‘Basilica will be restored to original beauty’

THE belfry at the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño will be restored to its original form and beauty, said the rector, Fr. Jonas Mejares, OSA.

He said architects vowed to do their best to rescue this important part of Cebuano heritage.

Mejares met with President Benigno Aquino III who inspected the Basilica in yesterday’s visit.

“They (architects) gave us an assurance that they will restore the belfry to its original form. They will be using stronger materials this time but its appearance will look like the original belfry,” Fr. Mejares said.

No time frame was given by the architects in rebuilding the Basilica’s belfry which collapsed in last Tuesday’s earthquake.

But it will likely be done in less than a year, said Mejares, a member of the Augustinian order which is custodian of the Basilica and the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu.

“It’s only the belfry that needs to be reconstructed. But we also want the entire facade of the church to be enhanced,” he said.

The coral stones from the old belfry will be used to clad the new structure.

“We’re advised to keep the debris because, at any point, they will be used to make the restored belfry look like the original structure,” Mejares said.

No major damage was seen inside the basilica but the interiors were off limits to the public. Outdoor masses were held instead in the Pilgrim Center.

Mejares said they will open the centuries-old church to devotees after the debris is cleared outside the Basilica and the aftershocks have ceased.

“Due to the aftershocks, we don’t know what might happen. So we have to consider the safety of the people who go inside the Basilica. As soon as the aftershocks are done, we will open the Basilica to the public,” he said.

Masses are being held in the Pilgrim Center in front of the church. President Aquino visited the historical Basilica to check its condition yesterday afternoon.

Aquino was accompanied by Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III. Mejares said representatives of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) will also visit the Basilica.

The nearby Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral also suffered damage.

Cracks appeared on the church’s facade and interior walls. Chunks of the stone belfry and a cross at the entrance fell to the ground.

Rocks from the belfry also crashed into the adoration chapel beside it, creating holes in the ceiling.

Liturgical services resumed inside the cathedral yesterday after Engr. Pericles Dakay checked the structure and gave the go signal for services to resume.

“We can still hold services inside the cathedral but subject to some precautionary measures.

For the structural repairs, we will come to that,” he said. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol