San Isidro Labrador Church is a neoclassical Roman Catholic Church located in Lazi, a southern municipality in the province of Siquijor, Philippines. It is also known as Lazi Church and along with the convent, it is hailed as National Historical Landmark, National Cultural Treasure, and a nominee to be considered as UNESCO World Heritage Site among the Baroque churches in the Philippines.
Table of Contents
History
Lazi, called Tigbawan or Tigbauan in pre-Hispanic times after a plant, was named in honor of Governor-General Manuel Pavia Y. Lacy in 1857. Its church was founded by Augustinian Recollects. Formerly a part of the parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Siquijor, it became a separate parish on August 8, 1857.
Church
The stone church was built by Fr. Toribio Sanchez, financed by his own money and contributions from the parishioners who also provided manpower, farm animals, and means to help bring building materials to the site. Its walls are made of stone blocks that were sourced from surrounding coral gardens. Employing the skills of Filipino artisans, its construction began in 1857 and was completed in 1884. Other structures were constructed in later years: belfry in 1885 and the iconic convent from 1887 to 1891. It is known for its excellently preserved floor made of wood with herringbone design.
Convent
Building of the two-story Lazi convent was by Fr. Toribio Sanchez and finished in December 1891. Its lower level is made of stone and the upper level is of wooden build. During Hispanic times, it was utilized as a vacation house for rest and recreation of the Recollect friars in the region. Presently, it is the site of the Siquijor Heritage Museum and known for many remarkable features such as the entrance arcade and unstinting use of good hardwood. Its sheer dimension is considered the largest of its kind in the Visayas region.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines carried out a multi-million restoration project of the convent completed in 2017 and the church on August 27, 2019.
Heritage
Lazi Church was declared and convent as National Historical Landmark by National Historical Institute and a heritage marker bearing the designation was installed on May 19, 1984. In 2001, it was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.
Architecture
Lazi Church is neoclassical and has a plain facade and thick stonewall. A cornice lining defines its wall and the foundation, and the arched entrance is flanked by fluted pilasters whose bases bear cartouches of rosette reliefs. Above is the niche of the patron—recessed and flanked by engaged Corinthian columns. The historical marker is installed in the gospel side. The facade is bounded by pilasters and horizontally by cornice molding, which separates the stonewall from the pediment that is made of panels of wood. The pediment is pierced by a rectangular window with beveled side and bottom edges. The bell tower is erected in gospel flank of stout walls. It consists a base and a two-level octagonal belfries, the lower of larger dimension than the other level. Both have arched openings on all sides. The entire structure is capped by a red onion dome. The church’s interior has a barrel vaulted ceiling and a dome sits atop the crossing.
Celebration
The feast of St. Isidore the Worker is held every May 15th in a celebration called Saging Festival.
Mass schedule
Below is the weekly mass schedule of San Isidro Labrador Church in Lazi, Siquijor from May 5, 2025 to May 11, 2025. Please reach out to the church for an updated schedule. Additionally, you may also want to view mass schedules of churches in Lazi.
Monday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Tuesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Wednesday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Thursday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Friday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Saturday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
Sunday
- 6:00-7:00 AM
- 8:00-9:00 AM
Church information
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Name | San Isidro Labrador Church in Lazi, Siquijor |
| Other Names | Lazi Church |
| Address | Siquijor Circumferential Road, 6228 Lazi, Siquijor |
| Country | Philippines |
| sanisidrosalazi@gmail.com | |
| www.facebook.com | |
| Religion | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | August 8, 1857 |
| Age | 168 years |
| Status | Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu |
| Diocese | Diocese of Dumaguete |
| Vicariate | Vicariate of St. Paul |
| Patron | St. Isidore the Worker |
| Feast day | May 15 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage | National Historical Landmark, National Cultural Treasure |
| Completed | 1884 |
| Age since completed | 141 years |
| Style | Neoclassical |
Nearby Churches
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Enrique Villanueva, Siquijor
- Our Lady of Providence Church in Maria, Siquijor
- San Agustin Church in San Juan, Siquijor
- San Vicente Ferrer Church in Larena, Siquijor
- Santa Barbara Church in Campalanas, Lazi, Siquijor
- St. Francis of Assisi Church in Siquijor, Siquijor
References
- Simbahan ng Lazi. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Cuesta, A. M. (2020). Augustinian Recollect History of Siquijor (1794-1898). Philippine Social Science Journal, 2(2), 173-178. https://doi.org/10.52006/main.v2i2.87. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Lazi Church. Filipinas Heritage Library. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Partlow, Mary Judaline (January 19, 2018). NHCP to undertake P40-M Lazi Church restoration. Philippine News Agency. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Sembrano, Edgar Allan M. (November 14, 2016). Siquijor’s healing sights: Churches made of ancient ‘tabique pampango’. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- List of National Cultural Treasures and Important Cultural Properties of the Philippines. Official Gazette. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Calibo, Rizalie Anding (2009). “Simbahan ng Lazi”: Embracing government’s restoration project. iSiquijor. Philippine Information Agency – Siquijor and Department of Science and Technology Vol 7, No 30 (August 29 – September 5, 2019). Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Alba, Reinerio A. (September 29, 2003). In Focus: The Restoration of 26 Philippine Churches. National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension). UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- De La Cruz, Christa I. (January 29, 2017). The SPOT.ph Guide to Siquijor: Start your adventure in the land of healing. Spot.PH. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Partlow, Judy Flores (July 1, 2014). Lazi Church to be included in UNESCO’s Heritage List. The Freeman. Retrieved July 15, 2022
- Siquijor Island. Panublion. Ateneo de Manila University. Retrieved via Archive.org on July 15, 2022
- Brief History. Local Government Unit of Lazi, Siquijor, GOV.PH. Retrieved July 16, 2022
- De Villa, Kathleen (May 7, 2017). This week’s festivals. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 16, 2022
- Countryside in Figures 2021: Siquijor. Siquijor Provincial Statistical Office: Philippine Statistics Authority, Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved July 16, 2022