This weeks feature: A Road Runs Through It In Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, visitors are usually drawn to sites like St. Williams Cathedral and the massive so-called Sinking Belltower. A lesser-known attraction in the provincial capital is the colonial-era chapel of the citys Catholic cemetery, which fortunately is still in use. As heritage blogger Estan Cabigas points out, it is one of the few intact brick cemetery chapels in the country. The facade is a fine example of what can be possibly termed as the typical northern Ilocano template for church architecture. With minor variations, this motif can be found in the church facades of San Nicolas, Piddig, Sarrat, Dingras, Badoc, and Bacarra. Embedded in the facade is a wooden slab bearing a faded Latin inscription, where the viewer can only decipher the two first words: ET(?) EXULTA. Curiously, there is a major road right behind the chapel, and on the other side are more graves, making it look as if the road had cut right through the old cemetery. The road is so abrupt that there isnt even a sidewalk beside the chapels back wall and a surviving row of ancient brick oven-type niches. Intriguing... or maybe not. Like the merry mix of vintage houses found throughout the city, taphophiles and heritage enthusiasts will also find different types of graves bearing different styles from different periods.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 15:56:07 +0000
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