Repairs of quake-damaged churches in Batangas under way

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) said it would need at least P6 million to begin assessing the integrity of antique churches in Batangas, after major earthquakes struck the province in April.

The St. Martin de Tours Basilica, more popularly known as Taal Basilica, in Taal town, and the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Batangas City were damaged, prompting church officials to seek help from structural engineers and government agencies.

At Taal Basilica, church workers had finished repairing a portion of the façade that was chipped off by the 5.5-magnitude earthquake on April 4. They also put back the capitals that broke off during another wave of tremors on April 8.

According to parish priest Aurelio Dimaapi, the minor basilica in Batangas City remains closed although workers have already fixed the fallen cornices inside.

Masses, Dimaapi said, were still being held at the pastoral center, an adjacent building.

Architect Rey Lita, head of NHCP’s architectural restoration division, said there was an urgent need to restore the old churches, both of these over a century old, to prevent the structures’ collapse.

Lita said the NHCP sought from the Department of Budget and Management P3 million to P5 million for each church to fund detailed engineering studies.

Asked about the importance of these studies, Lita, in a telephone interview, said: “It’s just like a patient having to undergo urinalysis or blood tests to determine [his illness].” —MARICAR CINCO