SAINTS PETER AND PAUL CATHEDRAL (CALBAYOG CITY)

Location: Corners of Acedillo, Rueda and Bugallon Streets, Calbayog City, Samar, Philippines

Note: The pictures posted here is a part of my May 1-8, 2015 Samar-Leyte-Biliran-Mactan-Cebu Trip.

Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral: An Iconic Symbol of Calbayog

Note: This is a part of my May 2 - 8, 2015 Samar-Leyte-Biliran-Mactan-Cebu Trip which includes: Capul Island, San Antonio Island, Dalutan Island, Sambawan Island, The Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Shrine, Ciriaco Hotel, Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, Other Calbayog tours, San Juanico Bridge, MacArthur Landing Memorial National Park, Limasawa Island

The Roman Catholic Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral of Calbayog City is the seat of the Diocese of Calbayog under the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical province of Palo which has then became an archdiocese and finally on November 15, 1982 Palo was promoted to be a metropolitan archdiocese. This cathedral was established in 1910 where its ecclesiastical foundation was laid on April 10, 1910 by Pope Pius X. It was in May 2010, that a Vatican’s Philippine Representative was sent to attend for its first Centennial Celebration. As of this posting, it is already 105 years old.

The majestic Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral with its proud Bell Tower

The Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is the most important landmark in Calbayog City where its tell-tale dome, spire, and thick walls reveal the blending of Spanish and modern architectural designs. It is located in the corners of Acedillo (a part of the Pan-Philippine Highway), Bugallon and Rueda Streets. It is a block away from the city hall and opposite to Cardinal Julio Rosales Plaza. Since it is along the Pan-Philippine Highway, buses with routes to Catbalogan, Tacloban, Ormoc, Maasin, Baybay, Surigao, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and some other parts of Southern Philippines would normally pass along this symbolic figure of Calbayog City.

The awesome architectural design of the altar

Posting this blog is somewhat a personalized effort on my part as I am a proud Calbayognon and this cathedral has been a great part of my life being a Roman Catholic. I was a catechist of Calbayog Catechetical Circle for 6 years of which I became the head of it for the last two years of my membership teaching Religion and Values Education in Calbayog East Central School. We usually held our closing ceremony in this cathedral. It was also here that I had our Baccaulaureate Mass when I graduated college in Christ the King College.

The bishop Reverend Isabelo C.Abarquez seated on the pulpit in an 8:00 P.M. Sunday Mass

This Calbayog Cathedral is indeed strategically located in the heart of the island of Samar. Being here would give you the opportunity to visit to a haven of natural attractions; towering and cascading waterfalls (Veriato, Bangon, Pan-as, Ton-ok, Tarangban and a few others) which dubbed Calbayog as the “City of Waterfalls”; beaches like the Lo-ok Beach of Malajog and caves and picturesque rock formations in Biri Island; beaches and a hot spring named “Mapaso Hot Spring with consistently 100 degrees boiling water and with healing value; a new attraction of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Shrine ; a marble park forest ideal for mountaineering (Malopalo Marble Walls), trekking, housing caves underneath preserved for over a hundred years; a few hours land and sea travel to the beautiful islands of San Antonio (the Boracay of Samar), Capul and San Vicente for Pink Beach; it hosts the annual Sarakiki/Hadang Festival which is unique for its grand street dance performance and exhibition depicting different rituals of participants and the legendary dance of “Kuratsa”.

Not only that, driving towards Catbalogan would only take more than an hour and further at 3.5 hours would give you San Juanico Bridge - the longest bridge in Southeast Asia which connects the provinces of Samar and Leyte. Barely 30 minutes drive further will be Tacloban City and just adjacent to it is the McArthur Leyte Landing Memorial Park of Palo, Leyte. From Palo, is another 2 hours drive via Curry Avenue and Lemon-Leyte-Biliran Road for 108.60 kilometers. And finally from the port of Naval will be 1.5 to 2 hours boat ride leading to the most-prized destination of Sambawan Island. But don't forget to drop by on the white sand beaches of Dalutan Island and Capinahan.

HOW TO GET THERE

There are daily flights from Manila to Calbayog and vice versa for just an hour. You may opt to travel by land via South Road for 16 hours in a distance of 682.2 kilometers excluding the ferry boat which would take you to cross the turbulent waters of San Bernardino Strait from Matnog Port of Sorsogon to Allen of Northern Samar and then the bus ride continues till it reaches Calbayog City.  Though the land travel is long passing through the provinces Laguna, Quezon and the Bicol region, you will have the opportunity to see the countryside and among this is the famous Mount Mayon Volcano.  It is a long but exciting trip.