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Visita Iglesia in Capiz

Visita Iglesia (church visit) is a Catholic Lenten tradition which is widely practiced in the Philippines. The faithful may choose to visit 7 or 14 churches on Maundy Thursday after the Mass of the Last Supper or on Good Friday and follow the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross). The Via Crucis consists of 14 Stations which traces the journey of Jesus Christ to his crucifixion and death. Here is a pictorial guide to seven churches + one Mission Station for your Visita Iglesia in Capiz.  Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Roxas City The Cathedral sits in the heart of the cultural heritage sites of Roxas City. The current structure is from a reconstruction in 1954. This is a good place to start your Visita Iglesia. Here are the prayers for the Stations of the Cross:  https://www.catholic.org/prayers/station.php?id=15 Santa Monica Church, Pan-ay The original church in Pan-ay was first established in 1774. A typhoon in 1875 devastated the church. It wasn’t until 1884 that it was

Home Sweet Capiz

As a child growing up in Capiz, I was not impervious to taunts about the nocturnal forays of fellow Capiceños. When prodded I would turn defensive and point to an obscure town in a neighboring province as the true home of the “aswang”. If I had met one, perhaps I would not be writing this article as these creatures have wings and could easily outpace their victims. According to local lore, they often travel in groups making it difficult for anyone to escape alive. The Philippine movies have done a superb job of perpetuating the legend of the half-bodied aswang they call “manananggal” in Tagalog (it means “natatanggal sa katawan” or detaches from the body). It seems these creatures are just like you and me during the day but by night, they emerge, just torso and wings, and fly away in search of human appetizers. Like Dracula, they bite the poor victim and suck his/her blood. Then before light breaks, they return to their lower half and become whole again. Fascinating tales of the as