ST. MICHAEL ARCHANGEL PARISH

The San Miguel el Arcangel Church was built from 1782 to 1798 and is the second church or possibly the third since Argao was listed as a visita of Carcar in 1690

. The construction was attributed to Fr Francisco Espina who was the parish priest at that time. 

On the left side of the church is the bell tower connected by a low structure and on the right side is the convent made of coral stones and wood stands. 

The church and convent roof was destroyed during a typhoon in 1876 and was completely replaced with galvanized iron in 1824.

St. Michael Archangel Parish

Dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, there are more than 20 figures of angels sculpted on its brass-studded portals. 

A good number of religious artifacts have remained in the church. 

The altar (retablo) of the church is still the original. 

The church was renovated for its bicentennial celebration in 1988, and its outer walls were scraped. 

The facade of the church is surmounted by a triangular pediment and divided by pairs of columns resting on tall plinths that are embellished with angels and columns with floral motifs. 

A wide arched entrance leads into the church and angels embellished on the walls on both side of the entrance.

St. Michael Archangel Parish (inside view)

  Despite some renovations and modernizations done to it, the San Miguél Archangel Parish still remains one of the richly furnished churches in southern Cebu.

 The retablo (altar) is painted with gold and silver leaf with the images covered with sheets. 

 

 

The images are also painted with gold leaf and that the original painting was polychrome.

 

14 Spanish Era Pipe Organs

Aside from the unique murals, Argao is also blessed with another treasure that is considered rare throughout the Philippines. 

The Church of Argao possesses one of the remaining 14 Spanish era pipe organs, and is one of the three towns in the whole Cebu province to still have this instrument. 

The pipe organ of Argao, though no longer usable, is estimated by many historians to have been built between the 17th to the 19th century.