Siquijor TravelSeries : San Isidro Labrador Church and Lazi Convent

I am into old churches and getting to the old town of Siquijor which is rich in culture and heritage, visiting centuries-old churches is a must.

Our next stop after the fish spa experience at the Enchanted Old Balete Tree was the San Isidro Church in Lazi. 

The church according to history was built in 1884 by the Spaniards using coral stones and hard wood. It was beautiful from the outside, much like  my province's century-old church in Baclayon. 

I feel in-love with the church's belfry. The way ferns and weeds flourished among its stone walls made the whole scenery beautiful.

Look at the amazing stone carvings, it's amazing how it was made with such precision and grandness. We may never know how long our ancestors have built this structure but I am pretty sure they are proud of it now.

What's interesting about this church is that the entrance door was covered with  strings of rope. From afar, I thought they were vines or something.  It adds to the magnificent aura of the old church.

Most churches I've been to was made entirely of stone floors or concrete, but only in Siquijor did I witnessed a centuries-old church whose flooring is entirely made up of hard wood. It still stands sturdy and strong  until today.

By the time we got there, there were locals with little children cleaning and putting floor wax on the wooden floor to preserved it.  It was just a  beautiful sight to see; local children being taught to take care of  this heritage site. I'm hoping that these children won't allow urban intrusion to destroy what their ancestors are giving them. 

I may not fully understand it, but it looks like the locals decided to just let the church stay as it is. I saw some parts of the church that needs extra care or restoration. But in a way, it still looks  beautiful to me.

What caught my attention upon entering the church was its  colorful ceiling. It was like hand-painted in blue with gold and brown flower designs on each side. The center wooden plank which serves as a support was extremely old.  The stone walls are beautifully  made.

This can be seen at the ceiling near the altar.  The flowery designs of blue, gold and brown was just pleasant. The church smells old, rustic and with floor wax. 

The altar is not that grand, I don't know if the statues were antique but they looked relatively old to me. It was wonderfully lit by the natural ambient light from the outside. Green and yellow combination always looked good. 

The choir area above the entrance door  looks like it needs a restoration. I don’t know if people are allowed to climb on it but  I guess a little accident might happen if it does. It was just amazing this church have withstood the ravaging forces of nature over a long period of time. The woodwork is still intact, the doors were rusty and beginning to be damaged but it's still strong.

Our local guide made us see the right side of the church where the grotto was located. There was a huge acasia tree above it. It looks creepy though but it was a beautiful tree and I can relatively tell it's as old as the church too. 

This was taken at the left side of the church. The belfry stood strong amidst the strong storms  endured by the island.

I love old rustic church doors; I don’t know why  I was drawn to capture them with my camera.
There was something on it that I couldn’t resist.  

The entrance door is a good spot for a photo shoot. 

Across the church stood the Old Lazi Convent. This is the known oldest convent of the country, built in 1887. The first floor was made of coral stones while the second floor was made of hard wood.  

The church and the convent was declared by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as one of the most outstanding heritage churches in the Philippines and by the National Museum as the National Cultural Treasures.

"Take me back to the Spanish era" 

To know more about Siquijor and its full itineraty, see Siquijor : The Mystical Island