http://www.ateneo.edu/offices/mirlab/panublion/preface.html

San Juan Sahagun Parish

An ecomienda given to Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa, Tigbauan became a visita of Oton on 3 March 1575. Although it had become an independent parish in 1578, no permanent priest was assigned to Tigbauan until 1580, when Fr. Luis de Montoya was assigned as prior. Originally under the advocacy of Our Lady of Grace it was later renamed Juan de Sahagun, after an Augustinian saint. In 1593, the parish was handed over to the secular clergy because the friar, Fr. Garcia de Quiroga, was appointed secretary of the province and had to leave the Visayas. The seculars held the parish until 1617 when they were assigned to Antique (Hamtic) in exchange for Tigbauan. Fr. Fernando Camporredondo may have built the Tigbauan church described in a report of 1848 as made of yellow limestone and which survived the earthquake of 13 July 1787 despite its considerable height. Fr. Fernando Martin is credited with building the present church, though Augustinian historian Pedro Galende, opines that he may have reconstructed a previous church, since the description of his work corresponds to the one previously mentioned. Only the church fa¨cade, bell tower and a few pillars of the convento remain. The same earthquake that brought Oton to the ground damaged the interior in 1948, apparently. The interior is greatly renovated and has been decorated with mosaics in 1994.

Heritage Features: The facade design is simple: a rectangle surmounted by a triangular pediment, the whole hemmed by thick pillars on either side. To the fa¨cade's right is the three-story bell tower composed of cubes decreasing in size and capped by a pyramidal roof. A lintel and post doorway and an arched window mark the first story while the second story has no apertures. The third story had arched windows. What gives the whole fa¨ade distinction is the low relief decorating the central portal. Here a retablo-like design fills the central section. Pilasters, similar to the Mexican estipite flank the entrance, between are low relieves of flowers and cords, all finding focus in the cherub head that decorates the capstone of the entrance. Running horizontally from pilaster to pilaster is a floral frieze at whose center is the seal of the Augustinian order. This band marks the division between the first and second stories. Above is a niche flanked by pilasters embellished with flowers and volutes. The church patron San Juan is depicted. Above the niche is a low relief of the Santo Ni–o inside a niche. The triangular pediment of the whole structure carries a low relief of flowers arranged inside a rectangular plaque. Much more about Tigbauan at: http://goiloilo.com/category/places/tigbauan_iloilo/

Churrigueresque refers to the florid, over-decorated style practiced by a family of sculptors and architects in 18th century Spain, the Churrigureas. The style had some currency in Spain and Spanish America. One architectural dictionary describes Churrigueresque as a lavish piling up of surface ornamentation, especially stone carvings. In Mexico, the Churrigueresque ended up incorporating indigenous themes.

The Tigbauan church does have some intricate and quite beautiful stone carving on its principal fa¨cade, facing the plaza. Were the friars enthusiasts of the Churrigueresque style, possibly having glimpsed it in Spain or Mexico? There is another possibility. There is considerable evidence in the literature that the skilled building trades in the Visayas were dominated by Chinese craftsmen -- they were almost certainly men at the time. Chinese architecture during the Ming and Qing dynasties exhibit fabulous stone carving, not dissimilar from that seen on the Tigbauan church fa¨cade.

Since it's likely that the work was done by Chinese stone masons and stone carvers, was it the friars who wanted add something stylish to their new church working in tandem with Chinese workers who may have been trained in Qing stonework which produced what we see today.

Are the themes and details of the Tigbauan stone carving more Churrigueresque or more Qing? A detailed study of the Tigbauan carvings, examples of Churrigueresque carving from Spain and Mexico with Qing themes might provide clues. The likely conclusion is that the Tigbauan stone carving is another fabulous multicultural amalgam of influences and skills which also produced the stone carving in Miagao and San Joaquin. Much more about Tigbauan at: http://goiloilo.com/category/iloilo_panay_places/tigbauan-iloilo-panay-philippines/

Suddenly, Augustine's anguish left him and he now found direction in humility, as though an arrow from God had transfixed his heart. "You have pierced our hearts with the arrow of your love, and our minds were pierced with the arrows of your words." Conf 9,2. Indeed his heart seemed to burst into flame with love for God. "Your gift sets us afire and we are borne upward; we catch this flame and up we go. In our hearts we climb those upward paths, singing the songs of ascent. By your fire, your beneficent fire, we are inflamed." Conf 13,9. Much more about Tigbauan at the goILOILO website: http://goiloilo.com/category/places/tigbauan_iloilo/