Paoay Church

Paoay Church

            Paoay Church, otherwise known as St. Augustine Church, is a historical church located in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. It was built in 1694 through the efforts of Augustinian friars led by Father Antonio Estavillo. It is made of coral blocks and brick that incorporates Gothic, Baroque and Oriental designs that add up to its striking appeal. The style of the church has been dubbed “Earthquake Baroque”. One of its key features is the 24 carved buttresses on the both sides and at the back.

Enormous buttresses on both sides

The Bell Tower standing few meters away from the church

          Also made of coral stone is the three-storey bell tower on the right side of the church. Unlike other bell towers in most churches around the country, the Paoay Church’s stunning bell tower is detached from the church. This is to avoid the tower from smashing on the structure when an earthquake occurs. This bell tower is said to have been used as an observation post of the Katipuneros during Philippine revolution of 1896 and again by the Filipino guerillas in World War II.

The interior of the Saint Augustine Church

          Paoay Church stood the test of time. It has survived wars and countless tremors and typhoons. Although it was partially damage during the huge earthquakes of 1865 and 1885, reconstructions and repairs made the church looks generally unscathed. In an excavation conducted inside the church in 2000, a prehistoric human skeleton and fragmented ceramics were discovered and are now on display at the National Museum. The Paoay Church was declared a national treasure by then President Ferdinand Marcos. And due to its historical and architectural significance, the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated it as a World Heritage Site as one of the four best example of Baroque Churches of the Philippines.

  
Did you know : According to historians, the bell tower also served as a status symbol for the locals. The bell would ring more loudly and more times during the wedding of a prominent clan that it would during the wedding of the poor.

References

http://www.choosephilippines.com/go/heritage-sites/72/falling-love-paoay-church/

http://adventuroj.com/2012/12/01/paoay-tour-paoay-church-malacanang-of-the-north-and-the-paoay-lake/

http://beta.philippine-trivia.com/trivias/religion/trivias-about-philippine-colonial-churches.html

http://framelessworld.com/2011/02/paoay-church-ilocos-norte/