After a leisurely walk at the beautiful Iloilo Promenade, we hailed a jeepney back to SM Iloilo to ride another one but this time, going to my friend’s hometown of Janiuay.
This town is known for cultivation
of rice, corn, sugar, copra, coffee, banana, abaca fiber, fowls (and gamefowls),
goat and cattle raising as the main sources of livelihood. Verdant mountains
and great rivers of Suage and Magapa nurture the plains of Janiuay.
Aside from being a main
agricultural town, Janiuay takes pride of its two famous heritage structures:
the Catholic Church and the cemetery a kilometer away from town center.
We alighted at the at the town
center before the main junction. I left my things at my friend’s house and
started to walk toward the church’s ruins.
Saint Julian of Cuenca Parish is a heritage church made
of sandstone, limestone and bricks that stand prominently adjacent to town plaza.
It used to be a large church but was destroyed on World War II. The ruins of monastery
attached to main nave of old church was made a meeting hall for church
officials. Half of the brick belfry was still attached to old monastery ruin,
and my friend told me that it was turned to a prayer hall. An-all new structure
was built beside it.
Lea June, my friend, told me a
story about Saint Julian as to why he was chosen as the patron of their town.
It turned out that he was the patron saint of basket-weavers and provoking rain.
The connection between the two signifies that rain is needed for crops to grow
and baskets to use for harvesting them. Amazing!
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| St. Julian of Cuenca holding a crosier at right hand, wearing a mitre, and a basket on the left hand. |
I took a picture of the old town
hall and the plaza. Since it was getting dark already, we went back to their
house to have a dinner of grilled chicken Visayan-style (brushed with achuete
oil) and some Ilonggo dishes. Her mom is a great cook.
Someday I would visit the cemetery
when I get back here. I bid farewell to them as I rode on a tricycle leading me
to bus stop in Pototan.
