🇵🇭 BAUANG • Church Behind a Dull Wall in La Union

"It was in a high noon and I can feel the scorching heat of the sun but the fact that behind that ordinary wall is a historical gem hidden, the emotions have overwhelmed the sensation of discomforts landing on my tan skin.."

Actually, the church is not so evident along the highway because of that red wall.  It is located at Central East, Bauang, La Union. What is only very notable is the bell tower which rises some meters high. Unlike most churches in Ilocos which are all grandiosely founded with alluring architectural beauty that is displayed in a strategic location where everyone can see the architectural feat direct to the beholder's eye, Bauang church has a surprising twist.

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Location Highlighted in Red

At my back is a huge wall, somewhat maroon or red in color, thick, high and truly wide. I was a bit intrigued why this wall was so huge as if it is hiding a very important gem.

I stepped back, lingered and had a sudden flavor of curiosity gushing in my blood stream.

Ordinary people might not care or won't care about this wall because it is just a typical huge wall seen in some elite mansions along the McArthur Highway. People who are going to commute will just stay foot, wait for a bus or jeepney ride and for sure won't care that much to see what is behind that wall because it looked ordinary and considerably huge.

Being a person who loves to explore for the sake of fulfillment and blogging, I wanted to discover what's behind. It could be a quality material for my blog I said to myself.

I turned on my back, faced the huge red wall then to feel the thrill of discovering something, I made a slow motion. Slowly but surely, little by little I am already approaching that huge entrance and note, there is an additional twist because the area is elevated with several stairs you have to step on.

The first thing that caught my attention is the radiance of the orange painting at the facade that looks like a sun. It is the heart of the church that enlightens the whole facade from the center giving the church an appeal that gives me a radiance of awe.

As I approach that huge entrance, my eyes' photoreceptor is experiencing a massive radiance coming out from that huge opening. As I reached that level where anything can be seen behind that big wall,  I was shouting deep inside with "wow!" Peeping at that level of my sight is an architectural masterpiece with historical value! It was very fantastic that behind that red wall is really a precious gem - a historical gem!

I don't want to rush in going nearer to the church because I simply just wanted to enjoy the feeling of awe in terms of the church's architectural feat. It was in a high noon and I can feel the scorching heat of the sun but the fact that behind that ordinary wall is a historical gem hidden, the emotions have overwhelmed the sensation of discomforts landing on my tan skin.

I am always telling with my previous posts regarding the churches I have visited that it is not the religion that I am after with in featuring these churches but I just wanted to express my appreciation through this blog that I appreciate the architectural breakthroughs and desgins in the Philippines and a good example for this are the Roman Catholic churches.

I am not a Roman Catholic per se, but I always believe that what is important is my relationship to Jesus Christ who is my Savior. The talk for religion is out of here. I am here to appreciate the beauty of my country Philippines!

I preferred to stay in a distance for a while and have time to reflect with a touch of thinking about our Philippine history and on how the Spaniards who colonized the Philippines exerted a massive effort to introduce Roman Catholicism in the Philippines.

I was looking at the church and its inert beauty in front of a park with wide space and the blue sky that seemed like relating with my nuerochemicals and nerves' behavior that time.

At the side of the church is a Catholic school called the Sacred Heart School.

I approached the church into a more intimate scale of appreciation. As I am nearing the church, the architectural details is flaring like a spark. And as the architectural detail is flaring out, more manifestations of excitement and awe is becoming more evident with dilated pupils, increased heart rate and a deep breathing pattern.

Wow! It becomes more thrilling as I see it in a nearer perspective. I can see the old walls at the sides, the mixing colors and some modern additions that truly fit well with the original and old materials.

It is very interesting to look at that every parish church in the Philippines has its own story on how it was made, the struggles of the people attached with it including the devotion and faith that truly makes the history of their makings worth cherishing for. That is how sentimental the value of the churches is that can never be traded with money and fame. Truly it was a precious gem, not even as precious as a precious stone. It is even far from that. It is priceless!

Another great architectural beauty has been seen by me and I am truly glad that I am seeing these things.

They weren't gone, they were preserved. The name of the church is Sts. Peter and Paul Church.

Without any expectation, that red wall was really ordinary. But through this experience, it is teaching me a big lesson that one "should not judge a book by its cover." Behind that dull maroon reddish wall, is a bastion of colorful beauty that has made the history as colorful as the rainbow up in the sky.