Pampanga: Oh surREAL!

MARCH 11, 2017— It took a lot of brainstorming to figure out where our group was going to travel. We decided on the fact that we all want to keep it local. So we decided on Pampanga— Bacolor, Pampanga, to be exact.

San Guillermo ChurchBefore the trip, I did a little background check on San Guillermo church. I found out that it was first constructed by Augustinian Friars (same as the old churches in Bulacan like the one in Calumpit and the one in Bulakan), and it has stood its ground for nearly 440 years.

But that’s not what peeked our interest into paying a visit. The church was as strong as an independent woman (no joke). It was hit by an earthquake in 1880 and was rebuilt in 1886, but that’s not the most tragic part. More recently, it fell victim to the aftermath of Mt. Pinatubo’s 1991 eruption, burying half of the church’s structure in lahar.

But now, onto our visit.

When we got to San Guillermo, we immediately took interest in the church’s grounds, more commonly known as the patio ng simbahan. It was certainly very spacious, with trees surrounding it and plants sprouting from the ground. It was also very clean and tidy. The locals were already preparing for the Holy Week and are putting violet flags all over the grounds.

The façade of the church was also a sight to behold. It wasn’t really noticeable at first that the church was sunken. It had a Spanish era-look to it and has a touch of baroque architecture that Augustinians are very well known for. Its belfry is standing majestically on its left with a few bats flying around it.

Next, we entered the museum which is located at the right side of the church.

At first look, I thought that it was only just a walkway with shade, but no. It was the roof, and the grills I thought were canals were actually windows. Patchworks of wooden beams made up the roof. They were quite the antiques and gave off the feeling that they can fall any minute.

When we got to the museum, we first went to the Adoration chapel located on the right side of the hall.

San Guillermo Church produced headlines on the news last December 2016 when thieves robbed its adoration chapel of its blessed sacrament (mostly made out of brass, copper, silver or gold). The church was shut down for a few weeks to perform certain rituals to once again consecrate the church. When we got there, I noticed that security was tight and there were also CCTC cameras present inside, especially in the adoration chapel.

Next, the museum.

It was filled with paintings from the Mt. Pinatubo explosion and its aftermath. It also contained paintings of how people lived in Bacolor back then. The room had an eerie feel to it. There were only four of us in the room and I had the feeling that the roof was going to fall any minute. But on the other hand, the room was also quite fascinating. There was so much history and so much to learn. I mean, wow. The paintings on display were amazing, a true depiction of the Filipino talent.

Next, the Parish Archives.

If the museum was full of paintings, the Parish Archives were full of photographs (the photographer in me had her heart skip a beat when she entered the room). The photos were from the old days up to the presents. They depicted the several rituals, masses, and celebrations done in the church. Some showed architecture, others statues of saints that are far older than we are.

There were also old statues and icons surrounding the Archives, giving off the same eerie vibe that the museum gave.

Now, let’s enter the church.

 

 

Compared to other churches that are as old as this one, it was quite simple. Wooden beams were strewn across the roof, and its floors are just standard rock. You can see on either side of the inside that the windows are only as high as half a man’s body. You have to bend to have a look through any one of them. There are also ceiling fans present, and when turned on can provide ventilation for the whole interior.

Next, let’s move on to the central attraction— the Retablo Mayor.

San Guillermo Church’s main altar or Retablo Mayor is covered in gold leaves. In it are the images of saints that Bacolor holds dear. Some of these include San Guillermo, San Agustin, at Sta. Monica.

The Belfry

VOX DEI. Bells of San Guillermo.

Translated as “God’s voice” from Latin, these bells date back to hundreds of years ago. They—the old and new ones— are contained in the belfry of San Guillermo. We entered the inside of the belfry, and when I looked up, I could see strewn wooden beams over each other and bats flying all around the inside of the belfry. I learned that there were two ways of ringing the bells, one for the dead, the Agunyas de Ponebres, and one to call people when it’s time to go to church, the Esquilla Mayor.

Lastly, the mandatory selfie in front of the Church. :)

The San Guillermo Church is a sight to behold, especially during the Holy Week when everything is in full swing and they have their holy Wednesday and Good Friday processions. I promised myself that very day that I’ll be returning to see the holy week specials that San Guillermo has to offer. This has indeed been a wonderful journey, and an educational one too.

For those of you who’d like to experience San Guillermo, you can take the NLEX route and then exit at San Fernando, then turn right to the route going to Olongapo, and when you see a sign that says “San Guillermo Church” on the left side, turn left then straight on. The church won’t hide from you. It is clearly very visible.

Oh, and after out visit, we ate lunch at Lelut Baculud, a nearby karinderia just a few minutes from the church. Try their ginataang puso ng saging. It was amazing!

If you'd like to further visualize our travel, we made a video especially just for you. :) Check it out!