One thing that sets Sagada from the rest of the Philippines, is that among the Christian cities in the country, Sagada is the only one which is predominantly Episcopalian. The entire Philippines is predominantly Catholic but somehow Sagada managed to be different. As is happened, the missionaries of the Spanish colonizers never got to Sagada, while the next colonizers of the country, the Americans, also brought their own missionaries and these missionaries managed to make their way to Sagada.
The American missionaries established an Episcopalian parish in the very early 1900s called the Church of St. Mary the Virgin. The locals took to it quite readily thus making them the only town in the Philippines which is predominantly Protestant. However, this is not to say that traditions have been wiped out. The locals still celebrate their festivals in the traditional way. The older folk still get buried in wooden coffins suspended on the side of a mountain.
The parish is centered on what is called the Mission Compound which is composed of, of course, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, St. Mary’s School and the cemetery. The church itself is unlike most churches in the Philippines. The building is a single story with a more modern architecture compared to the fancy Spanish buildings built all over the country. It is set in a very nice garden setting, keeping harmony with nature.
Inside the church is surprisingly much like any other church, the pews all lined facing the altar. They even have a large crucifix at the altar. The windows beside the building let some light in giving the church a very nice effect. There were no services going on when I visited but it is said that the Sagada people are very religious and support their church a lot.
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