AHP VISITS NAGCARLAN, LILIW AND MAJAYJAY

Facade of San Bartolome

I've written about the churches of Nagcarlan and its underground cemetery and Majayjay and its majestic church and heritage hoes before. And when I learned that the Advocates for Heritage Preservation was going to do a walking tour of these locations I immediately signed up so I could visit these areas again.

Convento of San Bartolome

This time, I was in a van with Alice de Vera Vasquez, Bhel Asinas et.al. who all came from the Makati pick up point. Our first stop was the underground cemetery of Nagcarlan. For a first time visitor, it can be a real surprise to visit. Its historical significance and architectural uniqueness makes it a definite must see.(For details on it, see my earlier post on Nagcarlan and Majayjay)

 Dennis Roland Castanos, Dennis Geronimo Red Maristany, Vica Tigno, Maricar Anatalio, Esquierdo Bhel Asinas and Dodi Esc at Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

We were welcomed by the tourism officers of this  town and then we were off exploring the underground chamber where the obligatory selfies and groupies were taken for posterity. After this was the short drive to the church of San Bartolome. There was a wedding/s so we had to wait for our turn to be able to meander along the church's ancient aisles. A short talk on the church's history was given by our guest who "made extensive studies of all the churches in southern Luzon." I managed to reach the belfry and have my photo taken. Vilma Santos' film Kampanera'ng Kuba (Hunchbacked Bellringer) was filmed here. After which we boarded our respective vans to have lunch in Liliw. Again, you must read an older post on this blog site if you wish to know more on Liliw.

channeling my inner "Kampanera'ng Kuba"

Prior to lunch, we stopped at the San Juan Church of of Liliw where we were met by a young lad who was in charge of the museum. This was a treat for me. Everytime I visited Liliw, the museum was always closed. Finally, this time I got to see the museum's content. I wasn't much but there was a vignette of Christ's baptism by John and another vignette of St. John's eventual demise. A gruesome scenario of the saint's beheading.  

a gruesome beheading

with Faviola Torres, Enrico Brion Gapangada and Jigs Medina

Lunch would have been a culinary treat at Bahay na Puti except that we had to wait for more than an hour for our order to be set at the table. Apparently, the chef was overwhelmed by the size of our group. This isn't the biggest AHP gathering, mind you. I guess they were not prepared for the volume of diners this time around. We then meandered the streets of Liliw to view some heritage homes but were not able to go in. Shopping then, became the main agenda.

,Rheeza Santiago HernandezDennis Geronimo Red Maristany,Jose Benigno Salvador, Arwin Arca Arceo, Blanquita Pimentel Hernandez, Yitte P Hernandez.

Desspite of the Town Hall being closed on a Saturday, we were allowed entry by the caretaker. Unfortunately, I noticed that the mural on the second floor by Amorsolo was no longer there. Apparently, it had been taken down for "restoration". I hope it doesn't end up in someone else's home...

Liliw Municipal Hall

Finally, it was time to visit Majayjay. The church and its surroundings look the same. Unfortunately, the Lyceo was closed off to the public as there were no classes. I was not able to show them the original beam that had the date 1898 carved into it. A part of the roof was blown away during the storm Pedring. Luckily, part of the roof was kept intact. The gnarled trees of plumeria right outside the side entrance planted and tendered lovingly by the priests at the time of the church construction remain sentries to the faithful who go through the arched doorway.

Plumeria trees at the side entrance

Retablo of San Gregorio Magno

We then visited the Ermita, a smaller church which houses the original painted image of Nstra. Sra, de Porteria. The church now is kept and maintained by a group of volunteers who open the gates for visitors interested in seeing its interiors. The belfry was said to be very fragile and in danger of crumbling. A serious retrofitting of the structure is in tall order.

The Ermita of Majayjay

Like all AHP visits, this one came to an end by sundown. The AHP family came home, sated, satisfied and having more knowledge of the country's best known secrets...

Nstra. Sra. de Porteria