MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B.

HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

“4 UNESCO HERITAGE CHURCHES IN THE

PHILIPPINES”

UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place (such as a

forest, mountain, lake, island, desert, monument,
building, complex, or city) that is listed by the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) as of special cultural or
physical significance.

Currently, we have 6 that made on the list, one of

them is collectively composed of 4 Baroque
Churches built during the Spanish occupation of
the Philippines. These churches have been at the
forefront of not just the Philippine colonial history,
but also in propagating Catholicism in the islands,
and deceptively serving as the political backbone
of Spanish rule, during those times when Church
and State are regarded as one. The unique
architecture and aesthetics of these churches
reflect the amalgamation of various influences
creating a distinct look, very much our own.
Influences from Spanish/Latin American
architecture to the local environment like fusion of
Chinese motifs in San Agustin (it is near to the oldest
Chinatown in the world) and a depiction of a
papaya, coconut and palm tree in the façade of Miag-ao church, are very much apparent.

These churches had been subject to numerous

attacks by local revolts and rebellions, hence,
most had the appearance of a fortress, rather
than just serving as mere place of worship. In the
case of Santa Maria Church, located on top of a
hill, serving as a citadel during those turbulent
times. Miag-ao Church also withstood the
occasional attacks of Muslims from the south that
tried to invade the Visayas.

Furthermore, the location of the Philippines along

the Pacific Ring of Fire called for the emphasis on
a specific type of building construction
technique. The classic example is the Paoay
church in Ilocos Norte, for example, it has thick
buttresses and foundation, with thick solid bases
with strong butresses from its both sides and back
resulting to a unique hybrid of architecture- the
Earthquake Baroque, that can only be found in
the Philippines and Guatemala two highly earthquake-prone region in the world.

Three of the them can be found in mainland Luzon and one is in the Visayan region, these national
cultural treasures are highly regarded heritage sites not just from its religious value but also from its
historical, cultural, architectural and aesthetic standpoint. Go see and check it for yourself!
MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B. HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

1. Immaculate Conception Parish Church of San

Agustin
Location: Intramuros, Manila
How to get there: take a cab to Intramuros and look for San Agustin Church. It is just few blocks away
from Manila Cathedral

the 426-year old façade

Located within the historic walled city

of Intramuros, the church holds the
distinction of being the oldest stone
church in the Philippines founded in
1571 and built in 1589. It is a
administered and run by the Order of
Saint Agustine (Augustinian Friars)

With regards of the venue, the church is also

dubbed as “the wedding capital of the
Philippines“, because of the sheer volume of
couples who book the church for their
wedding year round. Aside for the church,
there is a museum open to the public for a
fee.

THE INTERIOR

DETAIL OF CEILING
MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B. HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

2. CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION OR

THE STA. MARIA CHURCH
Location: Sta. Maria Ilocos Sur
How to get there: From Cubao in EDSA, board on a buses that goes to Vigan or Laoag and alight at
Sta. Maria Ilocos Sur, 40km before before reaching Vigan town proper. Travel time approximately 5-6
hrs via Mc Arthur Hi-Way going to Ilocos Sur.

Sta. Maria Church façade and bell

tower

if you are on your way to the

heritage town of Vigan or Laoag by
land, one of the town that you will
pass by is Sta. Maria in Ilocos Sur.
Passing their town plaza, when you
follow the sharp curve of the road to
your left you will not fail to see an
imposing brick church that sits on a
narrow hill connected by a flight of
granite steps. That, is the Sta. Maria
Church or the Asunta Parish church
to the Ilocanos.

