Serial Tripper

I consider our stop at the Paoay Church one of the most important things we did in Ilocos Norte. There was just no way we were going to miss this magnificent structure that we went a bit out of our way en route back to Laoag City from Ilocos Sur just to see it, even if we were just commuting.

It’s a fine example of what is called Earthquake Baroque architecture, which is basically Baroque architecture made to adapt to the condition of the area where the buildings stand. Quite appropriate, I think, as when you look at the history of old churches in the country, many have been destroyed or severely damaged by earthquakes at some point due to the inadequacy of their designs to the Philippines’ seismic conditions. Earthquake Baroque is demonstrated by Paoay Church’s lower and wider proportion, as well as thicker and heavily buttressed walls for greater stability.

On the brighter side, my dissatisfaction with the cameras we brought gives me a reason to return to this beautiful place someday to take even better photos.

Another thing that makes the church unique is its aging Javanese facade I have never seen on any other church in the country (check out the niches topping the walls). For all these reasons, the church has fittingly been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Additionally, former president Ferdinand Marcos declared the church a national treasure.

For better or worse, the church was deserted when we visited it. It was nice as we had the entire church for ourselves and we could take as many photos as we wanted without any interruptions nor unwanted crowds. On the other hand, it was really eerie inside and I felt like running out to the plaza out in front as soon as we were done taking photos.

We couldn’t give the interiors its due appreciation due to the darkness when we entered it (it was nearly dusk when we arrived). It looked much simpler and seemed to offer less to appreciate than the magnificent exterior of the church, but perhaps we should revisit it at an earlier time to see better.

The church stands tall with a three-storey coral stone bell tower nearby, which apparently functioned in signifying the status symbol of the couple being wed in the church. It was said that the bell would be rang louder and more times during the wedding of a prominent family than during the wedding of a couple from a lower social standing.

It was used as an observation post in 1896 by the Katipuneros who were going up against the Spaniards in the Philippine Revolution, and by Filipino guerrillas during World War II.

One of the most frustrating things about visiting Paoay Church when we did was that I wasn’t able to bring a good camera with me. Between me and Jen, there only were my Lumix FZ28 and her Lumix LX3, none of which compared to the Canon 60D I originally intended to take with us on our trip. On the brighter side, my dissatisfaction with the cameras we brought gives me a reason to return to this beautiful place someday to take even better photos.

Paoay Church (St. Augustine Church)
Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines