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| Barasoain Church - Malolos, Bulacan In time for the 113th Philippine Independance Day this year, I am featuring the iconic and historical Barasoain Church as my photographic and travel subject. (It would be lovely to discuss the historical aspect, but I decided to delete it. Please just Google it.) |
I
have been to Malolos, Bulacan a number of times and I promised myself, I should
not miss Barasoain Church, which, historically, was the seat of the first
Philippine Constitution. Its being historical, plus the adjacent museum and
church courtyard are, likewise, quite interesting for a hobbyist photographer
like me. In particular, I have affinity
to old and quaint architecture, which makes this place closer to my heart. The
first time we went there, I had no time to photograph the interior of the
church. There was an ongoing mass, and,
being a Catholic, and as a matter of respect, I think it was inappropriate for
me to take photos of the interiors. So I
just knelt down and prayed, instead. The
second time I have a friend to tag alone and that`s Xavier timothy mayoyo and
on that they was a beautiful weather, some old folks to talk to and I fell in love with the carvings on its doors,
paintings inside the church and its altar beaming in all its glory, but most of
all I fell in love with its old-age, essence and contribution in building our
history. To those who wanted to know, the Barasoian Church is the most
important religious building in the Philippines, and the site of the First
Philippine Republic. It is here that the First Philippine Congress convened,
the Malolos Constitution was drafted and the First Philippine Republic
inaugurated.
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Upon entering, I was quite disappointed because it was dark
inside. Thanks to my trusty
cellphone! I just have to take long exposures or make overexposure instead, I
thought. It worked for some, but not for
many shots. Thanks to Lightroom 3.0
which allowed me to tweak on some photos and voila! I got some relative good photos to share
(which were "gathering dust" in my hard disk!).
Photographing inside a dark church at past 1:00 PM was quite
challenging. What with the humid, dark, dusty, musty, and seemingly haunted
choir loft!? I was praying to the saints
and even to the ghosts not to show up on me, because I was just interested to
taking pictures of the church. Thank
heavens, I never captured any apparition!
Another challenge that I encountered is shooting the church
facade. I do not know the reason, but we
always get to the place when there are no more blue skies! Blue skies would have been postcard perfect
backdrop for this interesting and historical piece of architecture. I thought that, perhaps, I should be there in
the morning, instead, which of course did not happen. I just hope that I would be able to go to
Malolos one of these days--in the morning.
Also, posing a challenge to photographing the church facade
are the lamp posts that get in the way of the viewpoint. Again, I have to find a perfect spot where I
can omit from the viewpoint those distracting lamps right infront of the
church. The last time I went there,
there was a renovation of the church grounds, and I hope they get to place
those lamp posts in more inconspicuous locations.
It is fun, from my point of view the Barasoain church is one most historical place i ever been and i have a blast just giong their taking some pictures, thinking how they preserve the beauty of the church in all this years. but theirs is a side effect that we did`nt go at museum because we don`t have much time. so i recommend the you must visit the
How to go to Barasoain church
Are you a commuter going to Barasoain church? No problem. I
can show you how to get yourself there based on own experience. I have 5
options to give you if you are coming from SM North Edsa, Trinoma, Cubao,
Quezon Avenue Station and, Monumento.
- SM North Edsa UV Express Station – it is located in front of the SM Annex along the road. The fare is P60. You need to check if the vehicle is going to Malolos. Tell the driver to drop you by Malolos crossing.
- Trinoma UV Express Station – it is located at the main parking lot of Trinoma. You can see lots of sign boards of different places. You need to find Malolos. The fare is P60 as well. If you are a first timer in Manila and you are having a hard to locating it. It never hurts to ask someone about “UV Express Terminal in Trinoma.” Again, just tell the driver to drop you by Malolos crossing.
- Cubao Baliwag Transit Bus Station – it is located in EDSA, Cubao, Quezon City Metro Manila. If you took the MRT, you need to drop yourself by Cubao station. The MRT and LRT intersection indicates that you are closer to the Baliwag Transit Bus Station. The road intersection indicates it as well. When you ride the bus, it is better to sit near the driver so you are updated about your exact location. The fare is P58. The unloading station is before the flyover. Buses are not allowed to unload at Malolos crossing. So you need to walk until you reach Malolos crossing.
- Centris Station for UV Express – it is located at Quezon Avenue MRT station. When you are standing in front of the Centris Mall, the terminal is on the right side. You can see a couple of vans there. The exact fare is P60. Look for a van going to Malolos and tell the driver to drop you by Malolos crossing.
- Monumento Victory Liner Bus Terminal – it is located at 713 Rizal Ave. Ext., Caloocan, Philippines. The bus station is near LRT Monumento station. And, the Victory Mall is the nearest mall from the bus station. People who are falling in line inside the yellow bars are most likely to go to Malolos or Pampanga. If unsure, it never hurts to ask. The fare for this trip is P53. Just drop yourself by before the Malolos fly over because that’s the best option for you. Then walk until you reach the crossing.
- The next vehicle you need to ride is a Jeepney with a sign board of “Derecho”, “Derecho Bayan” or “Karatig.” Or simply ask the traffic enforcer in Malolos crossing about the Jeepney to ride going to Barasoain church. The fare is P8.50. You can also ride a tricycle however, it is not recommended since the fare is much higher. I think it is around P20-30 from Malolos crossing to Barasoain church.
Barasoain Church and Museum
Malolos, Bulacan
Museum Schedule: Tuesday - Sunday
8:00AM - 4:00PM
Entrance Fee: Free
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