Iloilo’s Miagao Church is old but gold

Miagao Church, Iloilo (Wikipedia Photo)

MIAGAO, Iloilo, July 25 (PNA) — One of the treasures of the province of Iloilo is the old structure of its churches. One of the most popular and a must-visit place here is the Miagao Church.

Some 50 kilometers away from Iloilo City proper, the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish, or popularly known as Miagao Church, is one of the most special places in the Philippines after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) gave a world heritage mark to the church.

The Baroque Romanesque-structure Miagao Church is one of the four churches in the country declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site along with San Agustin Church in Manila, San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, and Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur.

The construction of Miagao Church started in 1787 and was completed in 10 years.

It served as fortress against Muslim raiders.

The church was also battered by disasters and calamities. It was rebuilt and undergone restoration.

During the 1898 Revolution, Miagao Church was destroyed.

In 1910, the church was damaged by fire. It was badly hit by earthquake in 1948.

Due to the disasters and calamities it endured, Miagao Church undergone restoration work in 1960 and was completed in two years.

Miagao Church’s old structure, history, and its UNESCO World Heritage mark make it a gold treasure not only for Iloilo but for the Philippines.

This week, Miagao Church has received guests from different parts of the Asia Pacific as Iloilo hosted a two-day Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting concluded on Friday.