Ilocos Norte board proposes retrofitting of Paoay Church

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff Reporter

In support of the Metro Ilocos Norte master plan for tourism, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has proposed the restoration and retrofitting of the Paoay church and convent ruins. In a resolution sponsored by the committee of the whole of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan headed by Ilocos Norte Vice Governor Eugenio Angelo M. Barba, the proposed restoration and retrofitting of the Paoay church and convent ruins is needed to boost the tourism infrastructure of the province as a premiere tourism destination.

Provincial board member Portia Pamela Salenda, chairperson of the committee on tourism said, “Ilocos Norte is blessed with tourism spots which when fully developed will provide investments, employment, development, convenience and prosperity not only to the people of Ilocos Norte but also for domestic and foreign travelers, visitors and tourists.”

She said that the immediate restoration and improvement of the convent ruins together with the world-famous St. Augustine Church of Paoay town will enhance tourism and heritage sites of the province.

Through Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), which is mandated to select and approve tourism infrastructure projects for funding, the Ilocos Norte government has proposed the preservation and strengthening of these national cultural treasures within the tourism enterprise zones in coordination with the National Museum and other concerned agencies.

Earlier, the façade of the UNESCO-world heritage site of Paoay church underwent a major facelift but its old buttresses also need to be rehabilitated.

Of the 30 famous historical landmarks and heritage sites of Ilocos Norte, the St. Augustine church known for its baroque architectural design captivates thousands of local and foreign tourists visiting this site.

With the opening of the Paseo de Paoay, a multi-purpose commercial building attuned to the tourism master plan of the province, the provincial government hopes to attract more investment opportunities here through a public and private partnership to generate more jobs and boost local revenue sources through the payment of taxes and business permits.