St.

Anthony of Padua Cathedral

(MASBATE CATHEDRAL)
The parish was founded in 1578 by Spanish missionaries, who placed the new church under the patronage of
the Archdiocese of Nueva España. With the canonical erection of the first local church in the Philippines in 1581, it
became part of the Diocese of Manila. In 1595, it became part of the newly established Diocese of Nueva Cáceres when
the Bicol region was given its own local church. In 1951, the parish became part of the newly erected Roman Catholic
Diocese of Sorsogon, of which the Most Rev. Teopisto Alberto was its first Bishop. Then parish priest Msgr. Arnulfo Arcilla
(later made bishop of Sorsogon) laid down the foundation of the first structures of the cathedral parish in 1954. On March
23, 1968, the civil province of Masbate was declared an independent diocese from Sorsogon, and Saint Anthony of Padua
Parish was made the cathedral or seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Masbate.
 AROROY
LIGHTHOUSE

My penchant for Spanish-era

lighthouses in the Philippines
brought me cruising on the
turquoise water of Masbate
Pass, in search for the lonely
sentinel of Bugui Point. Aboard
a small outrigger boat, we
reached the northernmost tip
of the island of Masbate called
Sitio Bajo after an hour of
journey from the port of Aroroy.
Sitio Bajo is a small coastal
community peacefully living in
its own little paradise marked
with a century-old lighthouse
known as Faro de Punta
Bugui or Bugui Point
Lighthouse.
LAPAY BANTIGUE DANCE STATUE

This statue stands in front of

Magallanes Coliseum where various
cultural activities are held. It pays
tribute to a festival dance,
characterized by a symbol of
religiosity, abundance, artistry, and
festivity celebrated annually during
the month of September. It has a
distinct music emanated in the village
of Bantigue, where people are known
for their strong reverence for Saint
Filomena. The bounty of seagulls
locally known as “lapay” found in
Bantigue propelled an innovative
scientific research by Mr. Ramon
Ubosan, to associate the Bantigue
Dance to Lapay Bird which illustrates
a graceful movement.
Jintotolo Lighthouse
Set in the open water that separates Luzon and
Visayas, Jintotolo is a small island composed of
two barangays of the Municipality of Balud,
Masbate. It is surrounded with rich turquoise
water where the inhabitants rely their livelihood.
But aside from its bountiful water and white sand
coastline, its most prominent feature is the
century-old lighthouse on top of a hill, the highest
point of the island. Built in 1895 and activated in
the early 1900s, Faro de Isla Jintotolo or Jintotolo
Island Lighthouse is one of the 24 original
first-order lighthouses erected by the Spanish
Government in the archipelago. It aims to guide
ships traversing the Sibuyan Sea, Visayan Sea
and Jintotolo Channel. The lighthouse has an
octagonal lantern podium on top of a square
stone tower that is attached to a one-story
keeper’s house. The tower has a height of 15.5
meters (51 feet) with a total focal plane (height of
the lamp above sea level) of 57 meters (187 feet).
It is still in use today but the original lamp was
already replaced with a modern solar-powered
lantern that flashes three white lights every 10
seconds. Although the attached keeper’s house is
already in ruins, much of its original brick walls
and foundations are still intact
 THE COWBOY STATUE
It is a historical part of Masbate as it represents as the Statue that unified the people of Masbate to
celebrate the Festival of Rodeo and to bring up and promote the cattle industry of the province. From the
Political killings, it is a great step in the history of Masbate to unite as one and celebrate as proud
Masbatenos.