San Sebastian group petitions vs apartment block

The San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation Inc. has launched an online petition to oppose the construction of a 31-story condominium right behind the 129-year-old all-steel church deemed a national historical landmark. The San Sebastian Church, completed in 1891, is the only all-steel church in Asia and the only prefabricated steel church in the world, according to CBCP.net, the official news arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. The opposition has been consistent since the announcement of the construction but authorities have approved it, according to the petition. The goal of the petition is to raise 400,000 signatures by August 2021. —JODEE A. AGONCILLO