Saint Andrew Parish and Torre ti Bacarra

Saint Andrew Parish (Bacarra, Ilocos Norte). The church dates back to the 16th century. Construction was supervised by Fray Felipe Fernandez of the Order of Saint Augustine. When the first building was destroyed, it was rebuilt in 1700 and was finished by 1706 headed by Fray Diego de Mendrosqueta, Fray Miguel Abiol and Fray Antonio de Villanueva. The church was damaged by an earthquake the following year and later by yet another one. The present church was rebuilt by Fray Juan Martin that was dated around the middle of the 19th century.

Indigenous materials were used for the construction. Coral bricks made of sticky clay and molasses mixed with leaves and tree trunks of a tree soaked in water or “sablot” were used instead of cement, granite or adobe stones. The mixture resulted in a sticky fluid which was then combined with lime from ashes of burnt shells. The brickswere pieced together with stucco, the mixture beaten to paste. All the labor was manual.

Torre ti Bacarra .Old Spanish-Baroque churches and bell towers have been among the most visited tourist destinations in the Philippines where majority are Catholics. Undeniably, every proud Catholics in every town take pride in their stunningly beautiful churches and the stories behind it, just like how the Bacarreños are proud of theirs. 

Bacarra treasures the early 19th century Torre Ti Bacarra, or Bacarra Tower that once towered over all the bell towers in the Philippine islands. With the tower’s original design, a 16 x 16 meter base and at 50 meters high, it once reigned as the highest bell tower in the Philippine islands until it was trembled by 2 earthquakes that brought down the top most level.Though not the highest anymore, curious travelers still drop by town to see what’s left of Bacarra Tower that was declared a National Cultural Treasure. Instead of cleaning up the mess left by devastation, debris were left untouched which gave more character to Bacarra’s pride. Rather, walkways, plants, and trees, were added to beautify the the tower and the church across it.