Together we can

Together We Can
by:
Architect Melva Rodriguez-Java, FUAP

Why has there been such an outcry against the proposed flyovers on Gorordo Avenue?
The banner headline of Cebu Daily News last October 3 was arresting: “DROP FLYOVERS FOR THE NUNS?” Who are these nuns and what are they into?

Curious because of the controversy, I dropped by the Asilo de la Milagrosa compound
last Monday to learn more about them. In June, 1934, a group of alumnae from the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion (CIC) founded the Asilo de la Milagrosa, to cater to the needs of orphans and abandoned babies. War destroyed their first home on San Jose de la Montaña Street, but in the late 1940s, with the help of Cebuanos, the Daughters of Charity were able to construct a building to house their beneficiaries on Gorordo Avenue. Through more than 7 decades, the Asilo has remained steadfast in its commitment to serve abandoned, surrendered, and neglected children, and persons in crisis through sustainable programs. I was struck by the quiet manner in which the nuns and staff went about their daily chores unmindful of the uproar going on over the proposed flyover that would rise right in front of their church, eating up parts
of the church plaza..

Next I visited their church, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, built in
1954 as an integral component of the complex. Inside the church, shafts of light filtered in from colored glass panes and fell on the gilded altarpiece, bringing it to shimmer in the luminous interior. Unlike the free-standing altar pieces in other churches in Cebu, this one was hung on the wall. In the silence I understood why this House of Worship, this Sacred Temple of God deserved the highest reverence and protection from any physical and visual intrusion.

The Asilo de la Milagrosa and the Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal are just
two of several heritage places that will be adversely affected by the proposed flyovers. Also within walking distance are the Spanish Period Catholic Cemetery located in historic Carreta and the CIC campus built in 1945 just a few meters up Gorordo Avenue. Within less than a kilometer’s stretch are Camp Sotero Cabahg founded in the 1960s, the American Period U.P. Campus, and a number of ancestral houses including the Battig Piano School in the old family residence of internationally-recognized pianist Ingrid Sala Santa Maria.

Sec. 32 of R.A. 10096 or the Heritage Law of 2009 mandates National Agencies,
including the DPWH, to consult and coordinate closely with the National Commission of Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in the implementation of their programs as they impact on heritage structures. Has the DPWH done this yet?

Cheaper and more effective alternatives

Here I would like to quote a portion of what the brilliant Engineer Fortunato Sanchez
wrote In the Sept. 2, 2011 issue of CDN: “Rep. Cutie del Mar said that P150 million has been allocated for road widening from Mahiga Bridge to Quezon Avenue, broken down into P100 million allocated to right-of-way with the balance of P50 million for other structures.

“This 2.5-km widening translates to a cost of P60 million per kilometer. If the 600
million flyover can be converted, it can cover 10 kilometers. This can widen the 4-km H. Abellana Street along Ateneo de Cebu and the parallel 2.5-km H. Cortes Street that could suck 30 percent of the traffic along the Banilad-Talamban, corridor benefitting a huge area. A flyover cannot suck traffic out since the vehicles stay on the same road. There would still be enough money left to make a transportation master plan and to partly solve the pestering drainage problem of Metro Cebu.”

In Loboc, Bohol, the people stopped the construction of the DPWH bridge that was
headed towards their precious old church. In Beijing, the new Chinese National Theatre had to be dug into the ground because the Chinese people did not allow it to rise higher than their cherished People’s Hall. In Boston, a new skyscraper across the park was clad with huge mirrors to reflect the small heritage chapel across and in deference to it.

Cebuanos must take a stand to protect our historic urban core and to decide on a more
informed choice of solutions to our traffic woes. With public officials and civil society working together, and with the strong support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, The National Museum of the Philippines and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, we surely can!

Related article:
http://cebuheritage.com/2011/10/04/saving-the-asilo-dela-medalla-milagrosa/

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300-year old Paoay Church to get facelift

Please help stop the desecration of a World Heritage structure. One of the few remaining treasures that we have.

Let us do something about this:.....

MANILA, March 15, 2011— The provincial government of Ilocos Norte announced a plan to restore an ancient church, considered one of the region's major attractions.

The renovation of the St. Augustine Church or Paoay Church, also include the towns of San Nicolas and Currimao and the cities of Laoag and Batac for tourism purposes.

Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos said the project aims that the province becomes the country's "northern gateway."

"We have a lot of potential tourist attraction to be developed, enriched and appreciated, and to be enjoyed," the PIA-1 quoted Marcos as saying in an article March 9.

She said known architect Felino Palafox was tapped to design a tourism plan that would consolidate Paoay's existing infrastructures surrounding Paoay Church like the plaza, the ruins of the Catholic convent and the frontage of a state-run university.

