LA VISITA IGLESIA

It was taxing to grow up in a conservative Catholic family, with the compulsion to follow the traditional 2-hour long Sunday mass in Latin, holy days of obligation, the fasting and abstinence rigeur.  Despite our youthful resistance, our parents spared no effort to ingrain in us a strong faith in Christ by enrolling us in Catholic learning institutions and exposing us to the annual traditional feasts.

Our parents working relationship with the church may have also encouraged us to remain in Christ’s fold. My father, Arch. Carlos A. Santos-Viola, was a lay minister; the designer of schools and churches for the Order of the Friars Minor as well as many of the early Iglesia Ni Cristo’s chapels. He was a devout Catholic up to his last days.  My mother, Caridad Nakpil, lived up to her given name. She too was just as committed serving our parish church by sewing its vestments and altar cloths, volunteered on weekends in distributing medicine to the indigents, among other charitable deeds. She also managed the adornment of the carrosa (carriage) of Our Lady of Lourdes every February 11.

The most somber of the Holy days is the Semana Santa (Mahal na Araw or Holy Week). Owed much to our Spanish colonizers, the Philippines celebrate this week every year as the summer season begins.  Where Ash Wednesday marks the first of forty days of Lenten preparation for Easter, the Semana Santa which commemorates the Passion of Christ takes up the last seven days before Easter: Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday.

There are three significant events in the Holy Week celebrated three days before Easter Sunday. These last three days of prayer are called the Easter Triduum. The Triduum begins on Thursday Evening with the Last Supper, where Friday actually began according to Jewish tradition. After that is Good Friday when Christ was scourged, nailed and died on the cross, and Holy Saturday when the Easter Vigil starts in the evening up to the break of dawn.

It was during the Last Supper when Christ gave a new commandment to His disciples:  “That you love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 13:34) It was also in this occasion when He instituted the Holy Eucharist (thanksgiving) or Holy Communion now celebrated during the Holy Mass.

Other than fasting and abstinence, prayer and almsgiving, Christians elsewhere observe Maundy Thursday in various ways. In Rome, they hold ceremonies consecrating the holy oils, the reconciliation of penitents, the washing of the feet, and the commemoration of the Holy Eucharist.

Although most of these are also practiced in the Philippines, the faithful also follow La Visita Iglesia, or the church visitation. Here, the devotees visit seven churches in their vicinity at night in association with the seven wounds of Jesus: five from the Stigmata, one for the scourging and the shoulder wound from carrying the cross. The more diligent devotees opt to visit fourteen churches, one for each Stations of the Cross.

Our country is endowed with beautifully constructed churches dating back to the arrival of the Spaniards.  The urban planners of the day constructed the church in the center of town adjacent to the local seat of government , to ensure that the flock gave Caesar (or in our case the Governor-General) and to God.

Today, Visita Iglesia followers travel outside their home town, some for faith and others for knowledge.

Accompanied by my eldest son Franck, we joined my elder sisters Dodie and Bobbie who have been travelling their Visita Iglesia routes outside Metro Manila for the past few years. This time we decided to visit churches located in our ancestral province of Bulacan.

These were the San Idelfonso Church in Guiguinto, the Barasoain Church in Malolos, the 18^th Century St. John the Baptist Church in Calumpit whose façade is decorated with heavy scroll stuccos filled with saints and angels honoring the Good Shepherd, San Agustin Church in Baliwag, the San Isidro Labrador Church built in the late 1700s in Pulilan, and the Church of Quingua in Plaridel, which shared a similar Moorish-inspired façade style as the St. John the Baptist church.

 

 

 

Though we intended to restrict our route within Bulacan, we decided to veer-off in nearby Pampanga to visit two of its churches – the San Pedro de Apostol Church in Apalit, and San Nicloas de Tolentino built in Macabebe in the late 1700s.

Notably most of these churches were Romanesque in style with a floor plan in the shape of a Latin cross. Common was an atrium, high ceiling nave, transept, and an apse which led to or housed the altar. The clerestory windows of the nave, transept, and apse beautifully illuminate the church interior with natural lighting. An elaborately decorated pulpit protrudes out near the end of the nave as if reaching out to the worshipers. The San Pedro de Apostol Church was the only one with two belfry towers.

In previous years, we categorized the Metro Manila churches for our Visita Iglesia.

A couple of years ago, Franck and I decided to visit churches built around a circular theme. When the Vatican issued a decree in the 60’s ordering a greater lay participation in the liturgy, the use of a free standing altar was adopted. Thereon, numerous churches were built using unconventional floor plans that was similarly used in the Early Christian round churches.

These modern churches included the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice in the University of the Philippines, Santa Maria de la Strada Church beside Miriam College on Katipunan Avenue, the Church of Gesu on the grounds of Ateneo de Manila University, Christ the King Church in Green Meadows, St. Andrew’s Church in Bel Air (Makati), Sto. Nino de Paz Chapel in Greenbelt,  and the San Alphonsus Mary di Liguori Church in Magallanes Village.

