PANAY ISLAND TOUR OF CHURCHES AND BEACHES. Part Five: Nogas Island and Rafflesia of San Remegio

Nogas Island is a 24-hectare uninhabited government naval reservation island which is about twenty minutes boat ride from the mainland of the town of Anini-y, the last town of Antique before entering the province of Iloilo. The beach although white is mostly composed of crushed coral stones, shells and pebbles. However, it has more beautiful corals than in Mararison Island. In fact, there are several dive sites around the area.  But the most photographed part of the island is the pathway that leads to the lighthouse which is planted on both sides by calachuchi trees almost covering the path with their gnarled branches. Interesting also to see are the giant bats hanging on some trees near the lighthouse.  

The most photographed part of the island, Calachuchi trees lining up to the lighthouse. 

The lighthouse of Nogas

  

There were plenty of beautiful and varied corals.

SIRA-AN HOT SPRING

             Just near the beach where the boats dock coming from Nogas island is the Siraan Hot Spring.  It has a one big pool and several smaller  hot tubs good for two to four persons.  Since the water is not only hot but also sulphuric, that is why the water looks rather cloudy. But the place was not that well-maintained. 

RAFFLESIA IN BRGY. TUBUDAN, SAN REMEGIO

          While reading on the sights to see in Antique I discovered that there is in San Remegio found the biggest flower in the world, Rafflesia. So I included San Remegio in the itinerary.  There were supposedly two mountain barangays that they could be found, in Tubudan and Aningalan, but it was the former which was accessible as it was along the highway. While we were climbing up the mountain about thirty minutes after passing by the town of San Remegio, the car suddenly came to a halt. (We learned later that the carburettor needed cleaning, hence the reason for the number of stops that we had). Anyway, we saw a sign by the road which said “Welcome to Viewing Deck, Brgy. La-Union, San Remegio, Antique.” So we took the time to visit the place. They had newly constructed viewing deck on top of a limestone cliff with a steel bridge connecting to another cliff.  It had a commanding view of the plains below.  When we came back, the car started again and in twenty minutes time we arrived in Tubudan where the Rafflesia flowers were found.  There were plenty of Rafflesia flowers placed around the area but they were artificial. With a guide we climbed to the side of the mountain to look for the real one and on the ground wedged between some big roots of a tree we saw one Rafflesia of the size of a mature coconut fruit as it was brown, but it was not yet in bloom.  At least we saw one. Afterwards we climbed up to the yet unfinished viewing deck on top of the limestone rock to get another view of the plains and mountains nearby. 

I thought at first they were the real ones. Artificial Rafflesia flowers were placed around the area. 

This is the flower bud of the Rafflesia with the size of a coconut head. The guide said that it would still take a week or two before that bud would bloom. 

This is the part of the mountain where we found the Rafflesia flower.  

The viewing deck at the Rafflesia center in Brgy. Tubudan, San Remegio. 

The viewing deck at Brgy. La Union, San Remegio on the way to the Rafflesia flowers in Brgy. Tubudan. 

Map of Panay Island 

This completes my round the island tour of Panay with the map above showing the places in the mainland that we went to. 

PANAY ISLAND TOUR OF CHURCHES AND BEACHES. Part Three: Churches of Antique

            I spent the Easter Triduum in the province of Antique, arriving on Wednesday evening and left on Easter Sunday. Of the eighteen towns of the province, I was able to visit fourteen of them: Sebaste, Culasi, Tibiao, Barbaza, Laua-an, Bugasong, Patnongon, Belison, San Jose de Buenavista, Sibalom, San Remegio, Hamtic, Tobias Fornier and Anini-y.  We just passed by Libertad and Pandan but we were not able to visit their churches as it was already late. Valderrama was out of our way and Caluya is in the island of Semirara.

           We first stayed in Culasi as I wanted to go to Mararison island. I concelebrated the mass of the Lord’s Supper in Sebaste as I heard the church was a famous place for pilgrimage with thousands of people flocking to the church during the feast day of their patron, St. Blasé.  But on that Holy Thursday the church was not filled, only sitting capacity with still a number of seats to spare. We moved to the capital town of the province in San Jose de Buenavista on Good Friday where we stayed at the Bishop’s Residence. I celebrated Good Friday at the Cathedral and also joined the Easter Vigil there with Bp. Jose Lazo. During these days we made the Visita Iglesia  of the churches of the province.

