Paoay Church

Together with the San Agustin Church in Manila, Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Ilocos Sur and Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church in Iloilo, the Saint Augustine Church of Ilocos Norte was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993. The church more commonly known as Paoay Church was also declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973. I went there during one weekend after doing our sampling for my research.

Paoay Church and me.

The church was constructed in 1694 until 1710 with combination of Baroque, Gothic and Oriental architectures. The most distinct feature of the church is the presence of 24 enormous buttreses at the sides and back of the building. This use of huge buttresses has been conceived to prevent the destruction of the church during earthquakes. The walls and the facade are made up of coral stones and stucco-plastered bricks.

The interiors of the Paoay Church.

In contrast to the impressive exteriors, the interiors of the church is simple with an altar just decorated with a wooden cross. It almost looks bare and empty in comparison with other churches in the Philippines.

The bell tower of the church.

A 3-storey coral bell tower can be seen adjacent to the church whoch was constructed in 1793. This bell tower has a historical importance such that it served as observation posts used by Filipino revolutionaries against the Spaniards in 1898 and by the Filipino guerillas against the Japanese soldiers during the second world war.