Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Architectural Church Tourism: San Sebastian Church, Manila
Architectural Church Tourism: San Sebastian Church, Manila
Chapter I
The Problem and Review of Related Literature
Introduction
One of the most famous beautiful and historical churches in Manila is the San
Sebastian Church, also known as the Basilica Menor de San Sebastian. It is made popular by
being the only all-steel church in the Philippines and some say in Asia. However, there are
more aspects of the architectural design that San Sebastian Church has to offer.
According to Galende (2007), the Basilica Minore de San Sebastian is a fine
representative of the Gothic revival in the Philippines. The basilica is mixed with 19thcentury innovations in church construction, architecture, and art. It takes pride as the only allsteel basilica in the world.
Upon entering the door, the vast interior, warmly lit crystal chandeliers and light
entering from the church doors radiate a warm feel. On the sides, the animated colors of the
stained glass windows are truly remarkable. These were said to be directly imported from a
German steel glass firm, Henri Oidtmann Company (Conopio, 2014).
The walls of the church were a mix of sand, gravel and cement. The interior of the
basilica are made of exquisite groined vaults, a true Gothic architecture-style. Confessionals,
pulpit, altars and retablos represent fine Gothic revival, which were headed and designed by
Professors from the Academia d Pintura y Dibuja, Lorenzo Rocha and Lorenzo Guerrero. The
vaults display intricate trompe loeil paintings of saints and several religious figures, an art
approach where the images create optical illusions. Together with their students, they
Sebastian
Church
was
declared
National
Historical
Landmark
by President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree No. 260 in 1973. State funding
was accorded to the church through the National Historical Institute which undertook
restoration in 1982. The Recollect community has likewise expended funds for the church's
maintenance and restoration (UNESCO, 2006).
c.Architectural design and structure of San Sebastian Church
The Basilica Minore de San Sebastian is a fine representative of the Gothic revival in
the Philippines. The basilica is mixed with 19th-century innovations in church construction,
architecture, and art. It takes pride as the only all-steel basilica in the world. The church is
under the administration of The Order of the Augustinian Recollects, located at Legarda St.
Quiapo, Manila (San Sebastian Church, 2007).
10
11
Conceptual Framework
12
Figure 1
Paradigm of the Study
Figure 1 shows the input, process and output model. The inputs are the respondents
perceptions whether local or foreign tourists on the architectural design of San Sebastian
Church in Quiapo, Manila, the aspects of the architectural design that interest the tourists,
part of the church that interest the tourists, part of the church that that should be given more
attention or emphasis by guides during actual tours, reasons why people go to San Sebastian
church, and information about the architectural church tourism, history of San Sebastian
church and architectural design and structure of the church which is in accordance with the
statement of the problem and review of the related literature. The processes are survey
questionnaire and interview guide. The outputs are the architectural church tourism in San
Sebastian church in Quiapo, Manila, the church to be included in the itinerary for tours in
Manila and other recommendations given by the respondents.
The study determined the architectural church tourism in Manila in the case of San
Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila. Specifically, the study answered the following
questions:
1. What are the perceptions of local and foreign tourists on the architectural design of San
Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila?
2. What aspects of the architectural design interest the tourists?
3. Which parts of the church interest the tourists?
4. What parts of the church should be given more attention or emphasis by guides during
actual tours?
5. What are the reasons why people go to San Sebastian Church?
6. Do you think that the San Sebastian Church should be included in the itinerary for tours
in Manila?
7. What are your recommendations to improve architectural church tourism of San
Sebastian Church?
Definition of Terms
The following terms are defined operationally for better understanding of the readers
and arranged by significance:
Architectural Church Tourism It refers to visiting and seeing the architectural design and
structure of the churches as a tourism activity.
San Sebastian Church Also known as the Baslica Menor de San Sebastin, is a Roman
Catholic minor basilica in Manila, Philippines and the seat of the Parish of San Sebastian. It
is noted for its architectural features. It is an example of Gothic revival architecture and it is
the only all-steel temple in the Philippines, and as the only prefabricated steel church in the
world (San Sebastian Church, 2015).
Architectural design A technique, form or a stylistic representation that is used by
architects in classification of their work. They may include the various aspects of cultural
contexts and construction (Architectural Design, 2013).
