Commonly known as the Church of Sto. Tomas de Villanueva is an old baroque church in Iloilo. Miagao Church is one of the world-famous baroque churches in the Philippines, and it has become one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The construction of this church began in 1787 while Fray Francisco M. Gonzales. O.S.A. was the parish priest of Miag-ao, and Domingo Libo-on was the Gobernadorcillo. The Church was completed in 1797 and served as the fortress against the Muslim Raiders. In 1898, this church was destroyed during the revolution, but it was rebuilt.
Miagao Church Architecture:
- The Facade, Design, and UNESCO.
- The facade of Miag-ao Church's facade has various designs and local symbols.
- It was built using yellowish limestone, and a massive image of a coconut tree and St. Christopher carrying Baby Jesus on his shoulder were carved.
History of Miagao Church:
- In 1910, it was damaged by fire and was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1948.
- Restoration work began in 1960 and was completed in 1962 during the term of office of the Most Rev. Dr. Jose Ma. Cuenco, D.D. Metropolitan Archbishop of Jaro, of Msgr. Fernando S. Javillo, D.P., Parish Priest of this town, and Dioscoro Mueda, Municipal Mayor.
- According to some stories in this town, since this church contains 1.5 meters thick walls, 6 meters deep, the people believe it contains a secret passage going somewhere else. Well, this is just speculation and has not yet been proven.
How to Get to Miagao Church:
- From Manila, Cebu, or Davao, you can book a flight to Iloilo City Airport.
- Then, ride in a taxi to "Super."
- Ride in a jeep to Miagao or San Joaquin.