Rough Groove

Paoay Church

The San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte is like an apparition out of nowhere! Part of the UNESCO enscribed World Heritage Site - Baroque Churches of the Philippines, 1993 (like Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur) it is architecturally distinct with its unique blend of Oriental (think of those Asian temples) and European styles to come up with a uniquely Filipino interpretation of baroque. Built in 1710, again by the Augustinians, its a wonderful structure that awes and inspires.

The belfry is constructed a few feet from the church to protect the main building in case it collapses during a strong earthquake. Just like the facade, the lower part is quite bare while the succeeding layers, the windows are decorated with simple designs that doesn’t compete with the ornateness of the top part, the pediment, of the church.

The back is supported by two buttresses.

Left, another part that makes this church unique is the massive, thick and one of a kind buttresses that support the walls of the church. Right, these buttresses are decorated with these volutes that seems to be quite common in many centuries old churches in Luzon.

Left, the same stone stairway going to the roof which is just like the one in Santa Maria. Right, the ruins of the convento at the left side of the church (facing the facade) just across the road.