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THE SINKING BELLTOWER

Laoag City is also famous for its "Sinking Bell Tower", which sinks into the ground at a rate of an inch a year. It has survived several minor earthquakes since its construction, causing scholars to label it an Earthquake Baroque style structure. The tower, built presumably after the 1707 earthquake, has a foundation of 90 metres (300 ft). It is made of locally manufactured bricks joined by molasses and juice of sablot leaves[4] mixed with lime and sand, and reinforced with four massive columns on each corner and a winding stairway leading to the belfry. It used to have a large clock on the tower's western face

The bell tower was presumably built after the 1707 earthquake. It has withstood several minor earthquakes since completion, thus earning membership to the “Earthquake Baroque” style label by architecture scholars, along with several churches across the Philippines and Guatemala. It was locally constructed by Ilocano artisans who used bricks joined by molasses and leaves from a local plant named sablot. With a foundation of 90 meters and a height of 45 meters, it was a solid structure that towered over Ilocanos for centuries.

It is believed that the tower is sinking at a rate of an inch every year. There aren’t any conclusive scientific explanations for this, but one accepted theory is that the tower being built on sandy land and its heavy and massive structure is causing it to slowly bury itself into the ground.

Stories from the past tell of people mounted on horses being able to pass through the tower’s gates. However, if one visits the bell tower today, they would realize they would have to almost crawl through its gates to enter the bell tower. (Unfortunately, the city council strictly prohibits unauthorized entry into its prized piece of history.)

Today, the bell tower is also sinking in a figurative way. The booming city of Laoag continues to undergo tremendous structural changes. The cathedral itself was recently repainted beige and yellow but the old, gray sinking bell tower still stands, tarnished only by the passing of time.

The entrance of the Laoag Sinking Bell Tower leads to a vaulted tunnel. According to old stories, a man on a horseback could pass through this opening without stooping. At present an adult with average height could not pass through the tunnel without bending forward.