“Yeah, take me to the old church,” I told the tricycle driver on the way to the fishing village of San Antonio in Bay, Laguna. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to see tourists there, I thought to myself, the village being a quiet fishing community, though it is believed that the town itself originated from the fishing settlement. As we approached the local village government multipurpose hall and basketball court, I started to hear chanting. It was being broadcast through loud speakers that almost the whole village could hear it, a slow waltz accompanied by almost wailings alternating in each stanza. I found what I was looking for.

I alighted from the tricycle and went to the direction of the old church just beside an area from where the lonely a cappella was coming from. A boy followed me as I walked through the metal gates. “Nobody else goes there anymore but you can take a look around. They’re holding the mass and other church activities in the basketball court.” “Is that so?” I replied. This old church was magnificent, being perched on concrete posts and resting above the lake, and a footbridge serving as an entrance. But I guess there just had been too many storms. Dilapidated, torn-off roofs could still be seen on the right side of the wall, a sad image as if going along the by the sad music in the background.

I went to the village multipurpose hall and saw some men and women busy preparing what obviously was going to be lunch. I was surprised, though, that it was a bit plentiful. A few women greeted me as they were setting up the buffet with large woks filled with simple, traditional dishes. They told me they were with the Legion of Mary, a church organization. They, together with the village officials, were hosting the activity. “Have your lunch here and eat with us,” said a lady. “Sure,” I replied, “I’ll just check out the women singing.”