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Plaza Salcedo & Vigan Cathedral, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

The plaza or town square has been the core of every Spanish colonial settlement in the Philippines. The plaza can be a venue of anything, from carnivals, fairs to public execution. Surrounding it are mostly important edifices of local authority. The heritage city of Vigan, the capital of Ilocos Sur, has one of the finest classical examples of the plaza complex…a heritage of urban planning in the Philippines.

Plaza Salcedo

Plaza Salcedo and Ilocos Sur Provincial Capitol, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Perhaps, the first glimpse of Vigan would probably be at Plaza Salcedo and several imposing yet important edifices that surround the spacious plaza. The Plaza itself was named after the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo, who explored the northern part of Luzon island, todo en nombre de España (all in the name of Spain) in the late 16^th century.

It is in this area where you can find the ecclesiastical, the provincial and the city authorities…all in one area. Indeed, this is Ciudad Fernandina’s seat of power. This plaza does not only have the usual monuments and trees, but also have a towering obelisk in the middle of a reflecting pool! (Too bad the pool was dried up for cleaning when we went there).

Monument at Plaza Salcedo, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Today, together with the edifices of power comes the edifices of commerce…Mart One and Plaza Maestro, both shopping areas in Vigan, still utilized the predominant bahay na bato and baroque architecture to adapt in its surroundings. Even Jolibee and McDonalds nearby has also the same motif!

From this point on, you can go anywhere in Vigan City…to its commercial district along Quezon Avenue, to the picture-and-movie-perfect heritage houses along Calle Crisologo. Truly, Plaza Salcedo is the core of the Heritage City of Vigan.

Vigan Cathedral

Vigan Cathedral and Belfry

Saint Paul Metropolitan Cathedral or much known as Vigan Cathedral is a baroque church basked in cream and white stands at the eastern edge of the plaza. A wooden church was erected here in 1574 by the command of the conquistador Juan de Salcedo. The present stone church was built in 1641 and became a cathedral when the Archdiocesan seat of power of Nueva Segovia transferred from modern-day Lal-lo in Cagayan province to Villa Fernandina or Vigan in 1758. The church became a bastion of Filipino revolutionaries under Colonel Juan Villamor in 1896 and by the American colonial troops under Lieutenant Colonel James Parker in 1899. The interior of the cathedral is well lit with a tone of classical beige and cream. The retablo is rather simple compared to some of its counterparts, yet eloquent as most baroque altars are.

Vigan Cathedral Belfry

And because of the constant threat of earthquakes that rattle Ilocandia, the friars that designed the cathedral has had the belfry separated from the main church itself. Some say, this is to prevent excessive damage to the church during earthquakes since most of the time, the campanarios or belfries fall first during a trembler.

Inside Vigan Cathedral

Today, the cathedral is a venue for the religious devotion of Ilocano and Filipino Catholics. I heard that the Holy Week here is a must see for all who love antiquity and culture.

Arzobispado de Nueva Segovia

Arzobispado de Nueva Segovia

Also known as the Archbishop’s Palace of Nueva Segovia, this is the seat of power and the official residence of the archbishop of Nueva Segovia…which holds authority to most of present day parishes all throughout Ilocandia and some parts of Cordillera. The diocese of Nueva Segovia was made through the Papal Bull of Pope Clement VIII and the efforts of Bishop Domingo de Salazar in Madrid in 1595. Fray Miguel de Benavides OSA became its first bishop…and as I’ve said earlier, the first site was at Lal-lo in Cagayan.

Chinese Foo Dogs at the Side of the Main Doorway of the Archbishop's Palace in Vigan

The current archbishop’s palace, a classical example of Spanish colonial architecture, was built in 1783 to 1790…yes folks its more than 200 years old and it’s still standing! It has witnessed the occupation of the revolucionarios in 1896 and the American occupation in 1899. The Ecclesiastical Court was once located here until 1890.

The Archbishop's Palace and Manong Sorbetero

By the way, if you have the eye for detail…you might be wondering why there are Chinese foo dogs at the side of the main doorway? Like San Agustin Church in Intramuros Manila, Cebu Cathedral and many more, most probable explanation would be the employment of Chinese laborers during the construction of the edifice. And please correct me if I’m wrong but the Chinese believe that foo dogs are guardians of the house.

Ilocos Sur Capitol and City Hall of Vigan

(Note: Tell me if you’re nose-bleeding or bored, hehe!)

