Built Tradition of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Porteria (Daraga Church), Albay

Posted on: September 29, 2022 | National Museum of the Philippines

Only a few of Albay’s heritage churches withstood the effects of volcanic eruptions, one is Daraga Church, the focus of today’s #BuiltTraditionThursday. The Nuestra Señora de la Porteria Church or Daraga Parish Church’s bell tower, eastern and western facades, and baptistry were declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum in 2007. In 2008, Daraga church was recognized with a Level II Historical marker by the National Historical Institute.

*The Daraga Church exterior (photo by Ar. Balaguer, 2022)*

*The Daraga Church pediment (photo by Ar. Balaguer, 2022)*

Built on top of a hill by the Franciscans in 1773, the Daraga Church offers an unimpeded scenic landscape dominated by its rich Baroque church architecture. Adding to its unique setting is the Mayon Volcano, which is clearly visible northward of the elevated terrain and from the right side of the church. The north and south sides are bounded by open spaces providing wide corridors and buffers. Grand stairways lead to the church’s main facade facing eastward. The church is cruciform in plan with its U-shaped convent attached to the southern wall and the campanile adjacent to the northern wall. The church structure’s footprint is about 3,878.26 sq. m. with a width of about 46 meters. The four-level campanile, octagonal in plan, is about 21.17 meters high and houses a bell with a diameter of roughly 17 meters.

*The stonework above the main church portal (photo by Ar. Balaguer, 2022)*

The walls of Daraga Church, which are made primarily of volcanic rocks, remained intact and exhibit Baroque ornamentation. The heavily articulated front façade, facing east, is divided into three lateral segments, separated by four twisted columns or Salomónica columns, and topped by a triangular pediment containing niches of saints and foliage embellishments. Each Salomónica column has a fern capital and a shaft that contains a relief of twisting vines and grapes or ubas, and a medallion of an ecclesiastical image at mid-shaft. Each segment has an arcuated portal with carved foliage, statued niches, and religious arts adorning every space on the masonry walls. Inscriptions and sculpted decorations border the central entrance arch, as well.

*A lateral segment of the church main facade (photo by Ar. Balaguer, 2022)*

*The Daraga Church belfry (photo by Ar. Balaguer, 2022)*

In 2012, Daraga church has undergone a conservation process through a stakeholder-initiated restoration that received grant funding from the National Commission of Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The project commenced with an extensive research, physical inventory, documentation, experimentations, and trainings to determine and execute appropriate measures for conservation. Proper and necessary interventions were implemented on the church’s architectural and stone surfaces on exterior walls and massive buttresses. Mayon rocks were also delicately crafted to replace missing stone components. Wall surfaces were applied a lime wash, which was documented in the inventory as the original finishing.

*Salomónica column detail (photo by Ar. Balaguer, 2022)*

The Daraga Church exemplifies an elaborately sculpted Baroque edifice featuring ecclesiastical arts of the Franciscan order set in a distinctive and elevated landscape with a view of the Mayon Volcano—an architectural marvel and a historical landmark worth protecting and preserving.

Article, photos, and illustration by Ar. Marie Bernadette Balaguer