Rough Groove

Laoag Cathedral

The Cathedral of St. William the Hermit in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte with its unproportionally gigantic belfry, is the province’s famous landmark located at the banks of a river. Unlike the other churches in Ilocos, it’s the only one whose simplicity of a facade is almost lost with the overcrowding of columns, filling up vacant space in the lower and middle tier but suprisingly, the pediment is almost bare. Its a confusion, like a series of candles placed on a candelabra.
Another product of the Augustinian’s tireless evangelism, the cathedral at night (left) and during daytime (right).

Left, the arco toral (arch) separates the main altar from the nave. Note the modern ceiling. In July 2004, parts of the roof crumbled when some of the centuries old wooden trusses that support the roof (it is said that these goes way back to the 18th century) weakened. When the parish priest announced that these beams will be replaced with steel, a controversy erupted among conservationists who opposed it proposing instead that wood should be used in accordance with its venerable history. Because of the cost involve which doubles if wood is used and the sourcing of these materials from Australia, it was not accepted and they proceeded with the steel beams and trusses.

Right, the cathedral shown in the foreground with the massive belfry, at a distance, background.

In my many travels around the country and the churches that I’ve visited, never have I seen such a massive belfry (said to be sinking) as the one in Laoag. Its sheer size dwarfs the rather small cathedral if placed side by side. Its even located several meters (around 85 meters) from the cathedral and is 45 meters tall. Like other belfries, this one also served as a watchtower.