Fast Facts

 

FAST FACTS RE: THE BOHOL HERITAGE CHURCHES REHABILITATION PROJECT (BHCRP)

1. Of its 57 parish churches, the Diocese of Tagbilaran has classified 20 as identified heritage churches, of which 10 were declared by the Philippine Government cultural agencies (e.g. National Museum of the Philippines, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts) as national cultural treasures, important cultural properties, and national historical landmarks. By virtue of their antiquity, all churches beyond 50 years of age are considered classified historic structures.
2. Bohol heritage churches declared by the NM and/or NHCP are the following:

Church	Address	Category Recognition	Year Declared	Remarks
Immaculate Conception Parish Church and Complex	Baclayon	NHL	1994
		NCT	2010
Most Holy Trinity Parish andComplex	Loay	NHL	2003
		NCT	2013
St. Peter the Apostle Parish Church and Complex	Loboc	NHL	1998	w/ CMP
		NCT	2001
St. Nicholas Tolentine Parish Church and Complex	Dimiao	NCT	2011
Assumption of Our Lady Shrine-Parish and Complex	Dauis	NHL	2009	w/ CMP
		NCT	2011
Holy Cross Parish Church – St. Vincent Ferrer Shrine	Maribojoc	NHL	2009	w/ CMP
		NCT	2010
St. Augustine Parish Church and Complex	Panglao	ICP	2011
Our Lady of Light Parish Church and Complex	Loon	NCT	2010
		NHL	2010
Holy Child Parish Church & Complex	Cortés	NCT	2013
Santa Monica Parish Church & Complex	Alburquerque	ICP	2013

NCT –              National Cultural Treasure

NHL –              National Historical Landmark

ICP –                Important Cultural Property

3. After the rapid assessment audit made by the NCCA Bohol Heritage Task Force on October 17, two days after the 7.2 earthquake, the NCCA discloses the extent of the damage and classified it accordingly

Category	Structure	Significance
Minimal damage	Panglao Church	ICP
	Alburquerque Church	ICP
Moderate to serious damage	Panglao watch tower	NCT
	Punta Cruz watch tower	NCT/NHL
	Pamilacan watch tower	NCT
	Loay watch tower	NCT
	Dimiao Church	NCT
	Bohol Provincial Capitol	ICP
Extensive damage	Baclayon Church	NCT/NHL
	Dauis Church	NCT/NHL
	Loay Church	NCT/NHL
	Cortes Church	NCT
Large scale or total ruin	Loboc Church (70% damage)	NCT/NHL
	Balilihan watch tower (total ruin)	NCT/NHL
	Maribojoc Church (total ruin)	NCT/NHL
	Loon Church (total ruin)	NCT/NHL

4. General Phase of the BHCRP

Phase I – PRE RESTORATION involves retrieval or recovery operation, documentation of retrieved cultural materials, safekeeping, conduct of detailed engineering studies and soil boring tests. This phase has a budget of PhP 96,630,000.00 and runs from 4 to 9 months.

Phase II – Actual Restoration Work Phase. Prior to the actual restoration work, the following data are inputted: scope or program of work, bill of materials, and budgetary estimate. The rehabilitation of each church is conservatively estimated to cost somewhere between PhP 100 million to PhP 200 million.

5. General Decision of the Diocese of Tagbilaran with regard to the damaged heritage churches: To restore as much as can be restored to reconstruct as much as can be reconstructed.

6. General Strategy: the compatible fusion of old and new materials, and the harmonious blending of old and new technology. In this way, the old is revealed by the new, and the new will be embedded in the old.

7. PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE THE BHCRP:

(a) It is the given norm that the identified heritage churches of the Diocese of Tagbilaran damaged by the October 15 earthquake will be fully rehabilitated through restoration and/or reconstruction approach.

(b) Since the full rehabilitation of the damaged churches will take years to be realized, the urgent and immediate pastoral need is the construction of sturdy, not makeshift but provisional or semi-permanent church buildings, rectories, and parochial schools which (i) complement and respect the old church, (ii) are creatively designed, (iii) are heritage conscious, (iv) abide by the three natural laws of sacred architecture, and (v) contemporaneous, even if the said structure/s are presently construed as provisional.

(c)  In considering both major endeavors of reconstructing the old church and erecting a provisional church, the Diocese commits to abide by accepted international, national, and ecclesiastical principles and laws of built heritage conservation.

8. Responsibilities

9. Funding. While the 10 declared heritage churches receive Government funding for rehabilitation, such funding is only partial. Funding is, therefore, raised from the (a) local parish, (b) from Boholanos living outside of Bohol and those abroad, as well as (c) from international nongovernmental organizations, (d) private corporations, and (e) other legitimate sources. The Diocese is working on a mechanism to be registered as a done institution.

 

Source: The Roman Catholic Bishop of Tagbilaran – Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church