The Santa Ana Church, Manila

I love visiting old Roman Catholic Churches. These are rich in history and architecture and gives you a glimpse of architecture from the era when these churches were built. The most recent old church I visited along with my colleagues at Grupo Kalinangan Inc was the Santa Ana Church in the District of Manila. I have an idea that it’s an old church but I’m not aware that it’s also rich in history, art and archeology.

The marker on the side of the Santa Ana Church mentioned:

Church of Santa Ana

First Franciscan mission established outside Manila, in 1578. Present church built under the supervision of Vicente Ingles O.F.M. Corner stone laid on September 12, 1720, by Francisco de la Cuesta, Archbishop of Manila and acting Governor of the Philippines.

1936

You can also find, inside the Santa Ana Church, the image of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados) as well as the Camarin de la Virgen which are both significant, not only for Roman Catholics but also for historians. It has a historical significance which makes it objects of cultural heritage, along with a very old (undated) ceiling paintings of the life of the Virgin Mary.

If you’re from Metro Manila, it’s definitely a must to visit this place, not just because you’re Catholic, but because of its significance to the history of our people.

BuzzNet Tags: Sta Ana Church,Santa Ana District,Manila

The Old Houses in Santa Ana District, Manila

I’ve heard about the old houses of Santa Ana District in Manila last year when I volunteered for the Philippine Heritage Map (by Grupo Kalinangan Inc). It’s only yesterday that I was able to visit it along with Batch 8 – and it’s raining due to Tropical Depression Josie.

I’ll just be posting here the pictures I took of these old houses. All the information you need to know about these houses can be found on the Philippine Heritage Map www.philippineheritagemap.org since it was mapped before by the batches before me.

Some of the houses that I was able to get a little information from our tour guide Boyet Magale of Manila Heritage Tour Santa Ana are the Lichauco House, the Rodil-Bautista House, and the house currently owned by Dr Erica Pascual. A bulk of these old houses in Santa Ana District is located along Suter Street, including an American-era house.

I guess the best advised that I got from this recent heritage mapping seminar is from key speaker Architect Manolo Noche – that in order to contribute to the preservation of these houses is to promote and educate the public that we still have these structures with us. Time is ticking – we should document and visit these heritage houses as soon as possible.

Take a look at these decades old houses of Santa Ana, Manila.

BuzzNet Tags: Ancestral Houses,Santa Ana,Manila