VISITA IGLESIA

TO
ARCHITECTUR
E
 VISITA IGLESIA
■ While Intramuros was a true hub of religion in its heyday, with more
than 10 churches and chapels within the walled city itself at one point
in its history, the arrabales had its own churches. As Manila and its
suburbs grew, these churches, over time, became important bastions of
both history and religion.
■ Nowadays, there are a lot of churches sprawled around the streets of
Manila. Many of these have roots that have come from decades ago.
From the old Manila that used to be confined within the walls, here we
visit the seven churches of the old arrabales.
 VISITA IGLESIA IN MANILA: A
BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO
SEVEN OF MANILA’S CHURCHES
Tondo Church (Archdiocesan Shrine of the Santo
Niño)
by Adam Daniel Reyes
■ The current church, completed in 1695 – the Santo Niño de Tondo Parish
(commonly known as Tondo Church) was established by the Spanish Agustinian
Friars in 1572. It houses an infant image of Jesus (Santo Niño) which originally
came from Acapulco, Mexico. The current church was believed to be the exact
location where the house of Lakandula (King of Tondo) was located. 
■ Its architectural style is neo-classical, built using masonry. Its structural envelope
is characterized by minimal ornamentation with Ionic rectangular pilasters that
are attached from its main façade. Also, its buttresses support the unproportioned
domes of the bell towers. There have been many restorations and renovations of
the church due to calamities or war, two of which are the 1863 earthquake and
during World War II – the Japanese forces used the church as their cuartel.
Today, the Tondo Church measures 65 m long, 22 m wide and 17 m high. It
attracts thousands of tourists and parishioners, especially during the fiesta of the
Santo Niño de Tondo every third week of January.
Santa Ana Church (National Shrine of the Nuestra Señora de
los Desamparados)
by Ken Tatlonghari
■ Santa Ana Church in Manila is formally known as the Parish of Our Lady of the
Abandoned, which was originally founded by the Franciscans in 1578 under the
patronage of Saint Anne, grandmother of Jesus Christ. But the present stone church
was constructed under Fr. Vicente Inglés from 1720 to 1725 with a new patron —
Our Lady of the Abandoned. Fr. Inglés was a devotee of the image of La Nuestra
Señora de los Desamparados in Valencia, Spain and decided to have a copy of it
made for the parish in Manila.
■ As for the architecture of the church, adobe blocks were used in its construction with
the façade being divided into three levels. The pediment is crowned by Vitruvian-
scrollwork and has notable octagonal windows.
■ But what makes the church unique can be found inside — the Camarín de la
Virgen (Dressing Room of the Virgin). It is a chapel room just behind the second
level of the retablo where the image of the patroness is located. The figure sits in an
octagonal niche (hornacina), while the hornacina rests on a platform which was part
of the galleon that carried the image to the Philippines — the Santo Cristo de Burgos.
Ermita Church (Archdiocesan Shrine of the Nuestra Señora de
Guia)
by Bea Dolores
■This church served an important role in maritime history of the Philippines. It also holds the
mysterious oldest Marian image in the country, Our Lady of Guidance or Nuestra Señora de
Guia. This small, morena icon wasn’t part of Magellan nor Miguel Lopez de Legazpi’s ships,
yet the latter’s soldier saw it being revered by a group of natives by the shores of Manila bay
in 1571 – adorned with pandan leaves forming an altar, columns and more. 
■Our Lady of Guidance was moved to the first church where Manila Cathedral now stands, but
was placed back in the constructed temple in Ermita because it was said that whenever it has
been removed from its original place, they will find it back again on the next day. Several
solemn events and traditions grew from the construction of Ermita church and the Marian
icon’s favors to sailors, like the solemn nine-day festival that included a procession of the
image from Ermita church to Manila Cathedral every time a galleon comes back safely from
New Spain despite the turbulent seas.
■The notable 16th century Ermita church was said to have a wide nave proportionate to its 25
cub. ft. high walls. It had a huge shell-adorned lantern on top of its belltower which served as
a beacon of light for the mariners traversing the mouth of Manila bay. Unfortunately, it was
destroyed by an earthquake back in 1610. Several reconstructions like the 1885 one of
Lorenzo Guerrero’s, who was called “master” by Jose Rizal and was a teacher to architect
Juan Arellano. 
Malate Church (Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Parish)
by Bea Dolores
■ Malate church’s unique stone façade is considered as one of the most interesting
edifice designs in the Philippines. Its design for more than four (4) and a half
centuries is inspired with Moorish elements partly due to Spain’s reception to the
Islamic architectural style in the later half of 1600s. The architect remains
unknown. It graciously stands amidst the large acacia trees since the 1930s.
■ Augustinian friars built the first church in the village of Malate, formerly known
as “Maalat” back in Sept. 8, 1588. Several destruction from earthquakes, fears
from Limahong invasion, and a typhoon fated the church and its convent until the
first half of the 19th century. Malate church became a notable part of the British
occupation history as it served as its headquarters back in 1762. This is also the
oldest church to be dedicated to Virgen de los Remedios. Its two feet Marian
image’s puffed butterfly sleeves were presumably the origins of the Filipino
terno’s sleeve design. Mothers bring their children to Malate church for
protection and care of the blessed Virgin.
Sta. Cruz Church (Archdiocesan Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament)
by Chaeyeon
■ This church was first established on 20 June 1619 by the Jesuits to cater to the Chinese population in
the area. A replica of the image of Nuestra Señora del Pilar was enshrined in this church- in 1743, the
confraternity was canonically founded. It was in the grounds near this church where the British
General handed over the keys of Manila back to Governor-General Anda in 1764.