Perception- this refers to the perceptions of local and foreign tourists on the architectural
design of San Sebastian Church.
Gothic revival architecture (also referred to as Neo-Gothic) is an architectural
movement that began in the late 1740s in England. Gothic Revival draws features from the
original Gothic style, including decorative patterns, finials, scalloping, lancet windows, hood
mouldings, and label stops (Gothic Revival architecture, 2015).
Vault The ceiling of a church formed of concrete, stone in mortar or brick in mortar
forming a continuous semicircular or pointed arch (Clay, 2010).
Nave The area of a church between the faade and crossing or choir, specifically, the
central area between the aisles (Clay, 2010).
Rose Window A round window, with tracery dividing it into sections, called petals (Clay,
2010).
Trompe l'oeil An art technique that uses realistic imagery to create the optical illusion that
the depicted objects exist in three dimensions (Trompe l'oeil, 2015).
Tholobate - in architecture, is the upright part of a building on which a dome is raised. It is
generally in the shape of a cylinder or a polygonal prism.
Chapter II
Methodology
This chapter represents the research methodology used by the researcher. Parts of
these are the research design, the respondents, the research instrument, the data gathering
procedure and the data analysis.
Research Design
This study used a mixed method descriptive design involving qualitative and
quantitative methods. Survey questionnaire and interview guide were used as a research
instruments.
Respondents
This study used a purposive sampling method with an inclusion criterion of local or
foreign tourists that are visiting or attending mass in San Sebastian church. One hundred
(100) respondents are sampled. Three (3) respondents are interviewed who are working in the
parish office.
Research Instruments
Data Analysis
After the floating of survey questionnaire and interview guide, the survey
questionnaire and interview guide are retrieved. I tabulated the results and use proper
statistics. The first part of the statement of the problem is the respondents perceptions on the
architectural design of San Sebastian church in Quiapo, Manila, frequency and percentage
are used. The second part is the aspects of architectural design that interests the tourists,
frequency and percentage are used. The third part is the part of the church that interests the
tourists, frequency and percentage are used. The fourth part is the part of the church that
should be given more attention or emphasis by guides during actual tours, frequency and
percentage is also used. The fifth part is the reasons why people go to San Sebastian church,
frequency and percentage are used. The sixth part is the church to be included in the itinerary
for tours in Manila, thematic analysis is used. The seventh part is the recommendations to
improve architectural tourism of San Sebastian church, thematic analysis is used.
Chapter III
Results and Discussion
In this chapter, the researcher evaluates the results of the collected data and these
results were presented, analyzed and summarized. The results and discussion were gathered
through survey questionnaire and interview guide. The results of these findings were
illustrated through tables to give a better understanding of the findings.
Results
Table 1
Perception on the architectural design of San Sebastian church in Quiapo, Manila
Unique
41
41
Attractive
38
38
Antique
13
13
Interesting
Unappealing
Table 1 present the label that 41 or 41% of the respondents perceived that their
perception on the architectural design of San Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila is unique.
The 38 or 38% of the respondents perceived that the church is attractive. 13 or 13% of the
respondents perceived that the church is antique. The 6 or 6% of the respondents perceived
that the church is interesting. While the 2 or 2% of the respondents perceived that the church
is unappealing.
Table 2
Aspects of the architectural design that interest the respondents
f
98
98
96
96
89
89
87
87
87
87
77
77
64
64
Crystal chandeliers
32
32
Table 2 present the label that 98 or 98% of the respondents said that the aspects of the
architectural design that interest them is the Gothic revival altar. The 96 or 96% of the
respondents said that it is the trompe-loeil interior paintings. The 89 or 89% of the
respondents said that it is the rose and stained glass windows. The 87 or 87% of the
respondents said that it is the groined vault ceiling and the prefabricated steel base. The 77 or
77% of the respondents said that it is the murals within the domes tholobate. The 64 or 64%
of the respondents said that it is the highly ornate pulpit. The 32 or 32% of the respondents
said that it is the crystal chandeliers and 3 or 3% of the respondents said that it is the carved
wood confessionals.
