Prepared by the Argao Commission on Culture and Heritage

RATIONALE:  The following guide is designed and issued by the Argao Commission on Culture and Heritage to primarily unify the terms and names used by various local tour guides when conducting tours around Argao’s pueblo.  It is also meant to inform everyone in and outside Argao interested in the remaining sites in the pueblo of the official and final names and designations of all the structures around the pueblo so as to avoid confusion.  The names and designations contained in this paper shall be used at all times when talking about the pueblo.

Todd Lucero Sales, Culture and Heritage Officer

MAP OF THE PUEBLO OF ARGAO

 

Brief History

The town of Argao became part of the encomienda of Don Hernando de Monroy on Nov. 3, 1571.  On June 21, 1599 it became of the eight visitas of Carcar and was originally dedicated to the Nuestra Señora de Gracia.  In 1608 the town was officially established as a pueblo though it only became a parish in 1733.  The first titular of the parish was Saint Michael the Archangel but was later changed to the Nuestra Señora de Consolacion.  The structures within the church complex remain some of the very few intact Spanish period buildings in the province of Cebu.  Outside the walled complex, there are also many Spanish to early American period houses that can be seen.

1.  THE ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL CHURCH

Established by the Augustinians on October 16, 1733.  The first parish priest of Argao was Fr. Ignacio de Olalde.  Construction started in 1734 and ended 54 years later in 1788.  Finishing touches to the church as it looks today were made between the years 1803 to 1836 during the stewardship of Fr. Mateo Perez.  The roofing of the church was renovated in the years 1876, 1924, and 1988.

The church features many treasures, most of which date back to the mid-1700s, including:

• the Argao Pipe Organ, designed by Mexican artists but built by Argawanon hands in the 1700s and one of 14 built in the Philippines during the Spanish period and one the 3 remaining intact pipe organs in the Philippines today; has 700 pipes and capable of 22 different kinds of sounds.
• 5 intricate altars;
• Murals on the ceilings depicting various scenes from the bible done by the famous Visayan artists Canuto Avila and Raymundo Francia.

2.  ARGAO CONVENT AND THE PARISH MUSEUM

• The church convent was built in the 1820s;
• Was the base of operations for Spanish missionaries learning Cebuano until the early 1800s;
• Served as a seminary in the early part of the 20^th century;
• Below the convent is the Argao Parish Museum;
• Argao Museum was constructed in 1999 in order to house what was left of the church’s priceless antiques, and also to showcase the religious artifacts and icons of families who have decided to let the museum safe-guard their family heirlooms;
• Collections of the museum include old and elaborate vestments worn by Spanish friars, beautiful and antique religious icons, many of which were imported from Spain, hand written musical notes that were used during the Spanish era, and many more. 

3A. THE BELFRY or the CAMPANARIO

• A slender, 5-storey structure considered as “one of the best in the Philippines” when it was erected in 1830;
• built upon the order of Bishop Santos Gomez de Marañon;
• designed by an Englishman named Wagner;
• Features 9 bells:  San Agustin bell in 1859; the La Purisima Concepcion and Santa Barbara in 1875; the San Roque in 1881; the Nuestra Señora de Concolacion in 1882; and the Corazon de Jesus and the San Miguel bells in 1893.

3B. THE CAMARIN DE LOS CAMPANEROS

• Used to be a rest room for the campaneros
• Used as a baptismal room, or camarin para bautismo, after the 2^nd World War

4. THE CHURCH ATRIUM (Atrio) or QUADRANGLE 

• The front of the church is bound by a short coral stone wall, whose exterior walls features curtain-like relief;
• The interior displays the Via Crucis, or the Way of the Cross, on coral stones carvings. These are believed to be one of the last two remaining carvings in the Philippines;
• Features four capillas posas, or stop stations, where the priest and the faithful stop to pray during special church occasions.  These are not part of the original plan of the church.

5. THE ARGAO UNITY PLAZA

·         Considered as one of the most beautiful best kept plazas in the Visayas;

·         Features 3 authentic, still-functional late Spanish to early American period cannons;

·         Has a Spanish period community well;

·         The Rizal Monument (erected in 1932 though the statue was only made in 1954 by sculpture Fidel Araneta);

·         The Liberation marker showing the first elected officials of Argao after WWII.

6 & 7. CASA REAL AND THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BUILDINGS

• The old municipal building, or the Ayutamiento, was built around the same time the church was constructed;
• It is the only existing Spanish-period municipal building the in the entire province of Cebu with its original structure intact;
• To the left of the Casa Real is the Executive building; while to its right is the Legislative building.  Both buildings are recent additions to the pueblo.

8. THE HALL OF JUSTICE

• Known as the Colegio de los Niños in the Spanish period.  The building functioned as the school for boys and was the tallest civilian structure in the pueblo;
• Later converted into a tobacco plantation during the early American period;
• Also functioned, briefly, as the first building of the Argao Central Elementary School known as the Intermedia;
• Converted into the Star Theater after war and showed films during weekends;
• Became the Argao Parents Teachers Association (APTA) building before it became a trial court;
• Burned down in 1962 and renovated in 1983
• Restored to its original splendor in 2006 through the efforts of former Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr.

9. THE ERMITA OR THE CAPILLA MORTUARIO

• The area around the structure used to be a cemetery (hence the term “Ermita”) up to the early 1800s when the cemetery was transferred to Looc;
• Built around the same time as the church and probably finished before it;
• Functioned as a mortuary chapel in the Spanish period;
• Briefly served as a leprosarium in the American period;
• The carvings on the structure are all symbolisms of Christian death: 
• On the uppermost part is the image of St. Michael clutching a baby, which signifies that everyone regains their innocence upon death.  St. Michael has also always been considered as the angel who saves souls from the jaws of death;
• Below the St. Michael image is a skull, which represents death.  The skull sits upon a globe, which represents death for all mankind.  Atop the skull is an hourglass, which symbolizes that death can come anytime.  On the left of the skull is a laurel leaf, while a sword may be found on the right side.  Both are indicative of the Christian belief that through Christ, man shall conquer death.

10. THE ISIDRO KINTANAR MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

• A building called the Colegio de las Niñas used to stand in this area.  The Colegio was a school for girls during the Spanish period;
• Because of its intricate and grand architecture, the Colegio de las Niñas was also more popularly known as the Palacio.  Only a portion of the structure may be seen behind the provincial hospital.
• The provincial hospital was built in 1975.

A. THE PUERTA MARINA OR THE PUERTA REAL

• Main entrance to the pueblo of Argao.  Built in the mid-1700s, this served as the first line of defense of the pueblo

B & C. THE NORTH GATE AND THE SOUTH GATE