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| The Stone Church of Sagada was established by early Anglican missionaries. |
Sagada, a small uphill village in the Mountain Province, was like any
other towns in the Philippines. It has a church nearby the town hall. But the
church, more commonly known as the Stone Church of Sagada, was not of any
Spanish descent. Instead it was an Anglican convent, meaning it is of relation
to the Episcopal churches of the English people. So after our cool down from
walking, we eventually proceeded with our Echo Valley tour which commonly
starts with the church of Sagada.
The full video of Sagada teaser. One part featured here is the Stone Church. You can turn on HD settings.
Nothing Beats Plain
Nature Adventure: Sagada
Sagada did not fail me. Even though the mountain views to Sagada were
already a treat to the eyes, Sagada has still more to offer. And when I say
more, it’s MORE. Like its’ never ending.One may see Sagada as plain nature
adventure, but looking into its heritage, it also has a wonderful history.
My Sagadan friend Christian told me that his town was never reached by the
Spanish conquerors because of two reasons—Sagada is an uphill village and
Sagada is not easy to reach during that time. Spaniards were not brave enough
to climb the mountains thousands of feet above the sea. So when the Spaniards
came to the Philippines to spread Roman Catholicism, they are not successful enough
to do it in the Cordillera. So when the Americans came, they planned to reach
the extents of mountain towns. Sagada was one of their hill stations then.
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| The Anglican Church of Sagada |
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| See these stained glass inside the stone church. |
If you happen to be like me who lives in the Cordillera region, you will
observe that no similar churches you see in the lowlands of Luzon can be found
in the Cordillera. Of course we do not include the modern day churches like
Iglesia Ni Cristo and other sects. Remember that castle-like pink-colored
Baguio Cathedral? This particular church was established by the Belgian
missionaries (from Belgium).Sagada Stone Church on the other hand was
established by the first Anglican missionaries in the Philippines. Their
primary mission in Sagada is to convert “the faith once delivered to the
Saints” to the community. But would you believe that like Baguio, Sagada was
once envisioned as a metropolis that will serve as a beacon of modernization?
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| Children reading books on the church grounds. |
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| The cross above the Stone Church of Sagada |
The advocate was Rev. Armitagee Staunton and he planned Sagada to be a
city aside from being a Christian community. To materialize everything, he
established the basic town amenities like a worship place (the church),
schools, hospital, hydroelectric plant, telephone system, lime kiln, printing
press and others. It’s like Baguio. But because Sagada is very hard to reach,
the growth was slow. But this particular history made Sagada even more famous
for outdoor seekers. Imagine Baguio with more pine trees than houses. Then what
you imagine is Sagada. And why Baguio grew into a city, it’s because of its
proximity to the lowlands which will only take you one hour to Pangasinan as
compared to Sagada which will take you seven hours along the road. Baguio is
nearer to Manila which is the capital.
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| This old wheel was planned to be used for the sawmill project. |
The wheel you saw in one of the pictures here was an artifact of the
supposed sawmill project in Sagada. It was brought from the United States to
Sagada as a part of the project, unfortunately the sawmill stopped. The old
bell on the other hand, was another historical figure. It was brought from
Ilocos to Sagada.
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| This old bell came all the way from Ilocos to Sagada. |
Speaking of Ilocos, did you know that there is an existing trail from
Sagada to Candon in Ilocos Sur? That is what my friend told me. The other side
of the mountains in Sagada was actually the province of Ilocos. The trail
though was only meant for horse carriages or a human trail and it was never developed
as a main road for local public.
Sagada Stone Church is indeed beautifully constructed. And maybe you are
asking me, is it really made out of stones? Yes. This particular Anglican
Church was made out of stone blocks. The church was well preserved, unlike the
church of Camiling which was burnt down to ruins in 1997. The architecture was
different from what we used to see in the other provinces of Luzon.
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| Inside the Stone Church of Sagada. |
The altar was renovated as if it were all made out of corals. But I find
the statue really creepy; you will also realize that too when you see this
Stone Church of Sagada. I don’t know but it’s just that He doesn’t look like
the usual faces of Him found in the otherchurches.
It was beautiful but I find garbage littered on some parts of the church
yard. I hope the people and the tourists care for the environment because we
want Sagada to maintain its amazing simplicity. If you will be a future
traveler to Sagada, please do NOT litter. And do NOT vandalize the walls or the
limestone formations. Leave nothing but footprints. Okay?
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| Entrance of the Sagada Church. |
The church yard was near to a retreat house and a few more steps will lead
you to the graveyard. The Stone Church of Sagada is
indeed a good opportunity for photos but the destinations after it were even
more interesting. A graveyard? I don’t know. It’s Sagada. =)
Nothing Beats Plain Nature Adventure: Sagada Travel Series:
Part 1: Sagada Tour: The Mountain Guide
Part 8: The Echo Valley Tour: How to Reach the Hanging Coffins
Part 9: SOON.| Is the article interesting? Useful? Funny? Inspiring? Or simply worthy? Then Follow @TravexTravels . Read, read, and lead! More related posts below. |
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