By Gabriela Baron
Vigan City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for centuries-old churches and ancestral houses, also sustained damages following the 7.0-magnitude tremor that rocked Abra Wednesday morning, July 27.
The quake brought damage to Cathedral of Vigan, one of the country’s oldest Augustinian churches.
Heritage houses along Calle Crisologo were likewise damaged.
In a media briefing, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Renato Solidum said the sandy foundation of the city was among the factors behind the damages.
“The reason why there was significant damage in Vigan is that the foundation of the city is essentially sandy because of the big river that would flood the area from time to time,” he said.
“There was amplification of the shaking and many of the churches and historical buildings were damaged,” he added.
Meanwhile, historic sites including portions of the Bantay Bell Tower in Ilocos Sur, as well as Laoag City’s famous Sinking Bell Tower, also crumbled.
In Barangay Poblacion in Tayum, Abra, Santa Catalina de Alejandria Parish, a 19th century Baroque church, also incurred damaged.
A 7.0-magnitude quake rattled Abra and nearby provinces Wednesday morning, triggering landslides and damaging structures in parts of Northern Luzon. –ag
