Paoay Church
Places that captures our attention, Ilocos has been so popular for Filipino Travelers because of its finest beauty and world class heritage. Way back The Saint Augustine Church or commonly known as the Paoay Church, is a Roman Catholic church of Paoay, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines that has been completed in 1710.
The church is famous for its distinct architecture and has been declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973, also announced as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993.
St William's cathedral
In 1580, the Spanish Augustinian friars built a wooden chapel on the site of the current church. It was replaced by the large stone church in 1612 for the sake of the growing Catholic population in the town that was then known as Ylaua, meaning light or brightness. The town played an important role as a mission detachment of Vigan during the Spanish colonial period. Its name later became Laoag.
The church suffered from a series of calamities including a hurricane in 1640, an earthquake in 1706 and a fire in 1843. In 1873, repairs were done and it was finally rebuilt in 1880. During the war in 1890, the Filipino revolutionists inhabited the church and so did the American forces in 1899.
The church was originally built with a lime and molasses mixture for added strength. It was also composed of huge stones, gravel and sand. Wood was used as support beams for the roof that was made of cogon grass.
The bell tower was built nearly 2 centuries later, in 1783. It has sunk about an inch into the ground each year.
In 1843, the church was damaged by fire. During the 1898 Revolution against the Spanish, the church was occupied by Philippine insurgent soldiers. In 1899, American soldiers occupied it.
The church is also known for remaining in the hands of the Roman Catholic Church during the Philippine Independent Church’s rampant domination of the province. During the establishment of thePhilippine Independent Church by Gregorio Aglipay in 1902, St. William’s Cathedral was the only church in all of Ilocos Norte that was not taken over by the Aglipayan order. Fr. Roman Ver, assistant priest at the cathedral, was the only priest to resist the schism that had spread throughout the province during this period. He is said to have refused entrance to parish priest Fr. Jose Evangelista upon his return from Manila, where he had just been appointed as a bishop in the Philippine Independent Church.
The church was badly damaged by an earthquake towards the end of the 20th century. However, it was completely reconstructed. In 2005, Msgr. Jacinto A. Jose, parish priest of St. William’s as well as the 3rd bishop of the Diocese of Urdaneta, undertook the controversial move to renovate the centuries-old roof of the cathedral. The renovation project was completed a year later.
St. Paul's Cathedral
The St. Paul’s Cathedral is also known as the metropolitan Cathedral. It is considered a major religious landmark not only of northern Luzon but the country as well. Visitors must include a visit to the cathedral when in Vigan as it has been a center of Roman Catholic devotion for centuries.
The church as it stands now was completed in 1800. The original structure was built in 1574 upon the
command of the Spanish founder of Vigan, Juan de Salcedo. It was a mere chapel then, made of wood and thatch. In 1641, the chapel was replaced by a church.
When the seat of the Nueva Segovia Diocese was transferred to Villa Fernandina de Vigan from Cagayan’s Lal-lo in 1758, the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral and became the center of Catholic faith in the north. Another structure was ordered by then Governor Jose de Basco to be built to replace the existing church in 1786. With the Augustinians, the cornerstone of the new church was laid in the beginning of 1790.
Overall, the cathedral follows a Baroque architectural design that has been modified by Ilocanos to strengthen the structure against earthquakes. This is now known as earthquake Baroque. Testament to the style’s effectivity is the fact that the structure’s original interior walls have remained complete.
Other influences can be observed from the architecture of St. Paul Cathedral, that of neo-Gothic,
pseudo-Romanesque and Chinese craftsmanship.
Bantay Abot Church
The church was heavily damaged during World War II and rebuilding was started in 1950. The restored façade is of Neo-Gothicdesign mixed with pseudo-Romanesque materials and elements. It is designed to be grandiose and reminiscent of Spanish architecture. It uses materials such as bricks and mud. The belfry sits on a hilltop overlooking a green pasture and the province of Abra. It was used as a watchtower for invading enemy forces during World Wars I and II because of its strategic location. The Bantay Church and bell tower are monumental witnesses to various atrocities and uprisings.
The church was heavily damaged during World War II and rebuilding was started in 1950. The restored façade is of Neo-Gothicdesign mixed with pseudo-Romanesque materials and elements. It is designed to be grandiose and reminiscent of Spanish architecture. It uses materials such as bricks and mud. The belfry sits on a hilltop overlooking a green pasture and the province of Abra. It was used as a watchtower for invading enemy forces during World Wars I and II because of its strategic location. The Bantay Church and bell tower are monumental witnesses to various atrocities and uprisings.
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