Restoration of historic pulpit panels set

THE restoration of the four wooden pulpit panels of the Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio de Maria Santisima Parish Church in the Municipality of Boljoon is set to commence in October this year.

The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) has also confirmed that it will uphold its commitment to returning the historic pulpit panels in Cebu province following Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s speech during her State of the Province Address on August 20.

Jeremy Barns, director general of NMP, told reporters on Aug. 22, 2024, that they have finished procuring the restoration services intended for the panels, which will be carried out by wood and painting experts.

“Right now, we just finished procuring the restoration services for the panels. We’ve been busy trying to work with third-party experts, a restoration group, who are wood and painting conservators,” said Barns in a mix of Tagalog and English.

Barns added that the panels were “carefully assessed” and are scheduled to be refurbished by October, which will undergo a 12-week process.

He also stressed that the process cannot be rushed due to its “meticulous” nature and that it took considerable time to decide on the correct approach for restoring the historic panels.

Rev. Fr. Brian Brigoli, head of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, confirmed in a separate interview on Aug. 24 that they have only finalized the restoration this month.

In a meeting last August 15 with board members, the methodology of the treatment plans for preserving and preventing religious artifacts from deteriorating was presented to them.

“It is a really complex work of conservation. First is documentation, they are going to assess and identify the kind of wood and layers of pigments,” said Brigoli.

“After that, they are going to clean it to remove and retard the weathering elements that cause the panels to decay. They are going to address that and they are going to consolidate everything and the last [step] is the varnish,” he added.

Return, assurance

Earlier in May, the NMP Board of Trustees, in a unanimous decision, approved the return of the panels to the Boljoon Church.

According to Barns, the pulpit panels will be targeted to be returned by next year, considering the readiness of the pulpit panels and agreements.

Barns reassured that although the restoration process could take a while, the plan is in place and everything is progressing toward the expected return of the pulpit panels.

He added that it would be up to the Archbishop to decide on the date of the panels’ unveiling once the restoration works are done.

Brigoli also supported that the panels would be returned eventually, following all conservation efforts.

Meanwhile, the NMP is also requesting a budget of P30 million by next year to fix structural problems in the convent where the Boljoon Museum is situated.

On February 14, the pulpit panels reappeared when a private couple-collector donated them to the NMP, labeling them as a “Gift to the Nation.”

The resemblance of these donated artifacts to the Boljoon Church’s missing panels, which have been missing since the 1980s, led the Cebu Archdiocese to proclaim ownership and request their return.