ABUCAY, Bataan- The oldest church in Bataan houses in its museum not only various images of saints but part of a wooden printing press, considered as one of the first and oldest in the Philippines.
Visitors from various parts of the country do not fail to visit the museum of the parish church of Abucay when on pilgrimage to the province or on visita iglesia during the Lenten Season.
The church was placed under the ministration of the Dominicans in 1588 or 427 years ago. St. Dominic de Guzman is the town’s patron saint.
It has a beautiful altar and evident on its interior and exterior portions are sturdy big bricks known as “batong silyar.”
Records showed that the printing press was used by Tomas Pinpin, the first Filipino printer, and Dominican priest Rev. Fr. Francisco Blancas de San Jose as early as 1610 in printing various known books.
Pinpin, recognized as the “Prince of Filipino printers,” was born in Barangay Mabatang in Abucay.
