St. John the Baptist Church. Camalig, Albay

Christianity was brought to Camalig by Capt. Luis de Guzman together with Father Alonzo Jimenez, an Augustinian priest who came with the Legaspi expedition. Evangelization was started in 1578 by the Augustinian missionaries. When the Augustinians left, the Franciscan Fathers Pablo de Jesus and Bartolome Ruiz continued their work. In 1579, Camalig was formally inaugurated as a town and as a parish. The original poblacion was placed in Binanua-an. The original church and “escuela Catolica” was established in this place. In February 1814 Mayon Volcano erupted and totally destroyed Cagsawa and parts of Camalig. This prompted the town officials to transfer the church and the town government to the mountains. First, to Palanog, then to Kitapunte and then to Baligang. However, a big fire raced to the ground the church and the nearby houses. The town government was brought back to the original site in the poblacion and the church that was unscathed by the eruption of 1814 was re-occupied.