A PORTION of the interior of historic St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church in Barangay Vito, Sagay City was gutted by fire late Friday night, July 9, 2021.
Based on information released by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in the city, it received the fire call around 11:17 p.m.
Upon the arrival of the firefighters, the blaze already gutted the right portion of the church's interior.
Arson investigators from the BFP believe the fire quickly spread as the portion of the church is made of lightweight materials, especially the ceiling that was estimated to be a century old.
Firefighters managed to douse the blaze within a few minutes of their arrival, preventing it from totally gutting the entire church. The BFP estimated the damage at under P100,000.
In a statement released by the church's parish priest, Reverend Fr. Joseph Tubiera, they believe the fire was caused by one of the church's amplifier sound systems that they may have forgotten to unplug.
"At the moment, we are in constant coordination with the authorities to ensure the safety of other structures adjacent to the site of the incident, and to determine whether these areas are still viable for use for other spiritual activities of the community," Tubiera said.
The parish community of St. Vincent Ferrer in Barangay Vito is also asking for prayers and all sorts of support in helping their beloved church to thrive and recover from the untoward incident.
Tubiera added the church will continue its worship services, while the damaged portion will temporarily be closed down to the public.
The historic St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church was established by Augustinian Recollect friars in 1860.
The church also hosts a religious ritual called "Palapak" wherein a century-old image of St. Vicent Ferrer is placed on different parts of a person's body to cure ailments.
The church is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Negros Occidental, particularly during the Good Friday observance.