Betis Church
Baroque Saint James the Apostle church in Betis, Guagua, a National Cultural Treasure famed for its painted ceiling.
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Photo: Ralff Nestor Nacor · CC BY-SA · via Wikimedia Commons
Overview
The Parish Church of Saint James the Apostle in Betis, Guagua, traces its parish to 1607. Its Baroque interior is covered in murals, and its painted ceiling has earned it the nickname "the Sistine Chapel of the Philippines"; the ceiling was painted in 1939 by Macario Ligón and largely repainted in the early 1980s.
The National Museum and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts declared it a National Cultural Treasure in 2001.
Location
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Immaculate Conception Parish Church, Guagua
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Where to eat nearby
Cafés
Primero Coffee PH, Guagua
Guagua branch of the Pampanga coffee chain known for cold brew, at the Galleria Building on Jose Abad Santos Avenue.
Kapampangan Food
Fabrika Dining
Al fresco Filipino restaurant inside Fabrika Villas, a former factory in Betis turned into a getaway.
Budget Eats
Luring's BBQ House
Guagua's oldest barbecue house, open since 1993: pick your skewers and seafood and have them grilled, with a large al fresco area.
Where to stay nearby
For Couples
Fabrika Villas
Countryside villas in a revamped old factory in Betis, Guagua, with its own al fresco restaurant.