Newly-installed Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy has directed a structural assessment of all churches and rectories under his archdiocese following the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu.
The newly-appointed prelate issued the instruction on Tuesday, September 30, after the earthquake, which damaged several churches in Cebu and left multiple deaths.
He also instructed parishes in the northern part of Cebu that were severely affected by the seismic activity to refrain from using their church buildings.
‘To the parishes in the North that have been gravely affected, you are asked to refrain from using your churches for the celebration of the Holy Mass until the proper experts have carried out the assessment and declared the structures safe for use,’ Uy’s statement read.
‘We continue to pray to our Loving Father for calmness and strength in the midst of these trials. We entrust ourselves, our families, and our communities into His merciful hands. May the Lord shelter us under His wings, protect us from every harm, and guide us to safety and peace,’ he added.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) initially recorded the earthquake at magnitude 6.7 but later revised it to 6.9.
The quake occurred at 9:59 p.m., with the epicenter located five kilometers deep, 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu.
Damaged churches. One of the damaged churches is the Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Bantayan Island, the oldest church in Visayas and Mindanao. Its top portion had collapsed.
The church was first built in 1580, while the construction of the current structure began in 1839 and was completed in 1863.
St. Martin de Porres Parish in Ilihan, Cebu, also suffered damage to its walls and roof, while San Juan Nepomuceno Parish in San Remigio, Cebu, sustained a ruined altar following the tremors.
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima also sustained substantial structural damage.
Casualties. According to a Facebook post by the Cebu People’s Action Center, 22 people have been confirmed dead after the earthquake.
However, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that at least 26 people were killed and 147 others injured.