Liz Smailes follows the footsteps of Spanish explorers to visit one of the Philippines most treasured places of worship – Pasig Church. Like all other human settlements built around water sources, Pasig, in Metro Manila, was a peaceful kingdom before the Spaniards came in 1521

The hundreds of churches through out the Philippines are a product of the missionary enterprise of the Spanish regime that began in 1521. The pre-Spanish communities were Malays, Chinese and the Tingues, a minor­ity found in the forested mountains of Pasig. Bitukang Manok used to be a part of today’s Pasig River and history books state that Pasig probably became an independent parish on July 2, 1573 under the patronage of the Visitation of Our Lady. As such, it was bestowed the honor and distinction of being the first town and parish in the entire country, and in perhaps in all of Asia, under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.

The Catholic religion was introduced in the islands as soon as the Spanish landed in Samar. On March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese-turned-Spanish navigator, reached the island of Homonhon in Samar, the most eastern island in the archipelago. Magellan’s discovery of the archipelago was accidental; he was on a route westward across the Pacific in search of The Spice Islands and the riches of the Indies.

On March 31, 1521, the first mass ever performed in the archipelago was held on the shore of Limasawa. This momentous event was marked by erecting a wooden cross on a hill, overlook­ing the sea. This cross would symbolize the first Christianization attempt of the islands by the Spanish missionaries.

It was 22 years later when the archipelago was rediscovered once more by the Spanish, this time by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos. He claimed the archipelago under the Spanish rule and named it “Philippines” in honor of King Philip of Spain. The arrival of the Spanish General Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in February 1565, 44 years after Magellan’s discovery of the islands, marked the beginning of Spanish influx in the new colony, most of them coming from New Spain or Mexico. This renewed interest in the archipelago was prompted by the orders of Philip II to the Viceroy of New Spain to Chris­tianize the islands as well as to use it as a base for the spice trade in the region.

The cross, along with the sword, ruled the new colony for almost 400 years. Throughout this period, the culture and way of life of the peo­ple in the archipelago took on a path that was dominantly controlled and determined by the Spanish conquistadors and the natives adapted to a Christian way of life.

In 1899, the last of the Spanish fleet left the Philippines for the last time. Behind them, they left, among many irrevocable influences, hundreds of brick and stone churches throughout the archipelago. Colonial church ar­chitecture in the Philippines is distinctly unique because the churches are a mixture and accretion of different architectural styles. Perhaps, the early missionaries were so eager to venture in a new territory that they failed to see the need to bring an architect along with them. As a result, there were no trained architects when it was time to build missionary churches. Faced with the undoubting task of designing and building a church, the missionar­ies had to rely either on their memories of past encounters or illustrations of churches in the west.

The History of Pasig Church

The Spaniards first built a wooden mission church, a visita of Tondo, un­der Muy Reverendo Padre Fray Alonzo de Alvardo in 1572 to propagate Christianity to two thousand tributes, or ten thousand souls, and about two thousand more Tingues in the upland around Pasig district.

In the Augustinian Provincial Charter of March 30, 1575, the Convent of Pasig was formally accepted under the name of Conventus Visitationis Mar­iae de Pasi with visitas San Nicolas, Pinagbuhatan, Polo, Palatia (Palatiw), as far as Bai in Laguna. That same year, Muy Reverendo Padre Fray Alba Maybonga, Sagar, Angono, Bamban, Malinao, Tuxas, Mandava, Botin and transferred the church to its present location and expanded upon it. The me­ter thick walls had to be moved by bare hands, stones cut, post and boards hand-sawn. the church, as it stands today, was completed almost two hun­dred years later in 1762.

The people of the parish had to participate and contribute to the building of this new church. The local artisans were a mixture of people involved in the construction of all churches in this colonial period. The Filipinos were good builders of wood and bamboo, but they were unskilled in building with stone. Hence, Chinese laborers were hired when such a specific skill was required. Muslims were also recruited to render labor. The gathering of artisans with different ethnic backgrounds, plus the fact that Filipinos have a strong Malay heritage, eventually led to the infusion of non-western motifs into the architecture, further creating a distinct style.

The church builders had to learn to build with what was available. In general, the early missionaries had very limited resources, in terms of financing as well as materials. This was further aggravated by the fact that they had to learn to build churches that can survive the onslaught of unfamiliar climates in the new colony. These conditions led to many improvisations on both the friars and the local artisans.

Visitors to Pasig today can capture a good w of the church façade and the tower om Plaza Rizal looking east. Pasig church on an east-west orientation, with the pse on the east end. Worshippers, there-ore, face east with the façade facing west.

The Virgin of Our Lady of the Apocalypse

Entry to the church is through its mas­sive antique door. Once inside, a long narrow nave draws visitors in, lined with beautiful marble slabs. The red marble in the central aisle is reminis­cent of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vati­can, while the sanctuary has granite marble, gleaming in its light gray splendor. From the baptistery chap­el all the way to the church nave, an18th century work of art is truly unique and a deeply cherished artifact of the church: the well preserved, polychromed retablo of the Blessed Virgin Mary surrounded by her attributes.

Called “a glory of Philippine Marian Art” by the late Har­vard graduate Fernando Zobel de Ayala, painter, critic and art professor par excellence, the retablo is often refered to as the Virgin of Our Lady of the Apocalypse. The recently re­stored retablo of Our Lady used to adorn the landing wall on the two-flight, piedra china stairway leading to the convento. Some historians speculate that this retable could very well be the Marian statue in the main altar during the 18th and early 19th centuries.

