by Joshua Alex Binza and
Maria Vina Montino
After more than 200 years
of standing beside the Saint John the Baptist church, the parish'
lighthouse-turned-bell tower has finally undergone restoration which started
last May 18, 2015 and is expected to be finished after six months.
After more than 200 years
of standing beside the Saint John the Baptist church, the parish'
lighthouse-turned-bell tower has finally undergone restoration which started
last May 18, 2015 and is expected to be finished after six months.
Said restoration is headed
by Architect Anna Lorilla together with her apprentice, Jade Peñaflor, under
the funding of the National Museum, National Commission for Culture and the
Arts and National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
"Due to the
destruction brought by natural calamities, especially earthquakes, we had to
ensure that all historical landmarks here in the Philippines can stand strong
against the possible damages the calamities may bring and that the landmarks
are in their greatest condition," said Peñaflor.
When asked about what they
did to the 25-meter-high bell tower, Peñaflor stated that the first thing they
did was to rid the tower's surface of cement and replace it with a mixture of
lime and sand. Noticing that most of the figures inside the tower are broken
and distorted, she added that they will be coating the figures' surface with
the lime mixture to strengthen them and at the same time, make them look new.
"The bell tower
restoration is indeed a great idea for it reduces the chances of it crumbling
to the ground and maybe, after the restoration process, it can attract more people
to go to the church," said Resel Balla, a regular Saint John the Baptist
church-goer.
No comments:
Post a Comment