Quake-ravaged church needs P100M to rebuild

COMMUNITY AID The earthquake-damaged Holy Rosary Parish Church in Angeles City remains closed as the community pools funds to restore the historic building. —TONETTE OREJAS

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, Philippines — Some P100 million is needed to restore the earthquake-damaged Holy Rosary Parish Church, the site of the first anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence from Spain in 1898.

Hilana Roman-Timbol, parish pastoral council (PPC) coordinator, disclosed the amount as she promoted last week the city’s four fiestas to raise funds for the church’s repair.

The feast of the Guardian Angels was celebrated on Oct. 2 while the La Naval (for the city’s patron Our Lady of the Rosary) was commemorated on the second Sunday of October.

The feast of Apung Mamacalulu (Interred Christ) will be celebrated on the last Friday of the month and the founding day of Angeles City on Dec. 8.

A fun run and a biking event are also scheduled for Oct. 26.

Restoration

The PPC’s restoration and maintenance committee is overseeing the five-year restoration work, with the help of volunteer engineers, architects and other professionals.

Escuela Taller, the engineering firm RBRA and Angeles Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. have also been tapped to help in the church repairs.

“Our parish priest, Fr. Noli [Fernandez], wants the rebuilding of our church to be a community undertaking among rich and poor, young and old,” Timbol said. “The philosophy is getting everyone to help. We want the Holy Rosary Church to endure.”

Heritage

The church is one of four heritage churches in Pampanga that have remained closed due to damages left by the 6.1-magnitude temblor that rattled Luzon on April 22.

Angeles was established as a town in 1829 after it was founded by Angel Pantaleon de Miranda.

The construction of the stone church began in 1860 and was completed in 1897. The church used to be called “Pisamban Maragul” (Big Church).

The P100-million restoration fund will exceed the P40-million budget used for strengthening the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church in Apalit town. —TONETTE OREJAS