Binondo Church
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The word Binondo came from the word Binundok which means mountain or boondocks. Founded in 1594, Binondo was created by Spanish Governor Luis Perez Dasmarinas as a permanent settlement for Chinese converted immigrants across the river from the walled city of Intramuros where the Spaniards resided. It was originally intended to replace the Parian near Intramuros where the Chinese were confined. The land grant was given to a group of Chinese merchants and artisans in perpetuity, tax-free and with limited self-governing privileges.  Binondo Church The Spanish Dominican fathers made Binondo their Parish and succeeded converting a great many of the Chinese residents to Catholicism. Binondo soon became the place where Chinese immigrants converted to Catholicism, intermarried with indigenous Filipino women and procreated to produce a nascent Chinese mestizo community. Over the years, the Chinese mestizo of Binondo grew rapidly. This was caused by 2 factors: the lack of Chinese immigrant females and the policies of the Spanish authorities in expelling and massacring pure-blooded Chinese immigrants who refused to convert. Luis Perez Dasmarinas played a prominent role in the massacre of 20,000 Chinese after a Chinese revolt in 1603.  Facade of Binondo ChurchBinondo is the historic birthplace of a new race called mestizo de sangley. It was also the birthplace of San Lorenzo Ruiz, a mestizo de sangley who would later become the First Filipino Saint. Plaza Lorenzo Ruiz and the Binondo Church(formal name: Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz) are named after him. And the Chapel of Our Lady of China now in Binondo Church. (Wikipedia)  Side view of Binondo Church ChinatownLabels: Churches |
Quiapo Church
Saturday, May 24, 2008
| I was canvassing shells handicraft for my Aunt who lives in US when I glanced at this church from far so I went near and stopped in front of Quiapo Church to have a photo ops. Quiapo Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Quiapo, Manila.  Busy Street of Carriedo The church is one of the most popular churches in the country. It is home of the Black Nazarene, a much venerated statue of Jesus Christ which many people believe has miraculous attributes; because of this the church is sometimes referred to as the "Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene".  Quiapo Church The foundations of the church was built in 1582 and survived the devastation of World War II despite surrounding buildings being completely destroyed. The church was painted cream after the original Mexican Baroque edifice was burned down in 1928. (Wikipedia)  Facade of Quiapo Church So crowded... So busy...Labels: Churches |
Sta. Cruz Parish Church
| After Quiapo, headed to Sta. Cruz for more handicrafts. Sta. Cruz is located at the left bank of Pasig River, on the northern portion of the City of Manila, near the mouth of the river, in between the districts of Tondo and Quiapo. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors to the Philippines, the district of Sta. Cruz was partly a marshland, patches of greeneries, orchards and partly rice fields. A Spanish expedition in 1581 claimed the territory and awarded to the Society of Jesus or more commonly called the Jesuits. The Jesuits built the first Roman Catholic Church in the area where the present Sta. Cruz Parish stands on June 20, 1619. The Jesuits enshrined the image of the Our Lady of Pillar in 1643 to serve the predominantly Chinese residents in the area. The image drew a lot of devotees and popular cult grew around it.
Sta. Cruz Parish Church
  Fountain near the churchLabels: Churches |
