The "Mother Bell" in Staunton Road

The Sagada Bell within its own gate :)

The engraved bell (A.D. 1921)


The Parish Center behind the bell...


The bell with a glimpse of the sunset (17:33 early evening)

The St. Mary the Virgin Bell, also known as the "Mother Bell" or the "Sagada Bell" is one of the most historical artifacts to see when visiting the quaint and laidback town of Sagada in Mountain Province. It is believed to be more than a century old so it's the oldest bell they say. It's made of bronze and apparently, it was cast in the country in the late 1900 or around the early 20th century.

The bell is located about 20 meters away from the front of the Parish Center within the grounds of the Episcopal church, St. Mary the Virgin. It is said that the bell serves as a marker and it is an important symbol of faith for the local community and a major part of the town's cultural and religious heritage. I read that it is still used for community events and various religious services as well.

The history of the bell is not well-documented so stories about it on the web were based on tales from tour guides told to visitors. One version puts it that the bell was requested from a church in Vigan (Ilocos, Sur) and men from both the towns of Sagada and Besao tried to bring it home but they were unable to make it. I imagined that back in the 1900s, cars or trucks were uncommon in the locality so the men must have carried and transported the bell on foot. How laborious that must be!

Then men from Agawa continued on with the pursuit and brought the bell to a village called Malliten and when they rested, men from Sagada hurriedly brought the bell to the destined place. The action is said to have resulted to the separation of the Agawa Tribe from that of Sagada. That's quite a history, noh?

Another version of a story goes that the bell was brought by some Spanish missionaries who established the church in that town. But it is quite an artifact no matter the story behind it.

Anyhow, these photos were captured after our trek to Echo Valley for the Hanging Coffins, then we roamed around the church. We then left our cars on the inner parking grounds and we walked towards the main gate to find a place for dinner when we passed by the area where the bell was so yep, we clicked here and clicked there.

One of these days, I will be sharing about our walk around the church and some others too.

Until then, here's to wish you a fantastic day!

Photos are my own. 26012023/09:15ph

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