“LETS BEGIN”

History and Concept

           In this section we will be having a time machine, bringing you from the very beginning on how the in famous Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception built, most commonly known as the Baclayon church. In which the age of this church is now 291 c.1727 years old.

               In 1596, the first Jesuits arrived in Bohol was Fr. Gabriel Sanchez and Fr. Juan de Torres who first spread Christianity in Bohol. They founded the Baclayon Church and it underwent major renovations. During World War II, the Baclayon Church suffered damages but was restored into its original state. The building was made of millions white of eggs that were said to have been used as cement. Some two hundred native forced laborers constructed the church from coral stones which they took from the sea near the church. The workers cut it into square blocks and put it to each other. In building the church, the laborers only used bamboo in order for them to lift and move the stones in position. It was completed in the year 1527, it took them ten years to finish the church. Later in 1835 the large bell of baclayon church was created and installed.

          Somewhere underneath the Baclyon church there is a dungeon. Inside the dungeon are those imprisoned natives, they got imprisoned because they didn’t follow the rules and law of the Spaniards of the Roman Catholic Church. It is sad to think that some part of this church are being used by Spaniards to let our ancestor which is natives’ Filipino suffered from their wrong action to the point, the Spaniards didn’t think that the place they used as a prison is a sacred place.

                The interior of the church is abundant with eye-catching displays like the crystal chandelier, altar with gold-decorated carvings, silver tabernacle, life-size statues, which date back to the early 16th century. It is surrounded with impressive stone building that were added by the Augustinian Recollects way back in the 19th century. If you will view the Baclayon church, you will see an old convent next to the church. It was a known small museum that is full of old religious relics, artifacts and other antiques that were century old. Every tourist who will enter the museum will pay an entrance fee worth 50 pesos. An Ivory Satue of the crucified Christ looking towards heaven, a statue of the Blessed Virgin which said to be presented by Queen Catherine of Aragon, relics of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, old gold embroidered ecclesiastical vestments, book with carabao skin covers, and librettos of churh music written in Latin on sheep skins.

           You can also find in the small museum the Cuadro painting made by the Filipino painter Liberato Gatchalian in the year 1859. In 1835, the watch tower or the bell tower was started to build but left by the Jesuits, it was completed by the Augustinian Recollects. The watch tower or the bell tower was originally not connected from the church but now connected following the inclusion of the row columns supporting the entrance of the church. In 1727, the facade was constructed by the Jesuits. It features a choir room that has 19th century pipe organ age about 185 years old that said to be considered as the third oldest organ in the country. The pipe organ was built in the year 1824 and restored in the year 2008. It is one of the features of the church that can be considered as a heritage of the age. The interior of the church is surrounded by an arcade that leads to the narthex. In 1852, a new wooden floor was built but it was replaced by a tiled floor during the year 1874 to 1875.

         There are several paintings dating to 1856 to 1859 that can be seen on the wooden panels. The church right side has an 1870 Pulpit made in Baroque and Neo-classical style. The Baclayon church features three altars: Retalblo Mayor-the center of the altar has the anagram of Virgin Mary, its upper most level has the presentation of Saint Joseph while the middle level has the images of Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and the Holy Trinitg and the lowest level has the image of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne ;The Gospel Retablo-which is in the left side that is dedicated to Santo Niño; and The Epistle Retablo-has the 19th century image of Our Lady Consolation in the right side of the church. Both the external and internal parts of the church contain various interesting and impressive relics and artifacts that are century-old. All of this are still standing perfectly and preserved.

       Baclayon church is the best preserved Jesuit-built church in the country. The Baclayon church played a vital role in the history of Bohol since it was the first municipality ever to be established in the island by the Spaniards.There are many tourists said that the Baclayon church is very well preserved. It firmly stands as a proof to the boholano’s devotion to their faith. In 2013, magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits Bohol where many buildings and other cultural heritage that they preserved suffered from severe damages. Bohol took four years to recover economically but the damaged churches including the Baclayon church is still in the process of restoring it. The people living there are still traumatized because of the earthquake with the magnitude 7.2 that also caused casualties.

Problem and Solution

          Baclayon church was one of the famous and oldest church in history build in our country and located in the municipality of Baclayon Bohol. And because of this the municipality was known of its finest, many tourists’ visited the island of Bohol, came from different country, color, culture, language but share one goal and this goal is to come and witness the eye catching old structure of this church that is made up of coral stone. But the beauty of this church vanished, when the island of Bohol hit by the largest earthquake of all times with the magnitude of 7.2, at 8:12 am on October 15, 2013 and many centuries churches in Bohol including the Baclayon church were damage. And because of this the portico and bell tower collapsed.

