The St. Augustine of Hippo Church in Bacong, Negros Oriental remains closed to the public until further notice as an assessment of the structural integrity of its ceiling is underway.
The centuries-old church is a National Cultural Treasure, as declared by the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) in 1972, and is the only one in Negros Island.
The closure comes after a portion of the church’s ceiling collapsed last week, although no one was hurt in the incident that happened at night, Msgr. Julius Perpetuo Heruela, who heads the Committee on Church Cultural Heritage of the Diocese of Dumaguete, said Sept. 22.
Heruela told the Philippine News Agency that the part of the ceiling that fell off was apparently caused by bird droppings and dust that had accumulated over the years.
“Just today, there are volunteers undertaking documentation of the church’s ceiling to determine its current status, stability, and overall condition,” Heruela said.
The volunteers are supervised by Engr. Oliver Yu, a member of the diocesan heritage committee, is in close coordination with the municipal engineer’s office.
Since Sept. 17, the parish has announced that daily Masses will be held at the Holy Family Formation Center, located inside the parish compound, until further notice for the safety of churchgoers.
Heruela said a report will be submitted to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for proper guidance.
He emphasized that once declared a National Cultural Treasure, subsequent changes, such as rehabilitation, structural repair, and restoration of a cultural property, should be handled by or with permission from the concerned government authorities.
A National Cultural Treasure is “a unique object found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which is significant to this country and nation” (Section 3 of Presidential Decree No. 374).
The St. Augustine of Hippo Church, also known as the Bacong Church, was built in 1865 by the Augustinian Recollects.
It is famous for its pipe organ, which originated from Zaragoza in Spain.
Heruela said the resumption of Masses at the Roman Catholic church in Bacong will be determined by the proper authorities. ||
