One has only to step inside the old walled complex in Argao to admit its claim of 400 years of township is not without basis. One has only to gaze at the massive stone archway called the Ganghaan sa Hari o Puerta Real (Entrance Way of the King) to know the place reeks of history. One has only to step inside the Casa Real to realize that its huge wooden posts, wide stairs, and tisa roof are clearly and truly of times past.



This walled pueblo in Argao and the layout of important buildings inside it are proof that the Spanish conquistadores who created the town followed the Laws of the Indies passed by King Philip II of Spain in 1573, said urban heritage planner Ruel Rigor.

The laws were a set of guidelines for the creation and expansion of towns in Spanish colonies, and decreed that pueblos must have a central plaza surrounded by important buildings with arcades. It is from this central plaza that principal streets, laid out in a grid pattern, shall begin. (View photos of structures inside the walled pueblo.)

So it would seem from the remaining structures in the walled town that it was constructed according to the Spanish kings guidelines.

The walled complex is rectangular in shape and is approximately 4,000 square meters. While the archway called Puerta Real is its main entrance, the complex has two other high stone arcades called the north and south entries. Beside the Puerta Real is the mortuary chapel, called by some as the Capilla de Sakripisyo (Chapel of Sacrifice), which was recently made visible when the tree branches and vines that hid it from view were cut away. It is not clear how people made use of this chapel; some say it is where they said prayers for dead children while others believe that funeral processions passed by that structure on their way to the old cemetery at the back of the church.

Argao tourism officer Alex Gonzales said this is probably the only time that the archangel Michael was depicted not holding a sword or in a fight, referring to the carved image on the top middle stone block of the chapels facade.

Across Puerta Real is another imposing structure, the St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church. The parish and church are named after the archangel and he is depicted in paintings and sculptures outside and inside the church.

At least 20 figures of angels line the walls and poles leading to the altar (retablo), which is still the original. The domed ceiling erupts into a canvass of religious motifs, the centerpiece being the archangel Michael winning the fight over the fallen Lucifer.

The murals on the ceilings were done by two of the best church muralists of the early 20th century: famous artist Canuto Avila for the biblical events and Reynaldo Francia for the great Michael-Lucifer battle.

Although not anymore used, the church still has its choir loft and pipe organ, one of the remaining 14 Spanish era instruments in the country. Argao is one of three towns in Cebu that still have the pipe organ, which is estimated by historians to be built between the 17th and 19th century.

It is very possible, said Ruel, that Argawanons played a big part in the construction of the pipe organ along with Spanish or Mexican builders.

Hans Gerd Klais of Johannes Klais Orgelbau of Bonn, Germany said in his research published in Acta Organologica that the organ was still in good condition as late as 1977.

Argao's pipe organ, according to professional organ makers, is made up of "windchests constructed from a massive solid wood."

It has "channels patiently carved out of this massive Narra wood and two windchest blocks connected by lead tubes to accommodate all the stops."

They noticed some similarities with the Argao pipes casework to the one in San Agustin in Manila, which has "three round towers-the biggest in the middle-separated by flat fields of pipes."

The organ also has "white naturals and black sharps of ebony wood and toe pedals, and has a wedge bellow with 4 folds supplied by a 1-fold wedge pump bellow."

No records exist in the church to show who played the organ, though some said it was Juan Calledo who used the instrument after the 2nd World War while a certain Noy Ino was tasked to pump it. Further research may be needed to shed light on the matter.

Prominent on the churchs facade is the carved figure of the parish patron saint. Oversized urn-like finials placed in strategic areas of the church entrance provide a decorative element. Also outside the church is an altar with an image of the town’s patron saint, St. Michael the Archangel.

The churchs original roof was destroyed by a fierce storm in 1876. It was fixed in 1924 but its original tisa roofing was replaced with galvanized iron sheets.

The church was also renovated for the bicentennial celebration in 1988, and its outer walls were scraped. Despite some renovations done to it, the St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church remains one of the richly furnished churches in the south.

Argaos rococo-baroque church was built in 1734 and completed in 1788.

To the churchs right is a tower where its bells are kept and rung to this day and to its left is a two-storey convent that was turned into a seminary during the mid 1900s.

A street just outside the church leads to the walled pueblo’s south entrance to the structure’s left and north entrance to its right.

Just across the street from the church are altars with carved figures of St. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. The altars are of equal distance from one another and the images on the pedestals face the church. Ruel said the placing of such altars was a requirement for churches during the Spanish period.

A low stone fence with three contiguous sides–two parallel walls connected together by a perpendicular side–extends far behind the images. One the sides of the walls are carved the 14 stations of the cross, and it is said that Argawanons used to fulfill this Roman Catholic practice kneeling all throughout their prayers from the first to the last stations.

Adjacent to this fence is the central plaza with a well that used to serve the water needs of the townspeople. The town has built a decorative non-working well over where the old one used to be.

Also on display in the plaza are Spanish cannons that were used to defend the pueblo from Moro raiders, according to a sign engraved in stone below them. The cannons were part of the fortified walls of the pueblo…(and) were brought to Argao in the years 1600 and 1700 when the galleon trade visited the town.

The town has also painstakingly preserved its first electric post that was built in 1927.

Argao’s Casa Real is the oldest structure still used as a “munisipyo” (municipal hall). The sign on the building reads “Bahay Lungsod sa Argao, 1608.” The upper floor of the two-storey building has been turned into a museum that displays old photographs, clothes, and home implements, among others.

A new building has been built alongside the Casa Real to house the mayor’s office and other government offices and is connected to the old structure through a side door.

Near the Casa Real is the Hall of Justice building, which houses the court salas. Rigor said the original building, used as a school for the children of church workers, was razed by fire in 1962. It was rebuilt in 1983 to house the municipal court house.

Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., one of the towns most illustrious sons, worked for the buildings rehabilitation. The structure’s walls are at least a meter thick and are made of blocks of coral stones.

At the time when the complex was occupied by the Spanish conquistadores, the image of the King is brought around the walled pueblo in a parade led by the town priest.

Nevertheless, while centuries-old structures dot the walled pueblo, the town of Argao has injected something modern in this place of history: free wi-fi at the plaza. (Marlen D. Limpag)