San Agustin in Manila was the first Philippine baroque church that I visited. It's located conveniently in Intramuros, Manila's small historic center, the only building to survive WWII there. From the outside, this is a bulky church with a Latin American touch. On the inside, it's more refined. It can be visited from the adjoining monastery complex, a quiet refuge from Manila's hustle and bustle.

A more exemplary exponent of the so-called Earthquake Baroque I saw in Paoay, a village 1.5 hours by bus from Vigan (Northern Luzon). This church is also called San Agustin, the Augustinians being the first order to arrive in the Philippines in 1565. This San Agustin church has a spacious setting, so you can have a look at it from all sides.

The large buttresses every few meters that keep the church standing look sturdy enough to withstand an earthquake. While I was looking around this pleasant site, an also visiting Filippino family told me that there even had been an earthquake here last night. "Oh, we have them here all the time...", they said (obviously without worrying). The San Agustin Church will undoubtedly survive a few more.