But…first things first, someone must know how to go to Bolinao Church of Bolinao, Pangasinan from Manila so anyone can visit and admire her. Here are the directions.

How to go from Manila to Bolinao Church of Bolinao, Pangasinan?

1. Ride a train from LRT-1 Gil Puyat Station and get off at LRT-1 EDSA Station.
2. After getting of at LRT-1 EDSA Station, walk to a footbridge that leads to the opposite side of the Metro Point Mall in Taft Avenue, Pasay City, reaching a building of SOGO Hotel in Pasay Rotonda
3. From building of SOGO Hotel in Pasay Rotonda, walk along the Taft Avenue road toward a big intersection of Taft Avenue and Aurora Boulevard and turn right.
4. After you have turned right to follow the length of Aurora Boulevard of Pasay City, find the Five Star Bus Terminal on the opposite side of the road and cross it.
5. When you reached Five Star Bus Terminal, ride a Five Star bus with the signboard “BOLINAO”.
6. The trip will take approximately 5 to 6 hours and the endpoint of the trip is the Five Star Bus Terminal in Bolinao, Pangasinan.
7. Get off at Five Star Bus Terminal in Bolinao, Pangasinan and walk toward the Bolinao Church. It is just a walking distance from the bus terminal, which is quite convenient. You can ask the locals there where to see it if you are not sure.

Reaching Bolinao Pangasinan: Sitting at Areola Store.

I was now at the final destination, the targeted place, the place I have been thinking for many months, the esteemed Bolinao, Pangasinan. Still groggy after more than five hours of bus trip from Pasay City and a short stop – over to Alaminos, Pangasinan, our first aim was here. Staring at everything that looks like Bolinao, Pangasinan, from cold, dark roads, to the store tarpaulins that has printed address on it, the hotel nearby, the Five Star bus terminal with the bus where I rode parked there with the sign board “Bolinao”, the carinderia at the front of the bus terminal that is surprisingly open at deep nights when I alighted at 2:45 AM of January 25, 2026, the people still awake and tricycle drivers getting excited at the sight of new passengers; it took me many minutes before my thoughts sinked in that I have reached the target place. I couldn’t believe I’m here at this place called Bolinao, Pangasinan after all the research I’ve done before coming in here. But the real beauty of this place will be witnessed few hours from now, when the sun shines and the night is gone.

I looked at my phone to check the time. It was now 3:00 AM of January 25, 2026. After loitering around the road where the Five Star Bus terminal is situated, I now proceeded to take a rest at a store called “Areola Store” just at the front of the said terminal. There was a hotel nearby but I wasn’t able to research it; fortunately there would only be a few hours before the sun shines so we could afford to stay at the store for the night. Greeting the store staff which happens to cook for early morning breakfast for her customers, we chatted up a little bit. She told me not to worry about things getting stolen because there is no people who would steal. We chatted more a little again and proceeded to buy the first breakfast of the day, two sunny – side up eggs, two rice and a juice for renewed energy and asked her permission to charge my cellphone in her premises, which she graciously accepts. While waiting, I took a nap for a couple of minutes on the table where I sit because not only the journey was long, the tour of duty before I have gone to Bolinao, Pangasinan was from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM so I barely have enough rest to recover. Body slumbered immediately while the mind was conscious but I have to hold my phone or else I might forget it. This was going on for few hours before I realized that hours have passed and it was almost 5:00 AM.

It was already at the wee hours of 4:00 AM of January 25, 2026 when I decided to stroll for a walk in the Bolinao, Pangasinan Town Proper to marvel at her beauty at the middle of nightly morning. Seeing the brown – bricked Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, it was as alert as day. While strolling toward the further confines of the town, some stores are already open. The 7 – 11 store seems to be open for 24 hours, waiting for customers who might be interested in their store and the youthful staffs there was eager to greet. There was also a bakery near the MDRRMO office which sells cakes and variable pastries which was tempting to buy. There were also few people loitering on the road just at the front and side of Bolinao Church which is surprising. Ah yes, Bolinao Church. Just one great look at that church and you looking at the same church the people have seen hundreds of years ago. The church itself is the history manifested. Walking towards the church from her side, it was surprising that her small gate was open. I didn’t dare go inside yet so I proceeded to tour the Bolinao Church outside and marvel at her magnificence few steps from her across the road. Proceeding then to her another side where the Bolinao Wet Market was situated, the stores were in deep slumber and tarpaulin, so I went back again to the road. Some more minutes later, I gained the courage to get inside the Bolinao Church because the lights inside the church are open. Oh…what a beautiful church indeed!

