The Northern Adventure: Bacarra Church and Belltower, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte

The brochure that we got from the Visitor's Center in Burgos, Ilocos Norte has helped us find our way to the St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Church (Bacarra Church). If not for this, we could not have seen it. This church together with the tower and the convent were constructed by the Augustinian Friars in 1593 and was inaugurated in 1782.

Historical Marker of the Church

This church has been damaged several times and the last of which was in 1983 when it was hit by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

St. Andrew Parish (Bacarra Church)

The church facade was originally of Baroque architecture.

Inside the Bacarra Church

Side of the church facing the Belltower

The Belltower

Its bell tower, more popularly known as “Torre Ti Bacarra” or “torre”, was the town's most prized heritage. It was constructed by Fr. Bergier, OSA in 1828. It stood 50 meters high with three storeys. It has a 16 x 16 meter base that gradually narrows at the top. Topping it is a heavy bronze bell.

On 19 March 1931, the feast of Saint Joseph, the bell tower suffered its first major destruction. An earthquake caused the tower to have a leaning posture from the earthquake for more than half a century. The locals called it the “Bowing Belltower of Bacarra” while the tourists referred to it as the “Leaning Tower of the North.” In 1971, another earthquake further deformed the tower, yet the ruins attracted even more tourists. After the earthquake, the tower was preserved by placing support on the walls of the remaining structure. In 1981 and on 17 August 1983, another earthquake occurred and the tower finally gave way and was left with its present flattened top.

In 1973, the tower became a national cultural treasure according to Presidential Decree 260.(Bacarra Belltower)