Boljoon Church

Boljoon (also spelled Boljo-on) began as a small Christian settlement named Nabulho. It became a visita or chapel of ease of Sialo in 1599, with the small chapel being dedicated to the Patronage of the Virgin Mary. It was elevated to a parish on October 31, 1690, by Father Francisco de Zamora, Provincial of the Augustinians, as a result of the increasing number of Christians in the area. The decision was implemented upon the appointment of Father Nicolás de la Cuadra as its first parish priest on April 5, 1692. By 1732, the Augustinians proposed to leave Boljoon owing to a shortage of priests; In 1949, the Archdiocese of Cebu took charge of Boljoon. Father Zacarías Suñer was appointed as the first secular parish priest of Boljoon in 1958. and it was listed as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2001. It is the only church in Cebu listed as a National Cultural Treasure. It is also a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines under the Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) nomination, along with the San Pedro Apóstol Parish Church in Loboc, Bohol, La Inmaculada Concepción in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, San Matías in Tumauini, Isabela, and San Isidro Labrador in Lazi, Siquijor. Theft of items In the 1980s, five early 19th-century panels depicting various saints were reported missing from the church's pulpit, with varying accounts attributing it to theft or an illegal sale by the then-parish priest. Four surfaced in the private collection of Union Bank of the Philippines CEO Edwin Bautista, who donated them to the National Museum of the Philippines in February 2024. News of the donation led to demands from the Archdiocese of Cebu as well as civil officials and residents of the province for the panels to be returned. In response, the National Museum said that it was open to share the panels, adding that the donors procured the panels through legitimate means, “highlighting their commitment to ethical acquisition.” A copy of the deed of donation of the panels obtained by Rappler read that the panels should stay with the National Museum, which would hold them in perpetuity and put them on display, while acknowledging that the panels came from Boljoon Church. On April 1, the Cebu Provincial Board passed a motion to file charges against the National Museum and others who took custody over the panels. On May 8, the National Museum's board of trustees ruled in favor of returning the panels to Boljoon Church. The National Museum then formally handed over the panels to the Archdiocese of Cebu in a ceremony at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu on March 13, 2025, before these were brought to Boljoon the next day. Aside from the panels, the church is also seeking to recover an 18th-century tabernacle which was in the possession of a certain David Kamansky, executive director of the USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, California, and was later auctioned off in 2017 by the Leon Gallery for ₱1.4 million. ==Church features==

The church is a fortress church, built of coral stones and located on a hill near the sea. It originally served as a watchtower for Moro raids. The church is known for its original terracotta roof tiles and its distinct folk art or Filipino Baroque style seen predominantly on its choir screen and pulpit. Twenty-eight pillars support the thick walls made of mortar and lime. Altar The main retablo is in pseudo-baroque rococo with gold leaf highlights and polychrome accents. Bell tower The rectangular bell tower used to have seven bells. The tower's ground floor was used as a prison cell, probably for pirates as can be assumed from the drawings of ships on the walls. The gold earring, the first archaeological find of its kind in a Philippine burial site, is probably worn by a person of high status and may have indicated "wealth, influence or great power". Blockhouse Also called the fortress or Dakong Balay (Big House), the quadrangular blockhouse was first built by Father Julian Bermejo when he came to Boljoon in 1808. Cemetery The first burials in Boljoon's cemetery probably occurred in the 1760s. It was closed when a public cemetery was opened. Its gates might have been built in the 1700s, or in 1783 when the present church was constructed. Consisting of coral stones, the cemetery has a symmetrical stone arch gateway with a three-layer pediment, finials on both sides of the two-lower layers and a stone relief of a human skeleton on top. Ilihan Watchtower ruins A former square watchtower made out of coral stone stands on the Bohol coast. It is said to have been constructed by Father Bermejo as part of the church's massive fortification efforts. ==The statue of Patrocinio de María==

The devotion to Patrocinio de Maria Santísima began in 1599, when the Augustinians established a chapel in Nabulho, that would later be known as Boljoon, dedicated to the Patronage of Mary, Most Holy. The image of the Blessed Virgin Mary was brought to the town by Fray Bartolomé de García from Spain. For their part, the people learned the associated prayers and devotions. The chapel was elevated to the status of parish on October 31, 1690, by Father Francisco de Zamora, Provincial of the Augustinians, as a result of the growing Christian population. The decision was implemented upon the appointment of Father Nicolás de la Cuadra as its first parish priest on April 5, 1692. The image of Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Boljoon is a de tallado image of the Madonna and Child, with a wooden body and a beautifully carved heads and hands. The image is often dressed in white and blue vestments, and a gold veil. The image was given an episcopal coronation on November 14, 2020, and in 2022, the image was granted a pontifical decree of Canonical coronation. The Canonical coronation rites took place on April 23, 2022, in line with concluding ceremonies celebrating 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines. ==References==