Ilocos Norte’s Paoay Church dazzles with ‘northern lights’ for holiday revelers

The UNESCO world heritage site Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte dazzles with ‘northern lights,’ mesmerizing both local residents and tourists. (Photo courtesy of Edison Adzuara)

LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte — A dazzling display of lights illuminate the facade of the UNESCO world heritage site St. Augustine Church in Paoay town, Ilocos Norte, both mesmerizing local residents and tourists this holiday season.

The “Northern Symphony of Lights” transformed the St. Augustine Church, also known as Paoay Church, into a “spectacular showcase of lights set to holiday tunes,” the Ilocos Norte tourism office (INTO) said.

Kids and kids-at-heart witnessed a jaw-dropping sight of the lights similar to the phenomenon called “Aurora Borealis.”

Mei Ulit, a local resident from Batac City, said a light show in a magnificent landscape such as the Paoay Church could bring relief and a sort of escape from the “dire times we have had in the past two years because of the pandemic.”

Provincial tourism officer Aianree Raquel said in a social media post that the “biggest laser light spectacle [staged] in the country” was designed by Voltaire de Jesus.

“I am particularly thrilled by the response of audiences who have been to Paoay Church,” said Raquel.

In previous years, the provincial government had been staging several light shows in the province which was why Raquel’s team found it “a real challenge to keep innovating.”

At the height of the pandemic last year, a light show accompanied by a medley of traditional Ilocano songs at the world heritage site brought a reprieve to residents who were troubled after months-long of being under quarantine during the first year of the pandemic.

Large crowds were expected to witness the new dazzling spectacle at the Paoay Church as COVID-19 curbs were eased and provincial borders were reopened during the peak tourism season this December.

Latest data from the provincial government showed that over 3,000 tourists visited the province from December 1-15, a thousand-fold increase compared to the number recorded in the same period last year.

Most quarantine curbs in Ilocos Norte had been eased with only 13 active COVID-19 cases out of the 18,956 infections recorded since the pandemic began in 2020, data from the provincial government showed. At least 16 of the 23 towns and cities in the province are already freed of COVID-19 cases, the same data showed.

The light show at the Paoay Church will run until January 6, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, according to INTO.