One of the places we
visited as part of our Vigan side-trip was the Saint Augustine Parish Church. Commonly known as Bantay Church, it
was first constructed on its current site in 1590. The present facade though,
was the result of the reconstruction job done in 1950, after it was heavily
damaged during World War II. Aside from its Neo-Gothic Architecture that
incorporated pseudo-Romanesque elements, the church is also famous for its
Belfry situated a short distance from the church.
The Saint Augustine Parish Church
Located in Bantay, Ilocos
Sur, the Saint Augustine Parish Church is also referred to as the Shrine of Nuestra Señora de la Caridad,
and houses the image of the Virgin Mary as Our Lady of Charity—said to be a
miraculous image crowned by the Pope Pius XII as patroness of Ilocandia on January 12,
1956. Originally, the church was built and designed with Baroque architecture
and in later years in the late 19th century, was reinforced with thick
buttressed walls after it endured numerous destructive earthquakes. This method
of strengthening old churches back then earned the Earthquake Baroque
architecture label.
The interior of the church
is bare other than the arching steel columns, and a modest altar. The walls are
painted white and the big windows allows natural light that keeps the inside
appear lighter. Beside the church is a small museum housing old photographs of
the church and the town of Bantay. There is also a small courtyard leading to a
garden and an outdoor chapel—aptly called Chapel
by the Ruins.
The Bantay Belfry of the Bantay Watchtower
Living up to its name Bantay, which translates to ‘guard’ in English, Bantay Belfry sits
atop a hill overlooking the quaint town of Bantay. Back in the day, it was
constructed on its strategic spot to also serve as a watchtower to defend
the town from attacking pirates. During World War II, it was also manned by Filipino Guerilla Fighters and later on by retreating Japanese
forces during the peak of the liberation of the Philippines.
Today, if you look out
from one of the Belfry’s windows, you can see the pleasant view of the encircling
trees and the piles of white crosses planted on multiple levels of graves laid
over at the town's public cemetery.
Film quiz trivia hotshot:
The Bantay Watchtower was among the shooting locations of the classic Filipino
movie "Ang Panday".
Together with my
girlfriend Monette and her two sisters Tuesday and Len, we spent almost an hour
just resting and enjoying the view from the Belfry's tower. If it weren't for
the arrival of a couple tourists we would have stayed longer as we left a few
minutes later to give the two of them some privacy. Plus, we're already
famished and craving for Vigan bagnet
and pinakbet already.
Full of history and
charming architecture, the Bantay Church and Bell Tower is must-see attraction
whenever you find yourself in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
How to go to Bantay Church Bell Tower
Take either a slow but
calming Kalesa ride or a faster
tricycle ride to Bantay Church Bell Tower if you don't fancy taking a 20-minute
walk from Vigan City.
This is a part of my Ilocos
Roadtrip Series that also include the following:
