IN 360: Iconic churches before Visayas quake

Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Enter the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon, Bohol, and the St Catherine's Church in Carcar, Cebu, before the quake damaged them

BEFORE THE QUAKE. The Baclayon Church in Bohol, a National Historical Treasure, is one of the churches damaged by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Oct 15, 2013. File photo by Fung Yu

MANILA, Philippines – The magnitude 7.2 earthquake in the Visayas on Tuesday, October 15, damaged at least 10 churches that serve not only as places of worship, but as tourist attractions and historical treasures. (READ: Heartbreaking: 10 iconic churches in Cebu, Bohol damaged.)

Have you been to these churches before the earthquake?

Rappler contributor Fung Yu has immortalized two of these damaged churches – the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon, Bohol, and the St Catherine’s Church in Carcar, Cebu – in 360-degree images. 

In a click, enter these historical gems before the earthquake damaged them. Feel free to explore – rotate, zoom in, and zoom out at your own pace.

Completed in 1727, the Baclayon Church is a National Historical Treasure. More than 200 laborers built this church out of coral stone, the Baclayon tourism office says.

(Virtually enter the Baclayon Church below.)

The Carcar Church, which was completed in 1876, is considered the second oldest church in Cebu. It is “admired for its byzantine archtecture,” according to the University of Hawaii’s Center for Philippine Studies.

(Virtually enter the Carcar Church below.)

The Heritage Conservation Society on Tuesday said the recent destruction shows the need to protect these antique churches.

“We call on the Philippine government to allot funds for the proper reconstruction and restoration of these heritage churches, which are priceless Philippine cultural treasures. We also ask government cultural agencies, particularly the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and National Museum to take the lead in restoration efforts and move as one,” the group said.

DAMAGED CHURCH. The Carcar Church in Cebu is among those damaged by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Oct 15, 2013. Photo by Sherwin Madrio of Carcar Vintage Group

 


The NCCA board announced on Tuesday that the 3 cultural agencies will lead the assessment and restoration efforts.

Tuesday’s earthquake not only destroyed these historical treasures, but claimed at least 28 lives. (READ: Strong quake rocks Visayas; 28 dead.)

The provincial governments of Cebu and Bohol placed their provinces under a state of calamity after the earthquake. (READ: State of calamity in Cebu, Bohol.) – Paterno Esmaquel II/Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!