Last April 2, my family and I got together to do a yearly Roman Catholic activity: Visita Iglesia. The goal is to visit a total of 7 churches with each visitation having recited a passage from the Stations of the Cross. Traditionally, it's done to repent one's sins or wrongdoing. Nowadays, the activity includes sightseeing to appreciate the environment and culture the church was built upon.
The first church we visited and, I found the most intriguing, was in Janiuay, Iloilo. It's one ride from Iloilo City and took us roughly 30 minutes to get there with little traffic. Upon arrival, I was greeted with the remnants of the ruined, red bricked church. The inside was covered by a tin roof, supported by steel columns. From my judgement, it used to be accessible but was now restricted due to the earthquake from last September.
The ruined church was large in its prime and resembles the prominent, architectural style of Santa Barbara Church. During World War 2, to prevent its usage as a garrison by the Japanese, Filipinos burned it to the ground. The new present-day church sits beside the ruins.
Janiuay Church is not the only ruined church in Iloilo. A few municipalities had their churches destroyed either by war or earthquakes. What remains are historical accounts of their construction, existence, and images of their facade captured by explorers.
After Janiuay, we went downwards to Cabatuan, then Santa Barbara, Pavia, Jaro, and finally stopped at Leganes. While traveling in Santa Barbara, we stopped by the Our Lady of the Smiles and Stations of the Cross at the Hill of St. Therese of the Child Jesus (long name, I know). The name says it all: stations sculpted in concrete to depict the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. At the top of the hill is a giant statue of Mary where devotees can place their candles and pray in good faith. The location was surrounded by shades of coconut trees and gardens of diverse, colorful flowers.
The activity, other than professing my faith, was also a great avenue for reflecting on what I had experienced, good and bad, in the past 3 months. It forms part of why I love traveling. I hope to take a different route again next year. I could consider doing Visita Iglesia in a different province.