The facade of San Pablo Apostol de Cabagan Church.

(Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

 

Friar Serrano's famous "toral arch."

(Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

Stairway to the bell tower.

(Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

View from the north.

(Photo by Ian Mamauag.)

Bell tower and toral arch. Development of this type of arch was unique to the Philippines. (Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

Geometric pattern to the Cagayan Valley bricks in the interior of the church.

(Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

Fr. Pua repaired the facade in 1995 by filling in a gaping hole and rebuilding the portal. Try as he did, he could not find the special recipe for the Cagayan Valley bricks. (Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

Under the direction of Fr. Caro workers installed a water proof covering for the sacristy until such time as a permanent solution could be found.

(Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

The atrium--the gift of the Filipino craftsman to the people of the world--is seen in this view. (Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

The interior to the covered portion of the nave and sanctuary. Fr. Cadiz had floor tiles added to the church. (Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

Artist Joel Paragas' painting in the north clerestory to the Cathedral of Ilagan

shows San Pablo Church as it was during the construction of its facade. This most likely happened in or around 1735.

(Photo used by permission of the Bishop of Ilagan.)

The beautiful santos notwithstanding, it is the brick work of the Cagayan Valley artisans which stands out. (Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

Look carefully to see the symbols used by the Dominican friars and interpreted by the Filipino artisans. Sadly, one cannot see the convento which lies in ruins just off to the left of this photograph. (Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

Reminiscent of the multiple bricklaying patterns of the ancient Romans the Cagayan Valley coursework is varied and fascinating.

(Photo by Lynn Gallema.

The beautiful three bells--sadly now missing--tolled to warn the Filipinos of

the Cagayan Valley of impending attacks from Spanish regular forces during the War of Independence from Spain as well as attacks from General Yamashita's Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. From the bell tower residents claim to have seen the accidental bombing of the nearby funerial chapel by U.S. Army Air Corps planes in 1945.

(Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

The beautiful piping effect of the bricks can be seen in this view of the bell tower.

(Photo by Lynn Gallema.)

Note: All Lynn Gallema photographs and the Ian Mamauag photograph are protected by copyright and cannot be used without the expressed written consent of James Cleland. The photograph of the Jose Paragas painting is also protected by copyright and used with the permission of the Bishop of Ilagan, Philippines.

All Lourdes Baui photographs are protected by copyright and cannot be used without the expressed written consent of James Cleland.

The opening to the kiln (horno) used for baking the Cagayan Valley tiles.

(Photo by Ma. Lourdes Baui.)

The entire kiln before vandalization.

(Photo by Ma. Lourdes Baui.)