Santa Monica Church, Panay

Santa Monica at Panay was built in the 1770s of coral stone, a broad church with heavy walls and a separate belfry, and it is known for one object: a bell cast in 1878, over two metres across and weighing something above ten tonnes, made - according to the account repeated locally and in the parish's own history - from seventy sacks of coins donated by the townspeople. It is usually described as the largest church bell in Asia, a claim that depends on how you measure and which bells you count, but its size is not in dispute; it hangs in the belfry and is rung on major feasts, and it can be viewed by climbing the tower. The church itself is a declared National Cultural Treasure with a stone facade, wooden ceiling and old retablos. Panay town sits minutes from Roxas City, which is the seafood capital of the region and the more usual reason to be in Capiz.

What you actually see

• The great bell - the 1878 casting in the belfry.
• The coral-stone church - thick walls and stone facade.
• The wooden ceiling - beamed interior and old retablos.
• The bell tower climb - the stairs up to view the bell.

When to go

November to May for dry travel. Weekday mornings for quiet; the bell is rung on major feast days, which is worth timing for if you can.

Honest expectations

Access to the belfry is not always open - it depends on the parish staff. The largest-in-Asia claim is contested in detail. It is a working church with services.

Nearby

Roxas City and its seafood market are fifteen minutes away; the Capiz coast runs north and west.