San Agustin Church            English Blog

December 30, 2013

          There are many places in the Manila that have both beauty and history. One place that have both beauty and history is the San Agustin Church. The San Agustin Church is a Roman Catholic Church under the auspices of The Order of St. Augustine, located inside the historic walled city of Intramuros in Manila. In 1993, San Agustin Church was one of the four Philippine churches built during the Spanish colonial period to be designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, under the collective title Baroque Churches of the Philippines. The San Agustin Church is beautiful inside and outside. This is also a tourist attraction. Wherein you can see some artworks and historical artifacts. It is so beautiful that it attracts billions of tourists.  

          San Agustin Church is historical. It was named a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1976. The Augustinians decided to rebuild the church using stone, and to construct an adjacent monastery. Construction began in 1586, based on a design by Juan Marcias. The structure was built using hewn abode stones quarried from Meycauayan, Binangonan and San Mateo, Rizal. The work proceeded slowly due to lack of funds and materials, as well as the relative scarcity of stone artisans. The monastery was operational by 1604, and the church was formally declared complete on January 19, 1607, and named St. Paul of Manila. Marcias, who had died before the completion of the church, was officially acknowledged by the Augustinians as the builder of the edifice. San Agustin Church is not attractive for it is very attractive.