Santa Monica Church Belfry - Cavite

Located in Magallanes Street in Cavite City in the province of Cavite, the Santa Monica Church Belfry is the sole surviving part of one of the numerous Spanish-era churches in Cavite City.

Santa Monica Church Belfry

Santa Monica Church Belfry history

Santa Monica Church which was under the Recollects was built sometime in the early years of the 17th century. It was the time when the port city was at the peak of its economic and religious success. As a matter of fact, there were as many as eight different churches from different religious orders in the city. 

Santa Monica Church Belfry - Cavite City, Cavite

Sadly, the bell is long gone.

The belfry with electric wires and untrimmed branches

There also came a time when the devotion to the Virgin Mary was at its highest. The port city was then dubbed "Tierra de Maria Santisima" or Land of the Most Holy Mary. The city would have been a great place to go on a pilgrimage or Visita Iglesia during the Holy Week because of the number of churches and their nearness to each other. However, the Second World War changed all that.

Close up of the belfry

Sadly, none of the eight churches remained intact after the said war. After the clean-up, only the belfry of Santa Monica Church and two bastions of Fort San Felipe remained standing. The other structures were reduced to rubble and some were already irreparable and were just torn down. It was truly a sad day for the faithful in Cavite City... However, it would be a very different story years later.

Check out those wires...

During my visit, I was expecting that the Santa Monica Church Belfry would be (at least) protected by a fence due to its fragility and historical worth. However, when I finally found it (after going back and forth looking for it) I got very disappointed due to the lack of protection and care by the local government and the Historical Commission. 

The real state of the Santa Monica Church Belfry

Santa Monica Church Belfry is surrounded by low-quality housing which literally stood wall to wall with the historic belfry. What's sickening was the fact that the street in front of the belfry was used by men during their happy hours. Aside from that, the lower portion of the belfry wasn't spared by vandals. I was so disgusted with the scene that I just snapped some photos and left.

Santa Monica Church Belfry Entrance Fee

It's FREE to visit and explore Santa Monica Church Belfry grounds but you can't go inside the belfry.

Santa Monica Church Belfry Opening Hours

Santa Monica Church Belfry is open 24/7.

Why visit Santa Monica Church Belfry?

Overall, the Santa Monica Church belfry is a place that you should add to your visit-once-then-never-again places in the Philippines as you'd be saddened to see its real state. It's worth seeing if you're a history buff but I wouldn't suggest visiting it at night.

Getting to Santa Monica Church Belfry:

From Manila, particularly in the Coastal Mall terminal, you could ride a Saulog bus that goes directly to Cavite City. From there, you can ride a tricycle that will bring you to Santa Monica Church Belfry.

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