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Travel Up North #1: The Majestic Churches

4:41 AM

Oh, I remember I blogged about our trip to Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Vigan but I kind of forgot to mention details about the places we've been. I just merely enumerated the places we visited without giving any details about it (which is sort of, not good). Teehee, oops, my bad. I'm sorry, will you forgive me?

Along with my apology, I bring you this post as a peace offering. Join me once again as I revisit the places and as I enumerate details about them in hopes that I'll be able to share the experience even through text. And I also do hope that you'll be able to see these places in real life as well. Visit our country and discover its beauty, truly I tell you, It's More Fun In The Philippines! (Really, believe me!)

So hmm, let's start the tour with the lovely, lovely Churches! (All of those who loves old churches let's all shout "Yey!". YEY!)

First stop: St. John de Sahagun in the capital city of Ilocos Sur, Candon!


Credits to the dear owner! I was not able to take a picture of the façade since we're in a rush. Sorry!

Ever since I was a little girl I've always been wondering what it looks like from the inside. Whenever our family goes to visit our province, we almost never had any chance to check the church so when I finally got the opportunity, I never let it slip. And frankly, it never failed to amaze me with its beauty! Gah, you should've seen the look on my face. It's like Christmas came early for me! (Too much for a girl who fancy old churches and other historical sites. I guess I'm an old soul. Hehehe) Let me show you why...

Here's the church getting prepared for Palm Sunday.

You'll definitely get mesmerized with the paintings on the ceiling which depicts  most of the happenings in the Bible. This is my personal favorite, The Last Supper.


The Confession Box. Are you going to confess something? Have you reflected and confessed your sins lately?

The City of Candon was named after the "Candong tree", named by the natives and is the biggest tree in the village where life and culture was centered. Sadly, when the Spaniards came to colonize the area, they cut the big tree down and used its lumber to build the Church Bell Tower, a strategy to convert the locals into Catholicism. Some people say that the church's wooden doors were made of that same tree that gave Candon its name.



Second stop: Apo Caridad de Bantay, Ilocos Sur


Apo Caridad de Bantay at 5:30 in the morning. Very serene.

We got on this church at around 5:30 in the morning so it's pretty cold and still dark. You won't see the church immediately as it is located somehow on the higher part of the hill but the short hike sure won't let you down. Passing through the arch, you'll sure appreciate the serenity of the place, adding the early morning rays of the sun slowly peeking through the horizon. Surely serene, I believe the early morning peace brought that attribute of the church more, it gives you the feeling that God is sitting beside you as you watch the sun rise.


The Bell Tower. Hope I'll be able to visit and climb you soon!

Historians say that Galende and Javellana, the builder of the famous Bell Tower of Apo Caridad feared that it might crush the church once a huge earthquake happens so they placed it farther, up in an elevated land not less than 50 steps away, an act that is considered new since the bell tower is usually built beside the church.

A devotee early in the morning. A glimpse of what the inside looks like.

We're able to spend around fifteen minutes then the group has to move onto the next church. I was hoping to get up close to the tower but due to time constraints, I'll just add that to my bucket list and do hope that I'll be able to come visit again in the future, spend more time in the area to have a better look. Either way, I do love old churches!


Third stop: Shrine of Santo Cristo Milagroso, Sinait, Ilocos Sur



Sunrise at the façade of Shrine of Santo Cristo Milagroso

In preparation for Palm Sunday.

It took us 30 to 40 minutes of travel from Apo Caridad and sure a lot of people welcomed us. The mass just finished and a pool of devotees, decorative palm fronds in their hands, lining their way out of the church. This church is smaller than the first two mentioned but still fat with history just like former ones.

The church houses the Sanctuary of the Miraculous Statue of the Black Nazarene (El Santo Cristo Milagroso, widely known by the folks as “Apo Lakay”. It was washed ashore in 1620 in Barangay Dadalaquiten, near Sinait and tracing the origin of the statue, it came from missionaries secretly operating in Nagasaki, Japan, who sent it floating in the ocean in fear of prosecution.


Fourth stop: The St. Augustine Church of Paoay, Ilocos Norte


Finally, we meet! 
I've been looking forward to see this church in person and knowing that this will be our next stop made me too giddy, I can't help but keep shifting on my seat. The wide lawn in front of the church sure would want you to wish you get the opportunity to be married in this church or just simply witness one. And standing in front of it felt so surreal, finally there's the famous church right before my eyes.

You're in front of me! Am I dreaming? Is this real? Hehehehe

A mass is being held.

St. Augustine Church of Paoay, also known as Paoay Church was inaugurated in 1894 and was designated as one of UNESCO World Heritage Site as one best example of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993. It was also known for its amazing architecture and enormous buttresses lining the sides of the structure. A mixture of Baroque, Gothic, and Oriental architecture, the church is made up of coral blocks and stucco-plastered bricks. Oh, and the bell tower was used as an observation post by the Katipuneros during the Japanese occupation.


Fifth stop: The Cathedral of Vigan


The glowing Cathedral of Vigan

Since the bus took another route going further north, they chose to put this church on the last part of the itinerary thus the shorter time to see it. We came here at around 7:30 in the evening and though there are lots of people roaming around the streets, the church still stood out with its white appearance and the Baroque style wide buttresses which reminded me of Paoay Church. Seeing the inside of the church made me feel like I'm standing in the entrance of the UST Church, a part of my university days as a student where mass is usually held.

People in whispers of their wishes to God

The church seen in the picture is like, the fourth version of the church. The first cathedral was built around 1574 by Juan de Salcedo. Another version was made in 1641 but it was destroyed by an earthquake. The next one built was gutted by fire in 1739. The current one standing was finished by 1800.


I hope I was able to share some ideas and facts about the churches we've visited. And I am still in hopes that I'll be able to see these places again in the future and spend more time in the area and be able to ask for more facts, gather new ideas, bask in the history that its walls whisper about my beloved country, and of course, to also appreciate the beauty that God shared through these built history.


So, let's go travel! Come visit our country, yes?

So, until the next post! This is your Field Travel Guide Reporter, Clyde, reporting! Fighting!

*And in line with my apology post about churches right here, I'll be tackling about the other places we've been on the next posts.

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