The Arch of the Blessed Virgin Mary

When churches were rebuilt in the Philippines, they were often reconstructed over existing foundations or walls. As a result, the architectural style is usually a crossbreed of dispa­rate sources. The geographic location, climate, materials and the spontaneous and improvisational attitude of the Filipinos created a kind of architecture that lends a nod to western ideas yet is unique enough to stand on its own. Masterfully designed and crafted churches abound in all parts of the Philippine archipelago.

The church building enterprise of the Spanish missionaries also set significant world records in the evolution of archi­tecture in this part of the world. These edifices of faith have steered the course of the country and the Filipino people to where they are now. At times when the country struggled to unite itself and tried to recover from the devastation left by natural disasters, political instability, and economic misman­agement, the Filipino people, because of their strong religious faith, have managed to pick themselves up time and time again.

From Plaza Rizal in Pasig, a prominent landmark is the Grand Arch of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a tribute of Pasigueños to their beloved Mother, and erected through the leadership and eforts of the Comite de Festejos, the organization tasked to ensure that the annual Feast of the Immaculate Conception is an eventful one. The Arch, large and imposing, echoes the general appearance of the facade.

The Facade

Entering the Arch into the patio with its parking lot and garden on either side highlighted by the statues of San Joaquin and Sta. Ana, Mary’s parents, a full view of the church facade is seen, starkly simple in Neo-Baroque charac­ter. In the center of the pediment is the heart emblem of the Order of Saint Augustine, in Pasig for 326 years from 1572 to 1898. Entry into the church is through the original molave door.

Nuestra Senora de la Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig

Enthroned in the central niche of honor of this magnificent new retablo, standing in all her glory, is the exquisite statue of the Immaculate Concep­tion in polychrome hardwood, her hands together in an attitude of prayer, her gentle eyes benignly looking at her beloved Pasigueño and other devotees who come from far and wide. A soft, sweet smile radiating majestic kindness and love seems to accept the supplications of her countless devotees.

This Marian statue was reputedly brought over in 1902 – 1903 to replace an equally beautiful venerated image destroyed during the Fil-American war. It is said that this termite-eaten statue was bought by a certain Dr. Bantug, the famous collector, but was destroyed by the fire that gutted his house. This new image was canonically crowned on December 7, 2008 by the Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, His Excellency Bishop John Edward Adams.

The Church Bells of Pasig

Inside the patio and church compound are the old bells of Pasig. The biggest bell, popularly called “Bang” by the Pasigueños is named Nuestro Senora dela Consolacion, cast in 1823 by Muy Reverendo Padre Fray Santos Gomes Maranon, OSA, who later became Bishop of Cebu. The second stationary bell, called “Teng” is called San Hilario, cast in 1793 by Muy Reverendo Pa­dre Fray Hilarion Diez, later archbishop of Manila. This is the oldest bell of Pasig. The third and fourth bells are called San Juan Bautista and Sta. Barbara, both esquila bells and were cast the same year in 1864 by Muy Rev­erendo Padre Fray Juan Vague, OSA.

The smallest bell was originally called the Sta. Rita, cast in 1887 by Muy Reverendo Padre Fray Simon Barroso, but it was recast in 1931 and renamed Sta. Teresita by Rev. Fr. Victor de Klerck, CICM. These old bells, which were once found in the church tower, gave way to a 35-piece carillon in 1997 made by Clock-O-Matic-Holsbeck of Belgium.

The Museo Diocesano de Pasig

A side trip up the bell tower through two flights of the Piedra China stairs leads to the convento and choir loft. The first flight ends in the landing area where popular church exhibits are held year round. The second flight of stairs leads to the Museo Diocesano de Pasig, formerly called the Museo del Convento de Pasig under the curacy of Msgr. Manuel G. Gabriel. Newly renovated during the Jubilee Year, the Museo hall was formerly the first classrooms of the parochial school, later renamed Pasig Catholic College. It now houses and permanently exhibits all the artifacts of the Immacu­late Conception Cathedral.

The Bell Tower

The imposing bell tower is large and tall in proportion to the facade, which is a conflict of style but also reflects the vast extent of the original Pasig par­ish, extending then as far north as San Mateo, Rizal and as far south as Bai, Laguna, on the southern shore of the lake.

A modern new clock can be found about three fourths the height of the bell tower, built also by Clock-O-Matic-Holsbeck of Belgium in 1997. The old clock was imported in 1930 from the Netherlands by then parish priest, Rev. Fr, Godofredo Aldenhuysen, CICM, and is now displayed inside the Museo Diocesano de Pasig. The five old bells were replaced by 35 cast bronze bells in fixed suspension, tuned in chromatic order with a musical range of at least four octaves. The carillon was installed under the curacy of Msgr. Manuel
G. Gabriel.

Filipinos have focused their lives around churches since infancy, attend­ing services at least once a week throughout their lifetime and marking all significant milestones – christenings, marriages and funerals – in church. There is a church in practically every Filipino’s recall. Besides their role as bastions of the Catholic faith, they are poised as living monuments and proud standing witness to the Filipino heritage. They are reminders of an era in the country’s colorful history. The Pasig church, a celestial benefactor dwells to breathe life to the faithful each and every day of their pilgrimage to the Lord; the Inmaculada Concepcion de Pasig is a loving Mother, a patron­ess, a nurturer, a provider, and a counsel to the Pasiguenos.