Last Holy Thursday, I went to Bataan for a day-long "Visita Iglesia" at some of its historic Spanish colonial churches located in the towns of Samal, Abucay, Orion, Orani, Balanga, and Pilar. This pilgrimage was accompanied by a side trip earlier that day to the World War II memorial atop the scenic Mount Samat.
Bataan Visita Iglesia: A Heritage Trail of Spanish Colonial Churches
Pilar Church
My friend Rea, who hails from Bataan, was home for Holy Week, so she accompanied me to Mt. Samat with her brother, who drove us up the zigzagging hills to the War Memorial. After lunchtime, they took me to my first stop, Church Number 1: Pilar Church, located in the town of Pilar—one of the twelve towns in the province of Bataan. The church's belfry is very distinct as it is placed squarely in the center of the church, in contrast to the common practice of placing it on either the left or right side of the facade.
Pilar Church was the seventh town established by the Dominicans in the Province of Bataan, becoming an independent Vicar-headed Parish in 1801. Its adobe-made facade provides a strong foundation for its small size and interior. Despite showing signs of countless redesigns and repainting, it still projects an old-world feeling by virtue of the exposed red brick walls on both sides.
Balanga Cathedral
Next stop was the Balanga Cathedral located in Balanga City, the capital of Bataan province. It was the fifth parish in Bataan established by the Dominicans in 1739. During WWII, the church was tragically used by the Japanese as an artillery base to deliberately bomb Filipino and American troops holed up in Mount Samat.
The interior of Balanga church is lit brightly by the sunlight streaming in from the rows of windows on both sides, adorned by red brick walls and high white ceilings. After this stop, my friend Rea and her brother had to head back to attend to the 'Pabasa' being held near their place, so they dropped me off at the terminal where I took a jeepney to the town of Abucay to continue my Visita Iglesia.
Abucay Church (Santo Domingo)
Being one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, Abucay Church was originally constructed in 1587 and is recognized as a 'National Historical Landmark' by the National Historical Commission. It was the site of a bloody massacre of more than two hundred Pampanga natives at the hands of merciless Dutch invaders on June 16-23, 1647. Of all the churches I visited in Bataan, Abucay Church was my favorite because it boasts a facade with the least amount of modern renovations, maintaining its true heritage character.
From Balanga terminal, I took a jeepney bound for Orani and got off at Abucay. From Abucay, I rode another jeepney plying the same route and alighted at the neighboring town of Samal.
Samal Church
It's very easy to visit the churches in Bataan as you only need to follow one main route and get off at each town where the churches are located right near the highway. Samal Church, though, is not squarely located by the road but just a few hundred meters away. Passing by the town plaza, you will immediately see this small church nestled beside a convent.
It is an old-looking church with minimal restoration evidence—which is better if you ask me. Inside, a rustic vibe greets you, but compared to the other bigger churches, it is relatively devoid of heavy decorations and religious paintings. As read on its historical marker, Samal Church was entrusted to the Dominicans in 1596 and became a refuge for the townsfolk when Dutch invaders attacked the town in April 1647. However, "the local garrison of Pampangos under the command of Alejo Aguas compelled the Dutch invaders to retreat."
Orion Church
As I was about to proceed to the next town of Orani, I realized that I had missed Orion Church, so I had to take a jeepney back to Balanga and hop onto another jeepney bound for Orion. It didn't matter as it only cost me about an hour of backtracking. It was all worth it, though, as the 'retablo' of Orion Church was exceptionally beautiful and proved to be one of the highlights of my Bataan Visita Iglesia.
A busload of people was posing for photographs in front of the church, making me a bit hesitant to go inside at first. After a while, I stepped in, and someone called "Mark" in my direction. I was almost sure it was someone I knew; a woman was asking, "Mark, asan si Mama mo?" (Mark, where is your mom?). I was puzzled as a thousand faces slid through my mind without a match—but since she called me by my first name, I was about to say, "Nasa bahay" (At home). But before I could blurt out my answer, a guy behind me replied, "Nasa bus na ata Tita" (I think she's on the bus, Auntie). So there you go, she was actually talking to the guy behind me! This has happened to me before back in college at a bar involving a hot chick—that sucked more than this, I tell you.
Orion Church looks small from the outside, but as I've said, the interior is splendid—from its retablo to its ceilings, chandeliers, and simplistic yet stylish floorings and walls. The church marker mentions that it was part of the Abucay ministration up until 1667 when it had Rev. Domingo Perez as its first minister. It also notes that the first Filipino Supreme Court Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano was born in this town, and Florante at Laura author Francisco Baltazar Balagtas became a resident of Orion in the later period of his life.
Orani Church & The Death March Marker
After my stop at Orion, I proceeded to Orani to drop by my sixth church for the day. I flagged a jeepney beside one of those historical markers found along the highway of Bataan, marking the route where Filipino and American soldiers participated in the infamous Bataan Death March en route to Camp O'Donnell in Tarlac.
Looking at the facade of Orani Church, one immediately notices that it has undergone modern renovations, making it lose some of its raw heritage appeal. The Church of Orani was built by the Dominicans in 1714 after becoming an independent missionary center. The church is a popular choice for wedding ceremonies, brought about by the local belief that every couple who says "I do" in this church will withstand all trials and have a lasting union until death. I guess, someday if I ever get married, I'll consider this church to tie the knot.
It has a very attractive interior, making it probably the grandest of all the churches I visited in Bataan that day. A long red carpet lies along the aisle leading up to a spectacular altar covered by an impressive domed ceiling. Classical chandeliers hang from above, flanked by thick walls on both sides.
Outside the church, a few of the faithful were gearing up for Good Friday rituals by parading around the town carrying a cross. I watched the procession for a few minutes, then ate at a nearby carinderia and hung around the lively town plaza for a while before boarding a Cubao-bound bus a few minutes before sunset.
It was a tiring but fulfilling day indeed. Shout out again to my friend Rea for showing me around—but I realized on the bus that I was exactly one church short of completing the traditional seven churches for Visita Iglesia. Anyway, I took care of that by dropping by the church here in our place in Meycauayan when I arrived back around 9:30 PM. It was my first time doing a 'Visita Iglesia' alone, and I fully intend to do it again next Holy Week.
Planning your next Holy Week pilgrimage? Explore more historical churches across Central Luzon with our other curated Visita Iglesia guides:
