A church in Bantayan, Cebu is celebrating Mass outdoors after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit the province last Tuesday heavily damaged a portion of the church.
In an advisory, the Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol Bantayan said this was due to the declaration of building safety experts that ‘it is not yet safe to enter the inside of the church.’
‘The schedule of our Masses will remain the same as usual. We kindly ask that, if possible, you bring your own chairs or benches and umbrellas for your comfort and protection from the sun or rain,’ the church said. The church also shared that a team of experts, composed of engineers, architects, and preservation personnel from the International Council on Monuments and Sites and University of San Carlos Conservation and Heritage Research Institute for Society and its History, have assessed the condition of the church building.
‘Their visit is a vital step in determining the extent of the damage caused by the recent earthquake and in guiding us toward the proper restoration measures. With their expertise, we hope to preserve not only the structural integrity of the church but also the heritage and faith it represents for our community,’ it added.
With this, the church reminded the public to refrain from going near the church, crossing the yellow tape, and collecting debris from the damaged portion of the building. The church said the debris ‘will be preserved and used for future restoration.’ The church also said that a team from the National Historic Commission of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts will conduct their evaluation of the church building on Sunday.
As of Saturday, 8 p.m., the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the strong earthquake generated 5,540 aftershocks, with magnitude ranging from 1.0 to 5.1. Of these, 24 were felt while 1,083 were plotted.
In its latest report, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said that the 71 deaths, along with 559 injuries are up for validation. Meanwhile, no individuals were reported missing.