Belfry

Said to be the most massive belfry among the churches of Pampanga. Documents written that it was a five storey belfry, base it on actual, the actual only had a four storey one. My friend got an old floor plan of the church and there it shows there was still a floor below ground level. It might be that the record tells that what seems like veranda above was counted a floor. Indeed the belfry appears to be massively done on an octagonal shape. Ground floor was dedicated for the repository of Images and there lies the old baptismal font. The stair leading to the top of the belfry starts at the side of the church along the present alley. Slabs of wood used for the stairs were colored painted and embedded at the side walls of the church. The corner end of the stair was dark and narrow, and if one looses track the abrupt change in level of floor may harm. The way after the stair leads to a spacious area called the choir loft. The former choir loft is just at present for the storage of church appurtenances. Further, there was an entry leading to the belfry, here one can notice that some of the openings were closed by adobe and bricks same as the church construction materials. A wooden stair leading to the third level was present as one look above the third level has a wooden floor. The next floor has also a wooden stair up to the top most floors. Slab was present above as it suggest that the above floor was of concrete. The floor slab above had its bracing present at this area, made up of four woods. And the topmost floor is where the bells of the church were. There was also a steel made stair up to the finial. A panorama of the town can be seen here. Bats were also found in this area. Abundant with the manure of these bats, the floor was almost covered. Several times I have been at this post, the first was when I am still a SAKBS. The scene was very accommodating, especially when one sees the other parts of the church like its roofing and the top of the façade. The most I cherished was when we took a shoot at this area for the MTV.