From Burgos, we drove a further 45 kms., past Pasuquin, to the town of Bacarra where we made a stopover to visit the town’s compelling landmark, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Joseph. This church was built by Frs. Antonio Villanueva (1702 to 1705), Diego Mendarrosqueta (1704 to 1705) and Miguel Albiol (1705 to 1710) but was damaged during the 1709 earthquake and restored in 1868 by Fr. Felipe Fernandez (who also built a spacious and magnificent convent). Again damaged during the July 18, 1880 earthquake, its roof and floor were later replaced. The church was seized by the Aglipayans in 1901. Damaged again during the 1931 and 1944 earthquakes, it was repaired by Fr. Celedonio Albano in 1940 and Fr. Fidel Albano in 1947. Between 1965 and 1976, Fr. Amado Luz completed the interior and exterior painting. The church was again damaged during the 1980 earthquake. Fr. Pedro Berger built the 3-storey bell tower.
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| Church of St. Andrew and St. Joseph |
This church, with its stark interior, used to have a Baroque-style facade which was destroyed during the 1983 earthquake. The façade then had 4 sets of columns with double capitals sporting rosettes and acanthus leaves, all rising vertically from rectangular pedestals. It was topped by a horizontal architrave and moving frieze, filled with geometric forms and stylized foliage motifs, and crowned by a pediment framed by huge wavy scrolls. The facade now has scant decorative elements and neat lines. The Classic columns have been replaced by square ones and the simple straight lines on the pediment suggest where the huge, heavy scrolls used to be. The semicircular arched main entrance is flanked by two smaller, segmented blind windows on the lower section. The choir loft window is flanked by rectangular openings with triangular canopies.
The church’s retablo is flanked by two small and graceful Ionic columns and broken volutes. Also inside are capiz-paned windows with wrought iron grilles, an old baptistery with domed roof, an upper storey with its original 250-year old narra floor and elegantly painted ceilings. It also has a collection of ecclesiastical silver and pewter, plus church records dating back to 1702. The adjacent L-shaped convent is reached by steps from the nave.
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| The bell tower |
The massive 3-storey, 50-m. high square belfry has 4-m. thick brick walls supported by engaged columns (5 on ground level and 2 on the second story). Its top segment, the campanille, crashed down into the third story during the 1931 earthquake where it remained until the November 22, 1981 earthquake when the dome fell almost in its entirety. The September 7, 1983 earthquake caused its complete collapse.
After our church visit, we returned to our car and drove the remaining 8 kms. to Laoag City where we had lunch at a Max’s Restaurant outlet.