THE GRANITE STEPS leading to the church

Founded in 1765, it is a national landmark

that was used as a fortress during the 1896
Revolution. It is located in Ilocos Sur. The
church sits on a hill that can be reached by
an 85-step wide stairway made entirely of
granite. On the church façade you will find
an elevated walkway that connects the
convent in front and the church itself. At the
back of the church is a vast expanse of land

THE CHURCH INTERIOR

STA MARIA CHURCH

BELL TOWER

Common of most
earthquake proof
churches, the pagoda shaped bell tower is separated from the
church to prevent it from collapsing on the church itself during
strong tectonic movements. The octagonal, 4-storey bell tower is
tapered, each level narrows as it reached the last floor, very typical
of earthquake Baroque designs. A dome can be found on the top
floor that is capped by a cupola. a clock is strategically facing the
granite stairway for all church goers to see.
MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B. HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

3. SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH OF PAOAY

Location: Paoay Ilocos Norte
How to get there:
By Bus- From Cubao in EDSA take buses going to Laoag (travel time 7-8 hrs) Then from Laoag, its
another 30 mins land travel to go to Paoay.
By plane- PAL and all domestic carriers fly to Laoag once a day. Travel time is approximately one
hour. Then from Laoag, its another 30 mins travel by land travel to go to Paoay.

PAOAY CHURCH

If you happen to be in Vigan, head on up

north to reach Laoag, on the way, you will
pass by the town of Paoay (pronounced
as pa-way). Formerly called as Bombay, it
is where you will find the best example of
localized Baroque architecture in the form
of a church. San Agustin Church, or simply
Paoay Church began its construction in
1604 and finally completed in 1710. Its
aesthetics and architecture is an
interesting mix of Gothic, Baroque and
Javanese designs.

the massive buttresses that supports the sides

and the back of the church

Flanking on its sides and the back you will

find its 24 buttresses made of entirely coral
blocks and stucco-plastered bricks erected
to help the church withstand the strongest of
earthquakes and other natural disasters. The
stair-like feature (also called step buttresses)
is used to have an access of the roof which
during the Spanish times, made up of lighter
materials such as straw and dried cogon.

PAOAY CHURCH
INTERIOR

Like the the Sta.

Maria church, its
bell tower is also
separated from the
main church
structure. Standing
on its right side, the
three-storey coral
belltower
constructed separately from the church building on the right side
resembling a pagoda. It stands at some distance from the church as
a protection against earthquake, in case it collapse. It served as
observational post for Filipino revolutionaries against the Spaniards in
1898 and by guerillas against Japanese soldiers during World War II.

THE BELL TOWER OF PAOAY CHURCH

MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B. HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

4. SANTO TOMAS DE VILLANUEVA PARISH CHURCH

OR MIAG-AO CHURCH
Location: Miag-ao Ilo-ilo
How to get there:
By Ro-Ro- From Manila travel to Batangas Pier and take a ferry bound to Iloilo (travel time 17 hrs)
By plane- PAL and all domestic carriers fly to Iloilo once a day. From Iloilo airport going to Miag-ao is
approximately 1hr 30mins by land travel.

Separated by islands and seas from the three

other churches, the Miag-ao Church is a
sight to behold. The uniqueness of the
structure made it called the “Miag-ao
Fortress Church” because of its castle-like
appearance. It served its purpose when it
became the defensive stronghold of the
town during the Muslim raids during the
Spanish-Moro wars of the 1700s. Constructed
from 1787 to 1789 through forced labor.

The church’s most prominent feature is the gold

plated retablo. The altar being used today is the
original altar that dates back to the late 1700s that
was believed to be lost during the fire of 1910 and
was discovered during the excavations that had
made on the church in 1982. The retablo contains
three niches. On the middle is the crucifix and on
both sides are the statues of its patron saint, St.
Thomas of Villanova and St. Joseph. The tabernacle
below the crucifix is finished in 98% pure gold and
silver. On both sides of the sanctuary are images of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart
of Mary which dates back in 1780.

Miag-ao interior showcasing the gold and silver

plated retablo

Another feature of the church that distinguishes

itself from the rest is its unique façade. A hallmark of
conglomeration of Catholic, Muslim, Chinese and
Ilonggo influences, the façade is an ornately and
intricately designed bas-relief in the middle of two
huge watchtower belfries on each side. In it shows
the tree of life being held by St. Christopher with a
child Jesus on his back. The rest depicted the daily
life of the natives including its fauna and flora.

the bas-relief

It took me more than two years, two trains, a plane, and four bus rides to round up the four churches
but it was an awesome experience. You will learn a lot of things that are not of your history books by
checking out these heritage sites. I suggest you visit all of them and find for yourself why these
structures are something we should be really proud of.
MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B. HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

