Traveling all the way up to the northern part of Luzon, to the province of Ilocos Norte is worthwhile once you gaze upon the Church of St. Agustine in the town of Paoay. More commonly known as Paoay Church, this Baroque Church belongs to the list of UNESCO Heritage Site.
Though the parish was first founded in 1593 by the Augustinians, construction only started almost 200 years later. With primitive tools in hand and technology, it was finally complete in 1896. Its bell tower is separated from the church and was used by Filipino fighters as an outlook post during the revolution against the Spaniards and during the Second World War.
The facade of the Paoay Church is still in its original form with traces of Oriental, Gothic and Baroque architecture. Though not as intricate as those found in the facade of Miag-ao Church, in Iloilo ( another World Heritage Church), there is something special with its look. Not just due to its antiquity, but due to the different influences specially the Oriental side.
It is made of bricks ( the lower part) and coral stone( the upper part); coral stones are common materials during the Spanish era. But comparing it to old churchs specially in the Visayas, the bricks and stones were not glued with egg yolks but rather of stucco plaster and tree sap.
The main distinction of the Paoay Church are its 24 buttresses which supports its walls three meters thick from earthquakes. The buttresses are even visible in satellite images. Though this church has suffered two massive earthquakes, the exterior and the facade were spared; damage was done to its interior. With this, columns were added to the church’s interior to support is ceiling from possible earthquakes.
Tip:
If you are into photography, visit Paoay Church at dusk when the church gleams its orange hue.
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4 Comments
aaaahhhh!!!! The top of my list when i visit Ilocos Norte next year… 🙂
And thanks for the tip.. 🙂