THE CHURCHES OF ABRA: Part One

           The province of Abra is composed of 27 municipalities.  As a diocese, the ecclesiastical seat is Bangued. It has 24 parishes.  The mountain parish of Sallapadan also serves the towns of Daguioman and Bucloc, while the town of La Paz has three parishes which serves two other towns. The barangay parish of Canan, La Paz takes care of the town Danglas and La Paz takes care of the town of Lagayan.

The day after our adventure at the Kaparkan Falls we went around the towns and churches of Abra. I previously requested Fr. Allan, a fellow canon lawyer currently residing at the bishop’s residence, to draft an itinerary for visiting towns and churches to maximize our time. He promptly provided a schedule covering the next two days, complete with time slots, lunch arrangements, and hosts. Additionally, an active church volunteer was assigned to accompany us on our tour.

However, I noticed that the itinerary focused on nearby towns, leaving significant gaps in the schedule. Curious about the possibility of visiting more distant locations, I asked our guide, Tita Gloria, if the roads to these other towns were paved. Upon learning that they were already asphalted, we quickly decided to include them in our visit. On our first day, we visited 13 churches across 10 towns: Bangued, Peñarrubia, Bucay, Manabo, Sallapadan, Lagangilang, Pidigan, Pilar, Villaviciosa and San Isidro.  We capped our day by visiting the St. Joseph Seminary and the Victoria Park which overlooks the town of Bangued. (This blog covers the churches we visited on that first day.) 

ST. JAMES THE ELDER CATHEDRAL PARISH  (F-1612)
Bangued, Abra

SAN LORENZO RUIZ SHRINE
Bangued, Abra

 

The church in fact, is a cemetery chapel which got its new name after the canonization of Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint. The earthquake of July 27, 2022 toppled one of the belfries and left cracks on the altar walls that it was deemed unfit for use.  A makeshift cemetery chapel was then constructed on one side of the shrine.

The temporary cemetery chapel beside the ruined church. 

ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS PARISH (F-1892)
Peñarrubia, Abra

SAN NARCISO PARISH (F-1847)
Bucay, Abra

OUR LADY OF LOURDES PARISH (F-1961) 
Manabo, Abra

San Jose Chapel, Manabo

Bp. Pol informed us that this was the original church of Manabo, until a new church was built in the town proper of Manabo. 

ST. NICHOLAS OF FLUE PARISH (F-1960)
Sallapadan, Abra

The parish of Sallapadan also takes care of the towns of Daguioman and Bucloc which are situated in the mountainous part of the province. 

HOLY CROSS PARISH (F-1910)
Lagangilang, Abra

I was surprised to find that the old façade of the church was obscured by a covered court belonging to the school. Upon entering, I discovered that the orientation of the church had been changed—the side door, now with a canopy, had become the main entrance, with the altar and retablo directly facing it. 

The original altar of the church became a side altar. 

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH (F-1823)
Pidigan, Abra

Just beside the new church was the ruins of an old brick church. 

OUR LADY OF THE MOST HOLY ROSARY OF FATIMA PARISH (F-1866)
Pilar, Abra

The new front door of the church is where the altar used to be.  

The original door of the church, with the belfry beside it, has  now become the altar, while the new entrance has been moved to the other side. 

The school grounds of the parish. 

We visited Msgr. Nilo Peig in his retirement home in Pilar. He hosted our lunch. 

ST. LAWRENCE OF ROME PARISH (F-1969)
Villaviciosa, Abra

OUR LADY OF PILLAR CHAPEL
Brgy. Lumaba, Villaviciosa, Abra

This old chapel was the original church of Villaviciosa until a new church was built in the town proper. 

What used to be the convent of Sisters has been abandoned and lay in ruins and has become the shelter of goats. 

OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR PARISH (F-1909)
San Isidro, Abra

This church of San Isidro is the first parish of the SVD congregation when they first came to the Philippines.  In honor of that, the bishop decreed in 2015 that the SVDs will administer the parish in perpetuity.  

