While the temples and stupas may be the architectural icons of much of Asia, the church is arguably the Philippines\' most distinctive building.
From the Manila way of naming things, simbahan accented in the middle syllabl.
Thus, simbahan - "church" in much of central and southern Philippines - was chosen as the title of this book.
Tellingly, despite three hundred years of the Hispanic rule, the Filipinos opted to retain their indigenous names for places of worship, instead of the Spanish iglesia.
While the temples and stupas may be the architectural icons of much of Asia, the church is arguably the Philippines\' most distinctive building