The San Agustin Church is a Roman Catholic Church located in the historic locality of Manila in the Philippines. This is one of the four Philippine’s churches constructed during the Spanish colonial period and it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
The San Agustin Church was built in 1571, like many structures during the time; this church too was built using nipa and bamboo. When the church opened it was officially called Iglesia y Convento de San Pablo. The Agustin church that stands today is the third church erected on the site. The first San Agustin Church was destroyed by fire in December 1574 during the attempted invasion of Manila by the forces of Limahong. The second church made of wood was constructed on the site was destroyed in February 1583, in a fire that started when a candle set ablaze of drapes in the church during a funeral.
The current structure was built based on a design by Juan Macias. An adjacent monastery too was built along with the church and the former was completed in 1604 while the latter became operation in 1607. In 1863, Manila was struck with one of the strongest earthquakes at the time leaving widespread destruction to the city however the San Agustin Church remained unshaken through all the commotion. During World War II when the Japanese occupied the Philippines, the San Agustin church was turned into a concentration camp for prisoners. During this time a large number of residents and clergy were held hostage and later killed during the three-week battle. This is a significant historical building in the Philippines that is worth visiting.
If you are heading down to the Philippines you can also try your hands at some of the restaurants in Makati which serve a host of cuisines. And if Makati bewilders you accommodation options are aplenty like the Berjaya Makati Hotel which offers easy access to some of the finest restaurants around.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+
