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Daraga Church
Daraga Church
Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church
Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish Church; Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Portería (Spanish);
	Church façade in 2022
	Daraga Church Location in Albay Daraga Church Location in Luzon Daraga Church Location in the Philippines
	13°08′59″N 123°42′43″E / 13.14986°N 123.711998°E
Location	Daraga, Albay
Country	Philippines
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Our Lady of the Gate
Dedicated	1854
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	National Cultural Treasure
Designated	2007
Architectural type	Church building
Style	Churrigueresque Baroque
Completed	1773
Specifications
Number of towers	1
Materials	Volcanic rocks
Administration
Province	Caceres
Diocese	Legazpi (since 1951)
Deanery	St. Gregory the Great
Parish	Our Lady of the Gate
Clergy
Priest(s)	Fr. Antonio S. Sial

Our Lady of the Gate Parish Church, also known as Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Parish Church and commonly known as Daraga Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Daraga, Albay, Philippines under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Legazpi. The church was built by the Franciscans in 1772 under the patronage of the Our Lady of the Gate. Certain church sections were declared as a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines in 2007.

History

Daraga was established as a settlement by people relocating from Cagsawa, who feared another eruption of the Mayon Volcano in that region. They requested permission from the Spanish government to establish a new community and church south of Cagsawa.^[2] Their request was granted by Governor-General Simon de Salazar through a communication to the Alcade-mayor of the province of Camarines, dated June 12, 1772.^[2]

The present church of Daraga was built under the Franciscan priests in 1773.^[3] Built at the time that Daraga was a visita of Cagsawa, the church was erected atop a hill in barangay Santa Maria overlooking the Mayon Volcano.^[4]^[5] When the Mayon Volcano erupted on February 1, 1814, the residents of Cagsawa transferred to Daraga after the destruction of their church.^[6] It was a common belief, however, that the church of Daraga was built after the eruption of Mayon and that it replaced the church of Cagsawa.^[7] The church was consecrated to Our Lady of the Gate in 1854.^[4]

The church was heavily damaged by joint American and Filipino military bombers during the Second World War in 1945, and was hastily renovated after the war using a mix of Renaissance Gothic and Mexican Baroque styles.^[4]^[8] The church was redesigned to follow the norms of the Vatican II council from 1971 to 1973.^[3]^[4] In 1991, the altar was returned to its original position.^[8] The church is still undergoing preservation and rehabilitation measures to prevent deterioration.^[9]

The National Historical Institute (now National Historical Commission of the Philippines) unveiled the church's historical marker on October 16, 2008.^[3] The National Museum of the Philippines listed the church's eastern and western façade, belfry, and baptistry as a National Cultural Treasure in 2007.^[10]

Priests of Nuestra Senora de la Porteria Parish Church, Daraga, Albay
Parish Priest	Inclusive Dates
Fr. Francisco Aragonés, OFM	1814-1850
Fr, Vicente de Lillo, OFM	1851-1868
Fr. Santos Merryon, OFM	1868-1891, 1892-1897
Fr. Julián Torribio, OFM	1891-1892
Fr. Juan Calleja, OFM	1897-1898
Fr. Roque Ricafón, OFM	1898-1899
Fr. Damasco Calvo, OFM	1899-1904
Fr. Vicente de Rojo, OFM	1904-1931
Fr. Nabor del Pozo, OFM	1931-1933
Fr. Salvador Rodríguez, OFM	1933-1939
Fr. Florentín Pérez, OFM	1940-1954
Fr. Victorino Caballero, OFM	1954-1957
Fr. Silvestre Murillo, OFM	1957-1959
Fr. Mariano Montero, OFM	1960-1965, 1966-1970
Fr. Antonio Luto, OFM	1965-1966
Fr. Servulo San Martín, OFM	1970-1975
Fr. Eliakim Suela, OFM	1975-1976
Fr. Francisco Huab, OFM	1980-1983
Fr. Honesto Moraleda	1983-1988
Fr. Domingo Baybay	1988-1989
Fr. Felino Paulino	1989-1992
Fr. Josefino Templado	1992-1998
Fr. Noe Thomas	1998-2005
Fr. José Victor Lobrigo	2005–2012
Fr. Ricardo B. Barquez, Jr.	2012-2017
Fr. Eulogio P. Lawenko, Jr.	2017-2022
Fr. Antonio S. Sial	2022-present
Source: Nuestra Senora de la Porteria Parish Church^[11]

