The Balayan Church
After spending some time with the Shrine of Caysasay and touring the miraculous Well of Saint Lucy, we headed down to the town of Balayan Batangas. It’s starting to get dark and we supposed to have two more churches to visit but we don’t think we have enough time so the Balayan Church concludes our pilgrimage tour.
Though not as grand or magnificent as the other churches we have been, Immaculate Conception Parish Church or better known as the Balayan Church is actually considered as a National Cultural treasure as its construction was supervised by Filipino Seculars during the Spanish Colonial Period.
A historical marker in front of the church. The church has stood for more than 400 years which makes it one of the oldest churches in Batangas and in Southern Tagalog. The first church was constructed using poor materials under the management of Franciscan Priest on 1579 then it was later turned to the Jesuits in 1591. The construction of the stone church was started in 1749 and was completed in 1759. The church was later supervised by Spanish Seculars in 1753, then the Recolletos in 1876 and eventually turned to Filipino Seculars in 1908 
The facade of the church. The church is mostly built in coral stone, wood and bricks. It has a four layer bell tower.
The nave of the church 
Check out this stunning ceiling depicting different events taken from the bible
The church also lend a small room containing some statues and images of the saints. 
Images: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Miraculous Medal and Our Lady of Lourdes 
The Sto Entierro and other saints 
Few meters from the church is a stone arc depicting angels and doves. Located beside the church is the Immaculate Conception College which was an old convent. This finally concludes our Pilgrimage in Batangas. We were supposed to visit the Calaruega but it’s to dark already and we have to go back in Cavite. It was such a rewarding experience to me and I would love to visit all these churches again. For those who missed my previous posts, you can visit them again here.
St Thomas Aquinas Parish │St Padre Pio National Shrine │St Therese And The Child Of Jesus Parish │San Sebastian Cathedral │Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Parish │Minor Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours │Shrine of Caysasay │ Balayan Church
Of course this pilgrimage will not be completed without bringing home some souvenirs
The ceiling looks awesome and colourful. You visited so many churches in one trip. Great.
thanks TM…yes.. I got more to come LOL
this trip is indeed making you see lots of awesome churches, yet you did not have enough time for the remaining two, what a waste.. hmmm, i wonder if you will be planning another trip and then make sure you have enough time for all the churches??
standing there for more than 4 centuries, that is very amazing!! and so well kept a church it is.. though aged from the outside but the inside is so well maintained, and i personally like the ceiling the most, it’s beautiful..
yes.. that’s a very productive trip indeed
Thank you very much for sharing your story about this beautiful churches. Inggit na ako sa iyo nyan. Hehehe…sana makapunta din ako sa mga napuntahan mo.
haha naku Ish .. alam kong mapupuntahan mo yan.. you can travel nga overseas eh…
thanks Ish!
The painting is spectacular. I wish I could visit someday. 🙂
Thanks Lux
The series of church posts make me think that I am missing a lot from my very own country. It is highly visible though that the churches have their distinct structures and faces but serving one valid purpose. I wonder how many old churches are there in the Philippines.
thanks Sir Jo
The church interior’s reminds me of El Filibusterismo. I don’t know why, but I remembered vividly while reading Rizal’s novel back in high school, the church’s interior is what I’d always imagine when there’s a scene in churches or convents. 🙂
thanks Renz
The place looks familiar. I must have passed by the church before. The interior looks really beautiful plus it’s also a heritage site.
thanks Franc