Taal, Batangas
The Largest Church in Asia
by: Charmaine Evangelista
Welcome to the official tourism website of Taal, Batangas! Take an epic trip down memory lane and revisit a small town richly endowed with well-preserved structures and a proud heritage. Find out what makes Taal, nestled in Southern Luzon, an inspirational cornerstone and pillar of Filipino identity. Taal has a deep well of lineage and culture that will enlighten you more about the evolution of a country & its people.
Taal, officially the Municipality of Taal, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 56,327 people. Taal is famous for its old ancestral houses.
Basilica of St. Martin de Tours
Dubbed as the largest Catholic church in Asia, the Basilica of St. Martin de Tours is one astounding landmark that sits atop a hill right at the center of the town. With the length of 96 meters and width of 45 meters, it’s impossible for anyone not to notice this religious structure.
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The church had gone through several reconstructions. What we can see now was the last construction done in 1856 under Fr. Marcos Anton who sought for the help of architect Luciano Oliver who supervised the design and construction of the basilica.
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Two distinct features of the basilica are the façade, which will remind you of the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and the silver tabernacle, claimed to be the only one of its kind in the country.
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Often called Taal Basilica, the church is among the most visited destinations of people from various places during the Lenten season. This church is also popular among couples who will tie the knot.
My Personal Experience
As a resident who is leaving in such place, I am very much happy because at a young age I became a young server of God. I became a Youth Server which helped me became a good person as who I am today. For me being a Youth member has a lot of perks. You have to see and meet a lot of priests. You get to visit the old priests which is for me a good blessing for me.
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Also, we get the chance to compete on different places where in we are representing our basilica. As a thanksgiving on the blessings that they are giving us. Months before the competitions Fr. Dexter Monjares gathered youth memebers to participate on the upcoming youth camp. It was held last May 25-26 at Subic, Agoncillio with the participation of different youth ministries that are composed of different youth members from other places.
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All of us are asked to make a cultural presentation. Being a member of the said basilica, I must say that the pressure is in us because our choreographer has been dancing for the said parish for almost 10 years where in in these consecutive years Taal has always been the champion. After a long wait the days has finally come its way. We are all nervous knowing that 3 of us was not feeling well that day but that did not hinder us from doing our best.
