I've only been to Sanctuario De San Antonio Parish exactly two times - both was to attend a…read morewedding. My first experience was when I was a wedding guest and my brother was part of the wedding entourage. I was immediately impressed upon entering the sacred venue, high walls, cosy structure and long aisle. It seemed like Sanctuario De San Antonio was made for weddings. It also helped that the place was fully aircondtioned. I can imagine how hard it must be for brides to walk down the aisle in scorching heat. Aircon is definitely a must when I get married. My second time at this church was when I was part of the entourage of my friend's wedding. I was quite excited to walk down the aisle and have the feeling of being enveloped by the church. Yet again, I was impressed by everything the church had to offer. Good sound system, good ventilation and a feeling of exclusivity and sanctuary. Sanctuary De San Antonio is definitely one of my favourite churches in Manila.

If there's one thing I love about San Antonio Parish, it's their area for crypts. Yes, it sounds so…read moremorbid... but to be completely honest, I love how they have one of the most conveniently located and well-maintaned crypts that I have been to. I have many relatives buried here, so I frequent this place a lot. Besides their location, I like how their crypts are neatly lined up in rows, with no frills around them. The floors are always clutter-free and the crypts are also cleaned regularly. They make sure to remove any wilted flowers/plants, in case you are not able to visit right away to remove the trash yourself. They also have fans in each hallway to make it breathable for visitors. I used to dread visiting relatives in other cemeteries, but now that most are in San Antonio, I don't mind it at all and even find myself visiting more often than I normally would.

There's more to Makati than the Central Business District. If you just walk around the nearby…read morebarangays, such as Bel-Air and Poblacion, you will learn more about the history of the city and marvel at structures that were created by no less than National Artists of the Philippines. One church that I consider a landmark is the St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, located at Nicanor Garcia Street (formerly Reposo) in Bel-Air. This Catholic Church is simply beautiful and architecturally impressive. Just by looking at the undulating top of the structure and the cone-shaped ceiling, you will know that the church is nothing less than inspiring. Not many are aware that the church was created in 1968, designed by National Artist Leandro Locsin. The design and floor plan of the parish got their inspiration from how Saint Andrew, the patron of the church, died on the cross. My aunt who lives in Bel-Air also told me that the cross hanging at the center of the altar was created by National Artist Vicente Manansala. However, this is not the only church that the two maestros collaborated on, the UP Diliman Chapel was also created by Locsin, while its Stations of the Cross were painted by Manansala.

St. Andrew the Apostle Parish is one of the more unique churches in Metro Manila. Unlike other…read morechurches inspired by European medieval design, this church has a more modern look. Funny enough, it has been around since 1968 and is in existence because of the generosity of some of the more popular public figures such as the head of San Miguel Corporation and the Ayala Corporation. It has a tent-like design with a butterfly shaped floor plan which allows a good airflow, natural lighting and acoustic balance. Being in N. Garcia St (formerly Reposo), it is also pretty easy to access by car or by public transport (just go down at the corner of Buendia and N. Garcia or on the J. Rizal side, it's easy to reach the church by walking from either side of N. Garcia) I really am just biased about liking this church because I was baptized here.

I consider St. Francis of Assisi Parish as a memorable part of my primary and secondary schooling…read more My first sacrament of communion happened there and I remember spending countless days practicing for it. Both of my graduation ceremonies for grade school and high school were also held in Saint Francis Parish. I consider it as one of the biggest and most beautiful churches out there. Once you enter this place, you'll immediately notice the huge image of Jesus Christ placed at the Church's center. There are also figurines of saints near the entrance where you can light a candle and add a prayer of intention for your loved ones. St. Francis of Assisi Parish has regular Sunday morning masses that start at 5:30 AM, while afternoon and evening masses start at 5:00 PM. If you don't have the time to go to the weekend masses, St. Francis Parish also has masses and services every weekdays. Franciscan priests often lead the masses in St. Francis Church. Listen to their homilies well, because you will truly be enlightened by their words of wisdom.

As a recent graduate of Lourdes School of Mandaluyong, the school attached to the church, I've…read moregrown to know and love St. Francis Church. The namesake of the church, St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment. The church is quite large, and the interior design is simply beautiful. One can't help but contemplate and feel solemn if left alone here. Aside from that, the chapel right beside the church is simple, yet intimate. It can only house around 10 people comfortably, and is quite cozy. The Sunday masses start from 7:30 in the morning with 15 minute intervals in between until 12:15, and then continue from 5:00 until 8:30 in the evening. The homilies are typically well written by experienced Franciscan priests and preach humility and brotherhood. In terms of location, St. Francis Church is very convenient. Its location near the EDSA-Shaw intersection places it right next to major malls such as Shangri-La Plaza, SM Megamall, Podium, and even Robinson's Galleria.

