He counted; one, two, jump! On his back, he flew thirty five feet into the air, arms outstretched, his shout trailing behind as his long hair whipped about. The air swooshed against his scraggly beard and at the last moment, he turned, diving perfectly into the aquamarine waters below, plunging deep. And with a gasp of air, he reemerged, with a triumphant laugh.
Watching from the concrete platform from the cliff area of Salagdoong Beach, I wished mightily that I could jump too. My mind was sure I can do it, but my body resisted, my hand still painfully swollen after a minor accident at Cambugahay Falls.
► SEE: SIQUJOR TRAVEL GUIDE
Dusk was quickly falling as we arrived at the last of the three churches we visited in Siquijor. A boombox blasting out Lady Gaga songs was trying but failing miserably to brighten up the now solemn atmosphere looming over the town of Maria as early evening encroaches on the mystic island 
Dubbed simply as Santa Maria Church by the locals, its exterior is devoid of any ornamentation; no saints on niches, no intricate carvings, no fancy stained glass windows. The same can be said of the octagonal bell tower that squats beside the church. The bell holder seemed more intricate compared to the structure. 
The only thing that doesn’t go well with its old-world charm is the new portico built in front of its two-story tall double doors. Made of concrete and designed in fake neo-classical motif, it clashes with the minimalistic façade of the original structure. 
But enough of that, the architecture of Santa Maria Church, beautiful as it is, is really not what tourists visit in the sleepy town of Maria. Inside the stone church is a religious statue as eerie as the eeriest tale told in Siquijor. 
Dubbed as the Black Magic Maria, it has one of the most piercing gazes I have ever seen, be it from live flesh or dead stone. I didn’t know it’s possible for a lifeless statue to send chills down one’s spine. Covered in black garb, the saint’s pale face is sporting a thin frowning mouth. On one of her hand is a human skull and on the other is a cross, which was said to be inverted. Well it was not inverted when I visited but it didn’t add any comfort to my swirling mind as I willed myself to stare at the apparition; am I really looking at a statue of a saint? 
The history might explain the somber look, but to Siquijodnons there’s more to this sculpture than written history. 
Whether you believe in such chatter is of course entirely up to you. But talks like these take a few more creds than what it should probably deserve when you’re inside an empty echoing church with the sun way below its small windows and you can feel the Black Maria’s eyes seemingly staring behind your back. 
Sta. Maria Church 
