RUINS OF THE OLDEST ORIGINAL STONE CHAPEL (1572) (Ermita Shrine)

The ruins of the first stone church in Dumangas and in the whole of Panay Island is found in Barangay Ermita in Dumangas, Iloilo. It is enshrined under a concrete cement shelter to preserve and protect it against natural elements. Ermita is also the original location of the 'poblacion' before it was transferred to its present location.

 The present town of Dumangas started as a settlement of Malays who made a clearing along the Talaguis River and established a community sometime in the 12th or 13th century. They called the community Araut, a name derived from the Malayan dialect "raut" meaning sea or pa-raut which means towards the sea. When the Spaniards arrived in Panay they found the coastal village of Araut, a thriving agricultural community.

 During the first few years of Spanish colonization of the Philippines, the Spaniards established their first settlement in Cebu. The Island of Cebu had a shortage of food provision to support them. Thus, the commander of the group, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, sent various expeditions to look for food, leading them to Panay Island. An early chronicle of the Spaniards noted, "… lack of provisions in Cebu, Legazpi sent Mateo del Sanz to look for food. He landed in Araut in June of 1565… found many provisions there and the inhabitants were hospitable." 

The colonizers were able to get enough food supplies and went back to Cebu to report to Legazpi what they had found. Dumangas (formerly, Araut) was made a parish in 1569 although the original chapel then was only made of nipa, bamboo and other light materials. Sometime in 1572 it was built into an ethnic stone masonry chapel-- the first of its kind, thus making it the oldest stone church in the whole of Panay Island. It goes without saying then that the natives of Dumangas were the first to be christianized in the whole of Panay. 

The church that we see today in its present location in the poblacion was built in 1887 by the masterful Agustinian Fr. and builder Fernando Llorente. The Gothic Byzantine church is made of red bricks and quarried sea coral stones. Dubbed as the “most artful” in all of Panay, it was gutted by fire that was initiated by retreating revolutionaries during the revolution. The church survived numerous bombing raids during the Japanese-American war in the Philippines. 

Location & Visiting Info -The ruins / shrine are located in Barangay Ermita, Dumangas, Iloilo. -The preserved ruins (foundation/floor/altar remains) are now covered/ensconced in concrete to protect them from the elements. -Visiting hours mentioned: about 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. How to get there (from elsewhere in Iloilo or within Dumangas): 

How to go there:

From Iloilo City: Take a bus to Sarà/Ajuy/Barotac/etc., drop at Zarraga → transfer to a Dumangas-bound jeepney → at Dumangas terminal take a tricycle to Barangay Ermita. From Dumangas RORO port or town center: take a tricycle going to Barangay Ermita.