The Philippine Island - Philippine Geography and Facts : Philippine Travel Guide : Tradition and Culture » Philippine Religious Sites http://www.thephilippineisland.com Discover and Explore Everything About This Island of Paradise Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:19:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Barasoain Church in Malolos Bulacan, Philippines http://www.thephilippineisland.com/philippine-religious-sites/barasoain-church-in-malolos-bulacan-philippines.html http://www.thephilippineisland.com/philippine-religious-sites/barasoain-church-in-malolos-bulacan-philippines.html#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:27:29 +0000 admin http://www.thephilippineisland.com/?p=521 Barasoain ChurchThe historical Barasoain Church (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish) is a national shrine and a Roman Catholic Church located in Malolos, Bulacan, Philippines. It is the site of the Constitutional Convention of the first Philippine Republic, making the Philippines the very first Asian Government to promulgate a Constitution which is a historical importance among Filipinos. Barasoain Church earned the title as the Cradle of Democracy in the East for being the most important religious building in the Philippines.

Barasoain Church in the Philippines is said to be a replica of the Barasoain Church in Navarra, Spain that was founded by Augustinian Missionaries in 1859. On September 15, 1898 up to the last week of Feb. 1899, the church was served as the session hall of Malolos Congress, the first ever congress in the Philippines. This historic place witnessed the powerful alliance of Filipinos towards the country’s freedom from Spanish conquerors.

Before 1998, the image of the church has been used for a ten-peso Philippine bill together with an image of Apolinario Mabini. However, it was replaced by a ten-peso coin without the representation of the church. The priests initiated signature campaign to appeal to the Philippine Bangko Central restoring at least the image of the church in any present Philippine bill. Then, the petition was granted by the Philippine government with the restoration of the Barasoain Church replica on the new 2000 Philippine bill featured on the front side of the bill.

Today, Barasoain Church is frequently visited by most Filipinos and even foreigners from different sides of the country. And because of its popularity and oldness, many people would plan to celebrate wedding, baptism, first communion and other religious activities in this church. Another historical event was happened when the former President Joseph Estrada vowed his oath of presidency in 1998 at the altar of the church, causing him to be the only president who took his oath in Malolos, aside from Emilio Aguinaldo.

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