Old Meets New in Balamban

Right after my ten-minute stay in the quiet little sea-side park of Pinamungajan, I was back on the road for the next leg of my trip. My next destination was Balamban.

When I reached Toledo – which was less than 30 minutes away – I saw a couple of road-side signs with directions to a certain Rancho resort. Out of curiosity, I decided to check out the spot. But when I saw the resort, I didn’t bother going in. It looked kinda expensive. Maybe next time. Haha.

So, after grabbing something to eat, I was back on the road for the town of Balamban. I noticed in my past travels that Balamban has this really nice-looking church. So, I decided to make it my next stop.

Old meets new in Balamban

The facade of the Saint Francis of Assisi Parish Church in Balamban looks really imposing.

The massive columns remind you of the Palace of Justice at the Cebu Provincial Capitol. And the details on the facade look really meticulous.

The right belfry is currently being repainted. And the different shades of brown (seen at the bottom) will probably be the new color of the entire structure.

The grand columns. I wish they’d keep them white.

Side door made of brittle and very old-looking wood.

The church interior is pretty massive. It was my first time so I was literally in awe. The ceiling is very high and the aisles are long.

But I quickly noticed some of the not-so-appealing aspects. I saw a lot of people sleeping on the pews.  I’m not sure why.

I saw a lot of very interesting images and sculptures in various parts of the church. But most if not all of them were either damaged or not maintained properly. Like this crucifix.

A confession booth that looks like it will disintegrate anytime soon.

These pews don’t look so good.

And these kneelers don’t look too promising.

The scale model of the renovation project. I read in their website that renovation works started in January 2011. More than two years now.

Left altar with various images.

An image of the Santo Niño encased in glass.

The new roof of the church.

The main altar with the ‘roofed’ table for the priest.

Right altar.

Another very interesting piece.

Pews near the main altar.

Exterior of the church.

The convent is also currently being renovated.

I really hope that they do a good job in renovating the church. From the looks of it, they still have a lot of things to do. But I’m hoping that when I come back, things would be a little more awesome. I’m not sure how the church looked like before the renovation so I really can’t comment on whether or not things actually got better.

After my church visit, it was time to head home via the Transcentral Highway. I really think that the TCHighway is one of the best things that ever happened to Cebu. Not only does it make travel time shorter, it also gave city dwellers the chance to enjoy the awesomeness of Cebu’s highlands.

Quick snack stop!

Chillax!

I stayed for at least thirty minutes before finally getting on my bike for the last leg of my trip. It’s been another great solo trip.

My only wish is that I’d get to do this until blogging actually stops being relevant. Haha.

All for Cebu! Here’s to more exciting future solo trips! Payt Bisdak!