Information about Dauis Church

Dauis Church

Photo by Assumption of Our Lady Shrine Parish - Dauis

Dauis Church, also known as the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, is located in Dauis, a small peaceful town from the Island of Panglao. It was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission.

Dauis Church was built in 1697 by the first Spanish missionaries. It was founded by Fr. Diego de Ayala and Fr. Joseph Gregorio of the Jesuit order. After 1753, the Jesuits moved their main residence from Loboc and Fr. Joseph Nepomuceno built a convent in the church complex which became their official residence. The Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines in 1768 and all their missions were turned over to the Augustinian Recollects.

Since then, the Dauis Church has been renovated several times and in 1863, Fr. Julio Saldana began the construction of the present Dauis church. It was later finished by Fr. Natalio del Mar in 1923. 

The church is a mixture of neo-gothic and neo-classical architecture. It has a bell tower made of corals. Inside, tourists will witness the 18th century interior of the church and murals painted on the ceiling by Ray Francia in 1916.

How to get there

Dauis, a 4th class municipality, is located in Panglao Island in the Province of Bohol. It is one of the two municipalities in Panglao Island, the other being Panglao. It is situated 3.1 kilometers southwest of Tagbilaran City. It has a landmass of 4,288 hectares and is one of the oldest municipalities in the province.

Ride a tricycle or rent a private van that will take you to the Dauis-Panglao Road southeast to the Panglao Island Circumferential Road.

Best time to visit

The church is open to visitors daily as it is an all-year round destination.