The Romantic Allure of Paoay Church

The Church of Paoay, also known as the Church of Saint Augustine, whose cornerstone was laid on 1704, is one of the four remaining Baroque Churches in the country.  We got to the Church mid-afternoon and the place was breathtaking.

Paoay Church grounds

Its bell tower is detached and stands in its glorious gothic glamour few meters besides it. The wide vast grounds is littered with beautiful flowers (I'm sorry, I don't know what kind of flowers they are. If you do, please comment it. :D) and the vast grounds are calling out for a picnic.

The cobblestone path leading to the Church's entrance

And behold, we laid our eyes on the stunning Church of Paoay. Aside from its resplendence, another thing that will catch your eye are the thick Gothic buttresses that run along its sides. Buttresses are structures built agains the wall which supports the Church. Hence, a "fortress".

This is probably the most romantic Church I have ever laid eyes on, with its mix of gothic, baroque, and oriental structure. For those of you who does not know what a "Baroque architecture" means. This entails that the churches structure resembles a fortress. This is especially noteworthy for the Paoay Church because of its adaptation to European Baroque architecture which served as its protection from earthquakes. 

Paoay Church Interior

This Spanish-era church was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its cultural significance.  Its tower was also used as an observation post by Katipuneros during the revolution and by guerilleros during the Japanese Occupation. Okay, that does not sound very romantic but, my point is, it is one of the most impressive and elegant Church I have ever seen.

More on Ilocos here! :)

The First Glimpse of the Past: Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos is one of the most famous sons of the Ilokos region. Probably, one cannot find a Filipino who doesn't know who he is. Former president of the Philippines and dictator, along with being fiercly intelligent and aggressive in his political reign, his name almost always often represented the villainous dictatorship in the Filipino context. Although recently, I have been noticing a lot of bold, some may call it brazen, Marcos fanatics' sentiments emerge from social media. I don't claim to have the slightest clue about politics and the people, but I wondered if some are suddenly realizing how "good" the social system was during his time in comparison with the present. I don't have the slightest clue about politics, but I know whatever "good" this regime brought, it cannot outweigh the horrors it contributed to history.

I aplogize. I digress: this is not a blog about political agendas and analyzation of how Filipinos view and treat politics. A few years after his exile spent in Hawaii, Marcos died of lung, kidney, and liver complications. The government of President Corazon Aquino denied his return to the country thus, his remains was kept sealed in an air-conditioned mausoleum on Oahu, Hawaii. When Fidel Ramos became Aquino's successor, President Ramos granted permission for Imelda Marcos to bring her husband's body back here in the country. But she demanded that he be buried in the National Heroes Cemetery in Manila. President Ramos denied her insistence. Until such a time comes that the government will yield to Imelda's demands, the Marcos family had Ferdinand Marcos' body preserved and sealed in his hoemtown, Batac, Ilocos Norte for public display. And that was where we woke up to one hot and sunny afternoon in Batac City.

A Quiet Visit at the Burnayan Pottery

After our hearty meal at The Hidden Garden, our driver, Kuya Allan, took us to visit the Vigan Pottery or what is locally called "Burnayan". The term comes from the word "burnay" which is what the earthenware used is called.

Vigan Burnayan

A Peek at Baluarte

One of the first sites we visited in Vigan was Chavit Singson's privately owned Baluarte. The word "Baluarte" translates to fortress. When people speak of Vigan, it is almost always associated with Mr. Singson's Baluarte. The Baluarte is a privately-owned resort with areas open to the public like the mini zoo. They have lions, Bengal tigers, peacocks, ostriches, iguanas, pythos, and other endemic animals.

As you've figured, after the long hours of travel over night, we're probably on the threshold of our energies when we got there. We were a bit cranky and a bit devoid of energy. Nevertheless, it was as good as it got. We got there a few minutes after the place opened and very few tourists are around to crowd the area. The place was, generally, clean and well-kept. Props to Mr. Singson for that and the few staff were all friendly.

Baluarte

Battles in Bantay

It was a glorious Friday morning when we arrived at the warm province of Ilocos Sur. The skies are bright with a few clouds here and there.

After 9 hours of travelling and finding impossible sleeping positions in our rented van, it was a relief to finally get some fresh morning air. Thankfully, along with fresh air is a majestic view.