BEACHES AND CHURCHES: THE PROVINCE OF BUKIDNON: ITS CHURCHES AND OTHER SIGHTS

One long weekend of November, I got the chance to visit the province of Bukidnon which I last visited several years back when we went to the Transifiguration Monastery of the Benedictines. But we were not able to go around the province that time. Since my nephew was working at the pineapple plantation of Del Monte in Manolo Fortich, I asked him to accompany me in going around the province. We were able to visit nineteen parish churches in fourteen towns, out of the twenty towns and two cities of Bukidnon.

Unlike in Luzon or Visayas, the churches in Bukidnon are relatively new. The evangelization of the native tribes of Central Mindanao highlands which became the province of Bukidnon began towards the middle of the 19th century. It was started first by a Spanish Agustinian Recollect. In 1876, in accordance with an earlier royal decree, the Jesuits took over as they were entrusted with the whole of Mindanao as their mission area. There are only three parishes that have been established prior to the 1900s, the oldest one being erected in 1830 (Impasugong) and two others (Malaybalay and Sumilao) in 1878. The rest of the parishes were established already in the twentieth century. Hence the church buildings are already of modern structure.

The first church that we visited when we started the tour around the mountainous province was the parish church of the town of Manolo Fortich. Then we passed by the church of the town of Sumilao.

Immaculate Conception Parish Church

Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

Founded: 1954

Christ the King Parish Church

Kisolom, Sumilao, Bukidnon

Founded: 1878

The next stop was the Cathedral of Malaybalay. The altar has a three-columned retablo with a crucifix at the center. There were flower stalls with tarpaulin roofing in front of the Cathedral which obstructed the view of the facade since the church was not tall enough. Perhaps they were just temporary as it was the feast of the All Souls Day.

San Isidro Cathedral Parish

Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

Founded: 1878

The Bishop's residence

From the Cathedral we passed by their new city hall which was on sprawling space just outside the city proper.

The next stop was the parish church of the city of Valencia. It had a beautiful altar retablo. The tabernacle at the side of the church altar was uniquely surmounted on a concrete sculpture of a pair of hands.

San Agustin Parish Church

Valencia City, Malaybalay

Founded: 1952

We then visited the Mindanao Central University which was already in the next town of Maramag. There was a parish church within the territory of the university which we also visited.

San Isidro Labrador Parish Church

Musuan, Maramag, Bukidnon

Founded: 1954

Lake Apo was the next stop in Sitio Lawa, Guinuyoran, Valencia City. One has to pass a rough road for about three kilometres before reaching the lake. It was a small serene lake with a beautiful view. There were some bamboo rafts that could be rented and which could be pulled to the middle of the lake for picnic for a very relaxing day at the lake. They also had other water rides like kayaks and jetski.

From Lake Apo we went to the church of Maramag dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle. From there we went to the Don Carlos and visited the Sto. Niño Parish Church.

San Andres Parish Church

Maramag, Bukidnon

Founded: 1947

Sto. Niño Parish Church

Don Carlos, Bukidnon

Founded: 1966

From Don Carlos we went to the towns of Kitaotao and Dangcagan dedicated also to the Sto. Niño. There was a signage in town which said that Dangcagan was the durian capital of Bukidnon but when we went to the market we could not find one. I guess it was not the season. Interesting in the town was the food park near the market. Just like in a mall there were food stalls around the building with common tables in front for all the customers.

San Vicente Ferrer Parish Church

Kitaotao, Bukidnon

Founded: 1977

Sto. Niño Parish Church

Dangcagan, Bukidnon

Founded: 1966

The town of Kibawe was next whose church was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The next stop was in the town of Damulog.

Immaculate Conception Parish

Kibawe, Bukidnon

Founded: 1950

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish

Damulog, Bukidnon

Founded: 1977

From Damulog we went back to Kibawe to make a left turn in order to go to Kadilingan which was twelve kilometers away. We had to descend and ascend again another mountain as the town was on a plateau. The town had a large well-manicured garden plaza fronting the municipal hall but when we reached the church which was a bit further it looked quite old and dilapidated.