            And to maintain and preserved the beauty of this church the Diocese of Tagbilaran plans to restore the said church. The church has been close to public for the meantime to undergo the said restoration, the worker cleared the unnecessary debris and ensure to install braces to prevent further collapsed, retrieval of remaining objects like carvings, ceiling paintings and stone blocks that can still re-used in the rebuilding process. And also to ensure and save more the remaining beauty of the century church they also do ground penetrating radar test to determine the geological integrity of the area and ensure if the reconstruction is still applicable to take place.

           The largest earthquake that hit the island of Bohol are consider now as one of the tragic historic event and probably one of the biggest problem of numerous Boholanos. Since it resulted to loss their tourist attraction and foreign visitor, and to solve the problem they faced after the earthquake some engineers undergo thorough and detailed investigation to assess the structure’s condition and the requirements for restoration of the Baclayon church. According to Chairperson Maria Serena “the basis for restoration will be the results of the scientific tests described by the report”, in which this statement means that the restoration of Baclayon church is not as easy as counting numbers but it does really follow scientific based just to saved and preserved the Boholanos pride. But even though this Baclayon church has been under reconstruction there are still a lot of foreigners who insist to visit the said church, that’s why they are required to wear hard hats for their safety in case in theirs after shock happened while they are taking pictures inside the church. Where in inside they can see the altar were large crack is visible.

           The question is why Baclayon church is part of the cultural and historical heritages of Bohol. Because as we look back from the very beginning, Boholanos are religious types people, and we can really do prove this one, because until now they still practice respect to their religion. I can prove this by myself since I already came and visit on this church in where I witnessed that if the visitor will wear short or sexy dresses they are required to wear long skirt and coat provided by Boholanos staff.

LAW

          In able to make sure the availability of heritage in the future we need laws to preserved it. And according to the Republic Act no. 10066 also known as Philippine Cultural Heritage Act, which aimed to provide protection, preservation, and promotion of the nation cultural heritage. Law help us to preserved what is deserving to preserved for, it creates necessary standard to assist what is worthy to protect for. And in order to restore the Baclayon church the National Commission for Culture and The Arts (NCCA) undergo a hearing to talk about what are possible and appropriate action they make take to save and restore the cultural heritage that has been hit by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake. And according to Jobers Bersales in his written article it is pretty clear and obvious that the government is the major source of funding, by the rehabilitation process to rebuild the damage heritage structures in Bohol, and he also state that “after saving the lives of affected victims by the disaster will it is necessarily come next the reconstruction”. In this statement we can directly understand that cultural heritage is already part of the everyday lives of Filipino.

           Section 7 of RA 10066 states that “in times of natural disaster, armed conflict, and other exceptional events that endanger the cultural heritage of the country, all national cultural treasures or national historical landmarks, sites, or monuments shall be given priority protection by the government.”, this section of the law clearly state the importance of our cultural heritage site, because if we loss this special evidence of events happened in our history, our life us Filipino is incomplete because we cannot track were we came from, before we become who we are now. We know it took years before this old historical churches build years ago, so expect that the restoration and re-building of the Baclayon church will be as slow as how worker build it during the Spanish time.

How to utilized and applied to the topic

              Given the topic “Cultural and Historical Heritage” and the concept itself on how we can utilize and applied this topic that we choose. First let discuss what cultural means, if we say ideas, customs, and/or social behavior of the particular society we are referring to one’s culture. Next to tackled, how to define historical, well historical are those past event that happened years ago that leave mark on the lives of every individual living in one country. Last is to know what really heritage means, will it is referring to some kind of property that we inherited from our ancestor, it may a precious thing or a house, building, or anything that is given by us. And now for the final analyzation of the topic “Cultural and Historical Heritage”, it means that our ideas, beliefs, behavior, and those past event happened in our life are already part of our heritage or I must say our culture and those historic events is considered as our heritage. And as we look back to the cultural and heritage site that we choose which is the Baclayon church, I can clearly reflect and explained how it can utilize and applied in the topic.

                  It can utilize on the topic “Cultural and Historical Heritage”, through this, as we try to connect and re-connect all on how the Baclayon church are build. It is built because Boholanos are very religious people and that is already considered as part of their culture. And how we can consider it as historical, it is historical because it has built by the first Spaniard missionaries who touch down in Bohol and we can recognize this as part of past event on the lives of Boholanos. Baclayon church are one of the precious treasure that every Boholanos protect for, and because most of the old churches can be found in their place that is why they considered themselves as one of the fortunate individual. Fortunate because their culture is still existing and the evidence is also there to remind them that historic events issued them a landmark of their municipality.

            Baclayon church is not just the oldest church in the country but the best-preserved cultural heritage in the country. Though many heritages in Bohol are severely damaged due to the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hits the province of Bohol, many people from other country handed a help to renew or restore the preserved historical heritages in Bohol especially the Baclayon church. Baclayon church is still in the process of restoring it but they allow tourists or people to visit the church’s progress. Baclayon church is one of the treasure of Bohol. Because Bohol have lots of cultural heritages and known scenery that really attracts every tourists and Baclayon church is one of that.