The church was declared as an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2013.

The church was partially damaged when a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Bohol and other parts of Central Visayas on October 15, 2013.

Upon the request of Doña Mariana Irag, a chapel, convento and school were erected in 1842 at the boundary between the towns of Baclayon and Loay.

The first structure in 1842 was made of wood and bamboo and was erected at the western end of the plaza, approximately where the present school stands.

Until the 1880s, the parish church appeared like a huge shed with three aisles and wells made of tabique.

In 2013, the National Museum of the Philippines declared the church an Important Cultural Property.

Pillars made of large tree trunks masked by metal sheets march down the aisle of the church.

Three patron saints of the parish are inscribed among the bells: Santa Monica, San Agustin and "Calipay" (Joy).

A wide field in front of the church enables the structure to dominate over its surroundings.

To the left of the church are the original twin buildings for the escuela de ninos built in the 1880s.

The eastern end of the convento has a massive open-air terrace or azotea built by Fray Manuel simultaneously with the stairway.