My side trip to Capiz from Iloilo City led me and my office colleagues (Ai and Sankie) to see and know more about a National Historical landmark – the Sta. Monica Church in Panay, Capiz, the 2nd settlement of the Spaniards after Cebu.
The Sta. Monica Church
The Sta. Monica Church is located at the Calle Revolucion in Poblacion Ilaya, Panay, Capiz. Its grand structure is made from coral stone, shaped in the form of a Latin cross.
Getting there
From Roxas City, getting to Panay was just a 20-minute ride via a rented Capiz Cab with a flag down rate similar to Manila which is Php 30.
Biggest in Asia
Isidro Bandejas, the church bell ringer fortunately spotted us as we stepped out of our rented vehicle. He rushed us to get to the five-storey bellfry of the Sta. Monica church since a funeral mass was about to start – that means he had some work to do. He eagerly led us to a door which leads to the steps of the belltower. Before reaching the bellfry of the churh, we hurdled a total of 64 steps. We were in awe as we saw a total of eight bells with the biggest hanging in the center (pictured here). We also enjoyed the panoramic view of Panay town and the mountain range that can be seen from the tower. The earliest bell was made in 1822 and is still in perfect pitch, actually all 8 are still in use depending on the the occassion and the kind of mass celebration.
About the Bell (Facts)
The big bell of Panay is about 7 feet in height and 5 feet in diameter. It took 70 sacks of coins to complete the bell in 1878. It weighs 10.4 tons, reputed as the biggest in Asia and the third biggest bell in the world – the biggest freely swinging bell is the 24-ton St. Petersglocke (Bell of St. Peter) in Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
A Spanish inscription on the bell was translated to English by Msgr. Vicente F. Hilata as “I am God’s voice which I shall echo and praise from one end to the other of the town of Panay, so that the faithful followers of Christ may come to this house of God to receive the heavenly graces.”
We had several photos taken inside, beside and around the bell. We also heard its booming sound as it was rung three times. Since we were standing 3 feet away from the bell, we have to cover our ears as the gigantic bell was sounded off. We learned that its sound can be heard 8 kilometers away. That’s really one loud bell, covering our ears wasn’t enough to mum its sound. It was a nice experience though, hearing it up close, very thunderous indeed!
Jo's Department 