Picking up from where I left off, let’s take a short walk at the Old Spanish Church Ruins in the island of Camiguin. If you try to look it up online, it’s referred to by several other names, including the Guiob Church Ruins, the Old Catarman Church Ruins and, possibly the simplest of all, the Old Church Ruins.
After our lunch at the Sto. Nino Cold Springs, (I blogged about that here), our guide-slash-multicab-driver brought us to the Old Church Ruins.
The Old Church Ruins is located at Brgy. Bonbon in Catarman, along the national highway. It is regulated by the provincial government, so admission is free. However, visitors are encouraged to make a donation of any amount when they visit.
Let’s talk history a bit…
This pile of ruins is pretty old. And by pretty old, I actually mean ancient.
The original church dates back to the 16th century, when the Philippines was still under Spanish occupation. It fell into ruin when Mt. Vulcan, the island’s alpha volcano, erupted in May 13, 1871, pretty much burying the entire town and most of the island.
From the outside, from the road, it looks nothing like a structure that used to be a church. No tall bell tower or cross that indicates it used to be a place for worship. Just… a relatively long stretch of stone wall overran with moss and some clinging vines.
When you walk in and go past the walls, however, you’d see this.
Yep, this stretch used to be the actual church, sans the pews and ornate decor we’ve come to know of Spanish churches. I suppose the walls we see today are the upper walls, since the actual floor has been buried over time, no thanks to the accumulation of soil and whatnot.
I read somewhere that there used to be a chapel at the end of the church area, probably constructed long after the volcanic eruption. But when we went there several months ago, there was no chapel. Instead, there was just a wooden table, marking the area where it – or an altar – used to be.
Interesting fact: the church was constructed using corals instead of the usual stone and rock type of masonry we’ve become familiar with. Look closely and you’d see those corals deep on the walls.
Step out of the Church ruins and you’ll find yourself in a wide green expanse of bermuda grass, where I picture churchgoers lounging about after mass for some rest and relaxation.
There’s such a calm vibe in that space. It is said to be the “leisure area”, and I can totally see why.
This is how the walls of the Church looks like from the leisure area. That structure at the far end is what remained of the bell tower.
I love how the trees, which looked really old as well, seemed like they were propping the walls up, almost as if protecting what’s left of this centuries-old structure.
On the other side of the leisure area, opposite the western wall of the old church and overlooking the ocean, is what is left of the old convent.
The old convent, from what I can deduce from this visit, was built in the same manner as the main church, which means it’s mostly made of corals. Quite impressive, as these walls, although in ruins, have practically stood up against the elements and the passage of time, almost 4 centuries later.
Right beside the ruins of the old convent is this huuuuuuuuuge tree that is also ancient, probably even older than the actual church, but even stronger and more stalwart than the man-made structures beside it.
I’m not quite sure what tree it is, but it is so tall that none of our cameras can take a full shot of it from below.
Our “us puny humans” shots, haha!
The red ants on the foot of the tree were ridiculously huge, though, so we had to take photos as fast as we can because… ouch.
By the way, at the far end of the leisure area is a mound with a wooden cross on it, surrounded by what looked like wildflowers.
And here’s a closer look at the remains of the bell tower of the church.
The place was so quiet and serene that cool but humid afternoon that it was just a relaxing time going around and about the place, taking photos. We actually went our own ways for a while, with some going underneath the tall trees on the north side of the old church, while some just sat by the mound for some quiet time alone with their thoughts.
Believe me, this place is perfect for some introspection, if that’s what you’re looking for.
I can’t help but wonder, however: will this place still be here, in this state, a hundred years from now?
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