THE Archdiocese of Cebu has been safeguarding its religious assets with cultural and historical significance.
This was revealed by Fr. Bryan Brigoli, chairman of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission of the Cultural Heritage of the Church, in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, amid the calls for the return of “stolen” pulpit panels from Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Santisima Parish Church in Boljoon, southern Cebu.
The commission, established in 2002, has incorporated policies that advance heritage protection and management, said Brigoli in Beyond the Headlines, SunStar Cebu’s online news and commentary program.
According to Brigoli, the commission is coordinating with different parishes and churches under the archdiocese to identify religious artifacts, edifices, and sites with strong and deep cultural and historical significance.
The priest stressed the significance of the preservation of the church assets following the resurfacing of the four stolen pulpit panels from the Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Santisima Parish in the town of Boljoon in southern Cebu.
The National Museum of the Philippines recently received panels depicting St. Augustine of Hippo from Edwin Bautista, chief executive officer of Union Bank last Feb. 14. These panels were reported stolen from Boljoon church’s pulpit in the 1980s and had been missing since then. They were recently turned over to the museum as a “gift to the nation.”
Security cameras
Meanwhile, Boljoon Mayor Jojie Derama said the Municipal Government will install additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras inside the church so they can monitor the goings-on.
He said the church has only one CCTV, installed outside the church.