Our twenty first entry in this blog is our trip to La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church (also The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary Parish Church), commonly known as Baclayon Church in the municipality of Baclayon, Bohol. This is my second visit in this beautiful Church. I still remember its grand indoor details way back in 2006.  But now, since it was destroyed in 2013 Bohol Earthquake, it is still under renovation. The church of Baclayon sustained major damage with its collapsed portico and bell tower.

(texts below are mostly from http://www.philippinesinsider.com/visayas/bohol/baclayon-church-a-trace-of-religious-history-in-bohol/)
It is an interesting spot if you want to learn things about the early history of the Philippines especially during the era of Spanish occupation.

The Baclayon Church is the oldest Catholic stone church building in the Philippines. It was constructed during the Spanish occupation and the first Spanish missionaries (called doctrineros) settled in the area in the late 15th century. Today you can still see the original stone structure of the Church. These artisans hauled coral stones from the sea, then skillfully cut them into square blocks, lifted the work using bamboo to move the stones into position, and piled them like bricks. About a million egg whites were used to cement the cut coral stones together.

The attractions we’ll see in the Baclayon Church include an old convent with a small museum. There you’ll see some centuries-old relics. Most artifacts you’ll see in the Baclayon Church museum are religious in nature.

I always love to visit historical places, but sometimes it is kind of scary. hehe… specially when there are lots of Saints and Statues like you see in Baclayon Church Museum. It feels like their eyes are alive and have witnessed hundreds or thousands of events, good and bad ones. And these memories are trapped in their eyes, that is why if I stare at them, it seems to me that they are going to shed tears or even blink. Haha! too much horror movies.  So here is the gang with our little Rei and Sai who, I am sure, will visit this place again soon.

Hope to visit again after the renovations 🙂