Published via Ecency

On my last trip to Iloilo City, I shared some photos taken from the Jaro District Plaza (Exploring the Improved Jaro Plaza - Tall Trees, Monuments and Faith).

Across the plaza, there lies a magnificent national shrine. This is the Ntra. Sra. de la Candelaria Shrine, which is also called Jaro Cathedral by the locals.

When you walk closer to the entrance, you will see a large old sign above the gate. The sign reads Ntra. Sra. de la Candelaria National Shrine in white letters on a blue background.

The front of the church looks very strong and ancient. It has two tall belfries on each side and big balconies with stairs leading up to the second level.

Right in front of the main building, there is a large courtyard. There is a statue of Jesus Christ that stands on a high white base on the front left of the shrine. The statue shows Jesus wearing a white robe and a red cloak.

The view of the whole front of the church is beautiful against the bright blue sky. You can see the full shape of the cathedral, the grand stairs, and the two tall spires.

On the right side is the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She stands outside the church on a tall pedestal surrounded by green plants. You can see her statue and the cathedral towers in the background.

I also took a very close photo of the Virgin Mary looking down with her arms open. Her blue and white dress stands out beautifully against the white clouds.

The church grounds are very spacious. There is a wide paved driveway on the side of the stone building where people walk and park their cars.

Here are some more photos of the cathedral. You can see how the old stone walls look next to one of the tall cream-colored towers. There is also a small balcony on the side with a pointed stone top. The pointed roof and the small cross on top look peaceful against the sky

Finally, near the cathedral, there is also a tall statue of Pope John Paul II. He is wearing his papal robes and holding a staff with a crucifix on top.