San Agustin is a beautiful church in the historic walled city of Intramuros. Built in 1607 in the…read moreSpanish colonial era, it's the oldest stone church in the Philippines, as well as a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. We couldn't go inside during our first trip to Intramuros, as there was a wedding in progress on a Tuesday afternoon. San Agustin is, understandably, a highly desirable wedding venue. It books out way in advance, and I guess you might have to get married on a Tuesday. We were able to go in when we went back, though, that Saturday. There must be some limitation on weekend weddings, or I'm sure we would've been shut out by further nuptials. The church is grand and attractive in the way of old European churches. You get plenty just by admiring the architecture and the way the building anchors Intramuros. The interior is worth exploring too, though. It's huge and impressive and very ornate. If you're a tourist in Manila, Intramuros is a must-visit, and you'll want to check out San Agustin while you're there. You'll either get to go in or witness a Filipino wedding, a pretty strong sightseeing win-win.

At 417 years young, San Agustin is the oldest stone church in the Philippines founded by the…read moreSpanish Augustinans. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its groundbreaking in 1586, it took 21 years for its completion in 1607. The interior is well kept and ornate. This is a beautiful church which survived several wars and earthquakes over the centuries. Parking lots do not exist in this space simply due to the age of the building so if you pay a visit, you will need to arrange transport. We took a Grab rideshare vehicle to come into town. If you are into churches and history, San Agustin is definitely worth the visit while visiting Intramuros.

The Sta Cruz Church may seem like a lesser church compared to the nearby Quiapo Church, but it…read moreshould not be. It has its own charm. For one thing, it has it's own parking, so take that Quiapo Church! And not only inside, but outside as well. Some decades ago, the priest in charge of this church commissioned an artist to come up with a painting that has become famous, or infamous, depending on how one looks at it. To this day, I still think that the 'Lamb of God' painting belongs in an art gallery of modern art, but that's neither here nor there. The church is smaller than its Binondo or Quiapo counterparts, but also has the high vaulted ceilings that make for a cool interior on the hottest days of summer. While I am no longer a practicing Catholic, I still go to churches every now and then for some moments of quite solitude. I find the Sta Cruz quite welcoming for this purpose.

Thank you to Mikey A. for kicking off the reviews for Santa Cruz Church and for making me laugh for…read morefive whole minutes, clapping my hands like a retarded seal. That lamb painting sure is freaky, and I chuckle every single time I see it. The thing about Sta. Cruz is that it is everyone's favorite church in Chinatown because it is so accessible, and right in front of it is the entrance to Chinatown (the arch), and from there is a whole new world filled with excellent restaurants. Also, if you're looking from foreign priests to talk to, attend mass to, or confess to, this is the place to go.

Being from a Chinese and also (not related but notable) very Catholic family, I always find myself…read morein Binondo Church, officially known as the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz of Manila. It is named after Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, who happened to be of Filipino-Chinese descent. He used to be an altar boy for the church but then became a clerk. The church was erected almost after San Agustin Church, and is a true testament to the beauty of old baroque architecture especially with its Chinese-style bell tower that makes the church all the more notable. Binondo Church today have several masses lined up in Filipino, English and Chinese, catering to the Filipino-Chinese community of the area. If there's no mass when you visit, it's good to light a candle in the entrance of the church and then drop by inside and be mesmerized with the beauty of Binondo Church.

It may now be known as the Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz, but everybody still refers to it as…read morethe Binondo church or the Binondo cathedral. This church in the Binondo district of Manila is one of the most imposing structures in the city. It may come as a surprise to many that the facade that looks a century old is actually new, with the old one covered due to extensive damage over the ages. It serves as both church and tourist spot, what with Ongpin being one of its side streets. The new name is, of course after the first Filipino saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz. I have entered this church on numerous occasions just to kneel and pray. I hope they don't mind because I am no longer a practicing Catholic. But I do still appreciate the peace that comes with some moments of quiet prayer and contemplation. More than this, I am impressed at how the church was rebuilt to still look like it is centuries old.

Almost all the members of my family are University of Santo Tomas alumni, from my mom and all her…read moresiblings, to my older brother. I was the first one to break tradition, and was soon followed by my cousin. PROS: "Go USTEEEE," UST students would cheer while moving their pointy finger in a circle. That's basically the only UST chant I know. Seriously, the Philippines has sort of an Ivy League roster that we call "Big Four" and UST's part of the four. So you could expect high quality education; It's not the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas for nothing. They've had a long and rich history as a premier Catholic university. It has a number of courses that are CHED Centers of Excellence and Development. Plus they are a consistently good performer in licensure examination results. CONS: UST was christened a new name for its initials - Unibersidad na Sagana sa Tubig. People would joke that if a rat pees in front of UST's walls, it would automatically cause a flood. Every year, expect the challenge of wading through dirty flood waters just to get to classes, since college students don't have their classes suspended despite strong storm signals. #waterproof TL;DR: The University of Santo Tomas is one of the best schools in Metro Manila, and it's worth considering for its quality Catholic education.

