Alburquerque Church

Santa Monica Parish Church, commonly known as the Alburquerque Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Alburquerque, Bohol, Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Tagbilaran. The church was declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2013. The church was partially damaged when a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Bohol and other parts of Central Visayas on October 15, 2013. It was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute in 2014.

The parish traces its beginnings as a visita of Baclayon Church. The settlement in the area was then known as Sagunto, after a town in Valencia, Spain. Upon the request of Doña Mariana Irag, a chapel, convento and school were erected in 1842 at the boundary between the towns of Baclayon and Loay. The first structure in 1842 was made of wood and bamboo and was erected at the western end of the plaza, approximately where the present school stands. A larger and sturdier church was constructed on the eastern side of the plaza in 1856. The settlement was officially elevated to a town in 1861 and adopted a new name of Alburquerque, after a town in Badajoz, Spain.

The parish was formally inaugurated in 1869, eight years after the settlement became a town. The parish was under the jurisdiction of the Augustinian Recollects until 1898, after which the secular clergy took over. Until the 1880s, the parish church appeared like a huge shed with three aisles and wells made of tabique. The construction of the convent was begun under Fr. Tomas Fernandez (1869-1875). The present church structure was built under Fr. Manuel Muro in 1885, utilizing the same three-aisled plan. Construction was commenced in 1896 by his successor. The upper portions of the walls and the tower over the facade were completed only in the 1920s-1930s.

In 2013, the National Museum of the Philippines declared the church an Important Cultural Property. A historical marker was unveiled by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on August 27, 2014.

The Alburquerque Church is in the shape of a cruciform. Remains of a low stone wall mark the boundaries of the church complex. A low hill and a ravine is located behind the whole complex. This may have a defensive purpose.

The church has a portico on the front which is actually the choir loft on the second floor. This choirloft/portico feature is typical of many Bohol churches. A series of arches in the frontage bestows a unique grace and rhythm to the ensemble.

The original retablo is gone, although there are two smaller neo-Gothic style ones at both ends of the transept. These smaller side retablos are painted to simulate three-dimensional carvings. The old pulpit is still being used. On both sides of the main altar are sacristies or storage-areas.

Ray Francia painted the ceiling of the church from April 12 to August 3, 1932. His signature is on one side of the choirloft.

Pillars made of large tree trunks masked by metal sheets march down the aisle of the church. It is being argued that these pillars date back to the original 1880 structure.

The choirloft can be reached from the second floor of the convent by crossing the arcade. A stairway from the choirloft leads down to the nave of the church. Another staircase in the center leads up to the bell tower.

Church data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).