Boljoon: The good old town

CEBU, Philippines - This old town is located at some 103 kilometers away from Cebu City, at the southeastern part of the island province. To reach it, one may take a bus at the city’s South Bus Terminal. The three-hour ride costs P120 fare per person, on a non-aircon bus.

Records trace the establishment of Boljoon as a town to the year 1599. It is unarguably one of the oldest towns in Cebu province. The town is considered as part of Cebu’s Heritage Frontier, because of its rich heritage and beautiful history.

Considering its distance from Cebu City, it is not surprising that Boljoon does not have a hint of the bustling urban lifestyle. For the most part, except for the active engagement in social media and the internet in general, it is a rural town. The quiet, especially at night, can at times be unsettling.

But visitors who come to the town to have a peek of its colorful past will have an abundance of what they go there for. The town overflows with old structures and natural attractions to blow one away. Right at the town center there are already a lot to fill up one’s time and senses.

Boljoon Church

The centuries-old Patrocinio de Maria Church, the town’s parish church, is a central structure in the parish complex. Records reveal that the present structure was started a year after slave traders destroyed the original structure, in 1782. It took more than 30 years to complete, in 1814, during the time of parish priest Fray Julian Bermejo, whom the townspeople in those days hailed as “El Padre Capitan” because of his good community leadership.

The magnificent church, with its thick coral-stone walls and high windows served both religious and practical purposes. Aside from being a place of worship, the church building was also a safe refuge for the people during Moro raids on the town. Incredibly, the church reportedly retains about 90 percent of the structure constructed in 1782. Its choir loft and the old pipe organ (although no longer working) are still there.

The National Historical Institute has declared the Boljoon Church as a National Historical Landmark in 1999. The National Museum followed suit in 2001 by declaring it as a National Cultural Treasure. It is the only existing fortress church with an almost intact enclosure; only the rectangular fort that fenced it on the side facing the sea had been lost, demolished in the 1900s to make way for the coastal road.

Boljoon Parish Museum

The rectory or “kumbento” in the parish complex, completed in 1847, is an example of a typical “balay nga bato,” a Spanish improvement on the native post-and-beam nipa house. The ground floor, which used to be a bodega or storeroom, common among the “balay nga bato’ of the time, has now been converted into a museum that exhibits the parish’s ecclesiastical and liturgical artifacts. The museum, which also displays items from excavation in the churchyard by a team of archaeologists, is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors are charged a minimal fee.

The Church Cemetery

An interesting spot in Boljoon is the church cemetery located right on the church grounds, which was once a fortified complex as defense against marauders. The coral-stone cemetery gate still stands and the remnants of the walls that once covered the whole area can still be found. The cemetery’s original bas reliefs of skulls and cross bones are still there, too.

The cemetery served as the first Christian burial ground in Boljoon, said to have been constructed along with the first stone church in the 1760s. The ancestors of many Boljoon families are buried in the cemetery.

Old Watchtowers

There are four Spanish-time watchtowers to find in Boljoon: The El Gran Baluarte, the one on top of the Ili Rock, Baluarte sa Fuente, and the watchtower near Kayangon Point. The conditions of these old structures range from intact to still standing ruins. Coming face-to-face with any of these is sure to elicit a feeling of awe and nostalgia.

The El Gran Baluarte is the largest watchtower in the entire Cebu province. This has once served as the main headquarters of Fray Julian Bermejo. The lower part of the watchtower was used as storage for firearms and ammunitions and as a jail cell. The structure still stands today, and locals call it as the “Kampanaryo.”

Ili Rock (Ilihan)

This awesome rock formation is one of the most popular landmarks in Boljoon. In approaching the town’s Poblacion from Cebu City, the visitor will not miss sight of the rock. If one decides to trek to the top of the rock, an exhilarating view of the town awaits. Conversely, if one chooses to view the Ili Rock instead, a good vantage point is at the church plaza.

Marine Sanctuaries

Boljoon has a number of marine sanctuaries, one of which is Arbor Marine Sanctuary. These protected areas offer a vibrant view of the lush marine life in the town.

There’s more to discover by the visitor in Boljoon. Also not to be missed are Escuela Catolica within the parish complex and the Plaza Bermejo, named after Fray Julian Bermejo, just across. It’s easy to get around. One can just walk, literally. There are Heritage Walk signboards as guides in exploring the various interesting spots in the town. Or, better, to consult the town’s tourism office at the municipal hall.