WALA LANG
PLACES OF WORSHIP. An imaginary church façade drawn with details of the Philippines’ 50 must-see churches on the cover of Regalado Trota Jose, Simbahán (Manila: The Crown Book, Inc., 2020).
In Tagalog,
simbahan is a noun meaning church and
simbahán (with accent on the last syllable), an imperative verb suggesting or ordering, “go worship.” It’s an appropriate way to begin 2021, to pray for deliverance from our present miseries.
The new book
Regalado “Ricky” José and illustrated by
Allan Jay Quesada is a selection of 50 of our “culturally or esthetically … must-visit” Catholic churches from Batanes down to Mati in Davao Oriental. It’s a great introduction to Filipino culture and tangible heritage and perfect as well for the hopeful and the repentant nothing wrong with praying while looking.