IN PHOTOS: Historic La Loma Cemetery chapel restored in conservation project

MANILA, Philippines – The chapel inside the historic La Loma Cemetery has been brought back to life in a conservation project spearheaded by the Escuella Taller de Filipinas.

The conservation project was launched with the Diocese of Kalookan in June 2021. The restoration work officially began in July 2021 and is expected to be finished by the end of March 2022.

As part of the structure’s restoration, the conservation team removed destructive vegetation that had crept up the masonry stone, and took out the cement plaster that covered the building.

They also rehabilitated and replaced masonry units that have deteriorated or been damaged over time, and refurbished the facade’s details.

The project employed 16 graduates of Escuela Taller, a training center that helps out-of-school youth build skills focused on preserving heritage structures.

Those who worked on the La Loma Cemetery chapel also worked on Escuela Taller’s previous conservation efforts for Malate Church and the Paco Park ossuary.

La Loma Cemetery is one of the oldest gravesites in Manila, and was built to accommodate the overflow from state-run cemeteries in Paco and Sampaloc. It was opened in 1884, following the cholera outbreak of 1882.

The chapel within the cemetery was used as a fort by Filipino fighters in the Philippine-American War, where it was partly damaged by a bomb.

Check out photos of the chapel’s restoration: