the new dome of Carmen

I got a jolt last Friday while driving in the coastal towns of North Cebu. All of the sudden, from what were just countryside scenes typical of the Cebu coast, a gleaming brightly painted classical dome jutted out of the canopy of trees. We just passed by Danao City, so I knew that we must be in the town of Carmen already. Slowly, as we approached Poblacion, the town center, I definitely could make out that the dome was that of its church.

What surprised me was that two years ago, we had a North Cebu flickr meetup and we skimmed the churches from Liloan up to Borbon. The Church in Carmen was not a standout. It appeared to be built fairly recently and not the usual 19th century stone churches that Cebu is famed for. In fact, I only posted one picture in flickr, that of its chandelier against their multicolored ceiling. Most of all, I could not remember any dome at all.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/2s, f/22, 55 mm, ISO 100
St. Augustine Parish Church, Carmen, North Cebu, the Philippines
phototip: Play with quadrants.

So I dug into my archives. Indeed, the church is new. It was opened in 1971, as evidenced by the plaque below.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/100s, f/4.5, 30 mm, ISO 100
a playque in St. Augustine Parish Church, Carmen, North Cebu, the Philippines


The interiors were simple- generic wooden pews, pale ceramic tiles, colored glass windows and concrete walls.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/125s, f/4.5, 18 mm, ISO 100
a holy water font in St. Augustine Parish Church, Carmen, North Cebu, the Philippines


So on our way back two days later, I purposely stopped in front of the church. I took a picture from the side. Renovation is clearly ongoing. The convent has been spruced up. Redevelopment seems to have been started from the back and is working its way to the front. Fresh paint has certainly not touched the façade yet. But again, the standout is the central dome. It is majestic!


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/125s, f/4.5, 18 mm, ISO 100
St. Augustine Parish Church, Carmen, North Cebu, the Philippines


Although it was Sunday, it was already high noon so the front doors were closed. Religious services would not resume until mid- afternoon at the earliest. I was sure that the side doors were open but our baby was asleep and we need to hurry back home. The interiors would have given me more clue about the dome.

Was there really a dome two years ago? Was it merely plain and nondescript that we barely took notice? I scanned the internet and I could not find any full photo. The church was right beside the highway so shooting it directly in front will not allow any glimpse of the roofline. Even the photos of my flickr friends during our meetup did not show any full view of the church. But had there been a dome, would we have missed photographing it?

Anyway, I had a fun time photographing the dome, photogenic as it is. The more I look at the photos, the more I admire its regal design and fine execution for it resembles the copulas that cap the old and grand buildings of Europe and the US.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/640s, f/8.0, 75 mm, ISO 100, +1/3
the newly painted dome of St. Augustine Parish Church, Carmen, North Cebu, the Philippines


So back in the office, I asked around. Indeed, the dome was a recent addition. Construction was said to have started late last year, at the behest of patrons, foremost of which was the Lhuillier clan which owns tracts of lands in the town. If philanthropy speaks with a voice, this one is shouting volumes. There is something inexplicably uplifting with grand architectural designs. Beauty is a contagion and I sense that the community is using the church as rally point for the betterment of their environment. Inspiration can be both spiritual and physical, so why not both? Ultimately, it would take more money and time – years perhaps? – for the the refurbishments to be completed.

For me, it will be one exciting wait.