Tourists explored an awesome church hidden inside a mountain cave covered by thick forests.

Aerial drone footage shows the crevice in the mountain, which has been turned into a Catholic church in Batangas, the Philippines, on June 12.

The locals called the cave Simbahang Bato or Rock Church, and they decorated it with chairs, tables, and an altar with an 8ft-tall cross in the middle.

Residents used to shelter in the cave during strong typhoons until they converted it into a church, which soon attracted visitors from other provinces.

Travellers stop by the area to pray and offer candles at the altar, which is open every day and accessible through concrete roads.

Visitor Norbert Tengco said: 'It was one of the most unique churches I have seen.'

Due to more than 300 years of Spanish influence, the Catholic Church became deeply entwined with Filipino culture, traditions, and social structure. This influence persisted even after the Philippines gained independence. Catholicism is the dominant religion in the country today, with 80 per cent of the population identifying as Catholic.