Roaming Naval: Church and Municipal Hall

All settled at Marvin’s, I had to start my roams ASAP, if only to make the most out of my visit to Naval. So I went out of the inn and hailed a tricycle. When driver asked where I wanted to go, I was a bit stuck there for probably two seconds or so before making a reply. Eh, WHERE did I really want to go? I know I wanted to see Naval, but I was already IN Naval. Now what? I however know my defaults anyway, so I said “simbahan”! Thus off to the church I was!

For someone who has seen a lot of churches in this country, many of them from the olden centuries, this pink church in Naval is nothing to be amazed about. It’s kind of more recent in design, and does not really seem to be something fantastic an architecture anyway hehe. Its frontage is a parking lot, so vehicles are way too close to the church entrance. Am not sure there’s anything wrong with that. Its just that I have been used to seeing churches with a lot of spaces around it and bulky thick walls made of stone from eons ago. But, it’s a church anyway!

I went in to find there was a mass service in progress. Offertory. So I stood a bit by the entrance to just look around. I do like their use of wood (or it’s likeness?) at the retablos and other things in the altar. Ah, the red carpet is probably from some earlier ceremony or probably in preparation for the next. I smiled, (ok I’ll be honest, I rolled my eyes) at the sight of packaging tape used to secure parts of that carpet. Those are the two brownish lines crossing its width hehe. Anyway, I did not stay long as the service was just halfway.

Municipal Hall. Thinking it would have been just somewhere near as is the case in many towns or cities, I asked a trike driver where the ‘munisipyo’ is. He said “tara sakay na” so I asked if I can’t walk to it. He told me it is very far, out on the inner parts of town. Hmm, probably a new facility. So I took the ride. A bit far, probably a kilometer away, but actually would have been an easy walk if I knew where it was :) Still some distance from the compound itself, I realized it was something new – just as I thought. This edifice was completed and inaugurated only in 1999 by that little lady with a neck brace when she was still vice president (so a sign says)!

I did smile at the sight of this “municipal hall” and the thought that it was built just at the turn of the century. My personal opinion is: the architect of this edifice must have been lacking in aesthetic prowess considering that these are modern times. Built in 1999? It’s just a flat rectangle of a building almost looking like a hospital with a little protrusion at the roof to accommodate the town’s seal. It looks like a thing built in the 1960s or ‘70s hehe. Unattractive – especially with that cube-like foyer that am sure is a terrace from the upstairs point-of-view. Mis-proportioned or un-proportioned – if there is such a descriptive. Very whatever hehe.

I did think that it may just look like so but very functional and lovely inside. So, I tried taking a peep at whatever is/was there on a Saturday afternoon. Well, see the picture for yourself and decide with me what it looks like hehe! I like those high-chairs. Kakaiba! I imagine, if you were a constituent transacting business at those glass windows, you have to clamber up that chair to discuss your matter. Para kang nasa bar hahaha. I would ask for beer or tequila if I were the one hahaha. Look, there’s a TV just above the santo under the stairs!

Oh, I did not bother the four sleeping ‘giants’ lest they get mad at me disturbing their Saturday afternoon slumber hehehe. And I can assure you, no one of them noticed I ever came and went! I think there were even 5 of them sleeping, but only four are seen in that picture above. Can you spot all of them?! Aber?! But I like the location of this municipal hall (pic in this paragraph). It sits in a quiet suburb amidst trees and grass with just the birds and the bees to bother the breezy serenity!

Let’s go further inland in my next story!


For a chronology of stories on this Biliran travel, please click the following:
01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19



ISSN 2512540.875-1504

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