His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI announced a
special “Year of Faith” to help Catholics appreciate the gift of faith, deepen
their relationship with God and strengthen their commitment to sharing faith to
others. The observance would begin
October 11, 2012 and conclude Nov. 24, 2013.
To realize this, the
Volunteer Catechists Commission of Catechetical Foundation of the Archdiocese of Manila (CFAM) is organizing a pilgrimage for a cause
at Ilocos region called “A Journey of Faith” @ Ilocandia on September 14—16,
2012.
ITINERARY
SEPTEMBER 14 (Friday)
5:30 pm — Assembly Time
Institute of Catechetics of the Archdiocese of
Manila [ICAM]
San
Carlos Pastoral Formation Complex
EDSA,
Guadalupe
6:00 pm — Orientation before boarding
7:00 pm — Departure
SEPTEMBER 15 (Saturday): LAOAG TOUR
7:00 am — Arrival
8:00 am — Eucharistic Celebration at Paoay
Church
- Breakfast (personal expense)
-
Sand surfing / sightseeing—Sand Dunes [Himala sa Buhangin]
-
Malacañang of the North
11:00 am — Lunch
Laoag City Proper
3:00 pm — Departure from Sarat to Vigan
Passing
By Badok and Sinait Churches
5:00 pm — Arrival: Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Pastoral
Center (Dormitory)
- Tour: Heritage Place
- Dinner (personal expense)
9:00 pm — REST
SEPTEMBER 16 (Sunday): VIGAN TOUR
7:00 am — Breakfast (Pastoral Center)
8:00 am — Eucharistic Celebration
St. Paul Cathedral
9:00 am — Paburnayan Jar Making
-
Chavit’s Baluarte Zoo
12:00 nn — Lunch (personal expense)
2:00 pm — Leave for San Fernando, La Union
3:00 pm — St. William’s Cathedral
San Fernando, La Union
-
Marketing of pasalubongs and dinner (personal expense)
7:00 pm — Departure for Manila
Counterpart:
Php 2,500.00
It covers the following:
·
Bus
fare from Manila to Ilocos and Ilocos to Manila
·
Overnight
stay at the Pastoral Center, Vigan—Sept. 15 and breakfast on Sept. 16.
· Entrance
fee to Malacañang of the North and other sites, donations to pilgrim churches
and other miscellaneous expenses.
NOTE:
Excludes: Meals — during the tours, sand surfing fee (Sand Dunes),
pasalubongs and other personal expenses.
REMINDERS
·
The
organizer is not responsible or liable for any loss or damages of personal belongings.
· The
pilgrims are expected to show proper decorum (e.g excessive noise inside the bus)
during the trip since this is a pilgrimage.
· The
pilgrims are required to follow instructions and maintain communications with organizers to assure safety during the trip.
·
Scheduled
activities subject to changes upon the organizers discretion.
For more details, please contact:
*Mr. Ed Frando — 09296299672
*Mr. Art
Barbadillo — 09394946508
Tel. No. 564-36-50
*Diocesan
Volunteer Catechists Coordinators
in your Area.
E-mail
address: volcatcfam@gmail.com
Visit: volcats.blogspot.com
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Paoay
Church / St. Augustine Church
One of the four baroque churches in the Philippines designated as UNESCO
World heritage sites in 1993. The other
three are San Agustin Church in Manila, Miag-Ao Church (Sto. Tomas de
Villanueva Church) in Iloilo, and La Asuncion de Huestra Señora Church in Sta.
Maria, Ilocos Sur. Paoay Church is also
known as St. Augustine Church.
Construction by the Augustinian Friars started in 1694 and completed in
1710 using coral stones and bricks. It
is an example of earthquake baroque architecture—Philippine interpretation of
the European Baroque adapted to the seismic condition of the country. It was damaged during the earthquakes in
1865.
Sinking Bell
Tower—St. William’s
Cathedral
One of the first things tourists can spot upon entering Laoag City
proper. It is a massive 45 meter bell
tower said to be one of the tallest bell towers in the Philippines built by
Augustinian friars in 1612.
The tower has earned its “sinking” reputation because it is so heavy and
was built on sandy foundations that it has consistently sunk into the ground at
a rate of an inch per year.
Sand Dunes
La Paz Sand Dunes consists of approximately 85 kilometers of protected
sandy coastal desert and beach close to Laoag City, capital of Ilocos
Norte. The area is locally known as
“Bantay Bimmaboy” - refers to common perception that the dunes resemble pigs in
shape. The area is also popularly known
as the “Desert of the North” and is popular location for shooting of films e.g.
Himala and Panday.
Official residence of
the Pres. Ferdinand Marcos in Ilocos Norte was built on a high point of land
projecting into the sea right beyond the coastline of the legendary Paoay Lake.
This is now a museum.
Fort Ilocandia Resort and Casino
Metropolitan
Cathedral of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, Vigan
The church stands in the site of the original
structure, built by the founder the Vigan, Juan de Salcedo in 1573. The original structure was just a chapel
constructed of wood and thatch which was replaced by a church in1641.
The church has pseudo Romanesque, Neo gothic and
Chinese features. The brass communion handrails are copied from
China, inscribed with Chinese characters by the makers.
Its 8-sided bell tower situated the south the of
church, was built separately as a safety measure against possible earthquake
damage, so it would not topple over the church.
The interior of the Cathedral is even more
impressive. The scenes of the conversion of St Paul are depicted on the
alcoves. The main altar paneled in silver, brass communion handrails,
and 12 minor altars impart the sense of grandeur.
This is where
Gov, Floro Crisologo was shut
dead in 1970 while kneeling down on a
pew.
Calle Crisologo,
Heritage Village
Established in the 16th
century by Chinese traders from the Fujan Province, Calle Crisologo is the main
street in Vigan, the Capital City of Ilocos Sur. Vigan is a well preserved Spanish colonial
town that has withstood the trials of
time especially during the WWII.
Crisologo St. is so impressively
well presserved that present day visitors are able to
experience what life was centuries ago.
To conserve the nostalgic colonial street
in the Heritage City of Vigan, only
horse-drawn kalesas are allowed to enter and pass by. A UNESCO Heritage site,
this cobble-stoned street stretching out up to 1KM is lined up with colonial houses called
“bahay na bato” -- two storey house with
the ground floor made of stone and used as rice granary and storage area while
the upper floor is made of wood and used exclusively for living quarters with
sliding windows made of capiz. Some of
the houses are now used as souvenir shops.
Stories have been told that Vigan was
spared from destructrion out of
love. During the later part of the WWII,
retreating Japanese troops would blaze any town before leaving so that the
American forces could not make use of
them.
However, one Japanese General who lived
and married a local girl, made a pact with the parish priest to spare the the city in exchange for the
promise that the parish priest will take of his family. Hence, Vigan is a city
spared out of love.
Paburnayan Jar Making
Pot making with bare hands practiced by
early Ilocanos in making burnay (earthen
jars) used for the fermentation of basi.
Chavit’s
Baluarte Zoo
80 hectares of gently rolling terrain,
hills and mountain sides, the structure of facilities and amenities , its
phases of construction is in its best possible realistic and natural habitat for good and sound aninmal
care. Activities include Butterfly
garden, petting zoo (interaction with animals – feeding and mini horse ride in
tiburin), and live animal show.
Hidden Garden
Bantay Bell Tower
