Foundation

Sibonga was a visita of Carcar in 1690. Later, it was aggregated to Argao, and remained so for quite a number of years owing to its small population.

• 1830 - Sibonga was made and independent parish under the advocation of Nuestra Seņora del Pilar de Zaragoza

• Don Mariano de la Ascension - the first assistant priest

• Fr. Prospero Puerto - first Augustinian priest

Construction of the Church

The first buildings were temporary. Fr. Prospero Puerto, who administered Sibonga from 1833 to 1868, constructed the solid and beautiful convent, following the plans of Bishop Santos Gomez Maraņon (the priest who built the belfry of the church in Argao). Fr. Puerto also introduced the cultivation of tobacco, and the first class harvests that followed made the town the chief tobacco producer in the island of Cebu.

Fr. Juan Alonso, parish priest from 1868 to 1881, laid the foundations of a new church and started its construction with stone and bricks. Fr. Alonso supervised the construction until it reached the arches above the windows. The bell tower was destroyed by the typhoon of November 25, 1877. Fr. Enrique Magaz finished the church in 1881. Fr. Emiliano Diez was applying the finishing touches when the revolution broke out in 1898. Frs. Puerto and Alonso opened the road which crosses the island from east to west. The oldest bell, dedicated to Santa Filomena, was installed in 1863.

Sibonga’s church and convent was built by the inhabitants themselves. All male residents were required every Monday to bring to church two big stones. They took turns in helping in the construction with no pay, or in case of skilled workers like canteros and carpenters, with little pay.

The church was restored in 1907 and blessed by Msgr. Jeremias Harty, Archbishop of Manila.

Style of Church

The church in Sibonga has one-nave interior with a wooden colonnade and a painted ceiling. The interior is clearly influenced by the church in Carcar. What is most eye-catching is the yellowish light that suffuses the interior and lights up the predominantly brownish-amber tones of the mural on the ceiling done by Raymundo Francia.

The faįade has three sections separated from each other by shallow columns. The structure is very simple and bare of any decoration. The flame-like arched main entrance dominates the central panel. It is flanked on both sides by twin bell towers. The triangular pediment sports a rose window, typical of the Gothic style. The bell towers lack sufficient elevation for them to harmonize with the style of the faįade. The style is pseudo-Gothic characterized by simplicity of form and scantiness of decoration.