Brief Description:
In 1731, the Agustinians built a simple church and convent in the town of Miag-ao. The town, originally located on a plateau by the sea was burned with its church by Muslim pirates. The priests then decided to transfer the town to the edge of a hill overlooking the Miag-ao River. The new church was built as a fortress for protection against future invasions. Built of a local yellow-orange sandstone, the fortress-church was completed in 1797 and has withstood all the earthquakes and the typhoons in the area.

Source: National Commission for Culture and the Arts - Philippines