I find that the University of Santo Tomas to be the most romantic university in Manila. Established…read morein the Spanish times, it is also the oldest in the country. The age and history that comes with it is visibly translated in the architecture and atmosphere of the place. I didn't study here but I sometimes wish I did, it has such a collegiate feel (and sometimes resembling Europe!)! Fortunately, the University is open to the public, so you can make a trip to walk around the buildings and plaza to take photos. While you're there, make a trip to their museum which is located in the main building in the middle. It's a little small but filled with art, historic artifacts, catholic icons and taxidermy! It's also worth noting that all three Pope's that have visited the Philippines have visited UST, if that makes it any bonus to you to visit!:)

Saint Jude Parish is the church of my high school. With that said, I actually didn't have classes…read moreon Thursdays and not Saturdays because the patron saint of this parish is Saint Jude and his novena day is during Thursdays. I'm telling you, there is always a lot of people here during Thursdays. If you're not familiar with Saint Jude, he is actually the patron saint for the hopeless cases. Maybe that's why hundreds of people pray to him. The facade of this church is very simple. Because Saint Jude Catholic School is a Chinese school, sometimes the mass here would be in Mandarin. My old classmates who live near the area would hear mass here and they would usually catch our school directors (who are all priests) conducting the mass. It's a nice feeling to come back to home after years of leaving it. I'm pretty sure at least one or two of my friends will get married in this church, just for good memories made here.

You can find the National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels, or San Miguel Church, as it…read moreis more commonly known, inside the Malacanang Complex. It was established in the 1600's by the Jesuits and rebuilt in the 1900's, featuring European baroque architecture. Something notable about San Miguel Church - it is the only church worldwide which is dedicated to all of the seven archangels: Saints Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Jhudiel, Barachiel, and Selatiel. You can find their statues on the facade of the church behind the altar. How did I even chance upon this church? My friend is engaged to be married and asked me to be her ninang at her confirmation which is necessary prior to receiving the sacrament of marriage. Aside from being the only church dedicated to the seven archangels, San Miguel Church is also the only church which offers the sacrament of confirmation twice a week, Thursdays and Sundays to be more specific. Tips! Bring only one godparent if you can help it. Make sure to wear something made of cotton - it's hot inside the church. No airconditioning. Wear sleeves and nothing too short. The mass is LONG. Seminar at 9. Mass at 10 and we ended at almost 1 pm.

The National Shrine of Saint Michael and the Archangels is quite an old church located inside the…read morecompound of the Malacañang Palace. There is a statue of St. Michael right outside the church grounds, depicting his battle with a demon-like snake. The church could use a bit of renovation, maybe a new paint job. Otherwise, the structure still seem pretty solid and well-maintained. I was invited to come here for my friend's Confirmation Rites, as she needed to get confirmed as a marriage requirement under the Catholic Church. The Shrine offers confirmation dates twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, and this is the only church in the Metro that offers this service to engaged couples that are to be wed. That being said, the priest and his assistant treat this as a routine service, and some of the elements of being confirmed are being passed over, in order to get things moving. I'm sure some of the participants who are getting confirmed feel the same way, but I think the priest should still try to incorporate and encourage the participants to be more spiritual about having been newly-confirmed, instead of teasing them that they only come because of the marriage requirement.

This massive, imposing structure, right at the edge of Chinatown, is one of the oldest remaining…read moretrue-to-original-form churches in the country. Although the main structure has been rebuilt a couple of times (after being destroyed by--hey! not our usual suspects--the British during their minute occupation, and then later during WW2), the original octagonal belfry from the 1500's still stands. Cool, right? It was built mainly to serve the Chinese converts in the Chinatown community. The past renovations have retained its original Spanish baroque style so there's lots of marble and ornamental sculptures inside. Big decorative paintings are up on the vaulted ceilings and the inner dome. It also has a 'latin cross' layout like many renaissance-age European churches, where the two main wings of the church cross in the middle right under a grand dome. Binondo Church has seen so much of history, being at the heart of downtown Manila. It's definitely a must-visit historic and cultural center of the city. Trivia: Andres Bonifacio and Gregoria de Jesus got married here! Plus it's also the church that San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, served and worked in!

My family has two go-to churches when they're in the city: Sta. Cruz Church, and Binondo Church,…read moremainly because these two are near the entrances of Chinatown. Usually, when it's early still, we opt for Binondo Church, because it's just a few cartwheels away from Lucky Chinatown Mall and from there, Divisoria. But focusing on the church, I've always loved how it looked. I'm a big fan of history and architecture, and those two things meet and merge head on in old churches - and Binondo Church is as old as it gets.