THE St. Peter and St. Paul Parish in the City of San Fernando has once again been closed to public to make way for ongoing structural evaluations following the 6.1-magnitude quake that hit Pampanga in April 2019.
This was after the Archdiocesan Council for Cultural Heritage (ACCH) recommended the closure to pave way for the needed evaluations to ensure the safety of the structure.
Starting May 26, Sunday Masses from 5 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. will be held at the Santo Padre Pio Chapel inside Villena Subdivision.
Daily masses, meanwhile, are to be held at the church’s Parish Hall.
ACCH Secretariat is recommending a lockdown of all heritage churches (no activities inside and cordon off to secure the whole premises) until they are deemed safe. The Technical Secretariat is coordinating with experts and national agencies to assure everyone's safety, the ACCH said.
Among the heritage churches, Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish sustained severe damage to its belfry. Only the first floor of the four-story belfry remains, while part of the rubble fell on the nave of the church, causing further damage.
Damage was also reported in the heritage churches of Angeles City, Lubao, Minalin and Santa Rita.
At the historic Saint Augustine Parish Church in Lubao town, the brick spire collapsed during the earthquake. The church was declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum in 2013.
Nearby Santa Rita de Cascia Church in Santa Rita town also sustained damage to its belfry when large cracks at its top dome showed after the quake. Authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage.
Apung Mamacululu Shrine in Angeles City also sustained minor damage when portions of the concrete covering the nave fell.
Two heritage chapels in Porac town, the Hacienda Dolores chapel and Pio Chapel in Barangays Hacienda Dolores and Pio, also sustained damage.
The belfry of the Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish collapsed when the earthquake shook parts of this town.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines chairman Rene Escalante had earlier traveled to Pampanga with a team of heritage conservation and restoration experts to assess the damage to heritage churches in Pampanga.