“7 CHURCHES INSIDE INTRAMUROS”

1. MANILA CATHEDRAL
The ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese
of Manila. Catastrophic events such as fire,
earthquake and war have caused this
structure to be reconstructed eight times
on the same site (the last was completed
in 1958 after its total destruction by the
Liberation of Manila in 1945). The cross on
its central dome was the zero kilometer
reference point for all locations in the
Philippines during the Spanish era (the
reference point is now located at the
Independence flagpole in Rizal Park). On
its crypt lies the remains of former
Archbishops of Manila including Cardinal
Santos and Cardinal Sin.

Pre-war photo of Manila Cathedral

Manila Cathedral

2. SAN AGUSTIN CHURCH

Built by the Augustinians from 1587 and
completed in 1604, it is considered to be the
oldest stone church in the Philippines. Nothing
remained standing inside the walled city
except the Church of San Agustin after the
Liberation of Manila in 1945. The church was
spared from the bombings because it's bell
tower was marked with a Red Cross (in times
of war, attacking any
building/establishment/vehicle that carries an
emblem of Red Cross is a great war crime). In
1994, it was declared a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.

Pre-war photo of San Agustin Church

MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B. HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

3. SAN IGNACIO CHURCH

The church (Neo-classical in
style with two towers) was built
by the Jesuits in 1889. The
famous Filipino sculptor Isabelo
Tampingco and his students
worked on the lavish
woodwork on its interior.
However, it was greatly
destroyed during the war and
was left in ruins to date. At one
time it became the E.J. Neil
warehouse. Currently, there is
an archaeological excavation
at the site of its ruins, it is said
that San Ignacio Church will be
the future site of Museo de
Intramuros that will house the
religious collection of Intramuros Admin.

4. LOURDES CHURCH
House of the Franciscan Capuchin friars
built in 1891. It houses the allegedly
miraculous statue of the Our Lady of
Lourdes, carved by Manuel Flores in 1892.
The war also destroyed the church in 1945,
forcing the Capuchins to move to its
current location in Retiro, Quezon City. This
site is now occupied by El Amanecer
compound where the Ilustrado Restaurant
and Silahis antique shop is located.

5. RECOLETOS CHURCH
The church that was famous for its four-story bell tower
and its magnificent interior. Was built several times from
1619 (the last was built in 1782). It was in this church that
Father Diego Cera, the man behind the construction of
the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ, started making organs
made of bamboos. The Recollect friars moved to San
Sebastian Church in Quiapo after the war severely
destroyed their church in Intramuros. Manilla Bulletin now
occupies the site.
MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B. HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

6. SAN FRANCISCO CHURCH

The church of the Franciscan Order (second to arrive
in the country) first built in 1578. It was burned down in
1583 so a new stone church was built in 1602. The
earthquake of 1645 destroyed again the church. The
third church was built in 1738. It then had a retablo-
like facade decorated with collumns, statues and
niches. It remained in ruins after its destruction during
the war. Mapua Institute of Technology rose from its
rubble.

7. SANTO DOMINGO CHURCH

The Dominicans built five churches on the same
site, the last (built in 1868) was designed by Felix
Roxas Sr. in Neo-Gothic style. The church was
famous for its ivory image of Our Lady of the Most
Holy Rosary (Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario)
also known as the Virgin of La Naval. It is believed
that the Virgin Mary brought victory to Spanish
fleet over the invading Dutch, hence the feast of
La Naval is celebrated annually every 7th of
October. When the Japs burned down the church
in 1941, the Dominicans moved to its current site in
Quezon City. The site is now occupied by the Bank
of the Philippines Islands.
MALICDAN, JUNNIELE B. HISTORY 4 “HERITAGE CHUCHES”

CHURCH TERMINOLOGIES

1. NARTHEX
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. NAVE
____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. TRANCEPT
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
4. CHOIR (CHANCEL)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
5. APSE
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
6. ALTAR
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
7. PULPIT (HIGH ALTAR)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
8. LECTERN
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
9. AMBULATORY
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
10. SACRISTY (VESTRY)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________