Review ｜ Santa Monica Parish ★★★★★
The Santa Monica Parish church, sometimes referred to as the Sarrat Church, is another site that’s located just a stone’s throw away from Laoag. Built in the city of Minalin, just 8km east of Laoag, the journey over is really pleasant. If you have your own transportation, this is a really rewarding trip and let’s your explore really local Filipino life without having to drive to far.
Seeing the church and the surround area of Minalin should take less than two hours, making it a nice diversion.
The Church
The Santa Monica Parish was built in 1724 with the additional church, belfry, and convent being built later that century. The original church was destroyed in the 19th century and rebuilt and renovated a few times.
Purportedly, it’s the biggest church in the whole Ilocos region. The inside is sparsely decorated, making it feel all the more larger. The brick work is quite nice though. Keep a look out for the stained glass as well.
Unfortunately, the bell tower was closed. Something about bell towers in the Philippines, they are never opened. So once again I was denied the chance to climb to the top and see the view.
See The Town
Minalin is a nice little town to wander around. There are street markets near the church, making a fun distraction. I’m sure there are plenty of places to grab a snack, however surprisingly I didn’t any ice cream push carts around.
Need more information about the Philippines?
Look at our full write up on Vigan HERE.
View our full write up on Laoag HERE.
Check out our full write up on Manila HERE. (Coming soon)
See our full write up on Angeles City HERE. (Coming soon)
Read our full write up on Cebu HERE. (Coming soon)
Contact & General Information
Price: Free
Hours: Daily 24h
Website: None
Location: Google
