Chingky Quijano ♥: Iloilo - Heart of the Philippines

To continue our Iloilo tour.. Last in the towns we'll be visiting are Miagao and San Joaquin.

MIAGAO CHURCH

Was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 1993. It is one of the few remaining Baroque churches in the country. In baroque-romanesque style, the church sinks six (6) meters deep into the ground with walls one-and-a-half (1 1/2) meters thick and buttresses thrice thicker in size.

Only the construction of the church took 10 years to finish. According to the caretaker/lay minister of the church, during that time, the locals were asked to bring block of stones and eggs as their contribution for the construction of the church.

Amazing carvings on the facade of the church.

Baptistery with Mary's image in Filipiniana.

Image of Mary made of pure wood.

Can you see the image of Sacred Heart?

Meron pa daw ibang image pero di ko na matukoy kung sino at nasaan. :)

With the caretaker/lay minister, Noel.

Then he says: Noel in church means Christmas. Noel in politics means No Election but Noel in Miagao means Nothing Except Love!

(like ko to! win! makagawa nga din ng meaning ng name ko. chos!)

GARIN FARM
Purok 2, San Joaquin, Iloilo
http://www.garinfarm.com/

Entrance fee is Php150.00. No student, senior citizen or children-below-4feet discounts. The other activities such as the use of swimming pool, zipline, horseback riding, kayaking, fishing etc. has its separate payment.

Dahil nashock ako sa entrance fee, I tried to haggle and be extra nice with the lady in the cashier. Haha. Anyway, bawal daw e. So, okay na lang. :)

And as expected, we were welcomed by the vegetables and the farm animals.

Vines plus those hanging vegetables on the way to the pilgrimage

We dropped by the Bahay Kubo surrounded with the vegetables in the song Bahay Kubo, in order! Sing as you pass by each of the vegetable.

After passing through the vegetables and animals, we had a view of their lagoon from above.

Many water activities to choose from!

Swimming pool is just beside the lagoon. Infinity pool ang peg? Hihi.

And the pilgrimage starts...

The Creation

456 steps to the 101 ft. Divine Mercy Cross

The Birth of Christ

The Baptism of Christ at the Jordan River

The Last Supper

The Agony in the Garden

The Scourging at the Pillar

The Crucifixion and Death of Christ

The Resurrection

and the Ascension.

Wow ang view! :)

Ganda lang!

Haggard by those steps but my mind time traveled back to my religion class in elementary and high school.

SAN JOAQUIN CHURCH

Was declared as one of the National Cultural Treasures by the National Historical Institute. The church was built in 1869, under the supervision of the Spanish priest Tomas Santaren. It is made of limestones quarried from the mountains of Igbaras and white coral stones from the shores of San Joaquin.

It is known as the ONLY church in the country with a militaristic facade, incoporating the bas-relief mural Rendicion de Tetuan (The Surrender of Tetouan).