St. Augustine's Church, the Vatican in the East The Philippines is dotted with numerous Catholic churches, known as the Vatican in the East. In the capital, Manila, the heart of the city where the Spanish colonists lived, stood a church that had survived the earthquake, typhoon and war. It was 400 years old and was listed by the UNESCO in 1993. Heritage List of St. Augustine. St. Augustine Church is characterized by reliefs on the stones, meticulously realistic. There are paintings on the ceiling and walls inside the church, with the image of Augustine and Jesus in the middle. The most tropical features are the branch lights and bright sunshine that illuminate the stained glass for a long time.