San Agustin Church - Intramuros, Manila (must see)

Behind the wall of the Intramuros, the oldest walled city within Manila is one of the oldest surviving churches of the country. The San Agustin Church, built by the Spanish during their colonial reign, represents the city’s rich and vibrant past.

The San Agustin Church has come a long way since its inception in 1607. Initially built with bamboo and wood in the early 16th century, the structure was razed due to a fire and was reconstructed with wood, which also failed to survive. It was then that the Augustinians decided to build a solid structure made out of stone, with an adjacent monastery. Based on the design by architect, Juan Macías, construction started off in 1586. Although, the project started with zeal and enthusiasm, the same spirit was not seen with the inflow of funds. Construction took more than 2 decades and by the time it was completed, the Church lost its chief designer Macias.

Despite having a shaky start, the San Agustin Church had a very eventful history. Plundered by the British forces in the 18th century, the Church miraculously survived many devastating earthquakes that had left the city of Manila in shambles. As a matter of fact, the San Agustin Church was the only public building to survive the massive earthquake of 1863.