MANILA, Philippines -- The 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Central Visayas including Bohol and Cebu destroyed centuries worth of history and valuable tourism assets.
In Bohol, the quake left portions of the Loon and Loboc Churches in rubble. Local officials said it would take time to rebuild.
"Loboc Church is a 17th century church which is a major tourism draw," Rep. Arthur Yap of Bohol's third district, where the church is located, told InterAksyon.com.
In a separate interview, Cebu Representative Ace Durano said the churches of Bohol are very much part of the heritage of Boholanos.
"This reflects the Boholanos' deep appreciation of their cultural assets and reflects their deep religiosity. The fact that these churches are very much part of the lives of the Boholanos render them valuable tourism assets," Durano, former secretary of the Department of Tourism, said.
The Church of San Pedro in Loboc, the second oldest church in Bohol, was built in 1602 but was damaged by fire. In 1638, a more sturdy structure was built, according to the website www.bohol.ph. As it was located near the river, it has survived a number of floods, but remained standing.
The church features paintings on the ceiling, and a Spanish coat of arms can be found in the stone wall near the entrance of the convent. Its bell tower is about 100 meters from the church. Attached to the structure is a three-story convent, which houses the Museo de Loboc on the third floor. The museum keeps old statues of saints and some religious artifacts.
The church is also famous for the Loboc Children's Choir, a school-based chorale of school children from the Loboc Central Elementary School. Founded in 1980, the choir has held concerts all over the country and abroad, and has won several awards.
The Church of Our Lady of Light in Loon, the biggest church in Bohol, was built during the term of Fray Manuel de Elizalde in 1753. The building has two octagonal bell towers, and is fully symmetric. From Loon Church is a long stairway of 174 stone steps connecting it to Napo, the former seat of the town.
The other old churches in Bohol are the Baclayon Church and Dauis Church--both of which were also damaged by the quakes--and Maribojoc Church and Panglao Church.
Unfortunately, according to Australian experts, these beautiful historic churches in Bohol and Cebu were obviously not built to withstand a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.
In Cebu City, the Basilica Del Sto Nino also was not spared as its belfry crumbled during the quake while the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral also sustained damage.
source: interaksyon.com
