26/04/2019
The Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Parish Church (Our Lady of Patronage of Mary Parish Church), commonly known as Boljoon Church, is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the Our Lady of Patrocinio in the municipality of Boljoon, Cebu, Philippines, under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu.
It has been declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines and a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the PhilippineBoljoon (also spelled Boljo-on) began as a small Christian settlement named Nabulho,It became a visita of Carcar in 1599, and a small chapel was placed under the advocacy of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was elevated to a parish on October 31, 1690, based on the decision of Father Francisco de Zamora, Provincial of the Augustinians, as a result of the increasing number of Christians in the area. The decision was implemented upon the appointment of Father Nicolás de la Cuadra as its first parish priest on April 5, 1692As early as 1732, the Augustinians proposed to leave Boljoon, owing to a shortage of priests,hey eventually left on September 27, 1737. Administration of Boljoon was later transferred to the Jesuits. The Augustinians returned to Boljoon in 1747 in exchange for Liloan, Cotcot and Maraling from the JesIn 1782, earlier buildings in Boljoon were destroyed by piratesuits.In 1782, earlier buildings in Boljoon were destroyed by pirates,The present church of Boljoon was built by Augustinian priest Father Ambrosio Otero in 1783. Construction of the church was continued by Father Manuel Cordero in 1794 and completed by Father Julián Bermejo in 1841.Father Bermejo also built other structures as part of Boljoon's defense network, such as the watchtowers and blockhouse. The church was later restored by Father Leandro Morán, the last Augustinian priest of Boljoon, who served from 1920 to 1948.The following year, the Archdiocese of Cebu took charge of Boljoon.Father Zacarias Suñer was appointed as the first secular parish priest of Boljoon in 1958.
The church is a fortress church, built of coral stones and located on a hill near the sea. It originally served as a watchtower for possible Moro raids.The church is known for its original terra cotta roof tiles and its distinct folk art or Filipino Baroque style, predominantly on its choir screen and pulpit.Twenty-eight pillars support the 2-metre (6.6 ft) thick walls made of mortar and lime.Its ceiling paintings are the work of Miguel Villareal, a native of Boljoon. The three gates and the walls of the church are made of coral stones and were constructed from 1802 to 1808 under the auspices of Father Bermejo.
It is also believed that Boljoon began as a pre-Hispanic settlement of Malay migrants who have found a route from Panay into the area. Based on the archives of the Augustinian Province of the Philippines, Boljoon was once a barrio of the town of Carcar. It was made independent in both its civil and ecclesiastical administration during the October 31, 196 Congress of the congregation. Apparently, the town was first constituted as a parish before it was made into a municipality.
Historical records reveal at least five renditions of the name of the town. It is referred as Bolhon, Bolhong, Bolhoon, Bolhoong, and the current name and spelling of "Boljoon". A sixth one is that of Bolojon which was attributed to an error in copying. The area was apparently on the mission areas in Cebu when the first parish was founded in Bantayan in 1580 and possibly was erected as a parish only in 1692, based on existing records. It is not, however, a remote possibility that a church may indeed have been built before the close of the 15th century.
Boljoon is 103 kilometers from Cebu City to the southeastern part of Cebu Province. It is bounded in the north by the town of Alcoy, on the east by the sea, on the south by Nueva Caceres (Oslob) and on the west by high mountains. It is famous for its crooked roads because of its elevated hill, which the town's people call "ILI". A small river irrigates its lands. The name of the town is derived for the local word "Bolho" which means springs of water.
Boljoon possibly started as a small settlement which eventually grew and prospered. In 1732 alone, Boljoon had 1,760 parishioners. By the year 1760, Father Provincial Pedro Velasco, OSA, reported that parishioners increased to 1,950 which is equivalent to 650 paying tributes, excluding 1,454 non-paying tributes that made a total of 3,404 parishioners. Royal treasury which is the equivalent of taxes in modern terminology. Originally, one attribute was equal to three persons.