Provincial Capitol of Ilocos Sur, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

Like all plaza complexes in the country, state power is also located besides the plaza. On the western side of the plaza…opposite of the majestic Vigan Cathedral, is the Provincial Capitol of Ilocos Sur. The capitol was built during the American Occupation in the Philippines. While much of Vigan is under Don Quixote’s influence in terms of architecture, the capitol was influenced by Uncle Sam’s frenzy over neo-classical buildings like those seen in Washington DC and even in the newer government buildings in Manila during that time. The capitol’s façade is dominated by its two Doric columns…and by the time we went there, they painted it in warm pastel earth colors…a reflection of the Ilocano’s colour of culture, of hard work and resourcefulness.

City Hall of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

While the provincial capitol of Ilocos Sur belongs to the league of neo-classical provincial capitols in the country, the City Hall of Vigan is somehow reminiscent of the old presidencias or municipal halls during the Spanish colonial period. Basked in blue, it is the seat of city government of Vigan.

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More photos of Plaza Salcedo, Vigan Cathedral, Provincial Capitol, City Hall of Vigan and the surrounding buildings of the Plaza here:

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Santa Maria Church, Ilocos Sur

It was my first time conquering Ilocos Sur, the land of my ancestors (mother side). My primary aim there together with my family was to have the grasp of the heritage that our Filipino ancestors left during the Spanish colonial era. Vigan City was one of them of course, but I have set my eyes towards one of the four baroque churches inscribed in the World Heritage List, the Santa Maria Church or Iglesia de Nuesta Señora de la Asuncion (Simbahan iti Asunta sa Ilokano).

The Grand Staircase at the Northwestern Flanks of Santa Maria Church

The Church of Santa Maria or sometimes called Santa Maria de Assunta Church is found at the town of Santa Maria in the province of Ilocos Sur, about an hour away from Vigan City. This magnificent ancient structure is located in the town’s narrow hill overlooking the poblacion (town proper) and its vast plains and hills. The church compound is made up of the church itself, the belfry and the convent in front of it. If you are a Kapamilya fan, you should’ve seen this in their soap opera “Panday.”

Santa Maria Church Hexagonal Belfry, where Jericho Rosales pulled out Panday's sword.

Built starting in 1810, it was believed to be the place where the Blessed Virgin’s image was frequently found after series of disappearance during the Spanish colonial period. (Sounds very familiar to other stories in the islands as well.) The church was made by the Ilocanos under the supervision of the Agustinian friars (therefore it’s an Agustinian church, same as with the rest of UNESCO’s baroque churches in the country!). The church is dedicated to its patroness Our Lady of Assumption or La Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion.

Just me and Santa Maria church

Upon entering the church, you’ll be greeted by a grand flight of staircases towards the church on top of the hill. It has 83 steps so better have your bottled water ready for those who haven’t had an exercise in a long time!

Grand Staircase of Santa Maria Church

The church itself is narrow, made up mostly of red bricks, stone and lime. In detail, the church’s decors on the wall have its floral design. The façade itself, although not intricate, yet simply has a rectangle column with massive circular buttresses on its side soaring towards the urn finials on the top of the pediment. The façade of the church is blocked by a bridge linking the church and the convent some few meters away. The buttresses on its sides serve as its protection against possible collapse. On its northwestern walls, there is a mural of Our Lady…but I heard that this is somehow a more recent addition to the church and not during the construction of the church itself. The narrowness of the hill has somehow made this impressive and massive structure a bit smaller compared to its sisters in Ilocos. However, this factor was one of the reasons why it is one of the most outstanding in its simplicity of its baroque features.

The more recent addition of the relief of Our Lady of Assumption in Santa Maria Church's walls

The hexagonal belfry on the other hand is separated from the church itself. One popular theory states that the parish priests tend to move away the belfries to avoid major damages during earthquakes which rattle the country.  It was later remodeled however it began to lean after the foundations have settled…well a bit leaning but it’s still safe to go there though.

The eastern staircase leading to an abandoned Spanish colonial era cemetery, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur

Because of its uniqueness in execution of the baroque architecture, culture and historical value, it was designated as a national landmark by the National Historical Institute during 1970’s and was finally designated as part of the World Heritage List by 1994. Truly, it is a landmark that Ilocanos are proud and behold of. Too bad I had a short time and the church was closed…haven’t seen the interiors of the church.

The UNESCO World Heritage Marker at Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur...and its fading!

