Baclayon Church in Bohol: One of Oldest Churches in the Philippines
April 25th, 2007 by 
Prettyfly_pinay
The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon is nestled in the town of Baclayon, Bohol 6 km. east of Tagbilaran City. Simply called Baclayon Church, it is considered to be one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines.
Also one of the best preserved Jesuit built churches in the region, although in the 19th century, the Augustinian Recollects added a modern facade and a number of stone buildings that now surround the church.
I felt overwhelmed looking at the facade of the church. Baclayon Church is obviously very old, yet remains mostly in its original condition which is quite amazing. History reveals that only in 1717 when Baclayon became a parish, and construction of a new church soon began.
Some 200 native forced laborers constructed the church from coral stones, which they took from the sea, cut into square blocks, and piled on to each other. They used bamboo to move and lift the stones in position, and used the white of a million eggs as to cement them together. The Baclayon church was completed in 1727. In 1835 the church obtained a large bell.
Inside the Baclayon church is a dungeon, which is said to be used to punish natives who violated the rules of the Roman Catholic church.
Beside the Baclayon church is an old convent, which also houses a small museum with centuries-old religious relics, 
artifacts and other antiquities, dating back to the 16th century. Also included in the collection are an ivory statue of the crucified Christ looking towards heaven; a statue of the Blessed Virgin, said to be presented by Queen Catherine of Aragon; relics of St. Ignatius of Loyola, old gold embroidered ecclesiastical vestments, books with carabao skin covers, and librettos of church music written in Latin on sheep skins.
Here you can also find the cuadro paintings made by the Filipino painter Liberato Gatchalian in 1859.
Aside from the church, which is one of Bohol’s best tourist attractions, another attraction is the Laya beach located just across the church. It is so inviting that me and group decided to stop for a while and enjoy the scenery and fresh air coming from the beach. It was a perfect place to think after a worthwhile visit from the nearby Baclayon church.
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July 12th, 2007 at 10:29 am
[...] Our next stop was the centuries old Baclayon Church, which is the oldest coral church in the Philippines. Stories abound that until now, ghostly images of Japanese soldiers, who camped inside the church during World War 1, are still seen. [...]