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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-18/santo-domingo-church-old.webp" alt="Santo Domingo Church in Intramuros" />
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(The fifth Santo Domingo Chruch in its original location in Intramuros)
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It is a history of construction and destruction, as each completed structure eventually succumbed to disasters, only to be rebuilt again and again, but bigger and stronger than the one preceding it. From the first, humble structure built from bamboo, wood and nipa, it eventually became the second largest church in Intramuros, upon the completion of the fifth structure, a neo-gothic church of brick and stone, before it was destroyed during the Second World War.
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In 1589, the original church structure was partially destroyed by an earthquake. As the roof had collapsed, the Dominicans decided to build a larger church made of stronger material. Through the direction of Father Alonzo Jimenez, the second church was made from stone. The church was inaugurated on April 9, 1592. It was however destroyed by a fire on April 30, 1603, a fire which destroyed about a third of the walled city of Intramuros.
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Almost immediately after the 1603 fire, a bigger and costlier third church was built. It contained a stone vault as precaution against fire and earthquake.  Donations were used to fund its construction. Though made of stone, it was destroyed by another earthquake on November 30, 1645, leaving only the high altar standing.
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The first Catholic missionaries to arrive in Manila were Spanish Augustinians who came in 1571 with Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The Franciscans came a few years later, in 1577. It was in 1587 that the first Dominicans arrived in Manila from Cadiz in Spain.  The Santo Domingo church complex served as the  headquarters of the Dominicans in Manila.
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A fourth church of stone and hardwood was built on the same location. It had wooden arches and wooden posts supporting the roof, thus dividing it into three naves. The artistic interior designs were executed under the direction of Father Francisco Gainza. The church took two years to build, and its structural soundness made it last for 250 years. Initiated by Father Castro, a new façade was planned. Flanked by two towers, it was patterned after London's St Paul's Cathedral, designed by Christopher Wren. Work on the façade alone lasted almost a year. The church was inaugurated on June 15, 1862.
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January 1, 1588: the Santo Domingo Church, founded by the Spanish Dominicans in 1587, was inaugurated