In previous years we visited historical or old churches such as the San Agustin Church and the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, San Sebastian Basilica in Legarda, Abbey of Our Lady of Monstserrat or San Beda Chapel in Mendiola, Our Lady of Remedios or Malate Church, St. Peter and Paul Church in P. Burgos (Makati), the Nuestra Senora de Gracia Church in Guadalupe, to name a few.

Visita Iglesia is an act of penitence through traveling from one church to another, praying in each pew. There are those who opt to walk the distance from one church to another.  Visita Iglesia is also an opportunity to behold the authenticity of unique architecture, old or new, in a country obsessed with building the same massive condo towers and malls.

The sight of these beautiful places of worship brings back to life the church’s significant role in a town or village. One could hear the bells toll for the dead, calling the townspeople to worship or pray the Angelus. It’s simplistic but overpowering façade humbly welcoming both the faithful and negligent to enter the dwelling-house and seeking refuge. Its triumphant nave comes alive with glimpses of the bible lifting the hearts and mind of the worshippers towards the altar. The pulpits resounding the bible readings and sermons admonishing the sinful and righteous. The baptisms, weddings, and other ceremonies affirming the townsfolk were blessed and remain close to God.

Visiting these churches truly nourishes one’s faith knowing that over the centuries they fell victims of the ravages of time, but were rebuilt again and again by their devotees. My parents surely experienced such a similar test, yet remained faithful to the Word. The longevity of the church is a true testament to the steadfast love of our Lord Jesus Christ to all who believe in Him and His institution will remain the center of divine worship.

CHASING WHALE SHARKS

It has been over 30 years since I last traveled to Bicol. I can vaguely recall that I last went there on a business trip, leaving Quezon City very early in the morning and returning very late in the evening. The most familiar memories involved the cemented roadway with numerous partially-collapsed segments, forcing one to slowdown abruptly or end up with a flat tire if not with broken tire rod ends. But what I remember clearly was when my parents took the whole family on a tour to Bicol via the Philippine National Railway (PNR) from Tutuban station in Divisoria. We rode the PNR’s air-conditioned coach, freezing cold even with blankets on. The train stopped in different towns along the way to transfer passengers and cargo. The tracks were a bit bumpy, but added excitement as we passed trough sea and countryside scenic routes still imprinted in my memory.

This time out, I traveled only with my sister Bobbie and our nephew Dominic Faustino. Bobbie arranged the logistical needs of our road adventure. Debating whether to travel on a weekend or weekday or by air or land, we chose the latter since we would have more opportunities to see interesting sites along the route. Our main destination was Donsol.

We hit the road before 5AM. The weather was cool and overcast, raining a little over Laguna. Upon reaching Quezon National Park diversion road, we pulled over the roadside that had a scenic bird’s-eye view of Quezon’s plains and shoreline. This was also where we ate our packed breakfast of croissant and hard boiled eggs. Unfortunately, the cemented roads on this route were horrific. The cargo trucks constantly plied this road left the roads in the same condition as they were 30 years ago.

After another half-hour, we found ourselves passing through Quezon’s lush landscape of rolling hills towered with acres and acres of age-old coconut trees.

Upon reaching the seaside town of Gumaca, we made a quick stop at the San Diego of Alcala Cathedral, reconstructed only in the mid-1800s after being burned down by the Dutch in the late 1600s.  The interior, already refurbished, still depicts the centuries of service it has given to Gumaca’s worshippers.

We later drove onward to Camarines Sur’s winding mountain road then down to Bicol, stopping by Milaor, Camarines Sur’s St. Joseph’s church.  Built in the 1700’s, this brick & stone structure was initiated by Franciscan missionaries from Spain. The belfry was finished in the mid-1800. Unfortunately, we arrived in the middle of the day so its doors were closed to visitors. After a few photos we drove on to Naga City, already hungry for a Bicolano meal.

Lunch was at the “Little Adam of Asia” in Naga City, a gourmet restaurant that included local dishes in their menu.  We ordered their version of Bicol Express, Laing, Kinunot na Pating, and some fried pork on the side. It was a delicious meal indeed.

We continued on with our journey, making a last stop over to another church in Daraga, better known as the Cagsaua ruins. The most famous among Bicol’s churches, Cagsaua church was built in the late 1500’s and was also burned by the Dutch adventurists in the mid-1600s. Rebuilt in the 1700s, this place of worship now lies in ruins due to Mt. Mayon. Its eruption in 1814 destroyed and almost completely buried its structure along with a thousand people inside, leaving only its belfry and remnants of its church upper walls. Today the mountain ironically forms part of its favorite tourist backdrop, reminding us of the unstoppable power of nature.

Leaving Daraga, we reached our final destination, Donsol at around 5:30PM. With all the side trips and photo-ops, our car’s odometer recorded 533 kilometers of driving, using approximately 45-50 liters of gasoline.

We stayed in AGM Resort, one of the several beach resorts lined along Donsol beach. Composed of two rows of single-story buildings and several cabins, the resort provided us with comfortable and decent amenities throughout our stay.

