Work on Sto. Niño belfry set in May

The reconstruction of the Basilica del Sto. Niño’s bell tower will begin on the third week of May.

Dr. Ma. Serena Diokno, chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, said yesterday that they are just waiting for the outcome of the bidding to be conducted early next month.

“The restoration work will proceed in May. I assure you that,” said Diokno during the 450th Kaplag International Conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City yesterday. She said the national government reserved sufficient funds for the restoration of the bell tower as well as the beautification of the centuries-old basilica.

“We will focus on the bell tower. We will restore it using traditional stone masonry. Then we shall also clean the stone walls of the Church and develop some sites,” she said.

Baptismal gift
Diokno said it will likely take two years to complete the restoration works at the basilica.

Aside from the basilica, she said they will also repair the Magellan’s Cross, Fort San Pedro, and churches in Bohol that were all destroyed by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake on October 15, 2013.

During yesterday’s conference, Diokno also discussed about the significance of Cebuano heritage and history, particularly the importance of the Sto. Niño de Cebu.

She relayed the account of Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, that Cebu’s Queen Juana was driven to tears when she received the image of the child Jesus as baptismal gift in 1521.

“The image of the Sto. Niño stands out. Juana actually asked for that icon. She wants to replace her idols with it. The image was a reminder of the son of God,” Diokno said.

The 450th Kaplag International Conference is intended to give 200 participants, most of whom are Augustinian priests and heritage advocates, a deeper understanding of the Sto. Niño. The Kaplag celebration ends on Tuesday. At 10 a..m. today, the image of the Sto. Niño will be brought from the San Nicolas Church to the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City in preparation for the fluvial procession the next day.

At 3 p.m. tomorrow, a grand reenactment of the arrival of the Sto. Niño, and the Kaplag will be portrayed in three different locations in Cebu City.

It will end with a Mass to be presided over by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle at 6:30 p.m. at the basilica’s pilgrim center.

On Tuesday, there will be a solemn foot procession along downtown Cebu City before the Pontifical Mass to be officiated by Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.

On this day, Cebuanos will celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Kaplag or the finding of the Sto. Niño inside a wooden box amid the ruins of a burnt hut in Cebu City.