Lagalog Philippines Travel Photography Blog: Bohol: A Photographic Tribute in Memory of its Beautiful Heritage Churches

Beautiful Loboc church, now in heaps of rubble

My only visit to Bohol was six years ago, during the summer of 2007. I was still relatively new to photography then and knowing that some of the country's most beautiful churches can be found there, I sought them during a five day trip. After hearing of the widespread devastation brought by a 7.2 temblor last Tuesday, I felt a tinge of regret for not revisiting all these years.

I've photographed several of the churches that I can only see in the news now as heaps of ruins. Though I belong to another denomination now, I have deep admiration for these places of worship, their history, their heritage, and their importance to the Boholanos and the Filipinos in general.

For a rundown of the status of some of the churches, please follow this link to cultural advocate and writer, Edeliza Macalandag's piece for Rappler.com.

Loboc Church hall

As a tribute, I am re-publishing some images from my 2007 visit. I am also praying for our kababayans. It's truly heartbreaking to know that some of these were scheduled for restoration but are now gone. However, there's comfort in knowing that while the physical churches are not there anymore, the real church resides in each and one of us believers.

Important copyright note: I've taken these images and archived them six years ago before I started using watermarks to identify my pictures. I enjoin the reader to please respect my copyrights.