The Enduring Bantay Watchtower

The Bantay Watchtower is one of the most popular daytime destinations in Ilocos Sur, Philippines due to its history and religious significance as well as its alluring facade.

The watchtower is known in many names that tourist might get confused. I was one of them, haha. When I was planning to go there, I put in my itinerary the “Bantay Watchtower” and “Bantay Belfry”. To my utter shame, it is the same as what the tricycle driver explained to me, lol. The structure is called Bantay Church Watchtower, Bantay Bell Tower, Bantay Belfry, Belfry of St. Augustine Church, among others.

Historically, the Bantay Watchtower is of great importance to the town. Built in 1591, it was said to be the people’s watchtower, part of the community’s defense in alerting them against possible enemies [1]. Also, it became the belfry of the St. Augustine Church which was built on 1590 [2]. The grounds where the belfry stands is also said to be the same where Diego Silang and his troops fought the Spaniards in 1763 [1].

The Bantay Watchtower is also a significant religious structure. It is originally the belfry of the St. Augustine Church found within the same grounds.

Visitors will also see within St. Augustine Church the statue of Our Lady of Charity, who is Nueva Segovia’s patroness. From the church, she is said to have watched over the city over many generations [1]. 

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