koko & everything else

koko & everything else

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A Road Less Travelled: Visita Iglesia de Malate (or Manila)



Holy week for me was all fun and adventure… that was the usual getaway. Sand, beach and more sand!

But this 2011, I decided to change my course. It’s been a while since I last attended a mass, so maybe, a little sacrifice for God is what I needed to do to make up for it.

Visita Iglesia. Or simply church visit. But to give it a little twist… we visited 7 churches on foot. Yes, we walked the whole time.

So our Journey started… but to make it more interesting, we decided to focus our church visit to a few spots in manila or specifically Malate that was less popular. Instead of going to big cathedrals and churches like that in Baclaran or Barasoain, we opted to get to know a few hidden churches that are totally and unbelievably alive and still existing.

FIRST STOP: SANTISIMA TRINIDAD PARISH
LOCATION: Estrada Street, Malate
LANDMARKS: If you happen to know the road to Angelo King (College of St. Benilde) from Taft Avenue, just go straight. It’s the little white-painted church on your left side. You can also go there via SLEX (But you gotta be careful coz you might miss Estrada Street from there)
COMMENT: I’m fairly familiar with this place coz we used to hear mass every Sunday at Santisima when I was a kid. So re-visiting it now seems like a trip down memory lane. It felt good to see the church again, but now, along with unfamiliar faces.




SECOND STOP: ST. MARTIN DE PORRES CHAPEL
LOCATION: Pasaje Galvan, Leon Guinto Street, Manila
LANDMARKS: It’s along Leon Guinto. Between San Andres St. and Estrada St. It’s a bit hard to find since you got to go through this small road (Esquinita) to get there. The best thing to do is once you see the old hotel called Kanumayan, ask for directions!
COMMENTS: It’s really interesting to see a chapel in the middle of a residential and crowded esquinita (or narrow road). And what’s more interesting is, it’s located at the second floor of a residential house. The church’s a bit small and tight but once you get it, it’s really holy inside.







THIRD STOP: ST. ANTHONY DE PADUA PARISH
LOCATION: San Andres St. Manila
LANDMARK: Jollibee on its left. Nearby 7-11. It’s surrounded with different shops, fast foods, and street vendors. It’s totally crowded.
COMMENTS: This is our parish church back when I was in Elementary and High school. It’s our school’s church actually. So it’s really nice to be back there. I remember our First Friday masses and our recognition days… This is a church full of memories.





FOURTH STOP: ST. PIUS X CHURCH
LOCATION: Neptune Corner 7th Street, Manila
LANDMARK: If you are familiar with the streets of Manila, you might be aware of the street called Onyx. From south super hi-way (northbound) turn right to San Andres, then you’ll come across a fork, take the left street (Diamante St.) then. Go straight, and then you’ll get to an intersection (Onyx Street), turn left. At this point, you’ll be driving (or walking) a fairly long road. On your left side, watch out for the 7th street. Once you turn left (again) you’ll never fail to see the church from there.
COMMENTS: When we got there, the church was under renovation and scaffoldings where all over the place. But even with all the stuff, the church is alive with lots of people hearing the night’s mass. I wasn’t really able to get inside coz I didn’t want to disturb the people.





FIFTH STOP: PAROKYA NI SAN FERNANDO DE DILAO
LOCATION: Paz Street, Paco, Manila
LANDMARK: You can never miss it at night, since its smacked right in the middle of the market area of Paco, Manila with colorful lanterns hanging from tree branches.
COMMENTS: For so many years that I’ve stayed in manila, it’s my first time to actually get inside this church. I used to dread the idea of going to Paco since it can get real messy with the public market on site. But that night, it was fairly quiet compared to its usual craziness. Church-goers flocked and were even excited to get inside the huge church.







SIXTH STOP: NUESTRA SENORA DE GUIA PARISH
LOCATION: MH Del Pilar corner Flores St. Ermita
LANDMARK: Ermita park and 7-11 just across the church. You can never miss it, especially if you are a regular malate-goer
COMMENTS: This place was where my mom went to school during her elementary years. It was kinda old, and surrounded by night clubs and bar. It’s actually ironic that there is a church in the middle of this night district. We all know what’s really going on with those night bars. Maybe it’s a way to reach out to those who are lost and confused. Or maybe it’s plain coincidence.








SEVENTH STOP: CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF REMEDIES (aka MALATE CHURCH)
LOCATION: MH Del Pilar Street
LANDMARK: Easiest way to get to Malate Church is via Roxas Boulevard (Baywalk Area) then when you see Aristocrat Restaurant (you can’t miss it!), just turn right. You’ll see Malate Church in an instant!
COMMENTS: For our last stop for our Manila/Malate Visita Iglesia, we chose to get to the famous Malate Church. Actually, it’s a memorable place for me since this is where I was baptized 25 years ago. It’s amazing that it is still existing and much patronized by people. I just hope that in the next 25 years of my life, I can still go back to this place and be able to reminisce.





NOTE: Really sorry about the blurry pics. I forgot to bring my camera... tsk tsk.. so its my phone that saved the day...

2 comments:

  1. I was also baptized at Malate Church 62 years ago,I am so sure that church will still stand another 50-100 years or more. God willing.

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    1. i think its important to preserve churches like Malate Church, not only because it's one of the longstanding buildings around, but its actually something that represents the history and culture of us, Filipinos

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