Information
It is known as the Binondo Church, also known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, aka Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish, aka The Minor Basilica and National Shrine of San Lorenzo Ruiz ). It was built, Spanish Colonial style and it consists of the original octagonal bell tower, a Cupola, A Dome and a Gabled Roof and it is clearly symmetrical. Masses held in the Binondo Church are still on-going today, with languages spoken such as Tagalog, English, and different variations of the Chinese language which consists of Hokkien and Mandarin.
Architects profile
It was designed by many architects, one of which was Architect Domingo de la Cruz González.
History of the building
The Binondo Church was built in 1596, serving as one of Manila’s oldest churches that is still being used today, though due to the damage caused by natural disasters, such as typhoons, earthquakes (years, 1645, 1863 and 1880) and also having to withstand the Second World war, many of the original parts of the Binondo Church have been reconstructed. Today, the only original part of the Binondo Church that still stands, that was constructed in 1596 is the octagonal bell tower, which is positioned on the right side of the church. Despite of the repetitive renovations and repair, the Binondo church still has its original stone walls.
Added features
The reconstruction of the Binondo church was completed in 1984. The new features that were included were a new church centre and a monastery, which was added at the back of the church. On the interior, there was the improved altarpiece inspired by the exterior of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The dome at the main altar was also a replica of the dome in St. Peter’s Basilica. The interior was mostly marble; inspired by the Sistine Chapel, while the paintings on the ceiling depict the mysteries of the Holy Rosary and some important events in the bible.
Purpose/Function
It is being used/and has served as a Christian place of worship. The purpose of the erection of this structure was for mainly for religion, particularly for the Christian faith, which was heavily influenced by the Spanish people during that time.
Trivia
The baptistery of Binondo church is the exact spot where Lorenzo Ruiz (the first Philippine saint) and Ignacia del Espiritu Santo were baptized.
Source :(http://heritageconservation.wordpress.com/2006/07/27/binondo-church-manila/)
Andres Bonifacio and his second wife were married two times and the first wedding was held in Binondo Church.
(Source: http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Andres-Bonifacio-His-Great-Life-137730.html)
Essay
I chose to present Binondo church because it is one of the remaining historical churches in the country that define Philippine history and culture, then and today.
The Binondo church has a very unique and colourful interior. The first thing I saw when I entered the premise, was the decorative paintings that were displayed overhead. The paintings, in the crossing of the arcs in the ceiling, were of some of the holy figures from the bible and depicted important events mentioned in the bible. The ceiling was overcrowded with depictions of the bible; to me it symbolizes the faith of the Filipino people - the fullness of their faith and their religiousness.
The Binondo church has very distinct Spanish features; it portrays the way of life for the Filipinos during the time the Spanish people lived in the Philippines. To me, the big giveaway was the use of colours. The use of pink, blue and yellow showed its Spanish heritage.To be honest, due to old age and the lack of maintenance, Binondo church may not have much of an effect compared to other churches in Manila. The physical state of the church currently is dull, but I do believe, if certain repairations were made, without altering or touching the original elements of the church, to preserve the history of the structure, it will receive more appreciation that what it is getting now.
As you know, the Binondo church had a few encounters with natural disasters, such as earthquakes, typhoons, war, etc. Although much of the structure’s originality is not seen today since there was constant rebuilding and renovations of the Binondo church, in my opinion, the repetitive renovations and improvements showed the on-going faith, love of their religion and strong determination of the Filipino people.