The Municipal hall of Kadingilan

The town plaza of Kadingilan

San Isidro Labrador Parish
Kadingilan, Bukidnon
Founded: 1962

From Kadilingan we then took another road which led us back to Don Carlos from where we proceeded to go to the town of Quezon which was already along the road going to Davao. It was the last town we visited and we returned to Malaybalay to stay overnight at the Bishop’s residence.

Nuestra Señora del Pilar Parish

Quezon, Bukidnon

Founded: 1965

After breakfast at the Bishop's residence, we bid goodbye to Bp. Cabantan who was our host and proceeded to the Transfiguraton Abbey about five kilometers from the city proper of Malaybalay.

From Malaybalay we made our way back to Camp JMC in Manolo Fortich. Along the way we passed by the town of Impasug-ong.

The municipal hall of Impasugong.

At the welcome arch of Impasugong

Immaculate Conception Parish

Impasugong, Bukidnon

Founded: 1830

The church altar opened to a garden and a grotto of the Our Lady of Lourdes at the back.

We had our lunch at the Clubhouse of the Golf Cours of Del Monte plantation at the invitation of some RSM Sisters who had been assigned to Leyte before. After lunch we went to the last town to be visited, the town of Libona. I was surprised to find out that the parish church was not in the town itself but in another barrio called Crossing. Only a chapel was in the town proper.

The 18-hole golf course at the Del Monte Golf Club, Kawayanon, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

Jesus Nazareno Parish

Crossing, Libona, Bukidnon

Founded: 1980

Before going back to Camp Jmc we visited the Kampo Juan, another eco-adventure park, in Brgy. Dicklum, Manolo Fortich. Discovered just before reaching Kampo Juan, the marker of the former site of the old US Airforce del Monte Airfield where Gen. Douglas Macarthur took the plane escaping to Australia during the Second World War. It was here where he uttered the words "I shall return".

Marker of the former US Airforce Del Monte Airfield

At the Kampo Juan they had a heritage house which was actually taken piece by piece from a 1910 house in Rosales, Pangasinan and assembled back in the place. There were a number of thrilling adventure activities like anicycling, ziplining, rappeling and a walk on a hanging bridge at the Kampo Juan.

Antique memorabilias found in the Heritage house.

A hanging steel bridge one passes through after taking the zipline at the Kampo Juan.

Near Camp JMC (James McCrawford) of the Del Monte plantation where my nephew resides are two parishes. One is the Our Lady of Lourdes at Camp Phillips, Manolo Fortich which is the mother parish of the San Isidro chapel at Camp JMC. Camp Phillips which is the center of the pineapple plantation, although belonging to the town of Manolo Fortich is like a town itself complete with a parish church, a big plaza with a football field and tennis court, grocery stores, a private Catholic school for elementary and high school and even a post office. The other is the Immaculate Conception Parish in Mabilag, Manolo Fortich where my nephew would go to hear mass when there is no service at the Camp JMC Chapel.

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish

Camp Phillips, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon

Founded: 1950

St. Jude Thaddeus Parish

Damilag, Manolo Fortich

Founded: 2010

The church tower as seen from below.

The San Isidro Labrador Chapel at Camp JMC where I celebrated the Sunday mass.

The Del Monte Pineapple Philippines is the biggest pineapple plantation in the Far East. It encompasses 26,000 hectares of land which covers four towns of Manolo Fortich, Impasug-ong, Sumilao and Libona. Its regular employees are given free accommodations in the different camps scattered throughout the plantation with free water and electricity. However, before an employee becomes permanent, even if he has a managerial position, he has to work in the fields with the other laborers for one year working from before sunrise till dusk learning the ropes of the craf,t from field preparation, to planting until harvesting, for them to know first-hand the life cycle of the pineapple plant.