Table 3
Parts of the church that interest the respondents
Altar
98
98
Church interior
96
96
Windows
89
89
Ceiling
77
77
Steel base
71
71
Faade
27
27
Choir Loft
Nave
Table 3 present the label that 98 or 98% of the respondents said that the part of the
church that interest them is the altar. The 96 or 96% of the respondents said that it is the
church interior. The 89 or 89% of the respondents said that it is the windows. The 77 or 77%
of the respondents said that it is the ceiling. The 71 or 71% of the respondents said that it is
the steel base. The 27 or 27% of the respondents said that it is the faade. The 6 or 6% of the
respondents said that it is the choir loft and the 5 or 5% of the respondents said that it is the
nave.
Table 4
Parts of the church that should be given more attention or emphasis by guides during actual
tours
f
Church interior
98
98
Altar
96
96
Windows
89
89
Ceiling
77
77
Faade
51
51
Statues
27
27
Table 4 present the label that 98 or 98% of the respondents said that the part of the
church that should be given more attention or emphasis by guides during actual tours is the
church interior. The 96 or 96% of the respondents said that it is the altar. The 89 or 89% of
the respondents said that it is the windows. The 77 or 77% of the respondents said that it is
the ceiling. The 51 or 51% of the respondents said that it is the faade and the 27 or 27% of
the respondents said that it is the statues.
Table 5
Reasons why people go to San Sebastian church
F
96
96
74
74
39
39
18
18
Others: 1. Weddings
Table 5 present the label that 96 or 96% of the respondents said that the reason why
people go to San Sebastian church is to attend holy mass or to pray. The 74 or 74% of the
respondents said that it is to see the architectural design of San Sebastian church. The 39 or
39% of the respondents said that it is because of the churchs historical background which
pertains to the San Sebastian Church being a National Historical Landmark, being nominated
as a World Heritage Site in 2006 and being one of the very few churches that retain its
original structure. The 18 or 18% of the respondents said that it is part of the tour itinerary
and the 5 or 5% of the respondents said that it is because of weddings.
Discussion
Based on the results, the researcher found out that the respondents perceptions on the
architectural design of San Sebastian Church are unique and attractive. The aspects of the
architectural design that interest them are the gothic revival altar, the trompe-loeil interior
painting and the rose and stained glass windows of San Sebastian Church. The parts of the
church that interest them are the altar, church interior and windows. The parts of the church
that should be given more attention or emphasis by guides during actual tours are the church
interior, altar and windows; and the reasons why people go to San Sebastian Church are to
attend mass and to pray, and to see its architectural design.
The respondents supposed that the San Sebastian church should be included in the
itinerary for tours in Manila because of its architectural design and historical background of
the church. The respondents also said that San Sebastian Church, the all-steel church, needs
to be repaired and restored to retain its beauty and to prevent the church from total
destruction.
The themes that are identified in our interview such as the San Sebastian church is the
only all-steel church in the Philippines, included in the Tentative List as a possible World
Heritage Site in 2006, designated as a National Historical Landmark, has good architectural
design and the church should be repaired and restored are supported by Layug (2007),
Conopio (2014), Martinez (2008) and Zulueta (2015).
Conopio (2014) stated that one of the historical churches in Manila that exudes great
beauty and architecture is located in Quiapo, Manila. The light blue-green basilica that stands
in the busy end of Claro M. Recto Street doesnt entirely give off an ancient feel; however, its
color emphasizes its striking features two open towers with pyramidal spires, louvered
windows and an intricately designed rose window, which indicate a particular uniqueness of
the churchs architectural background.
According to Layug (2007), the San Sebastian Church had been named a National
Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1973. In 2006, San Sebastian Church
was included in the Tentative List as a possible World Heritage Site.
According to Martinez (2008), standing majestically on Plaza Del Carmen
surrounded by rows of old houses in Quiapo is a structure having connections with the world
famous artist-engineer, Gustave Eiffel. National Historical Institute states that, The Church of
San Sebastian is a declared National Historical Landmark per Presidential Decree No. 260.
State funding was accorded to the church through the National Historical Institute which
undertook restoration of the church since 1982. The Recollect community has likewise
expended funds for the churchs maintenance and restoration.
A 4.3 million scientific study in support of the restoration and conservation of the
church located in Quiapo, Manila, has concluded that the gothic structure is suffering from
heavy corrosion as a result of extensive and severe water infiltration, said architect Tina
Paterno, executive director of the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development
Foundation (Zulueta, 2015).