Its still look the same, since I was a kid. So nice and nice setting. You can actually see the…read morepriest. I'm glad they have more mass time now. Thank you for keeping the place nice and clean

Greenbelt Chapel is beautiful open-air church. Love it being in the center of the malls. Many…read moretimes, we are just walking by and say hey let's stop in for mass or just to say a prayer. Happy Easter!

National Shrine and Parish of the Sacred Heart of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila was…read moreestablished on January 11, 1976. It is located at Brgy. San Antonio, Makati City. The Parish Fiesta is celebrated every 24th day of June https://www.parishph.com/2022/01/national-shrine-of-sacred-heart-makati.html

The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart was where I got baptized in 1989. In 2012, this is where I…read morehad my daughter baptized as well. They used the same holy bowl of water for both us, though the baptistery had been renovated. I think that was pretty meaningful. I remember Sacred Heart as an old church, pretty run down and dark. But when it became a shrine in the early 2000s, the parish got a makeover. It got airconditioning, landscaping, and all new interiors and lighting. What a breath of fresh air! Since then, there have been a number of weddings at Sacred Heart. Apparently it also has a crematorium on the property, which I only discovered after the renovation. It gets full on Sundays, naturally, when residents of Makati and Pasay come to celebrate mass with their families. (The Binays are often here too.) There's a children's mass at 430, a Filipino mass at 530, then 630 up to 830 the masses are in English. Come early if you want to take a seat. They open the baptistery for seating, too, but the aircon isn't too strong there. Sit at the very back of the main church if you want cool aircon. If it's not raining, they have outdoor seating as well.

My family regularly goes to mass at a church near our village. Sundays are usually rest days but if…read moremy family does go out during that day, we go to the Power Plant Mall to watch a movie AND go to mass there. It's one of the few malls that have chapels conveniently situated inside like in Greenbelt 3 and Glorietta. The chapel is small but very nice. It tends to be reallyyyy crowded that the crowd extends to outside the chapel, so be at least 30 minutes early if you want seats. There are also chairs and a television/screen outside for the people who can't see into the chapel. Masses are during late afternoon until early night time. For the mass schedule, I always inquire at the concierge area or call the mall.

I'm not really amused by chapels inside shopping malls. In Christianity, there's this story about…read moreJesus Christ cleansing the Temple of people who turned it into a marketplace. But I digress. What I really wanted to say is that, finally, there's a mall chapel that I'm willing to favor. The San Pedro Calungsod Chapel at SM Aura Premier is unlike other places of worship inside malls. For one, there are no retailers or restaurants near the chapel. True, the Samsung Hall (a performance theater) is located on the same floor but it's on the far opposite side of a garden strip. The chapel is an ideal place for devout senior citizens, especially during summer, because it's air-conditioned and easily accessible. There is a small elevator on the 5th floor exclusively servicing churchgoers. But during my visit, I opted to use the stairs instead to allow more space to the senior citizens who were lining up for the elevator. It was a steep climb but it was worth all my effort. The dome-shaped chapel is a feast for the eyes. Its modern architecture and the bright ambient lighting give it that holy ground glow which is nothing short of spectacular. Everything in it -- from the simple altar to the amphitheater layout and the great acoustics -- can surely move a person to be silent and say a prayer or two. Masses are held twice a day at 12:00 noon and 6:00pm from Mondays to Saturdays. During Sundays, five masses are held and scheduled at 10:00am, 12:00 noon, 3:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm. Confessions are held daily after each mass. Baptisms, confirmations, and weddings are not allowed in the chapel.

Even if I've lived in Makati for a long time, I often think of this city as relatively young…read more Before, I even thought that it was established only during the American times. But I was wrong. There are a few places in Makati that are considered by the government as national historical landmarks, one of which is the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church, which was built in 1620. Although it has been reconstructed and renovated several times, the main design of the church and its altar have not been drastically changed. Aside from being 394 years old, the church is significant because of the Virgin of the Rose image found at the altar. According to experts, this ivory statue came from Mexico. But what makes it special is the fact that a relic of a strand of hair from the Virgin Mother herself used to be implanted on the statue's breast. Unfortunately, people who lived long in the area say that the hands and head of the figure were replaced by wooden replicas because the original ivory parts -- including the famed relic on the breast -- were stolen when the church was destroyed over a century ago. Despite this, many still visit the church because it houses the only image of La Virgen de la Rosa of its kind in the Philippines. I believe that this church is significant not only historically but also aesthetically for its beautifully decorated ceilings and its ornately-designed and gold-gilded retablo or altar. If history and visual arts are not good enough reasons for you to go and visit this landmark, then maybe you'd be glad to know that many wedding scenes in countless Filipino movies of the 80's were shot on location in this church.

