Paoay Church

St. Augustine Church, or more popularly called Paoay Church, in Ilocos Norte is one of the the oldest churches in the Philippines and is among the major attractions of the province.


It is inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage list (together with 3 other Philippine baroque churches: Nuestra Senora in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; San Augustin in Manila; Miag-ao Church in Iloilo) in recognition of its unique architectural style which is a reinterpretation of European Baroque by Chinese and Philippine craftsmen.

The Paoay Church in particular is famous for its distinctive Gothic, Baroque and Oriental architecture. Its facade reveals Gothic affinity, its gables show Chinese elements, while the niches topping the walls suggest Javanese influence (reminiscent of the famous Boroboudur Temple).

Construction of Paoay Church was started by Augustinian friars in 1694. It was completed in 1704 and re-dedicated in 1894.

The church was dubbed "Earthquake Baroque" because of its fortress-like structure, with 24 massive buttresses designed to withstand the destructive forces of earthquakes.

Its thick walls were built of coral stones and bricks and sealed by hard lime mortar, which according to historians, was made by "mixing sand and lime with molasses boiled with mango leaves, leather and rice straw for two nights."

A three-storey coral stone bell tower stands a few meters away from the church. The bell tower served as a look-out point for Philippine "Katipuneros" during the Philippine revolution against the Spaniards, and again by the Filipino "guerillas" during the Japanese occupation in World War II.

History has it that that 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.

The panoramic view from the top of the bell tower is simply magnificent. Here you can see the vast expanse of land until it merges with China Sea.