BEST OF DALAGUETE

BEST OF DALAGUETE

San Guillermo de Aquitana Church

 

The historic church of Dalaguete, San Guillermo de Aquitana, sits in the heart of the town facing the sea. I’ve read about how bad the raids were during the Spanish era. Villages being looted, villagers being kidnapped, houses and churches being burned down to the ground. But for the most part, this didn’t stopped the missionaries building their churches and convents close to the coast, as if defiantly to say, “We’re in this for the long haul”.
But there were instances when they had to transfer location after recurring attacks, like in Carcar, where they decided to the church to Vallodolid. There’s a reason why these churches attempts to stay where they are. The concentration of the population typically exist near the coast, so the missions had to build near them, where the people are, and these union between church and man became the towns we know today.
The church of San Guillermo de Aquitana is unique for it is actually inside a fortress complex, made of thick adobe walls and solid militaristic sentries. Intended to deter pirate attacks, the major threat for the growing Christian population then. The complex share similarities to that of Argao. It is indeed a very important heritage site for it demonstrates true Filipino Spanish architecture and design (some objects like the crystal chandeliers were said to have been brought by the galleons) and how our Christian faith and traditions began and how it was defended, not by Spain and its missionaries alone but by the Christianized natives.