Aside from its tarsiers and Chocolate Hills, Bohol is great place to go to if you are interested in really old churches. Each town here seem to have its own colonial church; not surprising considering that the central Visayas region is where the Spaniards first planted the seed of Christianity (Cebu and Bohol particularly).


On the south western end of the small island of Panglao in Bohol is the St. Augustine Church. This is one of the two old churches on this small island, and Panglao Church (as it’s commonly called) is probably the least visited by tourists due to its distance from Tagbilaran City; most tours will just take you to the nearer Daius Church - The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption.


The Recollects started building the church sometime between 1894 to 1897 and it was not until the 1920s when the church was actually completed. Like many of the old churches in Bohol, Panglao Church retained its features even after years of renovation.


The paintings on the ceiling are impressive, so is the mosaic floor.


There is a small plaza in front of the church and a wide field at its right side. The church looks massive when viewed from the right, and the late afternoon soon made its stone walls glow.



lit by the afternoon sun

At the back of the church is the Panglao Watchtower, an imposing structure of cut stones and said to be the tallest of its kind in the Philippines. Sadly it seems to be in a state of decay and needs serious restoration work.


There is a small jetty a short walk from the watch tower. Its the perfect place to catch the sunset after the Sunday late afternoon mass. See the sunset photos here.