Reaching Bolinao Pangasinan: Visiting Bolinao Church

Saint James the Great Parish Church, or more famously known as Bolinao Church, is indeed a marvelous olden architecture existing for hundreds of years. The church itself is chalky in texture, which exemplified how historic it is, because the church is built from coral reefs blocks and hand – built by our forefathers under the direction of a foreign congregation hundreds of years ago built for the Catholic Faith. The resulting church has served thousands of people across many generations and witnessed the best and the worst experiences over the years that if this church could speak, she could tell us endless stories of cries, and joys, wins and hopes witnessed while standing proudly in the town of Bolinao, Pangasinan. I happily couldn’t wrap this experience into my little mind how amazing this church is because I never thought I could come here and touch it. After few minutes spending outside the Bolinao Church’s premises, the main, ornate gate was opened by a young man at exactly 5:00 AM. He seemed to not mind my presence, perhaps he was used to the tourists marveling at the beauty of the church. Walking a few steps to see the inside of the church, I immediately took many pictures on any angle I could imagine because there were no other parishioners there and it was a perfect time to take some shots before the influx of church – goers few minutes later. But those thoughts weren’t in my mind at first because the inside of the church is mesmerizing; the painted ceiling that evokes the “Christian” – ness of the church exalting our Lord, the church aisle which didn’t have any church – goers entering yet, yielding it empty, but evokes deep respect for our Lord Almighty and the altar gleaming in gold – colored ornaments, yellow lights and images of our Lord. Oh wait, if that’s the case, except for the people serving in Bolinao Church, I could actually the first parishioner to get inside the Bolinao Church before the anticipated First Mass at 6:00 AM.

While picking up my jaw and walking inside the Bolinao Church, I couldn’t help but appreciate the little things inside. Looking at the back of the church while the blackness of the early morning emanates from her doors, this reminds us how beautiful life really is in the grand scheme of things. The deep brown seats of the church were sturdy and shiny. The walls inside the church shows her real white coral reef blocks, suggesting how old it is. The images of our Lord, Jesus Christ were in the conspicuous places inside the church so that every parishioner interested could see. The paintings on the ceilings that tells the story of the Good News the church has been unceasingly telling for hundreds of years. And lastly, I was able to get close to the altar where the mass celebrant praises our Lord. It was simply magnificent. I didn’t hesitate to take many pictures as I can inside and I now noticed that some church – goers are now getting inside to wait for the 6:00 AM mass and celebrate with our Lord. Then I continued taking pictures left and right, up and down. I realized that the First Mass is starting soon so I went to sit close to the altar. And waiting for the mass to start.

The January 25, 2026 6:00 AM Mass of Bolinao Church

The First Mass has started at almost exactly 6:00 AM. The night was still high and dark, the parishioners became many and now ready to celebrate with the priest to praise the Lord and asking for His forgiveness. The ceremonies now on full swing and we are now participating, singing songs of praise and accepting our fallibilities. But no matter how flawed we are, as long as you still keep yourself in high regard, we can still live our lives in a meaningful way and be the light for others, which is a pretty hard thing to do. The mass lasted for 1 hour and 30 minutes and the mass celebrant was a blast. While looking at the people who participated in the mass, it slowly dawned on me that all the people I’m looking at right now are the people of Bolinao, Pangasinan, with their own hopes, dreams and wishes that they might have been waiting, old and young alike. Chatting to some of the parishioners for small talk how’s their mass and whatnot, it was nice little interaction. Looking at the sky after the mass, it was a nice, sunny weather, perfect for the next destination I’m aiming for. I took again some few pictures of the exterior of the church and asked some people to take a picture of me outside the church before going out the church premises.

The big gate of Bolinao Church was filled with incoming church – goers and cars under the sunny weather of Bolinao, Pangasinan. Walking beside the church premises to find some snacks, I came across some food stalls that sells some “kakanin” inside bamboo and Pangasinan’s native delicacy called “tupig”. The sellers excitedly woo customers to buy their local delicacies and I was there getting tempted to buy some “kakanin”. Then I picked one stall where the seller sells “tupig” while cooking other “tupig” on the sweltering modified charcoal – fired grill. Even while being cooked, the aroma from properly burning “tupig” was sweetly emitted and couple that with sellers who have been cooking it for years, you get fresh delicacy straight from the grill with the smell of fresh coconut and nicely – burnt banana leaves wrapped to it. I immediately bought ninety pieces of “tupig” from that stall and eaten some of them. Oh it was delicious. I wish I could buy again when the time comes. The woman where I bought the “tupig” from her jumped with joy and shared that she actually came from Rosales, Pangasinan and came to Bolinao, Pangasinan to sell the delicious “tupig”.

After buying some “tupig”, I now proceeded to walk around the town. The town is lively, with many people walking around the town, many motorcycles crisscrossing the wide roads, their barangay hall that is ready to serve her people, and the medium – sized stores now open for business. After observing all of these, truly, Bolinao, Pangasinan is indeed a certified province with rich history and tourists would love to travel there. But there is other thing Bolinao, Pangasinan is famous for, but we have to go further to experience her beauty. It is estimated to be 15 kilometers away and can be only accessed by the via tricycle. And hailing a tricycle toward that place would cost around P400.00 pesos per trip. Fortunately, the tricycle drivers are not asking for P400.00 pesos per head, they are asking for P400.00 per trip, which is pretty expensive but fair, considering how far is that place and the tricycle drivers are gracious to let you tour to other places like the Enchanted Caves and Cape Bolinao Lighthouse at no additional cost. The place I’m describing now is called Patar Beach, the “Boracay” of the north, facing the actual West Philippine Sea, situated at the western part of Bolinao, Pangasinan. This is the place I’m going next while bringing “tupig” and packed back. Looking for some tricycle to bring me to that place and some negotiations, I was able to find one tricycle driver who will lead me to that beach. He is a kind man. I rode into his tricycle and drove straight toward to Patar Beach in Bolinao, Pangasinan.