Description of the attraction
The small town of Janiuei, located in the province of Iloilo on Panay Island, boasts several historic buildings dating back centuries.
The construction of the Catholic Church was completed in 1770 - the materials for its construction were sandstone, limestone and brick. Once upon a time there were three huge beautiful bells on its belfry, the largest of which weighed almost a ton. However, the building was seriously damaged during the Second World War, and the bells were removed after the war. During this procedure, the largest bell fell to the ground and cracked - a 46 cm long crack stretched from the very edge to the top. Today this bell can be seen on the belfry of the new church, built in the late 1960s. When called, it emits a characteristic rattling sound that can be heard several miles away.
Another attraction of the town of Janiuei is the cemetery, built in 1870. It is surrounded by a wall made of ancient sandstone and bricks brought here from another city. The Spanish priest, Father Llorente, who supervised the construction of the cemetery, chose for his buildings the Gothic style characteristic of that time. The cemetery is located one kilometer from the church.
In addition, in Janiuei, you can see several old small sugar factories owned by the descendants of the Spaniards and Swedes who once lived here. These factories used to produce brown sugar. Rotary crushers made of mild steel, powered by buffaloes, made sugar from cane and then boiled it in huge vats until it was brown and hard.
Two rivers flow through the city - Magapa and Suage, which serve as a source of water for agriculture. A bridge was thrown across Suage, which witnessed a fierce battle between Japanese soldiers and the combined US-Filipino forces during World War II.
