The Lost Heritage Sites - Churches in Visayas

After the 7.2 earthquake held in Visayas, many of century-old churches were wrecked. Before the earthquake, the churches symbolized the rich culture and history of the Philippines but sadly it ruined.

This photo is from wikipedia,org

This is an AFP PHOTO

Centuries old Loboc Church photos above are the before and after of 7.2 Magnitude earthquake of October 15,2013.

The Church of San Pedro in Loboc, Bohol is the second oldest church in Bohol. It was originally built in 1602, but soon reduced to ashes. In 1638, a stronger one was built. Located near the river, it has survived a number of floods. Inside the church, there are some remarkable naive paintings on the ceiling. A Spanish coat of arms can be found in the stone wall near the entrance of the convent. The bell tower of Loboc is about 100 meters from the church. Attached to the building is a three storey convent, which today houses the Museo de Loboc on the third floor. This museum houses a few old statues of saints, and some other antique religious artifacts.

This church has been declared as a heritage site by UNESCO. The facade detail of the church is primarily Baroque Architecture. But today, the church's facade was completely destroyed and the roof was fallen down. Other churches that ruined by the earthquake are the Basilica del Sto Niño in Cebu (the bell tower was collapsed) and the Baclayon Church that also in Bohol.

It takes so much time and needs more funding for reconstruction for those wrecked churches. Aside of it, for other churches which are historical heritage needs a big retrofit for structural integrity and safety. Those churches are the cradle of strong influence of Spanish era and strong belief of Christianity.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churches_in_Bohol#Loboc