Ermita Ruins – Bohol, Philippines

The Ermita Ruins is one of the best Bohol Tourist Spots for travelers here in Bohol. The Ermita Ruins are the ruins of a coralline limestone structure built during the Spanish Regime in Bohol. It lies parallel to the nave of the St. Nicholas Tolentino Church in the town of Dimiao, Bohol. It was allegedly used as a military fortress, a chapel and a burial site of the members of the Spanish clergy that died here in Bohol. Archaeological excavations of The Ermita Ruins were done in 1995 and 1998 in a quest to uncover its mysterious past..
Ermita is a Spanish term for a small church or chapel in a lonely place.

In a study conducted by a team from the National Museum entitled “Archaeological Exposition of the 18th Century Structure, Ermita Ruins is an 18th century structure, which has the closest resemblance to Paco Cemetery, a historical site in Paco, Manila. Built in 1800 until 1815 by Fr. Enrique de Santo de Villanueva, it was constructed during the Spanish colonial period that has been abandoned and erected by a population that was willing to work for the church and the Ermita.

It has honeycombed-arranged tombs or sepulchers that are unique and so far, the only one found in the Philippines, which make up the walls of the Ermita.

The researchers were surprised why no graves were found in the tombs. To them, perhaps, it was constructed to serve not only as a Chapel, but also as a cemetery. But even before it was completed, it could be possible that a big catastrophic event occurred, an epidemic perhaps, which explains the mass burial, as evidenced by skeletons excavated from the ground, not properly arranged but just laid on top of the others.

On the other hand, researchers consider the idea that perhaps, the absence of bones in the hundreds of small niches (although there were few sets of bones recovered and transferred to the Municipal Cemetery) explained by the closure of the cemetery in 1844 by Fr. Manuel Carususan; its nearness to the church was deemed unhealthy.

The preservation of the Ermita Ruins is a joint project of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, the St. Nicholas Parish, and Local Government of Dimiao. The preservation is in accordance with the policies of the National Heritage Institute (NHI) to retain the antiquity of the place and preserve its natural beauty and attraction…