Malabon Churches by Veronica Trubanos

Our group decided to visit the City of Malabon and it’s funny because all of us don’t know how to go there but after trying our luck we finally reached the place. The first stop that we visit was the San Bartolome Church. It is located at barrio San Agustin within the school of saint James Academy. August 24 is their feast day.

The church was first built by the Spaniards in 1621 and finished in 1854.  In 1861 the facade and its twin towers were constructed.  The architecture of San Bartolome Church was simple and elegant but imposing.  With its portico of Ionic columns reminiscent of a Greek temple, it was said to be "one of the most beautiful examples of ecclesiastical architecture that Spain has left the country." The interior was mostly untouched, though, keeping its simple and dignified design with a few flourishes from the era.

Old San Bartolome Church

As you can see in this picture (below) the church seems beautiful on the outside, but when we entered, we're disappointed, the beautiful ceiling of this church becomes ugly. We were sad on what we saw because one of the oldest and beautiful Churches in Malabon turn into unattractive. One of the resident there tell us something on what happen in that church, he told that everything was because of the parish priest named Fr. Ric Torrefiel. Also, he told that Mayor Oreta gave P4 Million to this priest to beautify again this church but nothing happened.

New San Bartolome Church

The second church that we visit is the Concepcion Church; this was near the Imaculate Concepcion Academy. 

The parish of the Immaculate Concepcion was constructed in 1600 by the townspeople of Malabon. The image was installed in the main altar in 1700, and formerly known as the La Purissima Concepcion. It was canonically crowned on December 7, 1896 thorough a Papal Bull issued in September 1986 and it was renamed into Immaculada Concepcion in honor of the Dogma of the Immaculate Copcepcion which declared by Rome in 1854.

They told that that the image of Virgin was miraculous because one story comes up that there a Chinese businessman fell accidentally into the Malabon river in 1880, while waiting for the rescue, he called and prayed to the Virgin and promised to help in building the church near him. He was about to sink when a boat came just to save him. He donated a marble font to the Concepcion Church on which the name of his wife was inscribed.

Also, I was impressed of their big statue of Jesus, it was the asset of this church to get the attention of the people because I know all of us will take a look in that statue.

We cannot enter inside because it was locked. But I think this church looks good. Like the San Bartolome church, it is also old. They celebrate the feast of Imaculate Concepcion during December 8 and some events follows.