Pampanga Bound
A Travel Guide to the
Home of the Kapampangans
BETIS CHURCH
I’m not actually a very religious person, but I do go to church from time to time. As most people know, the Filipinos are mostly Catholic and in most provinces their Churches are a treasure to its people. The people in Pampanga, the Kapampangans are no different.
It’s been said that one of the most beautiful churches in Pampanga is the one located in Betis, Guagua, the Santiago Apostol Parish Church. Before entering the church you will see that the doors are beautiful hand-crafted wooden doors and this is clearly due to the fact that, well Betis is known for its wood works/carvings. So connecting the dots we can say that the church is a reflection of the town. What is special about this church is that they say it is like the Sistine Chapel of Philippines. Upon reading this I wasn’t really sure if it actually was, having never been there before. By Gods, when my cousin, my aunt and I entered the church and looked up at the ceiling, it was simply breath-taking. I mean I’ve been to a lot of churches before but that church was simply magnificent. You could imagine hearing an orchestra playing music as you go further in and once you look up it’s like the choirs of angels were singing Hallelujah!
It's a heavenly place, if I do say so myself. I’m still young and all that but imagine getting married there, in a beautiful pristine white gown, slowly walking down the aisle, it could be like a royal wedding. That may be stretching it too far but you’ll know what I mean when you visit it yourself and see how it really could be like the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines. You can be able to go there just by simply taking a jeep along the main highway that has a sign that says it is going to Guagua. You can just tell the driver your destination and the church is just beside the main road. Though recently the main roads in Betis are under construction so it is a bit hard for the jeeps to travel through but they will get you to your destination for under 30 pesos.
Taking pictures with the most hi-tech camera will not do it any justice at all. To see all those details in person, the craftsmanship, the work that must have taken to create such a beauty, and the true talent lies in Macario Ligon Y Nulud who is the painter of the immaculate ceiling mural, is the best way to appreciate it. It is no wonder that it has been a National Cultural Treasure since 2001. When we went there we were all alone, so the quite atmosphere made it feel even more intense. I would just like to mention that it was the first time for me to see a guard in the church grounds but it may be due to the fact that one part of the lot was turned into the museum of Betis, though we weren’t able to go in the museum to check it out. But there is always a next time and who knows, we might even see each other there, maybe not but you’ll never known, it is a small world.
This is the view from the altar. The entrance. Below is the close up of the altar.
This is actually the first time I've seen a church with wooden floors, but this may be because Betis is known for its wood crafts that's why they wanted to showcase it in their church. Even the chairs they have in the church are uniquely designed.
The whole church is richly decorated and as you can see even the pillars of the cross (the ones hanging on the pillars) are handcrafted wood works as well.
Click on Google Maps to check out the location of Betis Church in Guagua, Pampanga.
To learn more about the church, Check out these blogs, links and videos.