PAOAY, Ilocos Norte —Threatened by natural calamities, the ancient Paoay Church gets the backing of heritage advocates, Church leaders and local officials to maintain its status as one of the world’s heritage sites.
In a multiparty agreement, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, Roman Catholic Diocese of Laoag and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in collaboration with the National Museum, joined hands to ensure proper preservation and development of the Saint Augustine Church.
The agreement calls for the reinforcement the church’s buttresses and cleaning of its façade and walls, not just for tourism purposes but, most important, for its protection from natural calamities such as earthquakes and typhoons.
Erected in 1710, the church, known for its distinct architecture highlighted by the enormous buttresses on the sides and back, has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a World Heritage Site in 1993.
Provincial Tourism Officer Ianree Raquel said the church plays an important role in leading the province toward a productive tourism industry, attracting both local and foreign tourists to visit this premier destination in Luzon.
According to Raquel, the church has been deteriorating owing to heavy rains and extreme hot weather. He explained that the project has two stages to help restore the beauty of the church.
The first stage is to train the caretakers on how to properly clean the façade and walls of the church in order to prevent damage. This will be carried out with the assistance of National Museum.
The second stage, on the other hand, is to strengthen the buttresses protecting the structural form of Paoay Church with the approval of the NCCA.
In addition, Fr. Joey Ranjo, director of the Commission on Social Communication of the Diocese of Laoag, said the project aims to maintain the original form of the Paoay Church.
He said the NCCA and National Museum will train Ilocos youth to make quality bricks similar to those made in the past. The finished materials will be used to fix the destroyed façade and walls of the church.
Meanwhile, Provincial Board Member Da Vinci Crisostomo said that Sangguniang Panlalawigan needs to ratify first the agreement by reviewing and approving the provincial draft resolution.