Features

Façade

The church is known for its Churrigueresque architectural style in its façade, a fine example of Baroque architecture. The façade and its walls are made out of volcanic rocks, which are rich in the area.^[5]^[12] The current white façade is the result of a coating of lime for protection from deterioration.^[9]

It is one of the few churches in the country that has four spiral columns known as Solomonic columns or salomónicas.^[4] The four columns bear round medallions, each with carved images of the four Evangelists.^[4]^[13] Another characteristic of the façade, which is unique to the church, is the absence of either vertical columns or horizontal cornices.^[13] Engraved on the façade and the adjacent belfry are statues of saints, mostly Franciscans, and rare religious seals such as the coats of arms of the Franciscan order, the Pope's tiara with the keys, and the five wounds or stigmata of St. Francis which survived the Second World War.^[3]^[14]^[15]

The arch over the entrance has an inscription in Latin which reads, "Bene fundata est domus Domini supra firmam petram" (Well founded is the house of the Lord on firm rock).^[14] Symbols carved out of stones of the three theological virtues (hope, faith, charity) and the Eucharist are also engraved.^[14]

Belfry

The octagonal belltower, located on the left side of the church, has carved images of the twelve apostles distributed in the base's six faces.^[12] The tower has four levels, each tapered upwards and topped with a dome and cross.^[13]

Rehabilitation

Due to several repairs and renovations done on the church from the past years due to the absence of renovation plans, certain parts of the church have been altered and lost its significance.^[3] The façade has been plastered but the original stone work has been revealed through time.^[13] With the help of government agencies like the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the church is undergoing rehabilitation works to preserve the church's cultural and historical significance.^[4] The Provincial Government of Albay led by Governor Joey Salceda allotted ₱ 35 million for the rehabilitation of certain historical and cultural heritage sites in the province including the church of Daraga.^[16]

Notes

^ "Diocese of Legazpi". Claretian Publications. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "History of Daraga". Parish Church of Nuestra Senora de la Porteria. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Daraga church in Albay now a historical treasure". GMA News Online. October 21, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Barcia, Rhaydz (February 26, 2013). "Baroque-inspired Daraga church in Albay undergoes rehab after 240 years". Balita. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Bloom 2005, p. 196
^ Huerta 1865, p. 269
^ Valera, Manahan & Mananghaya 2005, p. 42
^ ^a ^b "Design of the Parish Church of Nuestra Senora de la Porteria". Parish Church of Nuestra Senora de la Porteria. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Arguelles, Mar (April 20, 2011). "Makeover for church in Daraga". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
^ Cruz, Jasmine (May 8, 2014). "Searching for cultural treasures". BusinessWorld. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
^ "Pastors of Parish Church of Nuestra Senora de la Porteria". Parish Church of Nuestra Senora de la Porteria. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Daraga Church". WOW Legazpi. Legazpi City Tourism Office. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Layug 2007, p. 135
^ ^a ^b ^c "Its Symbolism". Parish Church of Nuestra Senora de la Porteria. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
^ Santoro 2011, p. 331
^ Tariman, Pablo (May 5, 2014). "Albay's heritage saving efforts highlight observance of Heritage Month". Yahoo News Philippines. Retrieved September 11, 2014.

Bibliography

Bloom, Greg (2005). Philippines. Lonely Planet. ISBN 9781742203706.
Huerta, Felix (1865). Estado geográfico, topográfico, estadístico, histórico-religioso (in Spanish). Binondo: Imprenta de M. Sanchez y Ca.
Layug, Benjamin Locsin (2007). A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches. New Day Publishers. p. 135. ISBN 9789711011680.
Santoro, Nicholas (2011). Mary In Our Life: Atlas of the Names and Titles of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and Their Place In Marian Devotion. iUniverse. p. 331. ISBN 9781462040223.
Valera, Maria Cristina Turalba; Manahan, Geronimo; Mananghaya, Maria Joycelyn Bolhayon (2005). Philippine Heritage Architecture Before 1521 to the 1970s. Anvil Publishing. ISBN 9789712717093.