an Iloilo Visita Iglesia

a Lenten Special

Lent calls for atonement and spiritual reparation. It is an occasion for one’s inspection of life and its vagaries. During this forty day period called cuaresma vast numbers of Catholic Filipinos practice numerous traditions that are considered acts of penance. One such popular custom is the Visita Iglesia.

Visita Iglesia, or literally church pilgrimage, is the practice of going to seven different churches. Often but not exclusively performed during Maundy Thursday, the faithful follow penitential rites and recite the Stations of the Cross in each church.

Last year, in a trip to Iloilo, I went around the heritage churches of the province and I was able to finish an entire loop of seven churches outside the big city. In time for the season of introspection, let me embark on a photographic journey of these magnificent monuments of faith. This is my Iloilo Visita Iglesia

the Church of Sta Monica, municipality of Pavia

Romaneque in its solidity and Byzantine in ornamentation, this church is the only church in Iloilo made of redstone as opposed to furnace-fired bricks. The façade is dominated by three archway portals, simple vertically slit windows at the side and by the pediment and rose windows.


Canon EOS 350D, 1/1250s, f/5.0, 21mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV


the Church of San Nicolas de Tolentino, municipality of Cabatuan

Constructed in the mid-1800s, the church is the largest red brick structure in the Visayas. The central façade is plastered in white and is contrasted by the bare red bricks at each side. Influences of Tuscanic, Baroque and Neoclassic design pervade throughout the architecture.


Canon EOS 350D, 1/400s, f/3.5, 18mm, ISO 200


the Church of Sta Barbara, municipality of Santa Barbara

This stone church made its mark as the headquarters of revolutionaries during the Filipino-Spanish war in the Visayas in the late 1900s. The Baroque Renaissance gem has a convent which is striking for its use of pierced-and-cut hardwood ornamentation and geometric Moorish patterns.


Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/3.5, 24mm, ISO 200, +1/3EV




Canon EOS 350D, 1/125s, f/3.5, 21mm, ISO 200, +1/3EV


the Church of San Juan Sahagun, municipality of Tigbauan

Outside the church retains its Old World exterior- cut coral stones, a giant triangular pediment, a three-story campanario, arched windows and doors, a pyramidal roof, and intricate carved lace-reliefs around the central door. Inside though, modernity pervades- steel trusses, Byzantine-like folk mosaic and marbled floors. The late renovation has its share of critics and followers, with little in between.


Canon EOS 350D, 1/250s, f/5.6, 22mm, ISO 200, +1/3EV




Canon EOS 350D, 2.50s, f/8.0, 18mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV


the Church of San Nicholas of Tolentino, municipality of Guimbal

Its yellow igang stone makes this late 18th century church a standout. Elegant, delicate and uncharacteristically light looking, this showcases elements of Greek, Oriental and Moorish design.

Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/6.3, 18mm, ISO 100, +2.0EV



Canon EOS 350D, 1/100s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV


the Church of San Joaquin, municipality of San Joaquin

The gigantic pediment is its crowning glory- deeply carved, animatedly ornate, with an expressively militaristic storyline to boot (the triumph of the Spanish army against the Moroccan in Tetuan). Made of limestone and white coral stone, it is one of the select 26 churches declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as a national treasure.


Canon EOS 350D, 1/1600s, f/5.6, 18mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV



Canon EOS 350D, 1/200s, f/5.6, 27mm, ISO 100


the Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva, municipality of Miag-ao

The best for last. There is only one UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Visayas and it is in Miag-ao. As one of four Spanish-era churches officially inscribed the international honor, the church is a masterpiece of Earthquake Baroque, with solid buttresses, 3-feet walls and massive belltowers. Its most famous features is the high relief carving on the pediment. With motifs like the coconuts, guava, papaya, vines and tendrils, it is a dramatic articulation of tropical art.


