Capilla Santa Ana: Faith and Elegance Rolled Into One

#Adulting is real. 

It's been months since Rubie and I saw each other last because, yes #adulting got so real for both of us. We've planned about going on a quick trip. 

Planning... planning... and more planning happened before we finally decided to go (or at least until Feb. 25th became the agreed date). 

DESTINATION: Capella Santa Ana, Poblacion, Toledo City


Toledo City is a two-hour drive south of Cebu City. You can go there either by riding a bus, van-for-hire, or your own vehicle. For a more comfortable commute, choose the v-hire. 

Once you reach Poblacion, hail a tricycle and ask the driver to take you to Ibo, just near the public cemetery. The capilla is just by the highway so there shouldn't be a problem locating it (if you are not busy talking like Rubie and I). 

This is the signage outside the chapel's gate. It details the entrance fee rate and the operating hours of the chapel. 

You will have to register inside the chapel. There will be facilitators that will take you to a guided tour. They are very approachable and you can ask them countless questions. 

About the Capilla:

The chapel is owned by a Toledo-native Lillian Yared and her husband Michael Overs. The two had been financially fortunate. They traveled across Europe and had been very active bidders in auctions. Most of the religious pieces in the chapel were from the auctions they went to. Most of these are also antiques. 

The Overs couple were not blessed with a child thus, upon their visits to the Philippines, Ms. Lillian decided to have a chapel built. This wasn't just meant to house the antique images that they have acquired but more importantly, it served as a foundation for them to help poor children.

Our facilitator told us that the couple have been offered countless times by TV networks for an interview but they always declined. What they wanted is for the visitor's entrance fees to be used for the benefit of the kids and the foundation.

What's Inside: 

Capilla Santa Ana is far from the purok or sitio chapels one could imagine. It is a concrete structure with lovely stained glass windows. 

What greets visitors is a door from India. It is intricate on the outside because of the nail stars. When you check it on the inside though, you will see the other end of the nails boring through the wood. It also has a knocker to, according to our guide, make one's knock audible to the people inside. 

There are different doors on each side of the main chapel. The catch: no picture-taking. 

The reason for this is because inside the rooms are antiques and relics which are quite expensive. Better safe than sorry. 

What Rubie and I liked most is the section where the Mater Dolorosa is housed. It looks a bit eerie and too realistic it made me shiver a bit. 

But that wasn't the reason why we loved that room. We saw on the side an image of a pregnant Mama Mary. (Let that sink in).

Our facilitator said that it is one of the rarest pieces they have in the chapel. 

Other interesting things to see are antique chalices (which they can let visiting priests borrow should they celebrate a mass) and a very old copy of the Bible. 

If you think that Capilla Santa Ana is so lovely and you wanted to celebrate mass, the good news is, you actually can! The catch though is you would have to bring a priest there.


The Labyrinth

Outside the chapel is another attraction: the labyrinth. 

A labyrinth is defined as an intricate combination of passages which makes it difficult for one to reach the exit. 

Tada!

This yellow butterfly followed us around the labyrinth.

It is said that this is a meditative labyrinth. We were told that one could pray the rosary while walking there. 

Rubie and I explored the labyrinth. I wanted to exit it as planned but she had another thing in mind and took the shortcut! Haha.

There is also a ladder facing the labyrinth so one could take a good picture of it. 

After a few more minutes, Rubie and I started to feel hungry so we bade the chapel goodbye and decided to find a place to eat. 

Side Trip: Cafe Royal

Our rule was: no fast food! 

Yeah, we've been eating in fast food joints that it doesn't feel right anymore. Hahaha.

We asked the locals about a good place to eat (that isn't fast food) and one pointed us to Cafe Royal. This is just behind the Public Market building in the boulevard. 

We checked the menu and thought to ourselves that it was quite expensive for a dainty restaurant. 

We ordered pancit and sinigang (sinigang on a very hot afternoon). When the waiter came back with our order, we couldn't believe what we saw. We weren't informed their serving is meant to feed a whole barangay. Haha.

Cafe Royal is a good place to eat although making it air conditioned would probably make it better. 

P.S

Look who we bumped into...

Bing and Bing. "Albe" and Rubie.