The statue of the first SVD German missionaries who came to the Philippines and started their mission in Abra at the parish of San Isidro: Frs. Scheiermann and Beckert. Fr. Scheirmann, who was just a newly ordained priest died of typhoid fever in less than a year. Fr. Beckert got so discouraged that he wanted already to go back home until he was prevailed by their superior to just stay as more missionaries will be sent. 

We visited the St. Joseph Seminary of Bangued where the seminarians performed some numbers for us. 

The rector Fr. Floro Bautista (left) was a contemporary at the Collegio Filippino in Rome when we did our further studies. 

We visited Victoria Park which overlooks the town of Bangued.

Sleeping Beauty mountain at sunset. 

Bp. Pol tendered a dinner for us at a resto in Victoria Peak. 

KAPARKAN FALLS OF ABRA

During a long weekend just recently, together with some officemates we decided to explore the province of Abra.  Looking up what sights to see in the province, the first thing that came up was the Kaparkan Falls known for its stunning terrace-like cascades. We managed to book for a 10am trip to the falls via the Abramazing FB page. The 1,600 fee included transportation on a six-by-six army truck, along with entrance and other associated fees.   

We left Manila at midnight and arrived in Bangued by 6:30 in the morning. After contacting Bp. Pol Jaucian, the bishop of Bangued, we enjoyed breakfast at his residence and arranged our accommodations there and at the Pastoral Center.

The journey to Kaparkan Falls began at the Blugas station in Tayum, the next town over from Bangued. For this second batch of adventurers, two trucks were used—the first group had departed at six o’clock in the morning. Our truck, which was open-roofed, was packed to full capacity with around 50 people. Besides the seats on either side, a wooden bench ran down the middle.

The road up the mountain was paved almost all the way, except for the last three kilometers, where it became muddy and deeply rutted by previous trucks. The ride turned rough, swaying from side to side as we navigated the uneven terrain.

After disembarking from the truck, we hiked about a kilometer downhill to reach the falls. The exhaustion from the ride and hike quickly dissipated when we saw the stunning falls. We spent nearly three hours exploring the area, taking photos from various vantage points along the cascading waters. The water, pleasantly cool, made for a refreshing swim.

The return journey to Tayum was another adventure, as it rained throughout the drive, accompanied by lightning and thunder. With no roof on the truck, we were drenched and chilled by the end of the trip. It was an experience we won't soon forget.

 

After disembarking from the truck we still had a kilometer trek down the mountain to the falls. 

Camiguin Island

            After the Plenary Assembly of Bishops in Cagayan de Oro, the CBCP secretariat embarked on an excursion to Camiguin Island. We left early in the morning to catch the first ferry from Balingoan to Benoni, ensuring we had enough time for the crossing. Upon arriving in Camiguin, our first stop was the parish church in Mambajao, where a warm breakfast awaited us.

The tour began right after breakfast. Our first destination was Mantigue Island, where we relished the cool, clear waters and the pristine white sand beach. Afterward, we enjoyed an early lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to Katibawasan Falls, followed by a visit to Tuasan Falls. Next, we stopped at Sto. Niño Cold Spring for a refreshing dip in its cold waters. From there, we visited the historical church ruins in Catarman. Our last stop was at the Ardent Hot Spring, where we were surprised to find that the once-hot waters had cooled. Locals explained that an earthquake several years ago had caused the hot springs to cease flowing.

We spent the night at the Lanzones Resort in Mambajao. After a brief rest, we visited the convent of the RSM Sisters, who kindly took us to Unwnd Restaurant for a delightful dinner. The next morning, after breakfast, we had our final excursion to White Island, where we enjoyed a wonderful time swimming and soaking up the beauty of the sun-drenched white sandbar.

 SAN NICOLAS DE TOLENTINO PARISH CHURCH (F-1855)
Mambajao, Camiguin

Mantigue Island

A group picture at the Katibawasan Falls

Tuasan Falls

Sto. Niño Cold Spring

Catarman church ruins

At the Lanzones Resort

White Island

Link to a previous post on Camiguin, click here.