Barcelona Church in Sorsogon The National Historical Commission of the Philippines installed a historical marker on one of the oldest churches in the Bicol region, the Barcelona Church, also known as the St. Joseph Parish Church, in Barcelona, Sorsogon. The church, built in 1874, is located on the picturesque site of the eastern seacoast of Sorsogon and near the Fort Ruins, which are remnants of the Spanish-era municipal hall, fortress and schoolhouse.
The Barcelona Church stands out with its baroque-style, dome-like structure and stunning stained-glass windows on the interior. The church was mostly constructed out of coral blocks that were held together using a mixture of egg whites and coconut wine known as “tuba.” It has stood the test of time and the elements with its stone walls and bell tower still in their original form.
By virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 687, Catanduanes was separated from the province of Albay to become an independent province. Located in the southeastern peninsula of Luzon, Catanduanes is the smallest among the provinces in the Bicol region, with a land area of 1,492.
16 square kilometers. It is composed of 11 municipalities and 315 barangays. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, it also had the smallest population in Bicol with 271,879 in 2020.
On April 15, 2022, it was declared the “abaca capital of the Philippines” through Republic Act No. 11700. It was recognized as the country’s leading producer of the native fiber, with ar.