Early Churches in Pampanga and Bulacan

The Lubao church suffered heavy damages in 1942 because of Japanese shelling. The roof and ceiling
were destroyed but the three storey high retable escaped damage. It is the largest church in Pampanga.
The San Agustin parish church, also known as the Lubao church, is a 17th-century Neo-classic, Spanish
stone and brick church located at Brgy. San Nicolas I, Lubao, Pampanga, Philippines. In 1952, a historical
marker bearing a brief history of the structure was installed on the facade of the church by the Historical
Committee of the Philippines, precursor of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. In
2013, the church has been declared by the National Museum of the Philippines as an Important Cultural
Property.[1]

In 2007, the constructed portico that dwarfs the church’s magnificence was removed and the defaced
original flat surface of the church’s facade was reconstructed with new red block bricks. The old roof
was entirely restored with durable and brand new red materials. The architectural design was with neo-
classical. Since the continuous restoration and conservation efforts to re-establish the glorious history of
the San Agustin Church of Lubao were made, it gradually towers today as one of the finest and
magnificent Augustinian churches in the archipelago.
The San Agustin Church of Lubao is not only Pampanga’s oldest and largest Agustinian church in Central
Luzon but in Northern Luzon as well. The San Agustin Church de Lubao is second only after the San
Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila that were both designed and bulit by Fr. Architect Herrera. 

The San Miguel de Mayumo Church in Bulacan is noted for the beautifully-painted ceiling of the nave
and dome. The decorations painted in local tempera deteriorated but were restored later. The San
Miguel Arcangel Parish Church,is a 19th-century, Baroque church located along De Leon St., Brgy.
Poblacion, San Miguel, Bulacan, Philippines. The parish church, with Saint Michael, the Archangel as
patron saint, is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos. There are no records as
to who built the first parochial structures in San Miguel. Sources are also not clear as to whether Father
Juan Tombo built or simply rebuilt the current church and convent. Father Francisco Arriola continued
with the construction until it was complete in 1869. The Catholic cemetery is attributed to Father Arriola
while the convent was constructed under Fathers Arriola, Tombo and Ortiz during their respective
periods as minister of San Miguel. During World War II in 1941, the roof of the church navecollapsed. he
church of San Miguel is the only Spanish-era church in Bulacan with the belfry attached atop
the façade pediment.[2] The church, with its predominantly Baroque features, has a two-level façade and
a curved pediment surmounted by the rectangular belfry with a bulbous dome. The façade is primarily
adorned by the paired pilasters and multi-edged cornices dividing the front into several sections. The
base of the façade has two saint’s niches and a concrete porte-cochere that was a late addition into the
structure and has replaced a previous one with Corinthian columns. The second level is pierced with
an oculus flanked by two semicircular windows. A tableau depicting Saint Michael slaying the dragon
adorns the central portion of the pediment. [1]

The Barasoin Church in Malolos, Bulacan has a facade with mixed features “compuesto style”. It has two
stories crowned by curved pediment. The three-story high bell tower is octagonal. According to some
people who see the relevance of the name Barasoain in the Revolution, the word Barasoain came from
the term "Baras ng Suwail" which means "dungeon of the defiant." It may be seen that Barasoain is the
town of the nationalistic Filipino, fighting against the foreigners who oppressed the nation.
 
However, according to Jose P.W. Tantoco, the former president of Bulacan Historical, Inc., the name
Barasoain came from the missionaries in this town who came from a similarly-named town in Spain. The
town of Barasoain in Spain is located in the District of Navarra. Barasoain Church (also known as Our
Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish) is a Roman Catholic church built in 1630 in Malolos City, Bulacan. Having
earned the title as the Cradle of Democracy in the East, the most important religious building in the
Philippines, and the site of the First Philippine Republic, the Church is proverbial for its historical
importance among Filipinos.

Founded by Augustinian Missionaries in 1859, the church is also renowned for its architectural design
and internal adornments. The original church was burned during the outbreak of the Philippine
Revolution however, it was renovated.

The church recorded some of the important events occurred in the country. While it has been a
temporary residence of General Aguinaldo, three major events in Philippine History happened in this
church: the convening of the First Philippine Congress (September 15, 1898), the drafting of the Malolos
Constitution (September 29, 1898 to January 21, 1899), and the inauguration of the First Philippine
Republic (January 23, 1899).

