CAMALANIUGAN : Cagayan's Heritage Treasure Trove

(This post is part of my 4th Cagayan Province Town hopping last August 19-21, 2018)

Visiting Camalaniugan again is one of the highlights of my 4th Cagayan Province excursion. My first visit to this beautiful town was already 4 years ago and I was only able to see then the present church and its famous Sancta Maria bell, considered to be the oldest bell in the Far East, and definitely the oldest bell in the Philippines. Little did I know then that the quiet town actually harbors 2 more precious heritage treasure.

San Jacinto de Polonia Church (Camalaniugan Church).

Camalaniugan is the town one passes by before reaching the famous Cagayan town of Aparri, where the mighty Cagayan River opens up to the Babuyan Channel. Just like Aparri, it is one of the earliest towns to be founded along the banks of the Cagayan River which continued to exist in the present. And this long existence is fortunately evidenced by centuries old structures which would leave people in awe, especially people like me who very much appreciate built heritage.

From Aparri where I spent the night, I took a jeep and told the driver to drop me off at the road leading to the town church. Unfortunately, the driver had forgotten and I alight across the town cemetery, a good 900 meters walk to the church amidst a scorching hot midday sun so I decided to ride a tricycle (which only cost 1o.00). 

When I reached the church, there was a funeral mass (which I am already getting used to because I almost always chance upon funeral masses during visits to different churches) so I just took photos of the church's facade. At the side of the present San Jacinto de Polonia Church is a newly built brick tower housing Far East Asia's oldest bell cast in 1595, as well as other Spanish-era bells.

It is fortunate that these bells survive because normally, when a bell is damaged, it is melted to be cast as a new bell. Upon seeing these bells, I remember our town's, San Jose del Monte, Spanish-era bells dated 1793 (one of the oldest in the whole province of Bulacan), 1813, 1867, and 1884.

CAMALANIUGAN CHURCH RUINS

And here comes the reason why I was so excited to come back to Camalaniugan: the Camalaniugan Church Ruins! It can be found just some meters away at the back of the present church and was developed to be some sort of a riverside park by the townspeople. 

I really can't imagine why I missed this the first time I visited. Maybe it was because of poor research prior to the visit, or because my focus then was the more famous town of Lallo. Whatever the reason  may be, I have set my sight to visiting the town again upon learning that there is a church ruins not far from the present church.

According to the painted historical tidbits about the ruins, the church is the third to be built among the old churches of the whole Cagayan. Unfortunately, the original church was gutted by fire in 1719, was rebuilt, but again destroyed by the typhoon of 1845. Later, the church was transferred to it's present location but the townsfolk cared for the original church site and maintained its ruins. A slope protection project was carried out at the west part of the ruins to prevent it from being eaten wholly by the mighty Cagayan River.

After spending some minutes appreciating the ruins and the good view of the river beside it, I set out to visit another treasure of the town - which would really impress me later!

CAMALANIUGAN HORNO

I can say with conviction that the most fascinating heritage structure of Camalaniugan is it's perfectly and wholly preserved giant horno, which can be found 1 km. from the church.

I was astounded when I saw it because I was actually expecting just some kind of a horno ruins, but no, it was as intact as a new horno can be! It actually looks more like a fortress to me than a large oven at the first glance but I understood better when I saw it fully. 

This horno is the brick kiln used to bake bricks to be used in building different brick structures such as bridges, churches, and municipios in Cagayan, most probably in the northern part of the porovince. It is not being used to manufacture bricks at the present anymore but was preserved for posterity and a remembrance of the past.

The horno, just like the church, can be found beside the river. It was to facilitate the easier transportation of the bricks made in the giant horno to the different places where it will be used due to the fact that the main course of travel then was through water.

Visitors are allowed to go up the topmost part of the horno and get a 360 degrees view of the town, including the Cagayan River. Being situated beside a river, the horno also faced the problem faced by the Calamaniugan Church Ruins: the danger of the riverside where it is located to be eaten up by the river. Fortunately, unlike the ruins which is literally at the side of the river, the horno is located some meters away from the river. Added to that, the local government had successfully finished a slope protection project (same project extending to the ruins) which further ensured the survival of this giant horno for the years to come. 

My second visit to the town was a very satisfying one (despite the heat of the sun) as I was able to visit all the spots I came here for. Next target : Lallo (for the 2nd time around!).