BEACHES AND CHURCHES: SOME CHURCHES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF JARO AND THE DAMIRES HILLS FARM AND SPA RESORT

Saturday, February 28, 2026

SOME CHURCHES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF JARO AND THE DAMIRES HILLS FARM AND SPA RESORT

After the CLSP Convention, I discovered that I was booked on an evening flight back to Manila, which left me with an unexpected full day free in Iloilo. Having already been invited to dinner by priest-contemporaries at the UST Central Seminary, I decided to make the most of the day. I asked Fr. Rene Cuadras if it might be possible to use a car so that I could visit several towns and parish churches in Iloilo province that I had not yet featured in my blog.

I realized that Oton, where Fr. Rene was then assigned, was still missing from my list. With twelve towns in Iloilo province yet to be visited, I selected five that were geographically proximate and feasible within the day.

Meanwhile, Bp. Tobias, Fr. Bryand, and Imelda—my companions at the CBCP—found themselves unexpectedly free as well. Their afternoon return flight had been canceled because they did not take the trip in going to Iloilo, forcing them to rebook new tickets to Manila. When I informed Fr. Rene that they would be joining, he readily accommodated the change of plans.

We were picked up from the hotel at ten in the morning and proceeded to a barangay in Oton, where Fr. Rene had just blessed a newly constructed barangay hall. I had initially assumed he would simply arrange the vehicle for us and not accompany us personally, but he generously joined the trip.

After visiting the parish church of Oton, we proceeded to the nearby town of San Miguel. The parish priest there is Fr. Beboy Figura, former Secretary General of the CBCP, though he was not present when we arrived. I had visited San Miguel before, but I was told that the church had since undergone renovation and no longer resembled the structure in the photograph I had previously posted. That alone justified a return visit.

From San Miguel, we drove to Maasin, where the church was undergoing extensive renovation—both façade and interior. We were able to meet the parish priest, Fr. Paul Acebuque, and briefly exchange pleasantries.

Fr. Rene then brought us to Damires Hills, in Janiuay, a beautiful resort nestled in the countryside. He mentioned that just the previous week, the clergy of the Diocese of Sorsogon had held a seminar there. We were warmly received by the manager and the guest experience manager, both friends of Fr. Rene. After a generous lunch, we were given a tour of the property, including the owners’ impressive villa.

It was already past three in the afternoon when we left the resort and returned to the hotel. I still had three nearby towns on my original list, but those will have to wait for another occasion. I could sense that Fr. Rene was not at his best that day, as he was dealing with a persistent cough. Yet he insisted on accompanying us throughout the trip. Out of consideration for him, I thought it best not to press further and deferred the remaining visits for another time.

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH (F- 1572)
Oton, Iloilo

The parish church of Oton was reputed to have been one of the largest churches in the Philippines and is historically significant as the first church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, established in 1572. The original structure, designed in the form of a Greek cross, stood as an imposing testament to early evangelization in Panay. Unfortunately, this historic church was destroyed in the earthquake of 1948, bringing an end to one of the country’s most remarkable colonial-era ecclesiastical edifices.

Part of the wall of the old church which was destroyed by the earthquake in 1948 is already covered by the roots of a balete and has served as a grotto to the Our Lady of Lourdes.