THE CAVES OF ZAMBALES...,..

As I explained previously, part of our assignment was to shoot some of Zambales' tourist spots. The group then headed to a series of caves, the most famous of which is called the Sagrada Familia.

According to some locals we have asked, the cave is a favorite place of local pilgrims, especially during the Lenten Season. People who seek solitude actually go the the cave and contemplate. However, some local youth also use the cave as a place to hang out in. These kids apparently often leave evidences of their activities inside the cave. Bottles of liquor, empty plastic bags and cigarette butts are some of the refuse that had been collected from the site.

But what really devalues the place are the presence of names written on the walls of the cave. These were apparently written by the visitors of the cave which serves as a memento of their visit. If only these people knew that writing on the walls of caves is prohibited by law.

CHURCH NUMBER FIVE

The Belfry.....












The Pulpit.....






The Altar.....





The target for this day was to go shoot the caves called Sagrada Familia. Now I had been to Barcelona before and I have seen the original Sagrada Familia, a church which is in the center of Barcelona and designed by Antonio Gaudi. However, he was not able to live long enough and see his creation reach its fruition. As far as I know, the church is still undergoing repairs and shall be completed by 2026.

Anyway, the local Sagrada Familia is actually a cave which seems to have an image of the Holy First Family etched on its walls, if one is to look closely. There are seven caves in all but the other four are rather difficult to get to. add to that the added danger of actually encountering some members of the New People's Army, who apparently use the other caves as their hideouts.

We then proceeded to Masinloc, Zambales and went straight to their parish church, the parish of San Andres. The weather was not cooperating though as it was cloudy. I decided not to get a whole shot of the church since the church's color blends with the sky. I concentrated on detail shots and the interior instead.

THE CHURCH OF SANTA CRUZ, ZAMBALES

The next day was a day of travel for us as we went to Santa Cruz, Zambales. Usually the first thing we take pictures of when in an unfamiliar place is the parish church. However, we were unfortunate since the church was closed for the morning. Hence, the picture above is the only photo that I took of this church.

INA POON BATO SHRINE.....

We headed to our next location to see a unique church. The problem was, the sun began to set that we even had to stop momentarily to take a sunset shot.....


The Sun Sets.....




Thanks to my friend Bless' driving skills (and amazing memory recall), the group was able to find the shrine of Ina Poon Bato. Legend has it that before the Spaniards came over Philippine shores, Aeta natives had discovered a wooden image carved on a large rock and called it Apo Apang (little queen). It is also believed that Ina Poon Bato performed miracles.


The Cross.....




A Station Of The Cross.....




Picture Up Close.....




Ina Poon Bato.....




His Cross.....




From The Outside.....




The Altar.....




The Exit.....

ZAMBALES CHURCH NUMBER TWO.....

St. Monica Church of Botolan, Zambales.....






The Belfry.....






The Guardians Of The Narthex.....








The Nave Of The Church.....






Baptistery.....






As soon as we were finished shooting the activities for the morning program, the group decided to explore the neighboring towns to find places worthy of being captured in digital file. So we went to Botolan, Zambales to visit its church, The Parish Of St. Monica. The church was built in 1700 out of coral blocks that the townsfolk painstakingly carried from the sea. It is also believed that this church is considered the oldest church in the country.

My only wish for our nation's old places of worship is that locals should try and preserve the original structure and not alter the appearance in case the churches need repairs. These edifices are part of our history after all.

CHURCHES IN ZAMBALES.....

St. Agustine Cathedral.....




































As I said in my previous post, Zambales has a number of old churches worth visiting. And in this trip we were able to visit four. I'm sure we could have visited more if we were adventurous enough to tour the whole province and its towns to visit these relics of history but time constraints prevented us from doing so.

Some of the churches the group visited were closed. This made me concentrate on taking detail shots of what we saw outside. If a church happens to be open, then I shoot indoors.

Without further ado, I am posting the photos of the churches here. Our first stop, the cathedral in Iba, Zambales which is the seat of the diocese, St. Agustine Cathedral.

ZAMBALES DAY TWO.....

The Place Where We Stayed.....




























Building Sand Structures.....





















The group stayed in Mr. Farin's beach resort, the Sand Valley Beach Resort. The place is filled with antiques, which the former vice mayor inherited from his ancestors. The place though has seen better days. Since I went there as a guest, I am not going to elaborate its flaws like a tourism reviewer does. Rather, I'd like to dwell in its uniqueness. The resort for one seems way out of the way from the town proper. But it has a reason, an airstrip is in front of the resort's compound. From what we gathered through the pictures displayed in the resort, the owner's father (or was it grandfather) used to be a an Air Force pilot and then switched to become a commercial pilot. Perhaps the patriarch used to own a light aircraft that necessitates an airstrip (imagine building a driveway for your garage). Today, a private company uses the airstrip for its flying school business. Too bad we just couldn't find the time to put into use our photo op within the runway, a jump shot of the group with a plane about to take-off as a background!

The second day, we went to the beach side to watch the sand castle making contest. The sand castle makers are still miles away from the talent of those who do the job in Boracay. But such contests should make the locals broaden their creativity more and produce better artworks. The only drawback of covering this event was the sweltering heat of the sun! Bless and I practically covered ourselves in sunblock! We even asked each other about the SPF of our lotions.

In the afternoon, we went to the neighboring town of Botolan and shoot the old churches. It is rather sad to see though how most of the churches seem to sport a modern look which contrasts its old fashion facade. These parish priests must realize that to improve a church is more about the structure itself and the history it contains and not more about themselves and the perceived legacy that they shall leave behind to their parish. An exception though is a shrine that we had trouble locating. It is the Ina ng Poon Bato Shrine. The shrine is made of stones and placed by hand until the structure is formed. Apparently, the builders were locals who formerly lived at the mountainous region of the Cordillera. As we all know, those people in the highlands are known carvers and toolmakers. The structure is a refreshing deviation from the usual architecture of churches here in the country.


The drive going to the shrine was difficult enough for us so we even ask directions on how to get there but the road returning to the resort proved to be more difficult as darkness began to set in. I for one had trouble seeing the surroundings, there wasn't enough streetlights to provide illumination on the road. To Bless' credit, her driving skills are amazing! She can practically remember every nook and cranny that we passed by as we returned to the resort even in the darkness. This is why I always enjoy the trip when she is at the helm of the car.