Grew up as a little boy in this area. I used to walk past this on the way to Makati Elementary…read more Baptized here. The old part of town is on one end; the night-club bar area is in the other end; and the modern part of Makati and Bel Air is right around the corner. Yet, after all these years, this church survives...what i did not know? This place is super-old. If Harvard University was established in 1636, this place pre-dates that. In fact, the weird thing about the Philippines, is it pre-dates many places in the USA. The Franciscan missionaries were the first to initiate San Pedro de Macati into the Christian Faith in 1578. In 1608, Capitan Pedro de Brito, newly elected Alferez General and his wife, Ana de Herrera made a donation of land to the Jesuits. Fast forward, this place was a hospital for American troops in the Filipino-American war (when fighting each other) and in WW2 (when fighting with the other against the Japanese)....go figure. It still here after wars, typhoons, earthquakes and Madonna, Chris Brown and Floyd Mayweather Jr. ;-)

This church is kind of a hidden church. I wouldn't have known it had a cultural heritage aficionado…read morenot mentioned it. It's in Makati, though not part of the central business district, but very much accessible from the Guadalupe MRT station. It is not in the highway, though - you need to go to the street at the corner of Loyola Memorial Chapels in Edsa. But you need not walk for more than five minutes until you find this simple but quaint church to your right. It is smaller than the usual old Spanish churches like San Agustin, Malate, and Binondo, but it has a simple charm that also makes it popular for weddings, or so a wedding planner has told me. My friends and I came here before we rode the Pasig River Ferry from Guadalupe to Intramuros, and it was a pleasant stop. I would also recommend including it in your Visita Iglesia route during Holy Week if you live in Makati or Manila as it's really quite a beautiful church.

The church can eaaily be reached if you're coming from EDSA or the MRT station. Just a few minutes…read morewalk or you can ride a jeepney if you're not up for the walk specially in hot days. I wouldn't recommend this for those who want to go sight seeing since this is not a tourist spot. The church is old having been built in the 1890's but there are a lot of other old churches that are worth visiting. Don't get me wrong, the church looks good with the beautiful stained windows. It seats on top of a hill and you get a nice enough view. It is surrounded by urban poor residences. They have a large parking lot but commuters will have a hard time looking for a cab. Most of the cabs are occupied and you'll most likely spend a fair amount of time waiting for an unoccupied one. I highly recommend this for those who wants to get some peace and solitude. Even though it is right in the middle of a busy part of the metro, the area of the church is very quiet. You can hear mass and say your prayers in peace and quiet. That's a rare commodity in the metro. I usually go here if I want to meditate or just empty my mind for a while.

First time visiting a couple days ago. It was weird. Outside the wall you have beggars, then you…read morewalk through on the grounds and more beggars or church ladies trying to sell you supposedly food bags for them to keep and supposedly give to the poor. Then we tried to go inside the church but couple church ladies guarding the front door said no, for entrance we have to walk around to the side entrance. Note there was no mass at this time. Okay walked around to side entrance, entered and starting walk down a to sit at a pew. Now another lady says no we can't sit there we have to sit at designated area with group of other people. Again, no mass and church 95% empty with plenty of seating. Weird that the people were grouped up like that. Pretty crazy, think these church ladies have power issues. Anyway, instead of praying, we just left. We will just go back to mass at Legaspi Park where ironically is priest from this Church. Church ladies, you can do better!

Parishes don't get any more "community-centric" as Don Bosco. Servicing the nearby residents of Pio…read moredel Pilar, Legaspi, and San Lorenzo villages (Now THAT'S diverse), Don Bosco manages to attract people from all walks of life, and not alienate anybody in the process. Believe me, that's harder than it looks. But what really attracts me to Don Bosco are the community/outreach projects they have in the premises. For example, they have a small bakery in the premises that makes topnotch pandesal, pan de coco, spanish bread, and so much more. They also have a small community store where you can buy the most flavorful arroz caldo in Makati for P25, as well as organic lettuce, fresh eggs, and local sweets.