The church was rebuilt a number of times. It was expanded in 1672, then later in 1850. It collapsed
in the June 1863 earthquake, when it was then reconstructed beginning 1868. The church, along with
most of Manila, succumbed to fire and shelling in the Liberation of Manila in 1945, leaving only a
shell of the church. The historic May 1945 concert by the Manila Symphony Orchestra was held in
the ruins of this church.

The current church was built over the ruined shell in 1957. It is designed with a blend of Spanish
Baroque and Mission architecture, with Romanesque influences in the interior of the church.

In 2017, Pope Francis granted the Canonical coronation of the image replica. In 2018, Cardinal Tagle
raised the status of the church into an Archdiocesan Shrine as part of the Corpus Christi celebrations.
The church celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2019 in a year-long celebration.
San Marcelino Church (Saint Vincent de Paul Parish)
by Riel A. A. Diala
■ In 1875, the Congregation of the Mission (CM) purchased 60,000 square meters of land along
San Marcelino Street for the society’s country house. With concerns to provide a public worship
space, a storehouse in the property was converted into a chapel. This was replaced in 1883, the
chapel becoming the parish church of Paco from 1899 to 1909 when the former Paco Church was
destroyed during the Philippine-American War. With the approach of the 50th anniversary of the
Vincentians’ arrival in the Philippines in July 1912, the congregation planned to inaugurate, on
that date, a church dedicated to their founder, Saint Vincent de Paul. However, due to delays
during the construction, solemnities did not occur until December of the same year.
■ With the support of Manila Archbishop Jeremiah J. Harty, the chapel’s elevation to a parish and
its separation from the Parish of San Fernando de Dilao, the Church of Saint Vincent de Paul
became the first parish in the country to be under the Vincentian fathers. According to Dela Goza
and Cavanna (1985), the church was designed by Spanish engineer Don Francisco Perez Muñoz,
built by contractor Mr. R. Loper, and cost around PHP 100,000 for its construction. The church is
also one of the earliest religious structures in the country built of reinforced concrete.
Unfortunately, the church was not spared from the war, with Japanese forces burning the interior
out of despair with the approaching American troops. The structure’s stable construction was still
standing after the war and was restored to its current state under the auspices of Fr. Antonio
Gomez who was the parish priest from 1948 to 1954, and again from 1957 to 1964.   
Paco Church (San Fernando de Dilao Parish)
by Angela Piguing
■ The church was first established in the mid-1500’s. The community back then was thriving
with dilao shrubs; a plant whose yellow roots were used for food coloring, hence the name. 
■ It was adaptation resulting from rebellion that led to the destruction of earlier iterations of Paco
Church. The original church once stood closer to San Marcelino and Pasig River was dedicated to Our
Lady of the Purification, which was destroyed, first by a reconstruction from bamboo to adobe in
1599, to being destroyed during the Chinese rebellion in 1603, and then the invasion of English forces
in 1762. The church was then subsequently moved inland, along with the community, to where it now
stands; Santiago in the southwest and Peña de Francia in the northeast. Despite the move and the town
renamed as San Fernando, the community has retained the moniker Dilao, hence the name.
■ The church would be torn down and rebuilt for three more times at its new site, and would see a
change of the order in charge for the church. Towards the end of the Spanish era to the early years of
the American period (1894–1908) several parishes, including San Fernando de Dilao, were
abandoned. The parish then fell to the hands of the Belgian Scheut Missionaries (CICM), where Paco
Catholic School and the church itself would then be built through the years. Paco Church was
destroyed during World War II, and then rebuilt gradually to what it is today. The church has an
eclectic mix of Neoclassical, Mudejar on its twin towers, and minute details of other styles. The
Belgian order that held the church was turned over to a local diocese. Additionally, the church served
as a Pro-Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Manila when the Manila Cathedral underwent an extensive
renovation from 2012 to 2014.
THANK YOU!