Church of St. Augustine (Bantay, Ilocos Sur)

The town’s restored 18th century church was built from 1691 to 1692 by Fr. Cortes. This served as a refugee camp for evacuees during the Basi Revolt in 1807. The church was rebuilt and restored by Fr. E. Navarro (parish priest 1870-1875) and was continued by Fr. L. Villanueva in 1892. Fr. A. Versoza patched the roof with galvanized iron. The church underwent another repair in 1950 due to the damage it incur during the 2nd World War.

The church’s facade is flanked by massive rectangular twin towers that has features of Baroque, Neo-Gothic and Pseudo-Romanesque features. The neo-Gothic is visible in the recessed main entrance, having a pointed lancet like arch flanked by blind pointed arcading. On the other hand, the decorative volutes around the second level window suggests the baroque feature and finally, the central window shaft with balustrade is considered to be pseudo-Romanesque in feature.

The facade’s only decorated parts are broken curves along the top of the triangular pediment and the inverted traceries below the eaves. A separate three-storey hill top, square bell tower, which served as a look out for an approaching enemy. It offers a fine view of an old nearby cemetery and the rest of the area.

The church is the home of the oldest Marian image in the Ilocos, Our Lady of Charity. The image is said to be miraculous and venerated by the Ilocanos. The 50-inch tall image is made of wood, except for the ivory face and hands (the ivory parts were stolen in 1928). The image was crowned by Egidio Vagnozi, Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines on January 13, 1956.

Photos Courtesy of Mr. Ivan Mainar, R.N.

St. Paul’s Cathedral (Vigan, Ilocos Region)

St. Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral was built by the Augustinian clergy around 1790 and like the St. William’s Cathedral, it has features a design intended to minimize earthquake damage that was referred to as “earthquake baroque”.  Furthermore, it also features the Neo-Gothic and pseudo Romanesque motifs. There are brass communion handrails copied from China, complete with Chinese characters scribbled by its makers.

In the south of the cathedral lies the eight-sided bell tower used as a safety measure of the church. It was said to be built separately so that in any event of an earthquake, it would not topple into the church. The design said to have a Chinese Feng Shui influences. Lies inside the church is a tombstone of the great Ilocano poet Leona Florentino.

It is also in this church where Vigan’s Beloved late Governor Floro Crisologo was gunned down while he knelt on a pew inside the Cathedral in 1970.

*PHOTOS: Courtesy of Mr. Ivan Mainar