Charming Chapels of Negros : Santa Clara Chapel / Virgen sang Barangay Chapel

The Virgen sang Barangay Chapel, tucked away in Santa Clara Subdivision in Bacolod City, is a veritable showcase of shellcraft. Most of its religious accoutrements are encrusted with thousands of seashells cut into individual shimmering mosaic tesserae. Its centerpiece is the mural behind the altar, depicting Our Lady of the Barangay in a Negrense setting. Its meticulous design and painstaking construction make this chapel a priceless hidden treasure.



The modest exterior of the Virgen sang Barangay Chapel blends almost seamlessly with the residences that surround it in Santa Clara Subdivision, Bacolod City. Only its sliding doors paneled with capiz shell latticework hint at the treasures within.



Within the pyramid-shaped roof of the Virgen sang Barangay Chapel in Bacolod City is an octagonal domed ceiling supported by a network of trusses. Descending from the center like manna from heaven is an eight-pointed chandelier composed of 7,000 pairs of white cup shells, or litog.






The centerpiece of the Virgen sang Barangay Chapel in Bacolod City is a mosaic mural made of 95,000 seashells individually cut into square-inch tiles. The mural depicts Our Lady of the Barangay and the infant Jesus blessing coastal villages on the island of Negros, with Guimaras and Panay in the distance.



Text By: Vicente Garcia Groyon
Photos By: John Kimwell Laluma
Video By: Grilled Cheese Studios