Cebu heritage structures ruined by quake

Heritage structures, including a more than a century-old church, were heavily damaged by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu last September 30. 

Social media posts showed the damage suffered by the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan, Cebu, including photos of a ceiling partially damaged and rubbles off its century-old walls. 

The Daanbantayan shrine suffered damage to its structures, but the tabernacle and religious images of Santa Rosa de Lima, Virgen del Carmen and Immaculate Conception, remain unscathed. 

“The image has been wrapped by plastic bags for protection against heavy rains and dust,” the church said about its Image of Santa Rosa de Lima in a Facebook post. 

The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima was built in 1886. The 139-year-old church is declared the first archdiocesan shrine in the Philippines dedicated to St. Rose of Lima in 2022. 

Meanwhile, the Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol in Bantayan was captured in videos with its outer lights exploding, its facade with its cross breaking and falling apart. The church was completed in 1863. It was built with coral stones found on the island.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has posted a seven-point guidance on how to safely move historic objects, which includes a reminder to check the safety and stability of the premises from the aftershocks.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the earthquake’s epicenter was located at sea about 21 kilometers (10.5 miles) northeast of Bogo City.

The Cebu government has put the entire province under a state of calamity.