Completing our mini-Visita Iglesia from Liliw, we proceeded to the St. Bartholomew Church of the neighboring town of Nagcarlan. Originally, it was made of light materials in 1583 by Rev. Thomas de Miranda, who successfully pioneered the cultivation of wheat on uplands of Nagcarlan.
This church of brick and stone was built in 1752, repaired in 1781, then a choirloft was added in 1845 by Rev. Vicente Velloc. Like the church of Liliw, it is also situated on a hill, to provide a vantage view of the town.
It still has a pulpit on the left side, but I think its more as a decoration now.
The contrafuertes or reinforcing pillars are proof that the church also served as a fort during the Spanish era.
It may not be as grandiose or as attractive like its neighbor, but it was the site of the Kampanerang Kuba television series before of Anne Curtis.
Next site on our Nagcarlan itinerary is their Underground Cemetery, also built in 1845 by the same priest of the town that time. There is no entrance fee, and its open from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm only.
Here, the wide expanse of the field is relaxing, despite the afternoon heat when we arrived.
Tombs of the town's formerly influential people are on the two sides of the small chapel.
The chapel has basic furnitures. On its right side is the staircase to the underground crypt.
According to the historical marker, the underground crypt was used as a meeting place by the Katipuneros in 1896.
There are rumors that the crypt has a tunnel that leads to the foot of Mt. Banahaw. Could the sealed underground door below harbor that passage?
The oldest surviving remains I saw here was buried in 1920.
From the cemetery, we took a quick stopover at the Nagcarlan Presidencia, the town's seat of government since 1914. The second floor was added in 1926 to complete the 21 rooms of the neoclassical building.
You just can't help but admire the locals for being able to preserve this old structure. Its a pity that other towns and cities in the country were not able to do the same.
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