Going old school with this post this time, in the sense that I’ll be talking about some places that I first encountered through textbooks. I’m pretty sure that, when the province of Albay is mentioned, the first thing that’ll come to mind is the majestic and gorgeous Mayon Volcano. But, as my visit earlier this year to Legazpi, Albay has proven, there is more to this Bicolandia province than the perfect cone. One of them is the Daraga Church.
April of this year wasn’t really my first time to see Daraga Church. April of last year, 2015, I was also here with my friends and climbing buddies, since it was one of the stops of our impromptu side trip, after our Mt. Bulusan climb (which you can read about in a three-part post here).
And the Church was not really our main intention of going there. We wanted to try the supposedly famous “sili ice cream” of the restaurant Red Labuyo, which was located right beside Daraga Church. Unfortunately, that time, the restaurant was not serving anything, so we ended up just taking photos at the viewdeck of Mt. Mayon in the distance.
And, that time, the beautiful lady (Mt. Mayon, I mean) was obscured by clouds from our vantage point.
It was 3.30pm when we were there, and there was a wedding ceremony underway inside the Church. So that is one reason why we did not explore it further. But the bigger reason, and I’ll be honest about it, is that our legs were all aching and sore like crazy after the crazy (but fun!) trek we had up and down the volcano the previous day and that morning. So, yeah, we opted to just climb back on our rental van and head off. Haha!
But, what little we saw of it from the side looked really impressive. That Bell Tower sure looked tall and proud, towering and lording over everything and everyone.
So I was really elated when, (fast forward one year later), on the one free morning we had last April, the City Tour booked by our bus for our 14-strong group included a visit to Daraga Church. This time, I resolved to check out more of it.
It was a clear, blue (and scorching hot) day, and the blue sky just provided the perfect backdrop to this picturesque facade of one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. No wonder it’s a perennial favorite when it comes to weddings.
The Daraga Church, or the Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish Church, is a Roman Catholic Church perched atop a hill in the town of Daraga. It takes around 15 minutes to get there from Legazpi City.
Supposedly, this impressive piece of architecture represents the “unwavering faith and resilience” of the Bicolanos.
The Church was built through the initiative of the Franciscan Order in 1773, and it is made entirely of stones and rocks. As the writings in the above pic state, in 1814, when the eruption of Mt. Mayon laid the nearby Cagsawa Church into ruins, the faithful moved to Daraga Church.
During World War II, the structure also served as a headquarters of the invading Japanese forces, which led to much of the place being destroyed or damaged. It wasn’t until 1971 that it underwent restoration work, and this lasted for about 3 years, completed in 1973.
We went inside the Church, where a wedding ceremony just took place, and the wedding party were having the last of their photos taken at the altar. Meanwhile, another group came bustling in, taking away the flowers and other decors and replacing them. Why? Because there will be another wedding ceremony in an hour. Maaaan, this place sure is busy.
Inside, it was really cool and breezy, in large part due to the high ceiling, and the thick stone walls and roof serving as excellent protection against the scorching heat of the sun. We sat for a bit, said our prayers, and just relaxed, feeling refreshed and invigorated.
It definitely helped that, when you look to your right, out the windows or the side doors, you will see a glimpse of the beautiful Mt. Mayon.
After a while, we stepped out to head to the Baptistery of the Church, which is located on its ride side. By the way, Nuestra Señora de la Porteria translates to “Our Lady of the Gate”.
Also, according to the plates, the entire area, specifically the Eastern and Western Facades of the Church, its Bell Tower, and this Baptistery, was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum on October 29, 2007.
What is inside, you ask? It looked like a mini-museum, with a large painting showing a montage of the history of the area, from the time the Spaniards were in power, until the present. And the two constants were Mt. Mayon and this stone church.
And there were also a line-up of statues of Jesus Christ, the Virgin of Penafrancia, and other saints and religious figures, with a wooden carving of the crucified Christ across them.
Our whole visit lasted only 15 minutes (we could’ve stayed longer, but the heat was killing us, and we had something to catch at 2pm. Short though it was, it did not fail to put us in awe. There is so much history in here, and I hope it remains stalwart in the decades and centuries to come.
If you’re anywhere in Legazpi, reaching this place is quite easy. Ride a tricycle or take a cab. Or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, and the weather or climate is on your side, WALK.
I leave you with this shot of Mt. Mayon taken before we got back on our van. Isn’t she just lovely? I’ll be working on a post on the Cagsawa Ruins in a bit, and already I am dreading having to choose through many beautiful photos of this perfection. Wish me luck.
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