Pampanga church now a ‘cultural treasure’
The number of national cultural treasures (NCTs) in the Philippines is now 139 following the declaration of the Sta. Monica Church here as such on Saturday.
Most of the NCTs are churches built during the Spanish colonial period, said Angel Bautista, chief of the National Museum’s cultural properties division.
The government started declaring NCTs and securing their preservation in 1973 with the mummy caves in Kabayan, Benguet, the tourist town of Sagada and Barangay (village) Alab in Bontoc town, both in Mt. Province.
An NCT is a “unique cultural property found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which is highly significant and important to the country, and officially declared as such by pertinent cultural agency,” according to the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 10066).
The declaration, which conferred the NCT status on the 17th-century Minalin structure and its liturgical objects, was signed by Jeremy Barns, National Museum director, in the presence of Governor Lilia Pineda, Mayor Arturo Naguit, Fr. Gregorio Vega, architect Owen Canlas, local officials, civic leaders and residents.
Two thanksgiving Masses, officiated by San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto and Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David preceded the unveiling of the NCT marker that was installed below the choir loft of the church.
Naguit led the application for an NCT status, which was verified by a panel of experts, Bautista said.
The declaration said the church, “built in a cruciform plan, is 52 meters long, 13 meters wide and 11 meters high and [pieces of] evidence of Buddhist influences [are shown] through highlights of escudo and lotus flowers decorations on its first door, as well as carvings and designs throughout the building that depict pre-Hispanic motifs such as the naga (dragon), the ubingan (serpent), the dapu (crocodile), the bulig (mudfish) and the galura (eagle).”
Its four capilla posas (small outdoor chapels) distinguished the church “as the only church in the Philippines where such integral elements are to be found in their historic state,” it said.
Found to be an authentic Augustinian church, it displays a façade similar to a retablo (multilevel niches for images of saints), holds a 1619 mural that depicts the town’s landscape and keeps an antique La Consolacion painting.
Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo praised the efforts of local officials in leading the conservation of heritage, but reminded that the “real treasure is the people of Minalin.”
David urged residents to “guard the heritage of our faith and bequeath it to the next generation.”
Bautista said properties declared as NCTs and national historical landmarks are entitled to priority government funding for protection, conservation and restoration.
The municipal government has joined the Sta. Monica parish’s commission on cultural heritage, restoration and conservation in undertaking a tourism plan to make the church a destination of pilgrims and the town as site of river cruises and picnics.
Minalin is a major producer of chicken eggs and tilapia in the province.
