Photos of the country’s old churches first exhibited in Madrid, Spain are now at the Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan.
Jose Rizalino Acuzar and his wife Tess, who own Las Casas, and the Ortigas Foundation represented by Chari Montilla and Atty. Ignacio Ortigas, led the opening of the exhibit at the Casa Candaba over the weekend.
The exhibit dubbed “The Churches of the Philippines: Our Lasting Links with Spain” is a photo documentation of over 300 Roman Catholic churches from all over the country.
“To promote nationalism. The people, especially the young ones, should learn to love our own culture and heritage,” said Acuzar when asked to comment about their collaboration with the Foundation and his passion to promote old churches and culture.
“Undoubtedly, religion is the greatest legacy Spain has given to the Philippines. To this day, religion affects every aspect of the
Filipino’s life. And the conspicuous manifestation of this legacy is displayed at the center of every town and still considered the nucleus of every community, the church,” said the organizers in a statement.
Over 20 years ago, a devastating earthquake damaged several of them in Ilocos. Realizing the importance of these structures to the lives of the Filipinos, Rafael Ortigas, Jr. initiated photo-documenting them for posterity. This act proved prophetic in view of the recent earthquake that damaged many of the churches in Bohol and Cebu. This photo documentation is now a coffee table book “La Casa de Dios” to honor Mr. Ortigas who, unfortunately, never saw its publication. It also spawned a major exhibition in Madrid last 2014-15 and now for the first time in the Philippines, will be presented through Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar.
In the Philippines, a church is not just a place for worship; it is a place of refuge during times of calamities. It is where the country’s first constitution was ratified; it even held an inauguration of a Philippine President. A church, big or small, is where Filipinos gravitate to in times of personal grief or on joyous occasions. It is the most glamorous when weddings are held, an expression of love and devotion not only for one’s spouse but for the faith in the Being that brought them together.
This exhibition prepared by the Ortigas Foundation will focus not on the divine, but on the more tangible – its architecture and distinct styles from the different regions of the country. Find out about the different influences that makes each church unique. Imagine how it is that with egg-whites and lime, they were able to build these grand structures that have withstood the test of time, save for the earthquakes of course. Develop a new appreciation for their beauty and Filipino creativity and craftsmanship. And as an added feature, learn about the heritage churches in Bataan in a distinctive section.
Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is indeed fortunate and privileged to be presenting this exhibition to the public through one of its oldest houses – Casa Candaba. It is the house where the National Artist for Cinema – Gerry de Leon – shot one of his oeuvres – “Noli me Tangere” (an adaptation of Jose Rizal’s seminal novel). For this house to serve as a backdrop for this substantive and meaningful exhibition, is truly providential. Both are historical and both are inspirational.
“Come and explore the architectural wonders of Philippine churches in the midst of colonial architecture as only Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar can make happen,” they said.