🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO • (La Union) Pindangan Ruins and the Ghost Story Finale

"As I left the ruins and was about to ride the tricycle, manong driver told me that the people in the place are actually afraid of entering the ruins because..."

• Having experienced a 7+ magnitude earthquake twice in my life as of 2023, I could imagine how destructive that earthquake was that it has turned this church into ruins.

• Inside the premises, the only remaining structures were the walls of a destroyed church that used to embolden the faith of the people for unity and harmony.

🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO, LA UNION, PHILIPPINES

So what about these ruins? For view seekers and sunset chasers, this may not be the place for you. Because if you try to align your love of sunset and stunning panoramic views with these ruins, will you consider this place beautiful? What's beautiful in these mossy, old, ruined structures?

Can this be a beautiful background for wedding photos? How about a perfect background for jump shots? If you're looking for a place to brag and showcase in your instagram feed, I will not recommend this place; because for sure, it may not suit your pursuit for spectacular views. But for heritage conservation advocates, history freaks, researchers, and ghost hunters (Uh? Yes ghost hunters), this place I am going to feature on this blog can be the right place for you. It is called the Pindangan Ruins located in the city of San Fernando, La Union.

 ►  A Quick Overview

Before proceeding to the ghost finale, there must be an introduction; and let us start with the etiology of Pindangan. The word Pindangan is an Ilocano term for "a place where meat is sun-dried with salt for preservation." Because this place is abundant with this Pindang (sun-dried, salted fish or meat), the place was called Pindangan.

🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO • At the present day, these ruins are located in Brgy San Vicente.

🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO • The Pindangan Ruins are the remnants of an old church destroyed by an earthquake.

Pindangan Ruins are the remnants of an old church built on May 6, 1786. That old church was the symbol of the union of 2 (two) sitios called San Vicente de Balanac, a coastal village and San Guillermo de Dalangdang, a village at the foothills of the mountain. There was a need for union for the reason of mutual protection against their assailants—the pirates and headhunters.

At the present day, the ruins are located in Brgy San Vicente.

 ►  Why Did I Visit This Place?

This was in 2012. In that year, I was still very young in traveling and blogging; and the Pindangan ruins were not yet popular in my point of view that time. I was very curious about this place that was pinned on my printed La Union guide map that I purchased in National Bookstore. That guide was a printed version. I still didn't know how to maximize the use of digital apps that time.

By the way, I'm updating this post now after 11 years! It's 02:51 AM of 08/06/2023 in Vigan the moment I'm typing this line.

Going back, I was here to see the ruins without expecting a panoramic view. In January 2012, there was no entrance fee (if I am not mistaken). As far as I remember, I did not pay any entrance fee.

The Pindangan Ruins are located outside the central business district of the city and I reached this place through hiring a tricycle driver that toured me around the city.

As I entered the premises, it was quiet; and the sound of the tricycle where I rode was considerably noise pollution in the area. Again, this was in 2012.

I told manong driver to turn off the tricycle engine as we approached the place, because there was a service or a solemn event going on inside the religious property called the Carmelite Monastery. The noise of the tricycle was such a disturbance to the solemnity of the activity.

There were nuns quietly sitting on the elongated wooden chair in their nun uniform, while a priest was delivering his sermon. I could see them inside through the glass windows of the monastery.

🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO • The Pindangan Ruins' premises at that time was very quiet.

🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO • Some plants have overgrown the old walls.

Inside the premises, the only remaining structures were the walls of a destroyed church that used to embolden the faith of the people for unity and harmony.

In this visit, the old walls remained; but the ceiling is gone, and its old community importance is also gone, too.

If the Old Daraga Church was destroyed by the Mayon Volcano, this old church in San Fernando, La Union was demolished by an earthquake.

Having experienced a 7+ magnitude earthquake twice in my life as of 2023, I could imagine how destructive that earthquake was and how it has turned this church into ruins. Unfortunately, the community that united to build this church no longer rebuilt it.

🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO • The church was no longer rebuilt to survive up to this day.

🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO • The church buttresses were strong enough to survive an earthquake, though, as evidenced by these ruins that continued to stand up to this day.

The church was destroyed in 1892, and that was 133 years after its completion. It survived a century before its destruction.

The church has united the community for more than a century, and the old walls were the remaining witnesses of how this church played its role in the community back then.

 ►  A Ghost Finale?

It was about to go dark when I visited this place at about 5:45 in the afternoon. As I entered the ruins, the rays of the sun were no longer enough to provide ample light in the area; and it was quite darker to note.

The tricycle driver stayed outside, and I entered the area alone. I enjoyed capturing the walls and even did a self-captured photo of myself; but as I set the timer of my camera in flash mode, the camera didn't flash.

I repeated the procedure and made sure to put on the flash, but it didn't work again. For the third time, the flash worked.

As I left the ruins and was about to ride the tricycle, manong driver told me that the people in the place are actually afraid of entering the ruins because they have been seeing unusual things there—like a priest without a head (they call it pugot in Ilocano); and that priest carries his head with his hands. Another one, according to manong driver, is a nun dressed in white who also appears inside the ruins.

Whooahhh!!! I had goosebumps instantly! Could that be the reason why my camera flash didn't work? I became afraid, and I asked manong driver to rush. I wanted to leave the place immediately.

🇵🇭 SAN FERNANDO • These ruins got me some chills in my spine before I left.

I am personally not so afraid of ghosts (ok, not so, meaning I can still be afraid anytime); but with manong's story, it blew my mind away giving me an adrenaline rush.

Important things to know about Pindangan Ruins.

1. The Pindangan Ruins are located 500 meters from the National Highway.
2. The Pindangan Ruins are near Camp Oscar Florendo, the Regional Headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP)—just in case you get lost in your direction.
3. The Carmelite Sisters, whose monastery is situated behind the ruins, take care of the landmark.
4. For people with third eye, please do come here and email me immediately whenever you see the priest and the nun for verification, LOL. :D

Thanks for reading my story. • ◄ END OF STORY ►


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UPDATE HISTORY FOR THIS BLOG POST
• 2023-August-02: This whole blog post was overhauled. The page lay-out, format, and photos were patterned on my format v.2023.1 as of 07/31/2023. After 11 years, I've updated, re-formatted, and re-written this blog post.
• 2012-March-03: This post was published.