"Tourism is the largest industry in the world, bigger than oil," Palafox had said when he agreed to come up with a tourism design for Ilocos Norte.

A commercial arcade, which would feature the town's unique products, along a stretch of the road lining the Paoay Church will also rise to generate more tourist activities.

Construction of Paoay Church was started by the Augustinian friars in 1694. Led by Fr. Antonio Estavillo, it was completed in 1894 and was re-dedicated in the same year.


During the revolution in 1898, its coral stone bell tower was used by the Katipuneros as an observation post.

Paoay Church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is currently a property of the Diocese of Laoag, Ilocos Norte. [CBCPNews]

Joint Statement of the Heritage Conservation Society and ICOMOS Philippines on the Dingras Church

Ccd ArkiReview

Create Your Badge The Tale of Two Facades
The Planned Demolition of our the Historic Dingras Church Facade

A call to arms and a sound of alarms! Once again, a historic structure in our country is threatened. What makes it even more alarming is that it happens in the same province, Ilocos Norte in almost the same period of time. First the planned demolition of the Laoag Central Elementary School, a perfectly usable, intact and beautiful example of 1920's education architecture in exchange for a mall, and now the proposed demolition of the centuries old façade of the Church of San José de Dingras to be replaced by what would most likely be a poor replica of the former.

What gives? Dingras is one of the most picturesque facades in the country not due to its Baroque grandeur, but because of its perfectly beautiful proportions, the patina of the ancient bricks and more importantly its enduring and eternal visage of a ruin. The church of Dingras like most colonial churches in the country experienced numerous re-buildings during its course in history, and like similar structures in Ilocos have conflicting information. An earlier structure, presumably made of light materials was built before 1620, which was damaged during the earthquake of November 11 of the same year. Another conflicting report this time by Captain Don Lucas Mariano de Ochoa, together with his barangay heads in 1710, mentions that the church of Dingras had been constructed by their minister Fray Alonso Cortes OSA 30 years ago, c. 1678-1680 and that by the year of writing, 1710, only the brick walls remained. Noted Church historian Regalado Trota-Jose on the other hand mentions a brick church being built in the late 1670's collapsing in the earthquake of 1707. Whichever information is correct it is presumed that this solid structure may be surmised as the second church of Dingras.

This structure may have undergone rebuilding but was subsequently consumed by fire in 1838, which also gutted the whole town. Father Pedro Galende OSA mentions that in 1879, Fray Damask Vieytez OSA built the present church, which is described as being huge and massive. But Trota-Jose corrects this by stating that the church was built sometime during the priorship of Fray Vieytez from 1846 to 1854, the year the said builder died. The church again underwent renovation, this time fixing the roof and replacing it with metal sheets during the incumbencies of Fray Ricardo Diaz OSA (1879-1893) and Fray Fidel Franco OSA (1894-1898), whom Galende identifies as Saturnino Franco. Fire and earthquake again destroyed the church in 1914 and 1931, which made the structure unsafe and subsequently abandoned. A smaller concrete structure was built on the plaza across the street, which served as the house of worship for the town. The ruins of the old church remained standing throughout this time and became a beautiful and nostalgic setting for pictorials and even concerts. In the past decade the church has been re-opened and masses again have been conducted inside the refurbished and retrofitted structure.

The architecture of Dingras is also significant not only in the annals of Philippine architectural history but more importantly Ilocos Architecture for this together with the facades of the churches of San Nicolas, Piddig, and the original pre-1984 facades of Sarrat and Vintar follow the manner and character of the Vignola masterpiece of the Church of Il Gesu in Rome. Sadly with the proposed demolition of this façade gone would be this fine example, with only that of the Church of San Nicolas serving as the only remnant to this once popular style.

Why demolish this ancient brick façade? It would appear that the ruin is precariously leaning on to the newly built gym like shed built by the parish during the early parts of this century. After standing and buffeting typhoons, earthquakes, wars, pollution and other unknown forces, the façade, though showing its age is still massively strong and with the proper methods of conservation and shoring would allow it to continue gracing and serving the populace of Dingras and people who appreciate and understand the meaning of continuity.

Other leaning facades have been shored up and made safe for people to appreciate. One does not need to travel far to see how, through a concerted effort, a historic ruin was saved and even elevated to become not just an icon of a community but a whole promotional tool of a region, a people and a country.

