Masinloc Church 2.59

The San Andres Apostol Parish Church, popularly known as Masinloc Church, is a 19th-century Baroque church located at Brgy. South Poblacion, Masinloc, Zambales, Philippines. The parish church, dedicated to Saint Andrew the Apostle is under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Iba. The church structure, a standout among Spanish-era churches in the Central Luzon region for having been built with coral stone instead of adobe stone, was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines along with 25 other Spanish-era churches in 2001.Parish HistoryThe parish of Masinloc had its beginnings as a mission founded by the Augustinian Recollects in 1607. It was founded by Father Andres de Espiritu with the guidance of Father Rodrigo de San Miguel, then vicar of the mission in Mariveles, Bataan, who urged the head of the religious group to set up a mission in the present-day site location of the town which was then abundant with plants locally referred to as hinloc. The original pueblo established by the Spanish friars are now barrios Bani and Tugui. Throughout the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, the parish of Masinloc was administered by the Augustinian Recollects and the Dominicans. In the 1980s, the parish was also administered by the Columban Fathers.