Canon EOS 350D, 1/100s, f/5.6, 18mm, ISO 400, +2/3EV

Asian noodle indulgence, part 2

To continue my feature on food coma-inducing noodle dishes, here are four more umami-laden selections.

bam-i guisado, Cebu, the Philippines
I grew up in Cebu and bam-i is a popular noodle dish in my hometown. This is served everywhere and anywhere- in parties, fiestas, reunions, and whatever it is that people do when they come together. Definitely a mainstay in the local cuisine and a favorite of many a people including my wife, bam-i is probably a contortion of Hokkien ba (pork) and mee (noodles). Indonesians also call their egg noodles bakmi (pronounced with an almost imperceptible “k”). To complicate the international jumble, guisado is the Spanish term for “fried” so you can tell how hybrid this dish has become. Regardless of its derivation, this staple is a mix of two noodle types: pancit canton egg noodles and sotanghon cellophane vermicelli made of mung bean (rice noodles can be a substitute but rarely used in Cebu). It is cooked in a wok and could contain any, most if not all of these ingredients: onions, garlic, preserved Chinese pork sausage, tengang daga (black ear fungus or wood ear) and other mushroom types, cabbage, carrots, baguio beans, scallions, coriander, snow peas, pork liver strips, meat balls, chicken breast and shrimp. Flavoring comes from sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, pepper, black peppercorns and kalamansi (local lime).

Manila Foodshoppe
The Park Mall, Mandaue City
Cebu, the Philippines
105 PHP (2.2 USD)/serving enough for 6


traditional bam-i guisado of the Manila Foodshoppe, The Park Mall, Mandaue City, Cebu, the Philippines
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/250s, f/1.8, 50mm, ISO 200, +1/3EV


La Paz super special misua batchoy, Iloilo City, the Philippines
Batchoy is synonymous to Iloilo, a province in the central Philippine island of Panay. Often appended with the name of the town of La Paz where it was “invented”, batchoy is most probably derived from the Hokkien ba-chui which means "pieces of meat.” The noodle variety most often used is miki, an egg noodle, but there are versions in sotanghon (made from mung bean), bihon (rice) and misua (wheat) which is the one pictured below. You can choose between pork or beef but the meat items are usually innards like heart, kidneys, liver and spleen. Rounding up the ingredients are leeks, shrimps, white chicken meat or beef and crushed chicharon or pork cracklings. The soup is a combination of shrimp broth and chicken stock, with soy sauce to taste. A raw egg can be cracked and balanced on top of the soup as a final flourish, if so desired.

I was in Iloilo last summer and finally, I was able to try out Ted’s, the acknowledged premier batchoyan or place of the La Paz batchoy. I deliberately ordered the super special misua batchoy out of curiosity as this is not at all common in the batchoy versions in Cebu. (Misua is very thin salted wheat noodles.) Batchoy servings in Ted’s come with puto manapla, a small white rice cake which I rather enjoyed. I even ordered extra puto helpings, as I needed something neutral to balance the viscously rich and heartily salty soup. Because of its high fat content, I suggest to always eat the batchoy piping hot.

Ted’s Old Timer La Paz Batchoy, SM Iloilo
Iloilo City, Iloilo, the Philippines
about 50-70 PHP (1.4USD)/serving


La Paz super special misua batchoy, Ted’s, SM Iloilo, Iloilo City, the Philippines
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/80s, f/1.8, 50mm, ISO 400, +1/3EV


soto ayam Ambengan Pk Sadi, Surabaya, Indonesia
As comfort food goes, the soto ayam (chicken and noodle soup) fits the bill in Indonesia. The soup is made primarily of chicken breast meat, glass noodles, slices of hard-boiled eggs, bean sprouts, cabbages and leek. It is so popular that ambulant carts roam the streets of Indonesia, from Medan through Jakarta and Bali to Bima. It took me awhile to appreciate the soup but it grows on you. (Again, the sambal chili was the clincher for me.) The chicken may come as white meat or boiled skin and adding egg is an option. The soup is yellowed with turmeric and is topped with peanut koya for additional richness. Sweating is a surefire guarantee, thanks to the spice of lombok chili, turmeric, galangal and ginger.

