[ A Kapampangan Culinary Tour ] Part 3: Pampanga’s Famous Churches

I’ve been really swamped with tons of work for the past couple of weeks that I never got to continue writing the third and final installment in this series. So before the fourth run of the tour this runs me over, I just thought I had to finish this one as fast as I could. Besides, I know that some people in the blogosphere out there are eagerly waiting for the final part . . . Tee hee!

Feeling stuffed and sleepy after that sumptuous lunch at Everybody’s Cafe, we continued with the tour’s “heritage” leg and proceeded to the historic churches of San Guillermo Parish Church (more popularly known as Bacolor Church) in the municipality of Bacolor and the Santiago de Galicia Parish (Betis Church) in Betis.

From here, my friend - architecture historian and “angel-guy” Nonoy Ozaeta who was the tour’s ‘cultural historian’ took the reigns and shared with us interesting insights about Pampanga’s historic religious treasures.

Now, some of you might be wondering why these churches were part of the culinary tour?

Apart from importing their technology into the Philippines, it was the friars who influenced the Filipinos’ (and Kapampangan’s, for that matter!) culinary traditions. Some Kapampangan dishes may have been heavily influenced by the construction of these religious structures. Churches during the Spanish colonization were made of stones but the binder was made of limestone and egg white. Because of this, there was so much yolk available that it led to the creation of egg yolk delicacies like the Leche Flan and Tocino del Cielo.

SAN GUILLERMO PARISH CHURCH (BACOLOR CHURCH)

Bacolor was a rich and well-established sitio where rice grew in abundance and where trade and commerce flourished. Between 1754 and 1904, Bacolor was also the capital of Pampanga. In 1762, the town was made the seat of the Spanish government or the capital of the Philippines.

Located in this former Philippine capital is Bacolor Church – one of the oldest and largest churches in the Philippines. named after the town’s patron saint, San Guillermo, it was constructed by Augustinian friars in 1576 on a lot owned by Don Guillermo Manabat, a rich landlord believed to be the founder of Bacolor.

In 1897, the church was restored by Fr. Manuel Diaz. It has a central nave and well-lighted transept with windows. The main retablo (altar), side retablos and pulpit are gilded with golf leaf. The rich decor of Bacolor church depicts an advanced stage of the baroque style.

In 1991, Mount Pinatubo awakened after more than 600 years of slumber, unleashed its fury, and the glory that was Bacolor (including Bacolor Church) was buried under tons of volcanic debris. 1995’s super typhoon “Mameng” spawned the most devastating and disastrous lahar flow since the eruption with lahar overflow reaching a height of 20 feet, virtually obliterating Bacolor from the map.

Half-buried since the 1991 and 1995 tragedies, what is left of the San Guillermo Church are the belfry and upper portions of its interior. Visitors enter the chruch through the choir loft windows and are greeted inside by beautifully restored retablos painstakingly excavated from several feet of lahar by the citizens of Bacolor who take pride in their rich heritage.

In spite of all the tragedies, masses are still held in the church every Sunday. “It would not have survived without the devotion of its patrons, who immediately revived the church even if it was buried in lahar,” Nonoy explains.

SANTIAGO DE GALICIA PARISH CHURCH (BETIS CHURCH)

From Bacolor, we drove to our next destination – Betis Church in the municipality of Guagua.

Centuries-old Santiago de Galicia Parish (St. James The Great Parish) or better known as Betis Church, is the second oldest church in Pampanga and stands as one of few landmarks that celebrates the Pampangenos’ artistic skill. The unadorned exterior does not prepare the visitor for what he’s about to witness inside.

Built in the 1700s, Betis Church in Guaga is nicknamed the “Sistine Chapel of the Philippines” mainly because of its ornate ceiling murals done by the famous painter Simon Flores (1839-1904) which attracts comparison with the Sistine Chapel. Betis Church is impressive in terms of symmetry, gracefulness and theme. Its interiors feature walls that depict significant biblical events and figures by local artists led by brothers Martin and Severino Gozum Pangilinan; 19th and 20th Century sculpture by local artists supervised by the famous Maximo Vicente, and artists Juan Flores and Willy Layug. The church is a fascinating work of architecture with its classic retablo (main altar) with antique ornate carved detailing and décor blending with religious frescoes reminiscent of neoclassic works of European Art.

Betis Church, a must-visit church in Pampanga is one of the 26 churches in the Philippines that have been identified by government through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as National Cultural Treasures for their cultural significance and distinctive architecture.

From Betis Church, we moved to yet another perfect example of the Kapampangan’s artistic skills – Betis Crafts.

BETIS CRAFTS

Though it didn’t show, I was extremely exhilarated as we were ushered inside the factory of the Betis Crafts Incorporated (BCI), a furniture manufacturing company owned by Jose and Myrna Bituin.

I was really taken by this stop. In an instant, it felt like my past “haunting” me and trying to convince me to take it up one more time! For those who know me well, you’ll get the drift.

A little backgrounder on Betis: The old town of Betis (named after the ‘betis’ trees that once grew in abundance around the area) which was merged with Guagua in 1904, has been known as home of the most artistic and skilled woodcarvers and craftsmen, and the producers of some of the best furniture in the Philippines.

The Betis tree (also an illustrious symbol of the old town), although long extinct, is said to have left its only remnants in the lumber used to build the church and tower of Betis Church, one of the country’s 26 churches declared as ‘national cultural treasures.’

In its 34 years of existence, Betis Crafts Incorporated (BCI) has evolved from a small factory making wooden souvenirs out of acacia wood to what it is now. It has weathered the storms and natural tragedies like the Mount Pinatubo eruption; and survived the dwindling economy only to emerge as one of the Philippines’ most respected conglomerate of furniture manufacturing companies. BCI products are carried by popular international firms like And So To Bed (photo below) in the United Kingdom, Williams-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware in the United States.

In their export showroom I could not help but simply admire, touch, and feel Filipino-made furniture pieces I used to work with (a lot of them!) in my previous life - pieces that others normally see on the pages of glossy lifestyle magazines.

Since we were forewarned before entering the premises, I do not have photos to show the beautiful creations that Betis can be truly proud of.

Betis Crafts Incorporated
San Miguel, Betis, Guagua, Pampanga
Telephone: (045) 9000309

Read about VCM | Part 1: BREAKFAST here . . .
Read about VCM | Part 2: MERIENDA & LUNCH here . . .