Another magnificent structure in Argao is the St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church. Both the parish and the church are named after the leaders of the angels, the archangel who fought against the evil forces.
St. Michael the Archangel Church is one of the oldest church and among the most impressive churches found in the entire island of Cebu. Actually, this is the second oldest church in the province.
The church was part of the quadrumvirate, alongside the churches of Boljoon, Dalaguete and Oslob. They were not just churches but fortresses as well and part of the defense system against the invaders. And also, they served as a safe haven for the inhabitants during the assaults. They are commonly termed as “fort-churches”.
When viewed from the outside, the church is just one of the structures in a very large complex. Other structures within are the Ganghaan Sa Hari or Puerte Real and a chapel. Only the remains of the stone walls can be seen nowadays.
Experts say that the church is probably of the second construction because the façade indicates 1783 as its original construction, handled by Fr. Francisco Espina. However, the records of the church say it was founded in year 1733 under Fr. Ignacio de Olave, Argao’s first parish priest. The construction began around 1730’s and completed in 1788.
The church is in rococo-baroque and the prominent features are the paintings and sculptures of the patron saint, St. Michael, inside and outside the church. 20 figures of angels lined the walls and poles leading to the altar. The corbels are decorated with cherubs.
The façade is of rectangular form with the use of Corinthian columns as partitions. The altar can be seen in its authentic splendor, gilded richly with painted chrysanthemums and peonies in the Chinese manner. The carved curtain exposes the niche where the image of St. Michael is placed. The figurines, on the other hand, were re-painted in all gold which disappoints some.
The ceiling is probably done in the 20th century, describing the life of the angels in the lives of men and in the bible. The jewel of the crown is the drawings of the triumphant St. Michael in their battle with the Satan or the fallen angel, Lucifer.
The paintings were finished by two of the best church muralists in the 20th century. They were no other than Raymundo Francia and Canuto Avila. There is a notable difference in the painting of the two. Raymundo painted the upper half of the ceiling, depicting the victory of St. Michael over Lucifer while Canuto took charge of the middle portion to lower half and more on biblical manifestations of angels.
The original roof was devastated by a storm way back 1876 and was fixed in 1924 by Fr. Joaquin Boiser. However, the original tisa roofing was replaced with galvanized iron sheets. It underwent renovation in 1988 for bicentennial celebration.
Argao Church also houses the centuries-old pipe organ. Though it is not being in use, it is still in good condition. The construction of the organ was believed to be in between 17th to 19th century. Among the 14 organs built during the time of the Spaniards, the Argao Organ Pipe is among one of the remaining 3 in the country. Alongside the Spanish and Mexican builders, Argawanons contributed a lot to the construction of it. With 700 pipes, it is capable of producing 22 different kinds of sounds.
The belfry is located on the church’s right side and the two-storey convent to its left. The five-storey and slender belfry, considered “one of the best in the Philippines”, was built in 1830 by Bishop Santos Gomez Marañon.
The design of the church is of much resemblance to St. William Church in Dalaguete. However, Argao’s façade is much better conceived and carefully built. Though the church had undergone renovations, St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church is still standing tall and remains one of the richly furnished churches in the south.