In Surabaya, soto ayam Ambengan of Pk Sadi, is legendary. Largely touted as having the best soto in East Java, the restaurant started as a hole-in-the-wall in the street of Ambengan by Pak Sadi (hence the name). A Chinese-Indonesian friend took me there last February of 2007, past 9PM. The eatery is still in its original spot, small, obscure and unassuming. You could not tell that there already are franchises all over the country. Parking was difficult and the late supper crowd was still bustling. Diners who just finished their meals were leaving with a smile. Soon, I did too.

Soto ayam Ambengan Pk Sadi “asli”
Jln Ambengan 3A, Surabaya, Indonesia
tel +6231 5323998
about 20,000 IDR (1.7USD)/serving


boiled rice noodle, the main ingredient of the soto ayam Ambengan Pk Sadi “asli”, Surabaya, Indonesia
Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/25s, f/5.0, 42mm, ISO 1600


pancit Malabon
Here is one Tagalog dish that Cebuanos are not so familiar until recently. The first time I tasted this was in 2005, soon after the pancit malabon franchise hit Cebu. Cebuanos are easily familiar with the pancit palabok, which uses thinner noodles and is common all throughout the Visayas. It's a different story with pancit malabon. The larger rice noodles are not available in Cebu, which is a pity.

The platter below is about 18-20" wide and is good for more than 20 persons and only cost around 750 pesos or $15. The toppings include scallions, boiled pork, cabbage, dried shrimps, soy bean curd cubes (tofu), minced fresh garlic, parsley, asian celery, crushed chicharon fried pork crackling, squid and hard-boiled eggs with kalamansi slices for extra citric flavor. Before you say that the toppings are an overkill, the meat and veggies are so thinly-sliced (using a razor blade!). The noodles are also deep but yes, I almost hate to dig into and ruin the arrangement. The next problem is to eat in moderation. One can only try!


Canon PowerShot S40, 3/5s, f/4.5, 12.3mm

Elegance in stone: the Camposanto of San Joaquin

At the south-end of the province of Iloilo is an unassuming town called San Joaquin. Some 53 kilometers away from Iloilo City, the historical town is one of the oldest in Panay island, having been cited as the site where the 10 Borneon datus settled in the 12th century.

The town also boasts of two Spanish era architectural gems, its church and lo and behold, its cemetery. In my trip to Iloilo this summer, I only had a day to spare and I was able to squeeze visits to 9 old churches and the one cemetery that is not to be missed, that of San Joaquin.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/160s, f/5.6, 21mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV


The San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery was built in 1892. Its old iron grill gate opens to a small flat plaza of coralline cobblestone and grass gardens at its side. A 20-step stone staircase leads directly to its most famous feature, the camposanto or the funerary chapel.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/125s, f/5.6, 18mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV


The capilla is hexagonal and is built of calcareous coral stone quarried from nearby limestone coast and red bricks of clay. It is capped by a copula roof with an iron cross at its apex.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/160s, f/5.6, 33mm, ISO 100, +1/3EV


Florid carvings of flowers and leaves decorate the exterior walls of the chapel, particularly surrounding the door and the roseate windows. There are also carved skull and crossbones, as well as cherubs. At the corners of the hexagon are urn-like finials.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/200s, f/5.6, 25mm, ISO 100


Characterized as oriental baroque, the architecture is elaborate in ornamentation, solid in built and delicate and surprising light in appearance, as if it floats on the hill.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/160s, f/5.6, 48mm, ISO 100


Too bad that the chapel door was bound and locked. Identified and cherished as a historical monument, the camposanto is by no means cold and desolate. It is still in active use and remains a living testament of the faith of the people of San Joaquin in the life beyond the living.

San Joaquin is about an hour and a half from Iloilo City by jeepney.
My deepest thanks too to Bernie for being our knowledgeable tour guide during our Iloilo visit.