BEACHES AND CHURCHES: TRIP UP NORTH DURING THE UNDAS BREAK: Part One

The long Undas weekend gave me the opportunity for another road trip, this time through the lesser-explored towns of Aurora. I had previously visited only Baler and Dingalan, so I wanted to see the rest of the province. As I mapped out my route, I learned that the farthest accessible town in Aurora is actually Dinapigue, Isabela. I wasn’t certain if it could be reached by car, as some online posts and vlogs mentioned that parts of the route included a river crossing, typically navigated by buses. So, while I didn’t officially include it in my itinerary, I decided to ask locals along the way about the road conditions.

We left Manila early on Thursday, October 31, since the day had been declared a holiday. The first stop was Pantabangan Church in Nueva Ecija, dedicated to St. Andrew. St. Andrew Parish in Pantabangan is perched on a hillside, featuring a beautiful retablo with a crucifix in the center and statues of St. Andrew and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the side niches. After a quick breakfast in town, we continued toward Aurora.

On the way, we passed through Alfonso Castañeda, a Nueva Vizcaya town not initially on my list. A quick internet search showed it had a church known as the Black Nazarene. It was rededicated to St. Clare of Assisi when it became a parish in 2023 administered by the Franciscans. Construction was underway for a larger church building.

Entering Aurora, we first stopped in Maria Aurora at the Parish Church of St. Vincent Ferrer. The church appeared sunken, surrounded on all sides by mounds of earth, likely excavated from the site during its construction. It featured a distinctive pyramidal structure with wooden ceiling paneling and an open-air design, with a simple altar and a standing crucifix.

Next, we made a detour to San Luis, where the church dedicated to San Luis Rey has a low, simple façade with a metal sign. Inside, the altar was modest, featuring a central crucifix with the tabernacle off to the side.

We then arrived in Baler. Comparing my blog photos from a previous visit, I noticed the parish altar had been updated, though the church’s old façade remains. The building, known as the last Spanish holdout during the Philippine Revolution, holds historic significance. Nearby, we visited the Aurora Aragon Quezon house and the Museo de Baler, followed by an afternoon exploring Baler’s sights, including the hanging bridge, Ermita Hill, and Guinisit Falls. We stayed overnight in Baler.

The next morning, we set off to visit the churches of the other towns of Aurora: Dipaculao, Dinalungan, Casiguran, and Dilasag. In Casiguran, we also visited a popular shrine on top of a hill dedicated to the Our Lady of Ermita, which had a panoramic view of the town. Meeting the parish priest of Casiguran he confirmed that Dinapigue was accessible by car. So we decided then to go there.

On our way to Dilasag, we enjoyed a picnic lunch on a beach along the way as we still had plenty of leftovers from the dinner and breakfast served by the inn where we stayed overnight. After Dilasag, we continued to Dinapigue, marking the farthest reach of the trip along Aurora’s eastern coast. Just outside the town of Dilasag, there was a bridge still under construction, so cars had to cross the river, though the waters were shallow. Along the 23-kilometer stretch of road, there were two unpaved sections on the mountain, each about two kilometers long. Dinapigue has no road connections northward. The next towns of Isabela like Palanan and Maconacon are accessible only by air or sea. In Dinapigue we met the resident Franciscan priest, who showed us the church in progress. The altar table had a base from a large tree trunk found in the sea. The parish priest mentioned that he wanted it carved but awaits a sculptor who is willing to spend some time in town. What impressed me more was the unique native convent with open design and with a sand-floored dining area and stone-slab kitchen.

For our second night, we stayed in a kubo by the beach at Dianao Beach Club and Resort in Dilasag, where we enjoyed swimming on a sandy beach but with strong waves.

On our third day, we traveled through Quirino province, visiting the churches in Nagtipunan and Saguday, which had not yet been established as parishes when I first visited the province nine years ago. Both parishes were assigned to different religious orders, PACEM and Agustinians from the Cebu province, respectively. The province of Quirino belongs to the Diocese of Bayombong.

Continuing westward to Santiago City in Isabela, we stopped by the nearby towns of San Mateo, Ramon, and Cordon, before crossing back into Nueva Vizcaya where we visited the churches of Diadi, Bagabag, Villaverde and Solano. We ended the day in Bayombong, where we stayed overnight at the bishop’s residence.

On the fourth and final day, we managed to visit nine more churches on the way home, including Bambang, Dupax del Norte, Dupax del Sur, Aritao, and Sta. Fe in Nueva Vizcaya. We also made a detour to Carranglan, Nueva Ecija and likewise visited the Sto. Niño de Puncan, in Puncan, Carranglan as Bishop Elmer had recommended this historic site, which was originally the main población of the town of San Jose before. Finally, we stopped in Lupao and Muñoz in Nueva Ecija, marking the last churches of our journey. In total, we visited 31 churches across 29 towns, covering about 1,269 kilometers.

For this post, I will feature the churches and other sights of the Aurora province that we visited. Part two will feature the churches of Isabela province. Part three will be the churches of the province of Quirino and Part Four will be the churches of Nueva Vizcaya and finally, Part Five will be the churches of Nueva Ecija.