Direk Maning Borlaza rebuilds Liliw altar

Director Maning Borlaza, one of the proud sons of Liliw, was exchanging small talk with a godchild about plans for Holy Week last year. When the subject of the traditional tour of churches Visita Iglesias was mentioned, the godchild rattled off those he and colleagues would visit — Nagcarlan, San Pablo, Magdalena, Majayjay, Pila without mentioning Liliw. Maning chided him on the oversight. The nephew sadly apologized saying it wasn’t on the list.

Maning thought long and hard about the matter. What was the matter that this town made famous by tsinelas was excluded from the route of neighboring towns? A glaring reason quickly came into view. All these towns had historic churches and beautiful altars. Liliw, too, has similar historical significance but had allowed its altar to go into ruin. Immediately, he decided something had to be done to remedy the sad situation.

During this year’s Visita Iglesias, Liliw is no longer being ignored as news of its spanking new altar built from the virtual blueprint of the 17th century model has reached far and wide throughout the entire Laguna and Batangas region. Already, during the past few weeks, tourist busloads have been making a stop at Liliw to buy tsinelas and to visit the church. And in this accomplishment, Maning has been a significant participant.

While brooding over the sad fate of Liliw last year, Maning mentioned to Concepcion Brosas, also of Liliw, his desire to bring the historic church and altar back to its past glory. Excitedly Concep, as she is known, quickly confessed it had been her one most urgent wish for years. Then and there, both agreed to do something about it — Concep to raise the funds out of donations from Liliw residents; Maning to take charge of the aesthetic side and rebuild the altar to its past glory. Significantly, the church’s parish priest Fr. Phillip Atienza gave the two a free hand to pursue their project. Maning pushed back all his showbiz commitments and concentrated on the rebuilding of the Liliw altar. 

Early in 2008, on one of our visits to Liliw, Concep had shared with us the discovery in the church archives of an account from a friar very much impressed by the church interiors and the altar of Liliw that he wrote about it in a highly detailed manner from the main altar with its 13 gilded niches for statues, two side altars including the saints positioning. It shall be recalled that the church of Liliw, built by the Franciscans of red bricks, had been subjected to earthquakes in 1890 and many other natural calamities. In 1898, a fire destroyed the church and the description unearthed must have been prior to the great fire.

Amazingly, the search for funds went smoothly, as well as the design and installation of the altars. While Maning researched on other Franciscan built churches of the same period like Sta. Ana and Taytay, and interviewed wood carvers from Betis, Pampanga and Paete, Laguna to do the saints, Concep was contacting Liliw residents as far as abroad for donations. Both agree the fact that their project was for the Lord made the process exceedingly easy. Negotiations were done by August; work started and towards the latter part of 2008 Maning stayed in Liliw to supervise the critical painting aspect of the altar.

The wooden altar that faithfully follows the description in the old account has 13 statues enshrined in its four-level gold-leafed niches — the risen Christ on top; St. Peter, St. John the Baptist, St. Paul below on the third level; St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Roque, St. Francis of Assissi, St. Claire, and St. Anthony de Padua on the second level; and at the bottom the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John with the tabernacle in the center framed in beaten gold (an original by Maning). Two altars on either side repeat the design on a smaller scale with the statues of St. Joseph, St. Joaquin, Mama Mary, St. Anne and the child Mary, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, St. Therese of the Little Flower, St. Isidro Labrador and St. John Vianney. Included in the rebuilding process were the altar table, lectern, and candle holders along the sides of the church.

On Feb. 8 this year the altar was inaugurated with violinists from Liliw who are with various philharmonic orchestras in Manila, Nonoy Zuñiga, with Bishop Leo Drona, SVD, of San Pablo officiating the Mass. Both direk Maning and Concepcion fulfilled their dreams, and the little town of Liliw got back its rightful place among the great Spanish colonial churches of the Philippines.

(E-mail me at [email protected].)