Tumauini Church

San Matías at Tumauini was finished in the 1780s and it is unlike any other church in the Philippines because of what it is made of: fired brick, used not merely as structure but as ornament, with thousands of moulded and stamped bricks carrying rosettes, medallions, floral panels and figures set into the facade and the tower. The bell tower is the signature - circular rather than square, in three diminishing stages with a domed cap, which is the reason everyone describes it as a wedding cake, and the only round colonial bell tower of its kind in the country. The church was declared a National Cultural Treasure and has undergone slow restoration, with earthquake damage and the climate steadily working on the brick. It stands in an ordinary Cagayan Valley town on the highway, so most people see it as a stop between Tuguegarao and the south rather than a destination.

What you actually see

• The round bell tower - three stacked stages with a domed top.
• The moulded brick - stamped ornament across the facade.
• The decorated panels - rosettes and figures set into the walls.
• The valley setting - the church in a working farm town.

When to go

November to May for dry weather and good light on the brick. Weekday mornings for a quiet church; it is a working parish.

Honest expectations

Restoration is ongoing and scaffolding may be up. The interior is plain compared with the exterior. There is little interpretation and few facilities in town.

Nearby

Ilagan and the Cagayan Valley road run south; Tuguegarao and the Callao Caves are about an hour north.