TACLOBAN CITY – A new church is set to be constructed while the historic Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, a 17th century church in Guiuan, Eastern Samar that suffered extensive damage due to supertyphoon Yolanda, would be rehabilitated. This was revealed by Monsignor Lope Robredillo of the Holy Rosary Parish who added that the new church is design to withstand natural calamities like typhoons. About P25 million will be needed for this church construction sourced from donations, Robredillo said. The church that will be constructed is located across the historic church which is located at Sta.Cruz St., which is within town’s center. But while they have decided to construct a new church, the repair of the historic Our Lady of Immaculate Conception will continue, the monsignor said. When Yolanda unleashed her fury last November 8, 2013, Guiuan was among the towns in Eastern Samar that was severely hit, destroying or damaging several structures to include the Spanish-era church. Robredillo said that the rehabilitation of the said church will be funded by the National Museum though he could not disclose yet the amount set aside for it by the agency. The Guiuan Church suffered heavy damage after its roofs collapsed due to the onslaught of Yolanda last year. Antique images and paintings inside the church where either destroyed or blown off but they were able to recover some of the items, Msgr. Robredillo said. The Guiuan Church has been declared by the National Center for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as a heritage site due to its age and historical significance. The church is also included in the list of pilgrim sites identified by the archdiocese of Palo that oversees all churches in the region. This is the second time that the church suffered heavy damage from a storm. The first time it happened was in 1800’s when a strong typhoon blown away its roofs including a part of the church’s bell tower. But even he already know that National Museum will handle all rehabilitation and restoration works for the century old church Msgr. Robredillo said that he is not aware how much budget will National Museum allocate for the repair.(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
