Saint Augustine Parish Church, commonly known as Paoay Church, is a Roman Catholic church building in the municipality of Paoay, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines. It is under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Diocese of Laoag. Completed in 1710, the church is famous for its distinctive architecture, a highlight of which are the enormous on the sides and the back of the building.
It is declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993.
History
The earliest historical record of the area dates back to 1593, becoming an independent
Augustinians parish by 1686.
The construction of the present church was started in 1694 by
Augustinians friar Father Antonio Estavillo and was completed in 1710. It was later on rededicated in 1896.
Some portions of the church were damaged in the 1865 and 1885 but was later restored under the initiative of former First Lady, Imelda Marcos.
Restorations
Several projects for the restoration of the Paoay Church were sought by government and non-government organizations due to possible questions over its structural integrity. The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte through resolution, in 2014, sought the retrofitting of the church and the reconstruction of the church's convent which were in ruins.
The restoration of the church's buttresses, walls, tower, and interior was announced in 2018.
The restored structure was turned over to the Laoag diocese in November 2020, and was reopened on November 15 of that year.
Architecture
Paoay church is the Philippines' primary example of a Spanish colonial earthquake baroque architecture dubbed by Alicia Coseteng,
an interpretation of the European Baroque adapted to the seismic condition of the country through the use of enormous
on the sides and back of the building.
The adaptive reuse of baroque style against earthquake is developed since many destructive
earthquakes destroyed earlier churches in the country.
Javanese culture architecture reminiscent of
Borobudur of
Java can also be seen on the church walls and façade.
Buttresses
The most striking feature of Paoay Church is the 24 huge
of about
thick at the sides and back of the church building. Extending from the exterior walls, it was conceived to a solution to possible destruction of the building due to earthquakes. Its stair-like buttresses (known as
step buttresses) at the sides of the church is possibly for easy access of the roof.
Walls
Its walls are made of large
coral stones on the lower part and bricks at the upper levels.
The mortar used in the church includes
sand and lime with
sugarcane juice boiled with
mango leaves,
leather and
Oryza sativa straw.
Its walls suggests
Javanese culture architectural styles.
Façade
The stone façade appear as massive
pediment rising from the ground and is built leaning towards the front. Square
and stringed
divide the façade vertically and horizontally respectively. Its bottom part is plain. Gothic features are also present through the use of
while the triangular pediment shows Chinese elements and Oriental strokes.
, niches, rosettes and the Augustinian coat of arms can also be seen.
The façade is made of
brick on the lower level and
coral stones on the upper level.
Bell tower
Adjacent to the façade is a three-storey coral
bell tower constructed separately from the church building on the right side resembling a
pagoda.
It was in 1793 when the cornerstone of the bell tower was laid.
It stands at some distance from the church as a protection against earthquake.
It served as observational post for
Katipunero against the Spaniards in 1898 and by Filipino
against Japanese soldiers during World War II.
According to historians, the bell tower also served as a status symbol for the locals. It is said that 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.
Gallery
File:Front doors of Paoay Church.jpg|Church main portal
File:Retablo of Church of Paoay, Ilocos Norte.jpg|Church altar and retablo mayor
File:Paoay Church interior with visible roof trusses.jpg|The interior in 2012, pre-restoration
File:San Agustin Church Interior, Paoay, Ilocos Norte 5.jpg|The interior in 2021, post-restoration
Declarations
By virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260, Paoay Church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973.
[ The church was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with San Agustin Church in Manila; Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; and Miagao Church in Miagao, Iloilo on December 11, 1993.]
In popular culture
The church was featured in a scene in the 1993 romance film Saan Ka Man Naroroon, which was shot in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
See also
-
Architecture of the Philippines
-
Spanish Baroque architecture
External links
