Baroque Churches Of The Philippines.docx

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Baroque Churches of the Philippines (1993) Historic Town of Vigan (1999) Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park (1999) Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (1995) Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (1993) Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary

This is a collection of the four baroque churches in the Philippines that were built during the Spanish era. All of them were inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list on 1993. These churches are all considered as national treasures for their historical and cultural importance. The four Baroque churches included in this list are Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte, Santa Maria Church in Ilocos Sur, San Agustin Church in Manila and Miagao Church in Iloilo. The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 for its natural importance. It is commonly referred to by tourists as the Underground River. The national park is located within a cave that you must travel by boat. The cave dome measures at about 300 meters in length wherein it is filled with river channels, rock formations, and a deep water hole. Aside from being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was also named as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2011. The Banaue Rice Terraces, another name for the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995 for its cultural importance. There are five sites included in this inscription, all of which are part of the Cordillera region in the Philippines. The rice terraces is a showcase of the complex method of farming employed by the native Ifugao who lived in the area. It is believed that the rice terraces took about 2,000 years to complete as the rice terraces carved out the slopes of the mountains. It also took an entire community to maintain these living rice terraces.

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (1993) The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is located at the heart of Sulu Sea, which is located near Palawan. It was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1993. This natural park is a protected part of the Philippines – all 97,030 hectares of it. These islands belonging to the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park are uninhabited. It also serves as a nesting site for marine turtles and various species of birds. Meanwhile, it is best known for its pristine coral reef system. Like the Palawan Underground River, it was also recognized as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature (in the year 2008).

Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary Located in the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary was enlisted into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 2014 (the latest among the sites on this list) for its natural importance. It is home to a diverse range of floral and fauna species. There are also several endangered and endemic species found within the sanctuary.

Baroque Churches of the Philippines These four churches, the first of which was built by the Spanish in the late 16th century, are located in Manila, Santa Maria, Paoay and Miag-ao. Their unique architectural style is a reinterpretation of European Baroque by Chinese and Philippine craftsmen. San Agustin Church is located in General Luna St, Manila, Metro Manila. The present structure is actually the third Augustinian church erected on the site.[3] The first San Agustin Church was the first religious structure constructed by the Spaniards on the island of Luzon.[4] Made of bamboo and nipa, it was completed in 1571, but destroyed by fire in December 1574 during the attempted invasion of Manila by the forces of Limahong.[5][6] A second wooden structure built on the same site[6] was destroyed in February 1583 by a fire that started when a candle ignited drapery on the funeral bier during services for Spanish Governor-General Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa.[5] The Miagao Church also known as the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines. The church was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993 together with San Agustin Church in Manila; Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; and San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norteunder the collective title Baroque Churches of the Philippines, a collection of four Baroque Spanish-era churches.[1]

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion), commonly known as the Santa Maria Church is the parish church of Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur province, Philippines. The church was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993 as part of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, a collection of four Baroque Spanish-era churches.[2] The Santa Maria Church is an attraction to both tourists and Catholics in Ilocos Sur. It is not only a reminiscent of the four centuries of Spanish domination of that area but also a unique structure with a diversified architectural design of bricks and mortar. It was built on top of a hill not only as a lookout and a citadel but as a religious center during the early administration of the region by both the friars and soldiers of Spain.