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Cagsawa Ruins at the foot of Mayon Volcano, Legazpi, Bicol Region, Luzon, Philippines by Fabio Achilli –

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Cagsawa Ruins

The Cagsawa Ruins are the remnants of a 16th-century Franciscan church, the Cagsawa church. It was originally built in the town of Cagsawa in 1587 but was burned down and destroyed by Dutch pirates in 1636. It was rebuilt in 1724 by Fr. Francisco Blanco but was destroyed again, along with the town of Cagsawa, on February 1, 1814, during the eruption of the Mayon Volcano.

The Cagsawa Ruins are the remains of the ancestral home mansion of the family of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and Maria Braga Lacson. It is situated in Talisay, Negros Occidental, Philippines. The mansion was built in the early 1900s and inspired by Italian architecture.

Here are some interesting facts about Cagsawa Ruins.

1. The Cagsawa Ruins is a popular tourist destination

The ruins are currently located in Barangay Busay, Cagsawa, in the municipality of Daraga, Albay, Philippines. 

It is part of Cagsawa Park, is protected and maintained by the municipal government of Daraga and the National Museum of the Philippines, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. 

2.  The Spanish incorporated Mesoamerican influences in constructing the Cagsawa Ruins

Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga by Daxster16 –

A preliminary excavation of the Cagsawa ruins by the Bulacan State University shows that the Spanish incorporated Mesoamerican influences in constructing the complex.

Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. 

Within this region, pre-Columbian societies flourished for more than 3,000 years before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. 

3. The baroque church of Cagsawa was originally built in 1587

The church, however, was burned down by Dutch pirates on July 25, 1636. In 1724, the church was rebuilt by Franciscan friars under Father Francisco Blanco. 

On February 1, 1814, the strongest eruption recorded to date of the Mayon volcano buried the town of Cagsawa and its surrounding areas under several hundred million cubic meters of tephra and lahar, killing an estimated 2,000 people. 

Hundreds of inhabitants of the town of Cagsawa purportedly sought refuge in the church but were also killed by pyroclastic flows and lahar.

4. After the Mayon volcano, only the belfry and some parts of the Cagsawa convent survived

Cagsawa Church Ruins Park by Arielboral –

Only the belfry and some parts of the convent survive today, though parts of the crumbling facade were still standing long after the 1814 eruption as attested by photographs. It is believed that the facade of the structure collapsed due to earthquakes that hit the area in the 1950s.

A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church and will contain church bells. Church bell towers often incorporate clocks, and secular towers usually do, as a public service.

5. The Cagsawa ruins were unharmed after the Super Typhoon Durian

Typhoon Durian, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Reming, was a violent tropical cyclone that wreaked havoc in the Philippines and later crossed the Malay Peninsula in late November 2006, causing massive loss of life when mudflows from the Mayon Volcano buried many villages.

The ruins were unharmed even as the typhoon devastated the surrounding countryside with mudslides and lahar that killed at least 1,266 people.

6. The ruins are the site of the Cagsawa Branch of the National Museum of the Philippines

Cagsawa Church Ruins Bell Tower by Christopher Aquino –

The museum was established on land that was donated by the municipality of Daraga to the National Museum on January 26, 1981. 

It was formally inaugurated on October 30, 1992, and is the third largest regional branch of the National Museum. It houses a collection of photographs of the volcanic eruptions of Mount Mayon as well as various geological and archeological exhibits.

7. The Cagsawa Festival happens in Albay province

The Cagsawa Festival is the latest addition to the celebrated festivals of Albay province and has recently joined the ranks of the province’s major festivals.

It was launched in 2012 by the province and the municipal government of Daraga. The festival showcases various activities and entertainment such as outdoor and sports events, culinary activities, and cultural presentations of dances and plays.

8. The Cagsawa Ruins is built in a brilliant Italianate architecture

Cagsawa ruins by Alienscream –

The Cagsawa ruins is an example of brilliant architecture and it is Located on a sugar plantation in the Negros Occidental province of the Philippines.

It was one of the best ranches in the Philippines and remains one of the most visited attraction sites today. 

WWII Filipino guerrillas employed by the US Armed forces intentionally set the building on fire in order to prevent invading Japanese forces from being able to use the building as a headquarters.

9. The Cagsawa Ruins is nicknamed the Taj Mahal of Negros 

This is because of its history of love and tragedy which is similar to that of the Taj Mahal. The story of this edifice started when the wealthy sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson met Maria Braga, a Portuguese lady from Macau, in one of his travels and fell in love with her.

He later married her and the couple had 10 children. Their love was however cut short when tragedy struck them Maria died while conceiving their 11th child. Mariano was so devastated and brokenhearted by his beloved wife’s death that he decided to build a mansion as a symbol of his undying love for her. This was his way of easing his pain from his loss. It was built so beautifully and became the home for Mariano and his children 

10. The province of Albay holds the anniversary of the 1814 eruption at the Cagsawa Ruins

In 2014, the province of Albay commemorated the 200th anniversary of the 1814 eruption by holding the Cagsawa Festival, Cagsawa Dos Siglos. The festival aimed to pay tribute to the strength and resiliency of the people in Albay. 

According to Joey Salceda, Albay governor, Albayanos are aware that they live within the shadow of a beautiful yet dangerous volcano every day. Thus, the anniversary of the 1814 eruption also serves as a reminder of the town’s commitment to disaster risk reduction as part of their way of life to be able to achieve their goals of development for the community.