Betis Church

The St. James the Apostle Parish Church (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de Santiago Apóstol) commonly known as Betis Church is a Baroque church located in the Betis, Guagua in Pampanga, Philippines under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando. The church was established in 1607 and dedicated to Saint James, the Apostle. It was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.Church historyThe baroque-inspired Betis Church was built around 1660 under Father José de la Cruz. The preliminary structure was made out of light materials which was composed mainly of wood and stucco. Fire broke out within the church several times due to these light materials so it was finally built with concrete materials in 1770.In the last quarter of the 19th century, Father Manuel Camañes dug an artesian well on the north-side of the church which served as a source of potable water not only for the Betis townsfolk, but to the other nearby towns as well. On the other hand, the present-day concrete fence with caryatids was built in the 2nd quarter of the 20th century.In 1908, the rectory of the church was burned with fire and all the documents about baptism and other historical catalogues of the church turned into ashes.Beautification of the interior part of the church was extensively done by the last Spanish priest named Father Santiago Blanco in 1939.