San Guillermo Church in Bacolor: The Church Lahar Buried Halfway
Lahar from the 1991 Pinatubo eruption buried two thirds of a church built in 1576. What stands above ground is the top of it, and the old windows are the doors.
San Guillermo Parish Church in Bacolor is the church that lahar buried halfway, and the reason to go is that it stayed that way: you walk in at the level of the old windows and look down on nothing, because the floor you stand on is the mudflow. It is free, it is a working parish, and it is a short drive off the expressway in Pampanga.
San Guillermo Parish Church · Bacolor, Pampanga · Checked 29 October 2026
Bacolor · Pampanga
Half a church above ground
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1576
Founded
Augustinian friars founded the parish in 1576, making it the fifth oldest in Pampanga. It is dedicated to San Guillermo Ermitaño, William of Maleval, with a feast on 10 February.
Late 1800s
Rebuilt
The building standing now is a late 1800s rebuild after an earthquake; sources give 1886 or 1897. Late Baroque front, gilded retablos inside.
1995, half the height
The lahar
Four years after the 1991 Pinatubo eruption, the 1995 lahars buried the church to about half of its 12 m height. Sources split between 3 September and 1 October for the day. The town center sits on about 6 m of debris.
Through the windows
The way in
You enter through the old choir loft windows, which are now the doors. The retablo and old saints were dug out by residents and set under the dome. The belfry has leaned since about 2014.
Museo de Bacolor
Museum and Mass
The old convento holds the Museo de Bacolor, with post-eruption photographs. Sunday Mass at 6, 8, 10 AM and 5 PM on a 2022 listing; Easter 2026 times differed, so check with the parish. The Cabetican Sunken Shrine is a 15-minute walk.
Checked October 29, 2026.
What happened to the church
The parish dates to 1576, which makes it one of the oldest in Pampanga. The present stone church went up in the late 1800s; sources disagree on whether 1886 or 1897 is the right date. After Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, rains carried its ash down the rivers as lahar. In 1995 a lahar flow filled the town and buried the church to about half its 12 meter height. The commonly repeated line that only the top third survives overstates it.
The parish dug out the main altar and its retablo and reset them under the dome, then reopened the church at the new ground level. Visitors enter at what used to be the choir loft and window level. The belfry has been leaning visibly for about a decade.
Visiting
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Entrance | Free; a donation box at the door |
| Mass (2022 listing) | Wednesday to Friday 6 PM; Saturday 7 AM; Sunday 6, 8 and 10 AM and 5 PM |
| Parish office | Tuesday to Sunday |
| Phone | 0916 667 7277 |
| Feast | 10 February, St. William |
| Museum | Museo de Bacolor in the convento |
The Mass times come from a 2022 listing; call before planning around one. Dress as you would for any working church and keep quiet during services. The Cabetican Sunken Shrine, another chapel half buried by the same lahar, is about a 15 minute walk away. In November the town holds the Makatapak Festival, on the third Sunday.
Getting there
Bacolor is between San Fernando and Guagua. From Manila, take NLEX to the San Fernando exit, then follow the road west toward Bacolor; jeepneys run from San Fernando. For another hilltop shrine in Central Luzon, see the Divine Mercy statue in Bulacan.
A town that dug its altar out of the mud and kept going. The Bangon tee carries the word for that: rise.
Suroy Wear · Statement Series
Frequently asked questions
Why is San Guillermo Church half buried?
A lahar flow in 1995, carrying Mount Pinatubo ash, buried it to about half its 12 meter height.
Is there an entrance fee at San Guillermo Church?
No. Entry is free; there is a donation box.
What are the Mass times at San Guillermo Church Bacolor?
Per a 2022 listing: Wednesday to Friday 6 PM, Saturday 7 AM, Sunday 6, 8 and 10 AM and 5 PM. Call 0916 667 7277 to confirm.
What is near San Guillermo Church?
The Cabetican Sunken Shrine, about a 15 minute walk away, and the Museo de Bacolor in the convento.
History from the Archdiocese of San Fernando and the Bacolor municipal government; Mass times from a 2022 parish listing. Checked 29 October 2026.
