TravelswithCharie

Visita Iglesia (church visit) is a Catholic Lenten tradition which is widely practiced in the Philippines. Worshippers 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 are the prayers for the Stations of the Cross:   https://www.catholic.org/prayers/station.php?id=15 Here is a pictorial guide to nine churches for your Visita Iglesia in Capiz.  Our Lady of the Snows, Dumarao Nuestra Señora de las Nieves was razed by fire in 2009. The pink façade and belfry that dates back to 1728 are all that remain of the original structure. 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.  Santa Monica Church, Pan-ay T...

Bayanihan spirit I have a new video about the places you shouldn’t miss when visiting Capiz. Here’s the link:   https://youtu.be/09qkbWXzvNw?feature=shared . I am also posting the images I included in the video here. Old Railway Bridge, Dao Our Lady of the Snows, Dumarao Ivisan Coastline, Ivisan Ivisan Coastline, Ivisan Vineyard, Barangay Agustin Navarra, Ivisan Patio Beach, Ivisan Basiao Beach, Ivisan  Malinamon Falls, Jamindan* Puting Bato, Pilar Hinulugan Falls, Pilar La Playa de Balisong, Pilar Gugma Beach, Sapian Marugo Lake, Tapaz Baybay Beach, Roxas City Mantalinga Island, Roxas City Mantalinga Island Palina Greenbelt Eco-Park, Roxas City Boodle Fight, Bitoy’s, Roxas City Sunset, Baybay Beach, Roxas City Stay connected   ***** Images by TravelswithCharie with the exception of *Malinamon Falls which was taken by Bernadette Barrientos.

We started our circle island tour in Sigma, Capiz where we gave school supplies (through BalayniCharie Foundation) to the children at Doña Fructuosa Elem School. Our Lady of the Snows From Sigma, it was less than an hour's drive to Dumarao where we visited the pink church of Our Lady of the Snows. Dumarao is the last town in Capiz before reaching the border between Capiz and Iloilo. Santa Barbara convent   The historical church and convent of Santa Barbara in Iloilo is worth a stop to see the beautifully preserved convent with its original wooden floor and wrap-around balcony.  St. Anne's Church Our first stop the following day was at Molo Church or St. Anne's Church which is dedicated to 16 female saints. Their statues adorn the pillars that lead up to the altar.  Miagao Church Miagao Church is one of four Baroque churches designated as UNESCO World Heritage site under the collective title "Baroque churches of the Philippines". It dates back to the 18th century a...

It was after lunch when we decided to go and give school supplies to the children at an elementary school in the hills of Mararison Island. The climb was difficult under the sweltering heat but this view of the Antique coastline was well worth it. We hired an enthusiastic guide who made sure we saw as much of the natural beauty of the hills as we possibly could and in the safest manner. She also helped us carry some of the school supplies we prepared for the children.  The elementary school used to be by the beach until a typhoon devastated the island and destroyed the classrooms. The school was then rebuilt on top of the hill. There are concrete stairs to get there which are easy on young legs. We opted to take the unpaved trail lined with roots of overhanging trees because it was an easier climb but treacherous when wet. The trees provided shade from the heat. There are less than a hundred students at the school. Only a few kids were at school on the day we visited as s...