The visual and cultural spectacle that is the San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte will now catch the eye of hundreds of thousands of MRT commuters after Metrostar Express and cultural advocacy group Filipino Heritage Festival launched the new card on April 22.
The San Agustin Church in Paoay is one of four Baroque churches in the Philippines, and is part of the prominent World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). A Spanish-era church, San Agustin is known for its Earthquake Baroque architecture that has helped it survive countless earthquakes. Its huge buttresses, stones, and bricks were silent witnesses to the province’s glorious past.
“We will immediately release 100,000 single-journey cards bearing the photo of the Paoay Church and the logo of the Filipino Heritage Festival,” MRT3 General Manager Roberto Lastimoso said. Having a lifespan of six months to one year, the tickets are expected to reach 420,000 to 500,000 daily passengers, 80 percent of whom buy single-journey tickets.
The initiative forms part of the annual Filipino Heritage Month born out of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Proclamation No. 439 which seeks to create among the people a consciousness, respect, and pride for the legacies of Filipino cultural history, and love of country. “We are delighted for this opportunity to generate a greater awareness for our heritage sites by featuring them in the MRT ticket,” Filipino Heritage Festival director Anna Maria Harper said. The MRT has become a popular outdoor advertising vehicle in recent years due to its wide reach. “We will share more heritage photos including those of Baroque churches Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church in Miag-ao, Iloilo; and the San Agustin Church in Manila; and the Tubattaha Reef in Palawan with the public after we find sponsors who will back this initiative in the name of heritage conservation,” FHF president Armita Rufino said.
For more information on the new MRT ticket, visit www.dotcmrt3.gov.ph. Inquiries on the Filipino Heritage Month may be directed to 892–5865.
