" Baclayon Church "

Welcome to Baclayon Church.
among the must see whilst in Bohol,
which is only a short trip from Tagbilaran.
( the city's capital )

a piece of its history:
It's considered to be the 2nd oldest church here in the Phils.
I think what's interesting inside is, it's made of coral stone,
cut into blocks and piled atop each other.
It is believed that egg whites were used to cement the coral stone blocks together.



a closer look at the Bell tower,
still in tip top shape, obtained during the 1800's.



the entrance to the church.



warning:



from the inside looking out



is this the confession area? not sure...



the interior of the church has exquisitely carved gilded altars,
nave paintings, dichromatic tiled floors,
with large stained glass windows.
notice the super sharpness I did with this one.
the lighting just wasn't that good.







the ceiling





looking at the other side of the church



what used to be where the priest held his sermons.



the stained glass windows.



some emblematic heraldry i suppose...



its craftsmanship





a room full of saints, religious artifacts.







entrance fee for the museum costs 50.-( less than a dollar).



mom was so pissed when she took this one, because this lady just wouldn't
budge or move.



apparently, picture taking isn't allowed inside the museum.
for whatever reason we couldn't seem to decipher.
the artifacts inside weren't even that interesting to begin with.

so these are more or less, "stolen shots" .











this is a view from the museum.

the restroom.


a wishing well outside.



and of course, the souvenir shop

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" Binondo Church "

I have showed you Binondo church several times already, its exterior and interior,
this time though, the light was better, sadly though, my camera wasn't. ^0^
I somehow couldn't get the white balance right using a p*s.



I can't help looking up and see these wonderful depicted paintings of Christ and Mother Mary,not your usual trompe-l'oeil though.

warning: intentionally tilted the foto




Although, not your usual church goer,
I like visiting churches and appreciate how historic or modern it used to be.



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" German Cultural Centre "

This old and abandoned structure used to be the Goethe Institute,
would've been a good spot since its near the metro.

since then, illegal settlers have infested the area.
On the other hand though, this can be a potential urbex hunt. ^0^
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" Manila Cathedral in Renovation "

Tourists and Locals won't be able to visit one of the oldest churches here in Intramuros- The Manila Cathedral Church.

I can only count the times i've been there and never seen its interiors yet!
The basilica's facade ( i think) is a neo-romanesque inspired architecture dating back during the spanish times.

you can learn about its history in this Link. which is its official site.



According to recent news, it will temporarily shut down for at least a year, as the structure is in dire need of renovation, in fear that it may not be able to withstand, in case an earthquake shall occur. ( God forbid, knock on wood 3x)



the Latin inscription reads:
Tibi cordi tuo immaculato concredimus nos ac consecramus.
We consecrate to your immaculate heart and entrust to you (Mary) for safekeeping

credits: Wikipedia






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" The Lady and the Skull "

while this isn't my alma mater,
It is an institution that is considered to be one of the well known
universities here in the Phils.
and while I wish I have an inkling as regards to what this statue symbolizes,
the skull below the figure pretty much ( I think ) means that it has something to do with human body and medicine.

This is the UP College of Medicine established since 1905.

One of the halls is dedicated to an obstetrician doctor named Dr. Fernando Calderon.

Visit the school's main website if you wish to know more about it.
and more of Doctor Calderon's history at this site. ^0^
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" Manila Metropolitan Theatre "

It was once a respectable and distinguished establishment called The Metropolitan Theatre.
Designed by Juan Arellano during 1930's.
I did some post awhile back, but from afar, see here.





Looking closely at its patterns and details.
Beautiful Art Deco leftovers in this structure, as molds and mildew starts proliferating.








almost 6 months after, the place is clearly abandoned,
the structure, dilapidated than ever and worst,
housed by vagrants and illegal settlers.
A pity that until now, it has been overlooked by the government.
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" Angela Building "

another dilapidated tenement across the commercial district seen along Recto.
What's evident though, was the printed signage that perfectly marked how old this structure was.
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" Yutivo Building "

Many of the locals here might have looked through this structure,
hardly noticing what this edifice looks like.
Located along Dasmariñas, named after its owner called Yutivo.
Hard to believe that this one's been here since 1920's,
hence, the art deco-ish inspired architecture.



I would´ve like to shot the whole thing,
but during the day the street gets busy and much to preserving its decor,
there has been this obtrusive signs hanging out.




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" San Lorenzo Ruiz "

who is Lorenzo Ruiz ?



He's a well-loved patron saint and a martyr,
the first to be canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987 and
here in Binondo around the circle stands his statue.

Taken from The Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz website :

" San Lorenzo had a Chinese father and Tagalog mother who lived in the Parian district of Manila.
In 1636, Ruiz was implicated in a murder.
He sought help from his Dominican superiors .
Initially, Ruiz thought he was being sent to Taiwan, where he believed his Chinese roots would enable him to start a new life.
Little did he know that he and the missionary expedition led by Fray Domingo Ibanez was actually headed for Nagasaki, Japan, where feudalism was fanning the flames of Christian persecution.
Lorenzo Ruiz was headed straight into the arms of death. "

Beside the statue is also another commemorative monument in remembrance to those patriots who served the country.


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