San_Pablo_Church_Ruins
San Pablo Church Ruins
Roman Catholic church ruins in Isabela, Philippines
San Pablo Church Ruins are ruins of a Roman Catholic church located in San Pablo, Isabela, Philippines. The church was built in 1624, making it the oldest in Isabela.[1]
| San Pablo Church Ruins | |
|---|---|
The church ruins in 2013 | |
| 17°26′54″N 121°47′37″E | |
| Location | San Pablo, Isabela |
| Country | Philippines |
| Religious institute | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Ruins |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Inactive |
| Heritage designation | National Cultural Treasure |
| Architectural type | Church building |
| Style | Baroque |
| Completed | 1624; 400 years ago (1624) |
The Baroque-styled church was constructed using bricks mixed with riverstones, adobe and coral stones.[1][2] Its belfry of six layers, including the circular apex made of adobe, was the tallest in the Cagayan Valley.[3]
The church was damaged during the World War II.[4] In 1949, it was destroyed by the 7-magnitude earthquake that hit the Cagayan Valley, and its roof was burned down in the 1950s.[5] Unable to renovate, a smaller church, one-third the size of San Pablo Church, was built inside the walls.[6]
Present situation
Fronting the church is a patio overgrown with grass.[7] Still standing is the church's facade, with visible bas-relief and religious icons on each side.[5] The church's arched main entrance, vigil room, support for the choir loft, and buttresses, which continue to support the structure, are still visible.[7][8]
Diggings of sacred grounds, through the ancient walls and a tunnel toward the church's altar, were reportedly conducted by people looking for the Yamashita's treasure.
The National Museum of the Philippines declared the church as a national cultural treasure.[9]
- Facade
- Belfry
- Interior
- "San Pablo Church: Weathering the test of time at 300". The Northern Forum. November 5, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- Tejero, Constantino (October 19, 2014). "Isabela uncovered". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. E1. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via PressReader.com.
- Isabela Tourism Office (March 23, 2001). "Historical Development of the Province of Isabela" (PDF). Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via provinceofisabela.ph.
- Begas, Billy (July 2, 2021). "For DOT's priority: House panels OK declaration of San Pablo Church as tourist site". Politiko. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- "7 Churches to Visit in Cagayan Valley During Holy Week". 7641 Islands of the Philippines. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- Layug, Benjamin (February 13, 2020). "Discover Bella Isabela". BusinessMirror. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- Tejero, Constantino (March 18, 2015). "Tumauini Church of Isabela stands proud amid fragile heritage scene". Philippine Daily Inquirer. p. C1. Retrieved February 14, 2024 – via PressReader.com.
- Vallejo, Susan (November 2018). "Assessment of Heritage Churches in Isabela, Cagayan Valley" (PDF). International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research (IJSER). 6 (11): 135–139 – via IJSER.
- Sembrano, Edgar Allan M. (May 29, 2022). "Philippine patrimony: National cultural treasures list revealed". Lifestyle.INQ. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
Media related to Saint Paul of Cabagan Church (San Pablo, Isabela) at Wikimedia Commons
