For Catholics in the Philippines, visiting seven churches to pray the Stations of the Cross on Maundy Thursday is a tradition many continue to uphold. While some follow a regular route, usually starting

from the farthest to the one nearest their home, others look beyond their neighborhoods.

JC Buendia: Small, quiet churches

Designer JC Buendia said he prefers the smaller churches where he can pray silently: “My favorites are Our Lady of Caysasay in Taal, Batangas; St. Josemaria Escriva along McArthur Highway in Gerona, Tarlac; San Diego Pro-Cathedral in Silay; and Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Cubao, Quezon City.”

The Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay is built of coral. Legend has it that the Virgin’s image was discovered in the fishing net of Juan Maningkad, a religious man who was fishing in the Pansipit River in 1603.

“From there, you can go to the next town, Lemery, for its famous halo-halo,” Buendia pointed out.

The neo-gothic church of St. Josemaria Escriva in Tarlac has been called a “drive-through” church because the back of the main tabernacle of the church has a glass window visible from the driveway.

Architect-priest Fr. Alex Bautista said in an interview four years ago with then Lifestyle columnist Josie Darang that from the highway, “You can go around and stop at the back of the tabernacle, and you can visit without leaving your car.”

Buendia suggests stopping at Isdaan restaurant nearby before heading back to Manila.

Meanwhile, “If you take the first flight out to Bacolod that usually leaves around 4 a.m., you can catch the 6 a.m. Mass at San Diego Pro-Cathedral,” he said, “and then have breakfast of chorizo pudpud and coffee at El Ideal after.”

The church is the only Pro-Cathedral outside Manila, and is unique in Negros Occidental for being the only one in the province with a cupola or dome.

Buendia, who studied at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral School in Cubao, remembers sketching the bell tower of the church from his Grade 5 classroom.

“Since Cubao became a diocese, the church was elevated to cathedral status and underwent a beautiful renovation retaining its simple grandeur,” Buendia wrote on his blog, My Refrigerator Door.

Milo Naval’s Sorsogon stops

Furniture designer Milo Naval is based in Sorsogon, where he and wife Kay run the boutique hotel Siama. On Maundy Thursday, he and his family usually start their Visita Iglesia around 4 p.m.

“We have 14 towns and one city to visit, but we don’t really get to visit all of them,” Naval said. “The province is composed of two districts. We normally take the second district where we can do seven. We start off with the farthest church, which is in Irosin, followed by the churches in Juban, Casiguran, Gubat, Barcelona, Bacon, and ending at the Cathedral in Sorsogon City.”

These old churches were constructed from the 1500s to the 1800s, Naval said.

The town of Irosin is known for its delicious pili candies because of its proximity to Mt. Bulusan, where the best tasting pili nuts grow in volcanic soil.

“In Gubat, there’s this kakanin called ‘timitim’ cassava cake topped with coconut milk and pili nut pieces that seem to melt in your mouth,” Naval said. “Bacon, meanwhile, is known for pili roasted in coco sugar and wrapped in leaves, called ‘conserva.’”

Gino Gonzales’ troves of art

Production designer and scenographer Gino Gonzales included four churches on his list: Santiago Apostol Parish Church in Paete, Laguna; St. Joseph the Worker Chapel in Victorias,
Negros Occidental; San Isidro Labrador in Lazi, Siquijor; and St. Augustine Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Gonzales’ favorite destination since college, the Santiago Apostol Church, is nestled between a mountainside and Laguna Lake.

“The townsfolk of talented wood carvers created the baroque altars and other decorative features of the church interiors,” Gonzales said. “There are three huge, important murals painted on wooden panels that must be seen by anyone interested in Philippine art. The way to the church is lined with quaint shops selling traditional papier-mâché toys and woodcarvings. It’s impossible not to come home empty-handed.”

He described the townspeople as respectful and possessing a reverence for their cultural heritage. The Holy Week traditions include a procession of biblical characters built like animated, wooden marionettes.
The chapel in Victorias is known for the “Angry Christ” painted by Alfonso Osorio, whose indigenized imagery extends all over the chapel.

Benjamin Valenciano, a carpenter from Victoria’s Mill, carved Filipinized images of the 14 Stations of the Cross. A Belgian liturgical artist, Adelaide de Bethune, created religious mosaics from broken glass that reflected the skin color and physique of the workers in the hacienda.

“It was a trailblazing effort in post-World War II, and a testament to the common language shared by artists and artisans from various parts of the world,” Gonzales said.

On the way back to Bacolod City, one can pass by El Ideal bakery for panara or “guapple” pie.

The San Isidro Labrador Church in Siquijor is one of Gonzales’ favorites because it has not been too altered: “I was particularly amazed by a church interior that had clearly matching motifs, which call to mind traditional Asian imagery like the lotus. Even the processional carriage or carroza matches the altar.

“At the time of my visit, the polychrome on the altars and other church furniture were in relatively original state. Set against the lore surrounding the island of Siquijor, the church exudes an honest folk charm that will hopefully withstand the onslaught of contemporary sensibilities.”

Paoay Church, with its distinct buttresses, is also a favorite.
“I first saw Paoay church in the middle of the night against the vast darkness,” Gonzales said. “Its imposing façade was all lit up, and gave the impression of a temple in Borobudur rather than an ancient Catholic church done in the Baroque style. It’s a marvelous façade, and one wonders how much labor it took at a time when major construction equipment was unavailable. The scale of the 24 ‘earthquake baroque’ buttresses must be seen up close to appreciate this architectural marvel.”

Gonzales suggests bagnet or pinakbet pizza at Café Herencia across the church, saying, “It’s a fusion of traditional Ilocano fare and Italian cuisine.”