This church is a classic example of how religious power dominated the social, political, and economic life in a Poblacion during the Spanish era. All roads in the old street network of San Pablo lead to the cathedral.

It's interior design is simple, as seems typical for many old churches in Laguna. They usually went for size than aesthetics. Practicality versus beauty. Typical of how the friars ruled the Philippines. It could also be a reflection of the practical nature of people from Laguna, as compared to the beautiful churches in the Visayas region.