Lipa City is a recreational, religious, commercial, industrial and educational

center. Lipa was previously on the Coast of Bonbon Lake and was devastated by the
explosion of Taal Volcano in 1754. Lipa City is the center of the National Pilgrimage for
world peace and the sanctification of the clergy.
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, commonly known as the Lipa
Cathedral, is a Romanesque church in Lipa, Batangas, Philippines. The cathedral
serves as the seat of the Archdiocese of Lipa. The church was rebuilt at its present
location and was reconstructed under the direction of Rev. Benito Varas, OSA Parish
Priest in 1865. Pope Pius X established the Diocese of Lipa in April 10, 1910. Built in
the Romanesque tradition, the cathedral building design used columns and arches in an
upward and downward sequence, creating the effect of a shadow-and-light play. The
hemispherical top of the church and bell tower has a complex decorative strip and
arched stained-glass windows. The nave of the church is barrel vaulted and now
decorated with modern chandeliers. Its ceiling is covered with religious paintings. The
church also has a spiral stairway to the choir balcony.
To protect the big and attractive church from earthquakes, it was made of hewn
stone and tiled roof, a rectangular structure with the ceiling constituted of artistically
painted wooden paneling in lieu of an arch to which were attached supports and strong
beams crisscrossing the walls. Before, it had plain and simple altar ornaments without
the extravagant carvings characteristic of the past. During the 19th century, intense
competition among the towns of Batangas, Bauan, Lipa, Taal and Tanauan, for the
selection of the seat of the new diocese in the Southern Tagalog Region, motivated the
people to build extraordinary big churches. However on April 10, 1910, when the historic
foundation of the new diocese took place, its first bishop, Most Rev. Joseph Petrelli,
D.D, chose LIPA as the SEE because of its cool climate. For this reason, the San
Sebastian church automatically became the Cathedral of the Diocese of LIPA.
The church suffered massive damages during the Second World War. During the
1950s, Msgr. Alejandro Olalia spearheaded the restoration the interior painting

retouched and two-side aisles were added. In the year 2000, to prevent the Cathedrals
complete deterioration, immense refurbishments and adornment were lead by then
parish priest, Msgr. Alfredo Madlangbayan. All these works for the splendor of the San
Sebastian Cathedral were realized through the support, generosity and commitment
over the years by countless faithful, many of whom will remain nameless . The San
Sebastian Cathedral is now a synergetic composition of structure for worship, religious
art appreciation and functionality.