The original cathedral was built in 1874 by the first Bishop of Jaro. It was destroyed by the earthquake in January 1948 and later repaired in 1956.
The Marian image of Our Lady of the Candles also has the distinction of being canonically crowned by the late Pope John Paul II during his visit to Iloilo City on February 21, 1981, making it as the only Marian figure to be given such stature in the Philippines.
The journalist, national hero, and co-founder of the Propaganda Movement Graciano López Jaena was baptized in the Cathedral on December 20, 1856.
The National Historical Institute of the Philippines declared the Jaro Cathedral an historical landmark in 1976.
In January 2012, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines approved the cathedral as the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Candles.
History source: Wikipedia
Location: Iloilo City
Photo taken by my Sony Xperia phone.
