In and around the church at Samboan, Cebu

The little angel is bored, waiting for the Flores de Mayo service to start.

Last May, after enjoying the lure of eco-tourism in Aloguinsan, checking out the heritage richness of Boljoon, and then making a quick stop at the town of Oslob, My Bibe and company also dropped by the church at Samboan.

Samboan is a fifth class municipality with its own share of history and is home to a couple of waterfalls and a marine sanctuary. My Bibe wasn't really able to check any of these out, just the church. Nevertheless I had a peek into this town's simple yet arguably charming life through her Instagram photos.

As with a lot of churches across the province, the St Michael the Archangel Church was also built during the Spanish colonial period, and with coral stone as its primary material. The church's side walls are curiously slanted a bit, with some very visible moss growth but which to me only adds character to the structure.

Right next to the church is the convent and a few steps away is the belfry and watchtower. Fronting all three structures is a nice little grass-covered plaza.

This setting that's typical of many an old town in the provinces is just plain lovely.

The church facade.

The church has apparently also sustained some minor damage from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu and Bohol last October 15, 2013.

Built in 1798, the Campanario de Antigua was used as both belfry and watchtower to guard against the Moro raiders at the time.

The church interiors. Notice the slanted walls and the moss growth.

The photos of children dressed up as little angels for that day's Flores de Mayo service reminds me of my childhood back in Leyte. As a kid, I used to participate in this month-long celebration where kids come to prayer and offer flowers to the Virgin Mary. Yes, I was once a religious kid. I'm glad to see, though, that this tradition is still very much alive, at least in some places like Samboan.

Well hello there, little angels! This was in another church in the same town.

This photo is brought to you by the letter M. This is one of 8 letters attached to a pole to form the phrase "Ave Maria" that kids carry towards the altar as part of the Flores de Mayo service.

Stained glass beauty.

Wow, they use these instruments here? Nice!

A damaged sign by the church. The wood must have been very dry already it broke.

The Escala de Jacob, a flight of stone stairs built in 1878 to provide people from the coastal areas easy access to the church grounds.

The church grounds.

So there. I hope to see all of these soon, including Samboan's waterfalls and that marine sanctuary. I think a town-hopping tour in the south of Cebu should be in order.