Taal Basilica

Posted on 07/23/2022 by Lenn

Taal Basilica, Taal, Batangas, Philippines, 2022

Taal Basilica was first built in 1575 near Taal Lake in present-day San Nicolas. The construction was led by Fr. Diego Espinar under the Augustinians with San Martin de Tours as their patron saint. The church has been improved for centuries since 1575, but was massively destroyed by the 200-day eruption of the Taal Volcano in 1754 which has also devastated the whole town of old Taal.

When the town moved to its current location on top of a hill that overlooks Balayan Bay, the construction of a new church was launched by Fr. Martin Aguirre. Alas, after decades of construction, another tragedy hit the town; this time, an earthquake, which destroyed the church yet again.

Four years later, another church was built at the same site and was led by Fr. Marcos Anton. Fr. Anton commissioned Architect Luciano Oliver to design and run the construction. Fast forward to 1878, the construction was finally complete. Under Fr. Agapito Aparicio, a 79 ft altar was added to the original plan. It was the largest church at the time.

It wasn’t until 1974 that it was declared as one of the country’s National Shrines. To this day, Taal Basilica remains to be the largest church in Asia.

Garcia-Hernandez Conveyor Belt

Posted on 07/21/2022 by Lenn

Garcia-Hernandez, Bohol, Philippines, 2022

On the day of our Anda tour, I was having a really bad headache because of the unpredictable weather. When we were on our way back to Panglao after completing our itinerary for the day, we passed by this mining site. This wasn’t part of our tour, but my husband asked our tour guide if we could stop by just to take a photo. And though my head feels like its tearing itself apart, I just couldn’t help but go down and take a photo of the conveyor belt myself.

This mining site is a project of the Duterte administration and according to locals, Bohol’s LGU doesn’t earn anything or have any share from this — all the money goes straight to the national government. You might not see or notice it in the photo that I took from the main road of the town, but the top of that mountain has already gone bald.The next photo shown below is a screen capture from Google Maps of what the mountain looks like from a bird’s eye view:

Reflections of Hope

Posted on 07/15/2022 by Lenn

Cadapdapan Rice Terraces, Candijay, Bohol, Philippines, 2022

One of my many dreams for the Philippines is for our farmers to be recognized and receive the proper care and salary that they deserve. Today, they are still part of what we call laylayan who are most in need; their sentiments, requests, and demands are mostly never heard and neglected. Yet a lot of people would tell them to stop complaining and just work harder. I’ve heard this being said so many times that it just irks me how privileged, entitled, and selfish most people can be. How can you say this to our farmers who spends every day of their lives planting and harvesting crops ⁠— not even taking holidays and weekends off, but still remain part of the laylayan?

Alas, it might take more years or decades even, for this dream to come into fruition. But these photos give me the kind of hope that one day, someday, maybe, our farmers will be heard and taken care of. I think that if we just take the time to stop and listen to their cries of help, the country would be more united as a nation and the people from our laylayan would never feel ignored.

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption ⁠— Dauis Church

Posted on 07/03/2022 by Lenn

Dauis, Bohol, Philippines, 2022

Located in the town of Dauis in the island of Panglao, the church is also known as The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption. It was built in August 1923 and is one of the most sophisticated and complex structures of its kind in Bohol. Dauis church is said to have been built according to a plan for basilicas which explains the church’s high central nave flanked by lower aisles.

📷: Fujifilm X-A3, Fujinon 27mm 2.8 V2 pancake lens
🎞: Lightroom Premium

La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church ⁠— Baclayon Church

Posted on 07/01/2022 by Lenn

Baclayon, Bohol, Philippines, 2022

Built in 1596, this majestic structure is the second oldest church in the Philippines. The church is built out of coral stones mixed with thousands of egg whites as cement.

One of its most interesting and intriguing feature was the famous column wall at the back of the church where locals said that an image of Padre Pio mysteriously appeared. Sadly, when Typhoon Odette hit numerous islands in the Philippines in 2021, Bohol was one of the islands where the typhoon made its landfall and Baclayon Church was badly damaged, destroying the said column wall at the same time. Today, the church has been successfully and fully restored, but the image of Padre Pio is nowhere in sight.

📷: Fujifilm X-A3, Fujinon 27mm 2.8 V2 pancake lens
🎞: Lightroom Premium

St. Joseph Cathedral Parish

Posted on 06/28/2022 by Lenn

Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, 2022

Churches, temples, or any structure that is built for worship has piqued my interest over the short time that I was able to travel. These structures have not only been a place of worship, but a place where people get their courage and strength to push through with life. It’s amazing how our beliefs, no matter how different, lead us to the light.

Throughout my visits to various churches, temples, and mosques, I have realized that no matter how different we think our beliefs are, they are almost always the same because it all boils down to one thing: We believe in a greater and higher being; we believe in God.

A Breath of Salt Water

Posted on 05/10/2022 by Lenn

San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, 2022

The sea has always served as a reminder to us that there are so much more that we have yet to discover in this planet. It has always made me wonder of what lies beyond those murky depths…

Scientifically, the vast expanse of salt water that surrounds the Earth is proof of other living things aside from us humans. So who are we to say that we are the only ones in the universe?

Tales of Summer

Posted on 05/09/2022 by Lenn

Boracay Island, Philippines, 2022

Silhouettes of Tomorrow

Posted on 05/07/2022 by Lenn

San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, 2022

Here I capture both the different faces of the sea and hues of the sky. It is a glorious feeling, being able to witness such beauty and calmness — a testimony from the universe that even when everything around us may appear to be in shambles, there is always hope.

Echoes of the Deep

Posted on 05/05/2022 by Lenn

San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, 2022

In this series of photographs, I’ve captured a couple of sea creatures; some are familiarly dangerous and some are mysteriously unknown to my naked eye.