Not to be disappointed with the places we missed around Paoay and Batac, we went to Sarrat to visit Sta. Monica Church. Along the way we spotted Marcos Museum and we didn’t hesitate to visit the said museum.Marcos Museum
Sarrat is known as the birthplace of the Late President Ferdinand Marcos. Born to Mariano and Josefa Edralin Marcos, he lived here until he was 8 years old before moving to Batac. The ancestral house belongs to the Edralin, which is Ferdinand Marcos’s maternal side of the family. The house is a typical 2-storey structure made up of red bricks, the ground floor serving as farm storage and wooden upper floor is used as living quarters.
Marcos family portrait
Inside the ancestral house of the Edralin
Oh well
Looking around the place, there are many items on display like the 4-poster bed where he was born, the old clock set to the time of his birth and old photographs, documents of the Marcoses. We were greeted by the caretaker of the house and gladly explained to us everything that’s on display and some trivia about the Adrenalin-Marcos family. It didn’t took us that long to roam the around house, then it was off to Sta. Monica Church.Sta. Monica Church
Formerly named Church of San Miguel in commemoration of the arrival at Sarrat of the first missionaries on the feast of San Miguel 29 September 1724; now named Sarrat by the Philippine legislature in 1916, restored the original name of the town, Sarrat
Sta. Monica Church is considered the biggest church in the whole Ilocos region and one of the few churches in the country built entirely by red bricks. Besides the church neo-classical and baroque architecture, what I liked about the church is its location. Facing the also picturesque Padsan River, the whole complex is flanked by towering tall trees.
First convent constructed 1769 served as temporary church; destroyed by fire 16 March 1816; church and tower were constructed 1779; another convent was built under the supervision of Father Vicente Berragro and finished May 1817; burned again 18 October 1882; a third convent was built and completed June 1896
Around the complex was generally quiet, all we could hear were the whistling of the wind and the rustling of the leaves. It’s just unfortunate that we weren’t able to enter the church complex, because it was closed to the public that time. Just a bit of trivia, the Sta. Monica Church was the setting of Irene Marcos-Gregorio Araneta wedding in 1983.And for some reason months after the wedding; an earthquake hit the area.Getting There:
From Laoag, going to Sarrat is 15 minutes and it costs 80 pesos if you hire a tricycle. A much cheaper and ideal way is to ride a jeepney, the fare is 15 pesos.
Marcos Museum opens daily from 8am till 5pm, it's just along the highway and it is easy to spot.
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