The following morning, the weather

remained overcast, with intermittent showers and strong winds blowing from the northeast (Amihan). Not bothered by the weather, we went ahead with our plan to see the Butandings (whale sharks). We took the tricycle to register at the Donsol Registration Center around 7:30AM. Surprisingly, dozens of foreign visitors were already queued in even on a weekday.

We paid the one time registration fee (good for 3 days) and joined three others on a boat (6 passengers max) and shared with the boat fee. A Butanding spotter/dive guide named Jack was assigned to our group. Although we brought our own mask, snorkel and fins, a private concessionaire also rents them out at a nearby stand.

The whale-watching area covered a small section of Donsol, from the mouth of the main river up to the nearest northern point. The overcast weather presented difficulty to our whale shark spotter especially when the tip of their long caudal (rear) fin did not break surface.

After several runs, our spotter finally saw a fin. Our boat and a few others sped up towards the swim direction of the whale, encircling it, slowing down to let us all slide over the side of the boat and swim towards the Butanding. Though the whale may seem quite slow to swim, its slow single caudal fin stroke gives it a boost of speed that is hard to catch up to. The water visibility wasn’t too clear, averaging 1.5 meters horizontally. Our spotter said that this was due to the plankton-rich water.

We were ecstatic to see this gentle giant. Even the first-time snorkeler in our party, who seemed reluctant to jump in the dark water, suddenly had a change of heart as she eagerly donned her gear faster than our spotter did.

After seeing one whale for a short time, we all climbed back into our boat and continued to search for another whale. We repeated this until the 3-hour tour limit was done.

The next day, the weather was much better with sunny, clear skies and a cool breeze. Several boats were already spotting whales in front of the registration center.

We saw most of the whales’ further out from shore where they tend to dive deeper as dozens of watchers swam towards them. But with clearer visibility one can dive and see all the details of the whale from tip-to-tip over and under. The best part was seeing the whale’s small eye look in on you and squint after.  One whale had its whole body covered with a family of Remoras, with the juveniles on top and adults underneath all feeding on the Butanding’s waste and leftovers.

Our spotters were very good swimmers and tended to their divers. They led the group right on top of the Butanding trying their best to get everyone see the magnificent creature.

 Although a written and posted rule of “1 boat, 1 Butanding”, there were at least 8 boats with a total of 56 snorkelers (including the spotter) chasing it. The Butandings must surely get the shock of their lives seeing numerous skin divers swimming beside it. This leads one to worry that we might accidentally lose one diver after a fast swim chase, or that a boat’s propeller could accidentally run over an unwary basking whale shark. The local officials of Donsol should probably look over the rules and regulations they have created and check whether it is being followed or enforced.

The influx of foreign divers have already marked Donsol as one of the world’s best whale shark site, therefore it is the responsibility of Donsol’s local government to preserve and protect the Butandings and its natural environment, enforce safety and security standards to all stakeholders, these includes both the foreign and local tourists, the boat owners & their crew, spotters, local business establishments and concessionaires, local transport and the community.

After the all morning’s adrenaline rush, our hunger needed to be filled. We ate lunch in Baracuda Bar & Grill (spelled with a single ‘r’). Located near the registration center, the bar offered excellent Mediterranean-style seafood dishes. For appetizer we ate fresh, lightly-marinated squid in vinegar, and for our main meal we had steamed long clawed blue crabs, specially marinated grilled prawns, pasta with pesto sauce and pasta with Baracuda’s tomato sauce.

 We left Donsol the next morning around 5:00 AM. Upon reaching Daraga, we stopped by its hilltop church and made offerings to the Nuestra Señora de la Porteria. Built in the late 1700s, the church later became the worship place of Casagua’s townsfolk after the aforementioned eruption in 1814. During the Second World War, the church was used as a local headquarters by the Japanese occupation, and was later destroyed. It was rebuilt again in 1971 in a similar style to its original construction.

Moving forward we made a quick stop at Bato where several stores along the highway were selling Bato Pancit (flat dried wheat noodles). They came in four flavours: squash, malunggay, carrots, and regular. We bought a few packs of each to satisfy our curiosity on how they tasted. The next stop was for breakfast at Nabua before we decided to take a look at Lake Buhi which was about 40 minutes past Iriga City. We drove west along the lakeside road and made a couple of stops to enjoy the view. The lake was a bit choppy then due the prevailing winds (Amihan).

 


















We stopped over for a roadside lunch at Eleanor’s Native Food House on top of Camarines Norte mountain range, one that was well worth our money.

Upon reaching Quezon’s National Forest, we decided to take the old road less traveled, passing through the park’s interior. The forest’s roadside view was beautiful, presenting its original old trees with thick foliage and hardly any coconut trees. Although steep in grade, this road was much better than the decrepit diversion road.

The trip to Donsol was well worth the drive. Southern Luzon’s country site is still gratifying making our road trip seem short, but would take decades to fade in our

memory.  Diving with the whale sharks in their natural environment and hearing the ecstatic laughter of the divers after each encounter were in it self a rewarding experience, an encounter not to miss.