By Presidential Decree No. 260 , the church was proclaimed as a National Shrine by President Ferdinand
Marcos on August 1, 1973. The church consists of two structures, the church and an adjoining convent.
While the left outside of the Church is a medieval bell tower, the entrance of which has bamboo arches
linings and its sides are rose windows. Its architectural design is simple however, it has paintings in its
ceilings and domes which make it look bigger than its actual size. The altar in the inside has glimmering
lights despite the church's historical reputation. Aside of which, floral motifs, frescoes of angels and
saints embellish the interior of the Church. Right in front is a convent which has a museum dedicated to
the three historical events that took place in the church. While the Barasoain Church Ecclesiastical
Museum has been a repository of important artifacts found within the vicinity of the province, the
Church's Historical Landmarks History Museum concerns on preserving the fruits of the Philippine
Revolution as well as freedom and the Filipinos' heritage of democracy.

Early Churches in Rizal

 The three-story high facade of the Morong Church is of loca lBaroque architecture. The cormices
and balustarades of the first and secons stories fit into the curved recession. St. Jerome Parish
Church (also known as Morong Church) is a Roman Catholic church located
in Morong, Rizal, Philippines. It was built under forced labor during the Spanish colonization in
the country, where men, women, and even children had to dig stones from a hill called Kay
Ngaya; lime from the stones of the mountain Kay Maputi; and sand and gravel from Morong
River. St. Jerome Church in Morong, Rizal was built in 1615 by Chinese craftsmen, as evidence by
two Chinese lion sculptures at the entrance to the steep driveway, a stone and mortar church
which has a three-storey facade, and an octagonal bell tower whose cross is illuminated at night
and can be seen from the surrounding countrysideThe bell tower of the church is used by local
fisher man in the nearby towns as a light house when fishing at night and during the storm .

The Morong facade and bell tower is easily the most striking of all church facades along Laguna.
Frequently photographed and described as baroque, the facade/bell tower is more properly
 described as neo-baroque because the baroque period ended in the Philippines before 1780.
The central portion of the facade surges outward and the catenated balustrade above give the
whole a dynamic felling. Various decorative elements, some Mexican in origin, give the facade a
richness characteristic of Baroque. Four angels, representing the cardinal virtues, stand at the
corners of the bell tower. Fr. Felix Huerta, writing in 1852, states that the facade had finials
shaped as jars and shells used for illuminating it.

Tanay church, whose bell tower stands four stories high, was built in 1873. The church facade is
surmounted by a pediment. The first story is decorated with ionic pillars and the second story with
composite ones. The statue if St. Idefonso is lodged in the pediment niche. Saint Ildefonsus of Toledo
Parish Church (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de San Ildefonso de Toledo), commonly known as the Tanay
Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Tanay, Rizal Province in the Philippines. The
construction of the present church was begun in 1773 and was completed after ten years in 1783. In
2001, it was declared as a National Cultural Treasure Church by the National Commission for Culture and
the Arts. It is also among the five Jubilee churches of the Diocese of Antipolo. The ecclesiastical history
of Rizal province dates back to 1573 when two Franciscan missionaries, Fr. Juan de Plasencia and Fr.
Diego de Oropesa began establishing missions in towns and villages along the north coast of  Laguna de
Bay. One of earliest established is a visita (sub-parish) is Pililla in Morong, Rizal, among them is Monte
Tan-ay (now part of the present town of Tanay). In 1583, Pillila separated from Morong and became an
independent town and in turn, Monte Tan-ay evolved into a separate town and parish on its own right in
1606.[2] The parish church of Monte Tan-ay was put under the patronage of Saint Ildephonsus of Toledo,
Spain, hence, given the same name. In 1606, Father Pedro de Talavera founded the second mission in
San Antonio in Pantay and subsequently became the first parish priest of Monte Tan-ay. he style of the
church, with its triangular pediment and rounded belfry, leans toward Baroque architecture. The church
also houses a relic of a piece of bone of San Ildefonso housed in a monstrance, given by Rev. Fr. Felipe
Pedraja on October 2006 from Zamora, Spain in which the body of the patron saint lies.
The 14 Stations of the Cross inside the church is considered as one of the most beautiful Stations of the
Cross in Asia.[2] The carvings are depicted to have Malay features as evidenced by the brown skin of the
natives and their squat figures, all of which are believed to have created by native Tanay artists. Some
distinct depictions are borrowed from the native culture such as the "Tambuli" made of carabao and
the bolo instead of the typical Roman sword. The carvings are encased in large glass windows across
each side of the church.
Early Churches in Laguna and Batangas

