The driving distance from our jumping off point at the SM City parking lot in Iloilo to San Joaquin’s Church in San Joaquin is approximately 53 kilometres. Which translates into a driving time of about 1 hour to 1½ hours.
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This unique church was built between 1859 and 1869 in the settlement that was founded in 1591. Construction started in 1859 and was completed in 1869. Friar Thomas Santaren was the parish priest between 1855 and 1866 and oversaw most of the project. It is built of limestone quarried in Igbaras and sea coral gathered along the seashore in the immediate area.
But, what makes this church truly unique is its facade. Nowhere on the facade of the church are there any renditions of religiously oriented artworks. Rather, the facade memorializes the victory of Spanish forces over the Moroccan (Moors) army at the Battle of Tetouan.
The Spanish Army of Africa under the Spanish Prime Minister, Leopoldo O’Donnell defeated the Moroccan Army (Moors) under Mohammed IV ofMoroccoin the final battle of the Spanish-Moroccan War in February 1861.
When news of this monumental event reachedPhilippineslater that year, Friar Santaren ordered his Chinese and Filipino workers to create this magnificent bas-relief rendition of the victory at the Battle of Tetouan.
It is said, by some, that it may be a memorial for his father who was a soldier in Spanish army and who took part in the battle at Tetouan.
It’s also important to remember that at the same time as news reached San Joachim of the magnificent victory at Tetouan that this whole area inWestern Visayaswas still subject to on-going raids by Muslim (Moro) marauders and slavers. This may also be an explanation behind the bas-relief of the battle – it serves as a reminder to locals of their own trials at the hands of the Moro marauders and slavers.
More recently, during WW II, in fact on January 29th, 1943 the guerrilla leader of Panay, Col. Macario Peralta ordered the church and homes in the town set ablaze to prevent them from being used by the Japanese occupiers.
On closer inspection, the fact that the church was heavily damaged by this fire can be seen even today in the black soot that covers many areas of its facade.
Once again the church was heavily damaged by the Lady CayCay Earthquake of 1948.
Also to be noted in the photo above, the statue at the peak of the roof. It is a statue ofSaint Augustinethe founder of the Augustinian order of monks/friars who built the church.
The Augustinian Seal also bears the soot marks left as a result of the 1943 fire.
Like most churches built in the region at this time (late 1850s), it was built with forced labour or ‘folio’. Under this system as we have seen previously, residents, including men, women and children (particularly the poorer residents) were forced to gather the stones, coral and other materials to be used in the construction and deliver them, on a regular basis to the site.
The wealthier residents were able to avoid the drudgery of the forced labour by relying on the poorer members of the village to fulfill their quotas. If, by chance, any of the residents were unable to fulfill their quotas they faced a severe flogging at the hands of the priest or his under bosses.
Although located a few hundred meters from the seashore, the church has a bell tower which was built, much as with the other regional churches, to act as a lookout tower in the event of a Moro raid.
Proof that it was in fact built by the Augustinian Friars is noted in the Augustinian Seal which is found above the main entrance.
The Bell Toiwer, viewed from the side also bears the soot marks left as a result of the 1943 fire.
The church is named afterSan Joaquin, who with his wife Saint Anne are said to have been the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joaquin and Hannah (Anne) lived in Nazareth and were childless. On a feast day Joaquin went to offer a sacrifice in the temple but was rejected on the pretext that men without offerings were unworthy to be admitted to the temple.
Joaquin, grief stricken, went into the mountains to make his plea to God in solitude. Hannah, having learned the reason for the prolonged absence of her husband, cried to the Lord to lift the curse of sterility from her and promised to dedicate her child to the service of God. Their prayers were answered; an angel came to Hannah and said: “Hannah, the Lord has looked upon thy tears; thou shalt conceive and give birth and the fruit of thy womb shall be blessed by the entire world”.
The angel made the same promise to Joaquin, who returned to his wife. Hannah gave birth to a daughter whom she called Miriam (Mary).
The main entrance of the church is flanked by statues of Saint Peter and Saint Francis of Assisi placed in small grottos to the left and right of the entrance.
St. Peter at the left of main door
St. Francis of Assisi at right of the main door
On entering the church one is struck by how beautiful and simple the interior of the church is compared to all the others we have seen to date.
The white walls and ceilings give it an unusual brightness and warmth as opposed to the stone work of the previous churches.
The sanctuary is also very striking with two sets of ‘Corinthian’ columns to each side of the main altar which is overlooked by a statue of San Joaquin.
The main altar is flanked by smaller chapels on in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the other to Santo Niño.
A look towards the back of the church reveals the open sides of the church; all the entranceways are simple grates open to the elements.
The Baptistery as well as the Bell Tower both of which had been seriously damaged by the Lady CayCay earthquake of 1948 were restored and renovated during the late 1970’s.
In 1974 the Church was named a National Historic Treasure and more work was undertaken to restore and rehabilitate the church and grounds and much of the work was paid for by the National Historical Committee of thePhilippines. Much of this work was completed in 1982. Although much is to be done and a series of local projects are currently underway.
The statue of the Scared Heart of Jesus in the front of the church’s main entrance. Clearly seen are traces of soot remaining from the fire in the early 1940’s.
The Commemorative Plaque naming the Church a National Historic Treasure.
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