Restoration works on Sto. Niño church to finish before IEC

Life has slowly edged back to normal in Cebu’s historic churches although restoration works continue two years after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the island and Bohol.

The big challenge now, however, is to bring back the grandeur of these places of worship in time for the forthcoming 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) that will be held in Cebu City from Jan. 24 to 31, 2016.

The Basilica del Sto. Niño, Cebu’s oldest church, is still without a bell tower after the structure collapsed during the strong quake in the morning of Oct. 15, 2013.

Fr. Jonas Mejares, rector of the centuries-old basilica, said the contractor is doing everything to restore the belfry and refurbish the whole church before the IEC.

“We were given the assurance that everything will be finished by December or early January next year. We’re really doing the best we can so that by the time the delegates visit the basilica, they would see its splendor,” Mejares told the Inquirer.

The project of restoring the bell tower was awarded to 401 Development and Construction Corporation which won the bidding done in the middle of the year.

The reconstruction works, supervised by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), begun last July 2015.

Metal scaffolding and braces were installed at the church’s facade to shield the people from falling debris as well as to support the remaining structures.

Workers are currently bleaching the basilica’s facade to remove dirt and dark spots on the coral stones.

“We are taking steps to maintain the beauty of the basilica. We must take care of the entire structure and everything on it for the benefit of the people,” he said.

Fr. Mejares said the reconstruction works at the basilica are also done in celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Kaplag or the finding of the image of the child Jesus, as well as the presence of the Augustinians in the Philippines, and the 50th anniversary of the elevation of the Sto. Niño Church into a minor basilica.

“This is our gift to the basilica, and we want to show the people the original face of the basilica 50 years ago,” Mejares said.

While the basilica’s facade will be restored to its original design, he said not all seven bells shall be re-installed.

“The biggest bell will no longer appear on the tower. It shall be removed because it poses risks during earthquakes due to its weight. Only the six smaller bells shall be re-installed there,” Mejares explained.

After thorough evaluation and inspection, he said experts also suggested to lighten the bell tower’s foundation

Mejares said he trusts the NHCP experts as well as the 401 Development and Construction Corporation who are tasked to restore the original beauty of the basilica.

He said the construction firm also restored the churches of Santa Barbara and Miag-ao in Iloilo.

“I have seen their previous works and I believe they can get the job done in our basilica,” Mejares said

The Basilica del Sto. Niño has been the home of the centuries-old image of the child Jesus that was given as baptismal gift by Portuguese explorer Ferdinan Magellan to Cebu’s Queen Juana in 1521.

The original church was founded in 1565, but the current structure, which is made of coral stones, was finished not later than 1739.

Nine Churches

Aside from the Basilica del Santo Niño, nine other churches in Cebu were damaged by the October 2013 earthquake.

These are the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral in downtown Cebu City; Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish in Barangay Pardo, Cebu City; St. Catherine de Alexandria Parish in Carcar City; St. Francis de Assisi Parish in Dumanjug; Nuestra Señora del Pilar Parish in Sibonga; Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Argao; the San Guillermo de Aquitania Parish in Dalaguete; Nuestra Señora de Patrocinio Parish in Boljoon; and St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Samboan.

Fr. Brian Brigoli, chairman of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission on Culture and Heritage, said restoring the damaged churches has two phases.

The first phase, he said, involves a detailed study and various procedures to determine whether or not the place where the church stands is still safe.

If the area is deemed stable, Brigoli said the restoration can begin.

So far, three churches – the cathedral, St. Catherine de Alexandria Parish in Carcar City, and the San Guillermo de Aquitania Parish in Dalaguete – have finished their restoration phase although they are still renovating some areas that need to be repaired even before the earthquake, he said.

Brigoli said restoring damaged churches requires much patience.

“Restoration works should not be hastily done. We need to study very well first before carrying out the necessary intervention procedures,” he said.

Of the 10 damaged churches in Cebu, Brigoli said only four receive financial assistance from the NHCP.

They are the Basilica del Sto. Niño, Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Argao, St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Samboan, and St. Francis de Assisi Parish in Dumanjug.

All the rest have to raise their own funds to repair the churches.

Msgr. Ruben Labajo, team moderator of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, said they relied on financial donations, second collections at Sunday Masses, and fund-raising events to gather resources to repair portions of the church that were damaged by the earthquake.

The cathedral, the ecclesiastical seat of the Archdiocese of Cebu, sustained major cracks on its facade and interior walls.

“We were told that the government could not provide us with financial help because we didn’t follow the procedures such as having a DES (Detailed Engineering Study),” he said in an interview.

DES serves as guide in a reconstruction work. It includes various processes to determine whether the soil where the church stands is stable and if the materials of the old structure can still be reused.

Labajo said the cathedral spent about P8 million to repair portions that were damaged by the earthquake.

He said they need another P8 million to beautify the Cathedral and its premises in preparation of the IEC which is expected to bring about 15,000 national and foreign delegates to Cebu City.

“We appeal to people for help. Amid all these calamities, people never wavered in their faith. They are instead strengthened and inspired to unite for a cause. Yes, there are struggles but in the ends, we know a reward await us,” he said.