A book about our religious past as Marinduqueños, "The Church on the Top of the Hill"

The only extant photo of the old Baluarte in Brgy. Laylay, Boac ca. 1900

 One of the most astonishing photos that have survived for over a century and was published in Fr. Christian V. San Juan’s book, "The Church on the Top of the Hill" is this only known extant photo of the Baluarte near the shore of Brgy. Laylay in Boac, Marinduque.

The photo was dated ca. 1900 and the Baluarte/Bantayan, watch tower, still appeared fairly intact at that time. 

This ancient fortress of bricks, corals and adobe has long been forgotten. Today's kids just refer to what's left of it as 'bahay na bato'. Vandalism and neglect have further reduced it to rubbles and ruins unfortunately beyond repair now. 

Or is it?

Photos of the Simbahan ng Boac with its wooden floor in the 1900s, with women in their elegant sayas (lolas of our lolas) and men in their immaculate camisas (lolos of our lolos), and a whole lot more have been painstakingly collected by the Immaculate Conception Parish’s parochial vicar to share with us one day.

That day has come.

Fr. Christian San Juan’s recently released coffee-table book is about valuable pictures, intriguing secrets and historical vignettes of what the National Museum of the Philippines has now declared as Important Cultural Property (ICP) of the Filipino people.

Boac Cathedral’s official declaration as an ICP has been scheduled on February 12, 2019 at 3:00 pm at the centuries-old Boac Cathedral, the living monument to our cultural heritage and identity as true blue Marinduqueños.

Talk about synchronicity. Fr. ‘SJ’s’ rare book about our treasured religious past, available at the parish convent, came out unplanned at this very special period. Limited copies are actually still available for those who really care about our colorful past.