Iloilo churches continue to lure tourists

Miagao Church, Iloilo (Wikipedia Photo)

ILOILO CITY –- Historical churches in Iloilo are always part of the itinerary of tourists visiting this part of the country, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT) here.

Atty. Helen Catalbas, regional director of DOT, said that while the Visita Iglesia is traditionally done during Lent, church visit is always an attractive itinerary for visitors.

Church visit, she said, is not solely a religious practice considering that not all guests are Catholics.

As such, churches are being packaged for their “historical and cultural role that they played during the earlier times.”

“It is not the faith itself but more on the structure and the practices that are of interest to non-Catholics also,” she said.

While the most prominent among the churches here is the Miagao Church that is listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the churches of Sta. Barbara, Pavia, Tigbauan, San Joaquin and Dumangas, Jaro Cathedral and St. Anne Church in Molo are also very interesting places to visit.

The Our Lady of Candles Church or the Jaro Cathedral, which is the seat of Catholicism in Western Visayas and declared a national shrine is being promoted especially for the Catholic faithful.