Most of the churches are already of recent construction except that of Hamtic and Anini-y which during the time of our visit was under renovation by the National Historical Commission. The Stations of the Cross in Hamtic though not big were magnificent. Round in shape they were in relief perhaps made of resin and encased with a Gothic frame. 

ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL PARISH CHURCH

Culasi, Antique

ST. BLAISE PARISH CHURCH

Sebaste, Antique

I concelebrated with the parish priest of Sebaste, Fr. Segundo (middle) and Fr. Ramon who hails from the town and is a member of the Eucharistic Healers of Mary, a local religious group. After the mass, the parish priest invited us to join them for the last supper dinner hosted by the Antonio family who owned a big house just outside of the town. He was the first cousin of Bp. Galido. Got interested with their stories about how the Mil Hill fathers who were the missionaries in Antique, especially Fr. Eugene Daberto, an Italian priest helped the poor families in the town.  He brought several girls to work in Austria coming from Sebaste and the neighboring towns of Laua-an and Pandan. All families that had girls especially coming from poor families had a daughter who was recruited to work in Austria. That is why, Mr Antonio was saying that almost all the houses in Sebaste were improved and became concrete because of the money sent by their daughters. This happened from 1975 up to the 1980's. Most of the girls decided to stay there and married the locals.  They were saying that whenever bishops  or priests from Antique would go to Europe they would always make a side trip to Austria where they are always welcomed in the houses of the Pinays from Antique. We also enjoyed the food served as it was really fine dining with several change of plates. 

SAN NICOLAS DE TOLENTINO PARISH CHURCH

Tibiao, Antique

In Tibiao we passed by the Fish Spa and decided to try it. Got amused when I saw the fishes were just ogling at Mark instead of eating the dead skin.

ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA PARISH CHURCH

Barbaza,Antique

ST. ISIDORE PARISH CHURCH

Laua-an, Antique

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH CHURCH

Guisijan, Laua-an, Antique

          When I saw this church it looked very familiar. Its architecture and the clay tiles used were like the ones that I saw in Pangasinan.  When I asked Bp. Lazo about it, I was right in my hunch. It was made and donated by the DMCI. 

Municipal hall of Bugasong, Antique

STO. NIÑO DE BUGASONG PARISH CHURCH

Bugasong, Antique

          

ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO PARISH CHURCH

Patnongon, Antique

I could not help but notice that while the parish church of Patnongon was rather so ordinary with the belfry being under construction, just near the church was an antique structure which still had a belfry. It was the St. Augustine Academy which housed before the old convento of the Spanish friars.

St. Augustine's Academy of Patnongon

Patnongon, Antique

OUR LADY OF THE CANDLES PARISH CHURCH

Belison, Antique

ST. JOSEPH CATHEDRAL OF THE DIOCESE OF SAN JOSE DE ANTIQUE

San Jose de Buenavista, Antique

Some of the carrozas during the Good Friday procession in San Jose de Buenavista.

With Bp. Lazo and the Apostoles after the Easter vigil. 

The Provincial Capitol of Antique

Preparations for the Palarong Pambansa 2017 were being finalized in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique which was the host. 

             Bibingkas from different barangays of the town were being cooked and sold by the side street near the Cathedral. 

STA. RITA DE CASCIA PARISH CHURCH

Sibalom, Antique

ST. VINCENT FERRER PARISH CHURCH

San Remegio, Antique

STA. MONICA PARISH CHURCH

Hamtic, Antique

The beautiful Stations of the Cross in Hamtic. I missed to picture one of the Stations. 

SAN NICOLAS DE TOLENTINO PARISH CHURCH

Tobias Fornier, Antique

SAN JUAN DE NEPOMUCENO PARISH CHURCH

Anini-y, Antique

The church of Anini-y was being renovated by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) when we passed by. Conservation work included the restoration of the stone walls, reconstruction of the choirloft and access to bell tower, replacement of roof and ceiling, reconstruction of the retablo and refurbishment of church fixtures. The restoration was finished by November 2017.   

There were scaffoldings inside the church as the ceilings were being replaced.

The old altar of Anini-y

The renovated church of Anini-y with its new altar when I passed by in April 2019 for the installation of the new bishop of Antique, Most Rev. Marvyn Maceda.

New altar retablo of Anini-y

         After passing by Anini-y the next churches that we passed by already belonged to the province of Iloilo: San Joaquin, Miag-ao, Guimbal, Tigbauan,  Oton and the city of Iloilo.  Since I have visited the churches of these towns before, the pictures are in my post: Churches in Iloilo. Part One.