The Paete Church facade has two stories. Each story is treated like a freeze, ornamented with four-
petalled flowers and Byzantine- like plasters. The retable leans toward the Baroque order- twisted in
columns, broken pediments and semi volutes. The Saint James the Apostle Parish Church also known
as Santiago Apostol Parish Church, Saint James the Great Parish Church or commonly known as Paete
Church is the only Roman Catholic church in Paete, Laguna, Philippines. Its patron saint is Saint James
the Apostle and his feast is celebrated every 25 July. The church is known for its huge and exqusite
collection of images depicting the Passion of Christ, its century-old paintings and wooden images
of saints (or poon). The current parish priest is Reverend Father Noel B. Conopio. The church is 42 m
(138 ft) long by 7 m (23 ft) thick by 42 m (138 ft) wide.[9] The church underwent a lot of renovation due
to natural calamities. With a long history of losing the church building to earthquakes, the current
baroque mission church has large buttresses on each side to improve its earthquake resistance. [10] It was
made of adobe bricks, a mixture of egg white and other native materials. The church has an elaborate
baroque style with a fusion of oriental artistry. The intricate retablo pieces were made by Paetenian
natives, among them were Bartolome Palatino and Francisco Macahumpan. [11]
Façade[edit]
The church's facade is divided by a frieze that continues around the adjoining belltower. It has  bas
reliefs of leaves and flowers and a sculpted image of St. James depicted as a Santiago Matamoros (Saint
James the Moor-slayer) in a central niche of the upper story. The relief of Saint James is no longer the
original image. The present relief which replaced the original one was installed in 1804. [9] The triangular
stepped pediment has a circular aperture directly above the image of St. James. Several arched windows
decorate the belltower. The large wall paintings on wood panels inside the church were executed by
another notable son of Paete, Luciano Dans. These depict Langit, Lupa, Impiyerno - Heaven, Earth, Hell -
and large murals of Saint Christopher. Dans used natural color pigments mixed with volcanic ash and
brushes made from cats' hair to create the murals
 The facade of the Pakil Church in Laguna is of the composite order. A stilted arch risinf from enaged
composite columns frames the main altar. The church of Pakil is one of the best preserved in
Laguna. Built in 1684, it stands as a fine example of colonial baroque architecture. The church’s
curlicue stonework and cherubs on the facade is enough to fascinate us. But the wonderment
continues inside the 324 year old structure and continues further in stories that were passed on
through generations. It was the Franciscan Father Pedro Bautista (later became a saint) who
designated a place for the church and plaza in Pakil. In 1602, Pakil became a visita of Paete.
Tradition has it that when the people of Pakil had to hear mass in Paete, they had to carry some
stones to help build the church of Paete. On May 12, 1676, Pakil was separated from Paete. It
was Padre Francisco Barajas who helped established the first church under the patronage
of San Pedro de Alcantara. The church forms a cruciform and has a measurement of 162 by 36
feet (49 by 11 m). It is constructed in the Corinthian and Ionic architectural orders.[1]
[5]
 Its facade has classical Corinthian columns and cornices across a floral stone relief.[8] The
church's side entrance is elaborately designed which is typical of churches in Laguna. To one side
of the facade is a belfry housing four small bells and one huge bell. [9] Inside the church, there are
original century-old images and church ornaments. Adjoining the church are a convent, sacristy,
adoration room/chapel, and an ecclesiastical museum in honor of the Our Lady of Turumba. The
museum contains clothes, perfumes, jewelry, and other historic memorabilia. The original oil
painting, found by fishermen, can also be found inside the chapel. [ Pakil church served as filming
location for the ABS-CBN television series Juan dela Cruz starring Coco Martin and the show's
follow-up series My Little Juan. In 1983, the celebration of Turumba was immortalized in a film
by Kidlat Tahimik.[6]
 The San jose Church in Batangas was constructed with a two story facade. The engaged pillars
became the pilasters. The peculiar angle terminations of the triangular flaps turned in half
volutes. The Shrine of St. Joseph the Patriarch is located in the town proper and is a popular
Catholic pilgrimage site. It was once built with cogon and bamboo by Augustinian friars around
1788. The present structure was built in 1812 under the supervision of a famous botanist Fr.
Manuel Blanco, OSA. It measures 60m long and 14m wide. It also has a Baroque and neo-classic
facade and a single-aisled interior, which offers an unobstructed view of the large main altar.
The altar is massive, with six rounded columns encircling the image of St. Joseph. Outside, a
multi-tiered belfry stands which was built in the latter part of the 19th century.  A bridge offers
passage to the church over the Malaquing Tubig River