TravelswithCharie

  Parol from Pan-ay One of the most endearing Christmas holiday traditions in the Philippines is the hanging of star shaped lanterns in homes, public buildings, streets and markets. It’s always a welcome sight. Some lanterns are made of bamboo and paper while others are made of Capiz shells with metal frames. During the Spanish colonial era, lanterns or “farol” (lantern) were lighted with candles as Filipinos walked to church during the wee hours of the morning to attend “simbang gabi” or night mass. These masses begin on December 16 and end on Christmas Eve. The parol is the symbol of hope and faith. The star is a reminder of the Star of Bethlehem that shone brightly to guide the Magi to Bethlehem and the manger of Jesus. Parol from Pan-ay Parol from Pilar The parol has since evolved from the simple bamboo and paper lantern to gigantic 30-foot marvels with LED twinkling lights that are shown annually at the Pampanga Lantern Festival.  This festival is a fine display of Philip...

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-a...

Hymen Oh Hymenée (or Boda Romana), 1886-1887 No one knew where this painting was after it was sold around the 1930s. Before then it was part of Luna’s private collection. For Jaime Ponce de Leon, owner of Leon Gallery in Metro Manila, it had become an obsession to find this missing masterpiece which had won the bronze medal at the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris where it was last seen in public. More than a century later, in 2014, Ponce de Leon got a call to appear at a certain address  in Europe which he heeded. And there it was, the “Grail of Philippine Art”, for his eyes to behold. Ponce de Leon bought the painting, had it shipped to the Philippines and kept it stored it in a crate for a few more years until it was revealed to the public at the Ayala Museum in 2023. What a journey this painting has taken! Finally Juan Luna’s depiction of his wedding to Paz Pardo de Tavera was brought to light. The Bride Juan Luna is nowhere to be seen in this painting. But his marks are every...

San Sebastian Minor Basilica Following the destruction of its three churches due to fire and earthquakes, the parish priest of San Sebastián in the 1880s, Esteban Martinez, sought the help of a Spanish architect named Genaro Palacios to build a church that could withstand an earthquake. Palacios’ idea was to use steel to construct the new church and make it both earthquake and fire resistant. To this end, prefabricated steel sections were ordered from Belgium which were then sent to the Philippines in 1888 in eight separate shipments. Belgian workers traveled to Manila to put together all these sections on-site. Pope Leo XIII raised the status of San Sebastián to Minor Basilica in 1890, a year before the new church was consecrated in August 1891. Steel is not without its share of problems. Rust and corrosion are expected of a structure that is over a century old especially when it is close to Manila Bay. Interventions have been undertaken throughout the years to preserve the Basilica a...