The enduring Bell Tower of Bantay

Bantay Bell Tower was built in 1591 and serves as the belfry of the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Caridad, St. Augustine Parish (one of the oldest surviving churches in Ilocos region established in 1590).

It also served as a watchtower for the people of Bantay Municipality in Ilocos Sur, part of the city’s defense that helps in alerting them against invading enemies such as pirates – during the Spanish era, hence the term bantay. The belfry itself was built in 1591-1592. It is where the name of the Municipality of Bantay Ilocos Sur was derived. Bantay Tower is located on top of a hill some meters from the church, adjacent to Bantay Municipal compound.

It is guarded by a small gate which the caretakers lock when there are no visitors that request for a tour of it. During such times, birds take advantage of the absence of people to rest in the nooks and crannies of the belfry. To ensure that you can enter the tower, it is best to register at the Tourist Center along Calle Crisologo and ask for a tour of the belfry from there. Although there is no fee to visit the tower, one has to register before entering the premises, and a donation is solicited (without any pressure though).

It was an easy climb, from the wooden flights of stairs that can be accessed from the entrance in the tower’s base and ends at the top (third level) which houses one main and four smaller bells.
At the end of the climb, we were greeted by a huge, old bell. Once we were inside, we noticed the structure of the tower. It was made of old bricks and limestone, the original structure remains with some concrete reinforcement and few restorative modifications. The view and wind up the tower are amazing. Beside it, we stopped and endlessly gazed upon the city, surrounding towns and mountains that reach Abra. Most of Bantay and the surrounding land can be viewed from the top. We were able to enjoy the panoramic view of the towns surrounding the area that was set upon the background of white and blue skies.

The bell tower is also popular among local tourists because of the scenes of a well-known Filipino film “Panday” were apparently shot within and around it (Bantay Watchtower. Bantay, Ilocos Sur)

After a few meters’ walk from the belfry, we were also able to enter the St. Augustine Church which was built in 1590. The Church has a deep brown, neo-gothic façade. Like the Saint Paul Cathedral, one can see that it also incorporates the distinctively Vigan earthquake baroque in its architecture to save the structure from the destructive force of earthquakes that visit the land.

Source: www.tupanggala.com
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video taken 2019

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