P650M seen restoration cost

BACLAYON Church in ruins after the 7.2-magnitude quake that struck Bohol province last year TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—The government will spend at least P650 million to restore and repair 25 historical structures damaged in the Visayas by last year’s massive earthquake and Super Typhoon “Yolanda.”

The cost could reach billions of pesos as evaluation of the damage is still ongoing, according to Ma. Serena Diokno, chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

“The government is committed to restore these sites. But understandably, these will come after the priority needs and concerns of the victims in these areas have been addressed already,” Diokno told the Inquirer on the sidelines of the inauguration of the office of  Iloilo Cultural Heritage Foundation Inc.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Oct. 15 last year devastated Bohol province, destroying historical landmarks and centuries-old churches. The tremor also severely damaged structures including famous religious sites in Cebu province.

Those that will be restored by the NHCP and the National Museum include 16 structures in Bohol, eight in Cebu and one in Leyte province.

In Bohol, these include churches in the towns of  Baclayon, Loboc, Dauis, Maribojoc, Loon, Loay, Dimiao, Cortes, Panglao and Albuquerque. Also to be restored are the Bohol provincial capitol and watchtowers in Panglao, Balilihan, Maribojoc and Loay towns as well as on Pamilacan Island in Baclayon.

The historical landmarks that will be restored in Cebu are Basilica del Sto. Niño, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Magellan’s Cross Pavilion, Museo Sugbu, Fort San Pedro and churches in Dalaguete and Sibonga towns as well as in Carcar City.

The Guiuan church in Leyte that was damaged by Yolanda on Nov. 8 last year would also undergo restoration.

Diokno said the 25 structures were among those included in first phase of the restoration efforts because these had been declared as national historical landmarks by the NHCP or as national cultural treasures by the National Museum.

“We have been receiving letters from parishes requesting the restoration of churches not declared as historical landmarks but have historical markers. These will be considered in the succeeding phases,” she said.

The government has initially allocated P650 million for the restoration work but Diokno said the final cost would be determined when a master heritage restoration plan is completed.

Detailed engineering and geological studies are being conducted to test the foundation of the structures and to determine if these would still be safe for restoration, according to Diokno.

In the aftermath of the devastation of historical landmarks and sites, the NHCP plans to train “heritage workers” to act as first-responders during disasters.

The workers will be trained to inspect historical structures damaged by earthquakes and other disasters. They will also be taught how to handle debris from historical structures.