Chapter IV
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations
This chapter discussed the summary, conclusions and recommendations of this study.
It also includes the over-all findings of the survey questionnaire and interview guide.
Summary
This study is entitled Architectural Church Tourism in Manila: The Case of San
Sebastian Church. It is about architectural church tourism in San Sebastian church. The
purpose and objective of this study is for the people to appreciate the architectural design of
the church and for the church to be included in the itinerary for tours in Manila. This study
will benefit the locals of Manila for it can be a tourism destination in Manila; and for the
people to be interested in architectural church tourism that they will see the church as a place
with good architectural design.
This study identified the perception on the architectural design of the church, aspects
of the architectural design that interest the respondents, parts of the church that interest the
respondents, part of the church that should be given more attention or emphasis by guides
during actual tours, reasons why people go to San Sebastian church, the church to be
included in the itinerary for tours in Manila and recommendations to improve architectural
tourism of San Sebastian church.
This study used a mixed method descriptive design involving qualitative and
quantitative methods. Survey questionnaire and interview guide were used as a research
instruments. This study used a purposive sampling method with an inclusion criterion of
local or foreign tourists that are visiting or attending mass in San Sebastian church. One
hundred (100) respondents are sampled. Three (3) respondents are interviewed who are
working in the parish office.
Conclusions
1. The perceptions of local and foreign tourists on the architectural design of San Sebastian
Church in Quiapo, Manila is unique and attractive.
2. The aspects of the architectural design that interest the tourist is the gothic revival altar,
trompe-loeil interior painting, and the rose and stained glass windows.
3. The parts of the church that interests the tourists are the church interior, altar and the
windows.
4. The parts of the church that should be given more attention or emphasis by guides during
actual tours are the church interior, altar and windows.
5. The reasons why people go to San Sebastian church are to attend mass and to pray, and to
see the architectural design of the church.
6. The San Sebastian Church should be included in the itinerary for tours in Manila because
it is unique; it has a good architectural design and a good historical background.
7. The recommendations to improve the architectural tourism of San Sebastian is to repair
and restore the rusting steel base of the church to maintain its beautiful interior design,
and to disseminate information on the significance of San Sebastian Church.
Recommendations
1. The gothic revival altar, trompe-loeil church interior, and rose and stained glass windows
should always be kept clean and taken care of because these are the aspects of the
architectural design and parts of the church that interest the respondents, and these are the
parts that the respondents think should be emphasized during actual tours.
2. The churchs rusting steel base should be repaired, restored and preserved because it is
the thing that makes the church unique and extraordinary.
3. The respondents recommended that the tour guides should orient the tourists well so they
wont destroy any of the churchs property.
4. A respondent recommended for the people to support the fundraising event that the San
Sebastian Basilica Conversation and Development Foundation Inc. are organizing to fund
the restoration of San Sebastian church.
5. I recommend that San Sebastian Church should conduct an information campaign to
promote the significance of San Sebastian Churchs architectural design and structure in
addition to their training program for the locals and their fundraising event.
6. I recommend that the churchs ventilation to be improved because I noticed that it really
gets hot inside the church and all the church goers have to use a hand fan while inside the
church. If there will be a lot of people in the church and it gets really hot inside, people
will have a hard time staying inside the church and enjoying the churchs architectural
design and structure
7. I also recommend that this study should be a basis of a tourism program for tour or travel
agencies. The San Sebastian Church is a church with good architectural design and it is a
masterpiece.
References
Alcazaren P. (2002). Of Steel and Bamboo, Eiffel and I.M. Pei.
Retrieved September 9, 2015 from
http://www.philstar.com/modern-living/163863/steel-and-bamboo-eiffel-andim-pei?nomobile=1
Architecture of Cathedrals and Great Churches. (2015).
Retrieved September 1, 2015 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture_of_cathedrals_and_great_churches
Architectural Design. (2013). Retrieved September 1, 2015 from
http://www.ask.com/question/what-is-architectural-design
Austria, M. (2008). San Sebastian Church. Retrieved September 19, 2015 from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mjaaustria/2813900077/in/photostream/
Basilica Minore de San Sebastian. (2007). Retrieved September 1, 2015 from
http://www.filipiniana.net:8080/blogsphere/?p=95#more-95
Beshir, V. (n.d.). The Church as a Tourist Attraction.
Retrieved September 1, 2015 from
http://evangelismcopticorthodox.org/images/How_to_Make_Your_Church_a_T
ourist_Attraction.pdf
Burgos Cathedral. (2015). Retrieved September 3, 2015 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgos_Cathedral
Clay T. D. (2010). A Glossary of Church Architectural Terms.
Retrieved September 3, 2015 from
http://www.cathedralquest.com/GLOSSARY.htm
Conopio, C. (2014). Gothic architecture: Basilica Minore de San Sebastian.
Retrieved September 9, 2015 from http://asianjournal.com/lifestyle/gothicarchitecture-basilica-minore-de-san-sebastian/#sthash.kdSiAyVb.dpuf
De Jesus, F. (n.d.). The San Sebastian Church -- Gustave Eiffel's Church in the
Philippines. Retrieved September 9, 2015 from
http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives.php?page_id=24
Ducharme, F. (2014). San Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila.
Retrieved September 3, 2015 from
http:/c/historicphilippines.com/churches-volume-2/historic-churches-vii/sansebastian-church-in-quiapo/
Duff, A. (2009). Tourism Insights. Unlocking the Potential of Church Tourism.
Retrieved September 3, 2015 from
http://cvta.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/unlockpotential_churchtrsm.pdf
Galende, P. G. (2007). Philippine Church Faade.
Quezon City, Philippines: Vibal Publishing House, Inc.
Gothic Revival architecture. (2015). Retrieved September 3, 2015 from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Revival_architecture
Jose, R. T. (1990). Images of faith: Religious ivory carvings from the Philippines, 27.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/518/
Yang, J. (2011). San Sebastian Chuch. Retrieved September 19, 2015 from
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pianoforte/5477493209/in/photostream/
Zulueta, L. B. (2015). Rust Corroding All-steel San Sebastian Church.
Retrieved September 9, 2015 from
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/185240/rust-corroding-all-steel-san-sebastian-church
Appendix A
Letter of Approval
September 5, 2015
Fr. Antonio C. Zabala, Jr., OAR
Parish Priest of the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian
employees regarding our thesis entitled Architectural Church Tourism in Manila: The Case
of San Sebastian Church.
Attached is our interview guide.
Sincerely yours,
Noted:
Thesis Adviser
Appendix B
Survey Questionnaire
I, Antonette C. Enriquez, am conducting a study entitled, Architectural Church
Tourism in Manila: The Case of San Sebastian Church. This is in compliance with the
requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management in Saint Paul University
Quezon City.
Your support in answering this questionnaire below will be highly appreciated. Rest assured
that all information given is treated with strictest confidentiality.
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Age:
_____local tourist
Gender:
_____foreign tourist
1. What is your perception on the architectural design of San Sebastian church in Quiapo,
Manila? (Please check only one)
_____attractive
_____unappealing
_____unique
_____antique
_____interesting
others:__________
2. What aspects of the architectural design interest you? (Check as many as you want)
_____carved wood confessionals
_____crystal chandeliers
others: ____________________
3. Which part of the church interest you? (Check as many as you want)
_____altar
_____ceiling
_____choir loft
_____Faade
_____nave
_____steel base
_____windows
others:_____________
4. Which part of the church should be given more attention or emphasis by guides during
actual tours? (Check as many as you want)
_____altar
_____ceiling
_____choir loft
_____Faade
_____nave
_____steel base
_____windows
_____statues
others: __________________
5. What are the reasons why you visit San Sebastian church? (Check as many as you
want)
_____architectural design
others: __________________
Appendix C
Interview Guide
1. Do you think that the San Sebastian church should be included in the itinerary for tours
in Manila? Why?
Appendix E
Coding Sheet
Questions
1. Do you think that San
Sebastian church should be
Answers:
Rev. Fr. Antonio C. Zabala, Jr., OAR
-
improve architectural
church?
Appendix F
Pictures
Appendix G
Curriculum Vitae
Albert T. Enriquez
Antonia C. Enriquez