Going there:

We went there upon returning from our trip to Vigan. Again, its about an hour away either by private or public buses. The most convenient way for you to access Santa Maria are Ilocos-bound buses such as Farias, Partas, Viron bus lines that serve either Laoag, Vigan in Ilocos or Bangued in Abra.  The fare directly to Santa Maria is probably approximately between PhP 400 to PhP 500 one way and its about 7 hours trip from Manila. (Well, last year, it was a grueling 14 hour ride, almost all of the cars in Metro Manila I think left for the provinces, and major traffic jams that lasted for miles occurred in Dau, Tarlac and most especially Rosales-Villasis-Urdaneta area!)

View of Santa Maria town proper and several of its seven hills

More photos here on this slideshow:

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Morning came, well…early m0rning…after that long exhausting journey from Manila. We reached Vigan at around midnight with almost all of the hotels and inns fully booked! Talk about vacation during Christmas season! Anyway, we’ve managed to find a roadside hotel in the outskirts of Vigan City, in the town of Bantay.

And yes, the cocks crowed and that rustic Cordilleras dominate the landscape that is distinctly Ilocandia! First stop, Bantay Church…Oh well, before you enter the cabisera of Ilocos Sur province, you’ll have to pass by Bantay…pero kung tutuusin parang kabilang barangay lang ng Vigan ang Bantay, both town/city centers are so near each other!

Anyway, one thing that really attracts me with Ilocos so much are those antiquated Catholic churches which dates back when Don Quixote ruled the islands. Mostly made of red bricks and stone, it stood the elements of time and nature. And before you enter the UNESCO’s World Heritage City of Vigan, Bantay, as the town’s name suggest, seems to be a vanguard of these centuries-old heritage houses of Vigan and the rest of Ilocandia.

Nag-bantay Ditoy! Bantay Church and Belfry

The Lady of Charity (or La Nuestra Señora de la Caridad) forever guards the citizens of this town as the legend says. Only the Bantayeños can carry the said image and forever it’ll stay, therefore the name Bantay. That morning, we head on to Bantay Church with its trademark gothic architecture in its main church and the landmark stand-alone belfry situated on top of a hill overlooking the town proper and the city of Vigan. Like the rest of the campanarios in Ilocos, one of the major reasons why it was build separate from the church is to prevent collateral damage to the place of worship since the belfries usually fall first before the rest of the establishment.

Just at the foot of the belfry hill, the Church of San Agustin is one of Ilocandia’s oldest. Built sometime in late 16th Century by Agustinian friars, it managed to survived several earthquakes in the region but was damaged during World War II and the damaged facade was later restored in the 1950′s. Distinctively made mostly of red bricks and lime, the church and even the beflry exhibits gothic, romaneque and baroque features with the fromer dominating in both interiors and the facade f the main church.

In January 1956, the Papal Nuncio crowned the legendary image of La Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, the guardian and the patron saint of Bantay.

Guarding the River: Quirino Bridge

Somehow I’ve seen Juday’s movie together with the late Rico Yan being shot in this overly-dramatic yet somehow magnificent bridge. The Quirino Bridge itself os not an engineering marvel like that of Brooklyn Bridge or Millau Viaduct of France but its setting and awesomely serene landscape makes the said infra a landmark in its own right.

Before approaching the bridge, you’ll marvel the ruggedness of northern Luzon’s coastline, with dramatic and rustic mountains kissing the South China Sea before endering a valley seemingly dwarfed by the gargantuan hills.

Built in steel-arch type, it sits guard dwarfed by the mountain guardians of the land of the Tinggians and of Abra River. named after former president of the Philippines Elpidio Quirino.

A portion of it was destroyed by Typhoon Feria in 2001 which made hard for the Ilocanos and tourists to access Vigan and Laoag to the rest of Luzon, putting the importance of this bridge to commerce and every lives of Ilocanos. A few months later it was later restored, but the section that was destroyed didn’t regained its former arched glory. However, life went back to normal at Apo Singson’s land.

Just a few meters downstream of Abra River, the so-called under-construction Singson Bridge, which is higher than the Quirino Bridge, would be the new link of Ilocos yet the Quirino Bridge would still remain its grand old charm.

Its a remarkable welcome sign for weary visitors to the heart of the rugged yet beautiful Ilocandia, shared by the towns of Bantay in the northern banks and Santa in the south.

Just as these two landmarks in Bantay, Ilocos Sur would run out of words in describing it, what more for the rest of Ilocandia. Her rugged beauty is really alluring and her strength is her people. More to come in Ilocandia.

Pictures of Bantay Church and Belfry, click here or view the slideshow:

Pictures of Quirino Bridge, click here or view the slideshow below: