Looking from a distance, the melancholic image of St. Augustine church or better known as Paoay Church cannot hide the fact that any tourist will get awed with its magnificence, in its archaic design derived from Europe as common to Catholic churches which is called Baroque architecture that has been significantly used in Catholic church design.
A dramatic walk on a long cobbled stone path in the middle of the open garden that leads to the doorsteps of the church is another great experience, a five minute walk from the road will bring you to this UNESCO World Heritage site, which this church is amongst the only 4 Baroque churches in the Philippines that UNESCO has granted, and to be awarded by them one has to have a significant relevance in cultural heritage.
At the side of the church is its bell tower that is still standing high just like this church which already with stands, numerous unimaginable and destructive forces of nature since it was built in 17th Century. Another remarkable point for this structure are the 24 buttresses or structural supports that lies around this structure so it wouldn't topple down when a strong earthquake occur because the Philippines is situated in the middle of equator which is prone to such kind of calamity.
We are lucky when we visited the church that it was Saturday and it is open so we are able to get a sight of the beauty inside.
A stained glass partition will greet you once you get to the doorstep and if it's day time a vague image can be seen because the person's reflection getting near it is visible because of the lighting that causes the reflection to bounce back at the person who is looking through the partition, this adds up to my curiosity to get inside. An image of St. Augustine is vivid at the other side of the partition and when I step back further that's how I was able to have a better view of the whole picture with Jesus image above.
Although the color of the facade of this church looks gloomy, its inside is otherwise pleasing with its ample lighting that passes through its huge windows, spacious aisles in between the pews, and the nice flower patterned tiles of the flooring that makes a perfect balance of a peaceful atmosphere in the church.
This church is indeed a perfect wedding venue for any Catholic couple who’s planning to have a dream church wedding, regardless how far it is, this is it!
Outside the church, again we had our final photo shoot of the surroundings, and this time we made a trick photo at the bell tower.
