Sagada, Philippines: Self-Guided Walking Tour

The best things to do in Sagada include visiting the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and learning about the people and events connected with its grounds. The church’s history reaches back to 1904 and includes the work of American missionaries, a distinctive Anglo-Catholic tradition, and a role as a place of refuge during the Marcos dictatorship. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Sagada with two narrated places, available in 11 languages.

What to See in Sagada

Church of St. Mary the Virgin

The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is the main Episcopal church in Sagada. American missionaries established it in 1904, when the Philippines was opening to American Protestant missions. It was built under the Episcopal Church in the United States, with Reverend John Staunton leading the work. Reverend Albert Frost joined him as assistant in 1918.

The church became known for its strongly Anglo-Catholic worship. These practices caused disagreements within the Episcopal Church. In 1918, Bishop Graves of Shanghai ruled that singing hymns before the Reserved Sacrament and venerating a statue of the Virgin were not permitted. Staunton and Frost resisted the directive, and the practices continued in Sagada. After another dispute in 1924, both men resigned at the end of that year.

St. Mary’s also played a role in more recent Philippine history. During the Marcos dictatorship, it became a place of refuge. In 1983, people fleeing the Beew massacre took shelter in the church, where Father Paul Sagayo Junior assisted them until legal and journalistic help became available.

The church grounds are also connected with historian William Henry Scott, who was buried there in 1993. The site therefore brings together religious history, local memory, and a significant chapter of the country’s political past.

William Henry Scott memorial

A historical marker at the William Henry Scott memorial invites visitors to pause and consider the story presented there. Scott’s burial in the grounds of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in 1993 gives the site a direct connection with the historian’s memory.

The memorial is one of the two places included in Neywo’s free Sagada audio guide, alongside the church itself.

A Free Audio Guide for Sagada

Neywo’s Sagada audio guide includes two narrated places. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages, making it a simple way to add historical context while visiting the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and the William Henry Scott memorial.

Download Neywo to explore Sagada with its free audio guide. The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, so you can visit independently, stop when you want, and follow the experience at your own pace—without a group or a schedule.

Planning a wider trip through the Philippines? You can also continue exploring other destinations in the country, including Manila, Vigan, and Puerto Princesa.