HISTORY OF PAOAY

GROUP 4
PRESENTS
PAOAY CHURCH IS ONE OF THE OLDEST CHURCHES IN THE
PHILIPPINES,HAVING COMPLETED ITS CONSTRUCTION IN 1710.
IT WAS DECLARED AS A NATIONAL CULTURAL TREASURE BY
THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT IN1973 AND WAS THEN
INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
COLLECTIVE GROUP OF BAROQUE CHURCHES OF THE
PHILIPPINES IN 1993.
PAOAY,OFFICIALLY THE MUNICIPALITY OF PAOAY,
IS A 4TH CLASS MUNICIPALITY IN THE PROVINCE
OF ILOCOS NORTE PHILIPPINES. ACCORDING TO
THE 2015 CENSUS, IT HAS A POPULATION OF 24,866
PEOPLE. THE TOWN IS HOME TO THE PAOAY
CHURCH, A UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.
IT IS THE LARGEST LAKE IN PROVINCE OF
ILOCOS NORTE AND ONE OF THE LARGEST
NATURAL LAKES IN THE AREA.
HISTORICALLY KNOWN AS LAGO DE
NANGUYUDAN, THE LAKE SUPPOSEDLY WAS
THE SITE OF A PROSPEROUS BARANGAY
CALLED SAN JUAN DE SAHAGUN (SAINT
JOHN OF SAHAGUN )THAT SANK AFTER AN
EARTHQUAKE.
THE TOWN WAS FOUNDED BY THE SPANISH
MISSIONARIES WHO GOT LOST IN THE WOODS
WHILE HUNTING BETWEEN SARRT AND PIDDIG.
VINTAR BECAME A VISITA OF BACARRA BUT IT WAS
LATER ESTABLISHED AS A PARISH OF SAN NICOLAS
DE TOLENTINO. EARLIER IN 1763, VINTAR WAS
REVERTED TO A VISITA UNTILIT BECAME
INDEPENDENT IN 1774.
LOCALS TRACE THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME PAOAY FROM THE
ILOCANO PHRASE ‘’MAKAPAWAY KAMI’’ WHICH MEANS ‘’WE
CAN STAND ALONE ‘’ PAOAY IS HOME TO A UNESCO WORLD
HERITAGE SITE, THE HISTORICAL ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH, OR
MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS THE PAOAY CHURCH.