Art and advent in Candon, Ilocos Sur

By GLORIA A. TUAZON

We often see pictures of great cathedrals around the world which are famous because of their history, their significance, or because of their magnificent architectural designs or the arts within. There is the great Sistine Chapel with Michaelangelo’s painting of The Creation, there is Notre Dame in Paris which is an achitectural wonder, there is the Westminster Abbey in England with its really old and castle-like facade, the Duomo in Milan which is almost like a marble fortress from a fiction movie.

“The Coronation of Our Lady, Queen of Heaven and Earth”. This wide 24 feet by 24feet canvas painting took the longest to finish, the artists spending almost 2 weeks to finish this alone. Photo courtesy of Gloria A. Tuazon

Travelling a few hours to Candon City, Ilocos Sur brought me to the San Juan de Sahagun Church. An age-old relic and one of the pride of Candon. The townsfolk were at this time celebrating for the third year a reenactment of the Primera Feria Exposicion de la Provincia de Ilocos Sur of 1892 which showcased the best of the Ilocandia. It was also Advent and the church was now fully packed and buzzing with life. Advent is the beginning of the church year signifying the spirit of expectation and preparation. In the Christian faith we prepare for the coming of the Lord. In Candon City however, they were preparing for both that and the blessing of the newest visual additions to their church.

The facade of the San Juan de sahagun Church in Candon City, Ilocos Sur. Photo courtesy of Gloria A. Tuazon

Even in the morning sun, the heat waves were now creating patterns on the street before my eyes. The church provided a cool embrace and reprieve from that. From the outside it was just one old relic of a church, stark white triangular facade with a bell tower on one side. The inside used to be the same as other churches. This day though the people and some provincial and city dignitaries came over to celebrate the Advent mass and for the good bishop to bless the twenty canvass paintings installed on the ceiling of the church.

Redentor Castillo (the painter), Fr. Vicente Avila, Romel Andino (the interior designer) and Cong. Eric D. Singson admiring the newest visual additions and attractions to the San Juan de Sahagun Church. Photo courtesy of Gloria A. Tuazon

The paintings were done by Redentor Castillo, a 28 year old “amateur” painter contracted by interior designer Romel Andino. With the prodding of Fr. Vicente Avila and the approval of the city mayor Allen G. Singson and Cong. Eric D. Singson, the project was started in March 27 of this year and in 8 months time was finished on November 27 in time for the Feria sa Candon event. It was one tedious project according to Castillo that he had to work with two of his brothers Frederick and Tristram Jan to meet the deadline. With 20 huge canvasses they worked under pressure. Each canvass was based on an old painting donated by church patrons but not necessarily an exact replica of the original. Castillo made revisions and innovations to make them all stand out as different and unique, making sure he left his “signature” on them. All 20 paintings portray an event in the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. In those the “Agony in the Garden” took the shortest to finish which is only a day. The longest to work on and the biggest measuring a wide 24 feet by 24 feet canvass was that of “The Coronation of Our Lady Queen of Heaven and Earth” consuming 2 weeks of the alloted time. All were done in oil paint on canvass and is suppose to be water resistant to withstand weather and time.

Stepping out I was once again melting under the heat of the Candon sun, but ahead are more of the lures of Ilocandia. #