Capiz is brilliant place when it come to churches. There they have the prestigious Dumalag church and the Sta Monica Parish Church. Let’s talk about the Sta Monica Parish Church.
Sta. Monica Parish church is one of the great tourist spots in Capiz. It was declared as National Heritage by the National Historical Commission in 1997. According to history Pan-ay is exactly located on plain and fertile land irrigated by the rivers of Panay. The climate is rather humid due to the abundant nipa fields and being located in low sea level. It’s bounded by the sea of Mindoro, Pontevedra and the town of Capiz. Panay is has the only capability to challenge Dumangas distinction of being the first town to have received the faith.
Panay belongs to the Baroque church in the Philippines. The pediment cascades gracefully down. The façade
is ornamented with swags of flowers, niches and statuary. The bell tower to the left of the
façade is simple in contrast to the façade. And it housing the biggest bell in Asia. It base in planned as a quadrilateral but its
upper stories are octagonal with the two sides longer than the other. The interior was
formerly divided into a central nave with flanking aisles, but in recent years, the wooden
post that marked the divisions was removed to improve sight lines to the altar. This floor
has been reconstructed in reinforced concrete with coral stone facing the roof of the
church, already damaged by a storm in 1984 and subsequently repaired, was already in a
dilapidated condition in 2000. The church retains much of its original floor terra
cottatiles, white marbles and black slate as accents and floor the sanctuary. The church has
three altars in Baroque style. The retalbo of the central altar has been touched and
probably represent the original colors of the woodwork primaries of blue, red, green,
orange with gold leaf accents. These altars are unique for Latin inscriptions carved on
roundels set in its read thin columns. Behind Gospel side altar are remnants of decorative
painting, also done in brilliant primaries.
