling,
which is common for churches built in the area. Instead, the adobe bricks used to create the church are
exposed, giving churchgoers a glimpse of what people centuries ago would have seen.