Church of Santo

Tomas de Villanueva –
Miag-ao, Iloilo

Filipino master carvers C U L T U R A L

incised the church’s
entire surface. The
H E R I T A G E
church of Santo Tomas
de Villanueva is one of IN THE PHILPPINES

the best examples of the

fusion of the western

Baroque style
embellished with
PRINCESS Filipino folk motifs.
LEVY With that being said,
T. it’s not surprising why
this church is among
PADILLA the UNESCO World
Heritage Sites
STEM 11 BETA
Philippines.
 Historic City Next to
of Vigan Manila and
Cebu, Vigan
Established in the 16th was the third
century, Vigan is the best- most
important
preserved example of a
city during
Paoay Church (Church planned Spanish colonial the height of
of San Agustin) – Paoay, town in Asia according to the Spanish
Ilocos Norte UNESCO. One of the colonial era

in the 18th and 19th

Church of San Agustin or
Paoay Church is known
for its extravagant coral-
block buttresses and
ornate stone finials and is
among the 5 examples of
tangible cultural heritage
in the Philippines. The
construction of this world
heritage site began in
1604 and was completed
in 1710. Being one of
UNESCO world heritage
sites in the Philippines,
reasons for its inclusions
centuries.Vigan was the center of
in the cultural heritage Spanish colonial power in
northern Luzon. The range of
sites in the Philippines is
structures along the plazas and
that its architecture
streets reveals the story of the
reflects the coming town.
together of cultural
elements from elsewhere
in the Philippines, from
China and from Europe,
resulting in a culture and
townscape that have no
This world heritage site is a
parallel anywhere in East living testament to the Spanish
and Southeast Asia. colonial era that exerts a
strong cultural influence on
the modern Philippine nation