REHABILITATION of historical churches in northern Cebu damaged by the Sept. 30 magnitude 6.9 earthquake is expected to begin next year, with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) clarifying that its role is limited to technical guidance and not funding.
NHCP Chairman Regalado Trota Jose Jr. said the commission has been assisting the Archdiocese of Cebu in planning the restoration of the affected churches.
“Last month, we were also here to help with the planning for the churches that were damaged by the earthquake,” he said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
Planning, assessment underway
Jose said NHCP teams have been in constant coordination with Cebu Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy to assess the structural conditions.
He stressed that the NHCP has no budget to finance repairs.
“Each case is handled separately. We do not have funds, so we look for support — like from politicians or a congressman — but we share the technical expertise, the proper way to ensure the building will not be flagged,” he said.
Damage varies across churches, with some structures severely affected and others still viable for repair.
“The point is to save what can still be saved. We also check the structure’s stability to see whether it can still endure or not,” Jose said.
While full rehabilitation may start in 2026, the NHCP has already deployed teams to help parishes secure heritage materials.
“We have already sent teams to help recover the items — the wood, the religious images — so they can be preserved,” Jose said.
Documentation, training to take time
Capacity-building is ongoing to train parish workers on handling cultural items, but Jose noted that documentation requirements will make the
process lengthy.
The total cost of the damage has yet to be determined.
“May ibang simbahan na malaki ang damage, may iba na hindi; may kanya-kanyang storya yung bawat simbahan,” he said.
The Provincial Board (PB) has approved a resolution urging Gov. Pamela Baricuatro to allocate P18 million for the repair of nine heritage churches in northern Cebu damaged by the Sept. 30 quake.
The measure, authored by PB Member Paz Rozgoni, seeks to provide P2 million per church to support reconstruction efforts that local parishes cannot shoulder alone.
Tourist-destination churches:
• Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church, Bantayan
• Capelinha de Fatima Replica, San Remigio
• St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish Church, Kawit, Medellin
• San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church, Malabuyoc
• Virgen de los Remedios Parish Church, Odlot, Bogo City
Historic churches:
• Santa Rosa de Lima Church, Daanbantayan
• San Juan Nepomuceno Parish Church, San Remigio
• San Vicente Ferrer Church, Bogo City
• San Isidro Labrador Parish, Tabogon
Meanwhile, Jose also visited the Provincial Capitol on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, after leading a ceremony at the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum earlier in the day.
He inspected several areas of the Capitol, including the conference room, the governor’s temporary office, the original west wing office, the dome, and the main entrance.
He was welcomed by Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Mari “Ace” Durano and Assistant Administrator Aldwin Empaces.
Jose described the Capitol structure as “maganda, na-preserve, malinis at maayos, maaliwalas (beautiful, well-preserved, clean and orderly).” / CDF