Macao's world renowned ruins of the Jesuit Church of Saint Paul are a prime example of how a façade could be shored up, strengthened and saved for generations to come. Began in 1602, the church like those in the Philippines suffered numerous travails in its colorful history. In 1835 fire destroyed the church leaving only a pile of rubble and a wonderful façade standing. Restoration efforts in the early 1990's resulted in supporting the ruins by building a concrete inner stencil that would serve as a reinforcement of the Baroque façade. Today, the ruins of St. Paul are the must see tourist destination aside from the Casinos that litter today Macao's quaint islands.

What was done in Macao, can be done in Dingras. Economically speaking it may even be more prudent to just build a retaining inner wall than to tear down a heavy masonry façade and rebuild it following the same lines and specifications of the original. Artistically and technically speaking, the methods, know-how and artistry of today compare poorly to the craftsmanship of the 19th century. Finally, do the people of Dingras understand the repercussions of loosing a vital piece of their heritage even if the façade were to be replaced by a replica! A replica remember does not replace the original, for whatever reason one gives. The best is still the original, and a replica is but considered a fake.

One wonders why this project is even being considered. True, the need to shore up the façade is pressing. The safety of anyone visiting this shrine of faith is the paramount concern of the parish. But do the necessary agencies both local and national know of the proposed demolition of this historic façade! If they do, are they inept enough to even suggest the demolition instead of alternative processes of rehabilitation of a vital monument! One wonders again at the ineptitude of government and the people elected therein in suggesting the opposite of the complete conservation, preservation and rehabilitation of such vital infrastructure. Though the building is a private structure, its heart and soul lie deep in every Catholic and Filipino that roams the land.
--
Heritage Conservation Society
G/F Museo Pambata Building
Roxas Boulevard, Ermita
Manila, Philippines
Tel. +632 521 2239
Fax. +632 522 2497

PARISH OF SAINT AUGUSTINE CHURCH, PAOAY, ILOCOS NORTE

A massive stone baroque church, the Paoay Church is well known for its massive and imposing character given to it by its large overpowering buttresses. The buttresses alone are a visual spectacle. They line the sides of the church with each one a rhythmic flow of stone cascading down from the pinnacles to the ground, emphasized by spiral reliefs visible on each side of the buttresses.

The materials used for the walls were a mixture of coral stone and bricks. Large coral stones were used at the lower level of the walls, while bricks, smaller and more manageable to transport, were used at the upper levels.

The facade of the church, even as it now begins to lean towards the front, still manages to be as equally impressive as the buttresses. Viewed from the side, the giant buttresses look like huge volutes making the facade appear as a massive pediment rising from the ground. The facade is divided vertically by square pilasters that extend from the ground and all the way to the top of the pediment. The Gothic affinity of the church is suggested by the vertical movement of the pilasters and the finials that cap them at the top of the pediment. The facade is also divided horizontally by stringed cornices that extend all the way to the edges. The cornices extend to the sides of the church and wrap around each buttress, adding attention and articulation to the massive side supports. At the apex is a niche, while the otherwise stark plaster finish is embellished with crenallations, niches, rosettes, and the Augustinian coat-of-arms.

The facade is complemented with a belltower located at its right hand side. Belltowers are a very important element in the overall composition of colonial churches, both for its function and aesthetics. For practical purposes, belltowers were used as a communication device to the townspeople. In the case of the Paoay belltower, it also played, ironically, an explicit role in the lives of the Filipinos during the war.

As one enters the edifice, the church abruptly relinquishes the powerful strength of the massive buttresses that they discharge at the exterior. Inside, the church has a very solemn, almost sentimental ambiance. The interior looks bare and empty. The ceiling was once painted with a scene similar to that of the Sistine Chapel in Italy. Unfortunately, the original ceiling is no longer in existence today. What is left is a cavernous maze of trusswork with exposed and rusting corrugated roof sheets.

Historic and Social Aspects of Stucture/Site

The church was started by the Augustinian Fr. Antonio Estavillo in 1694. It was completed in 1710 and rededicated in 1896, just three years before the expulsion of Spanish rule in the country. The style of the church has been dubbed “Earthquake Baroque” by Alicia Coseteng, one of the early authorities on colonial church architecture.

Outstanding Features

Because the buttresses extend out considerably from the exterior walls, the entire visual experience becomes three-dimensional, unlike most of the churches in the country where the inherent beauty of the church is limited only to the facade.

Another interesting feature of the buttresses is the existence of a step buttress at the sides of the church, at or near half of the length of the exterior wall. There seems to be no other reason for building this other than as a means to access the roof. In the early days, this would have been necessary when fixing or patching the cogon grass roof. What throws off everyone’s speculation is that the stair-like buttresses have steps that were built too steep and too far apart for a normal person to climb. But perhaps, they were built in such manner in order to save on valuable space. If the step buttress on the left of the Paoay church was built properly, it would have jutted out far beyond the boundaries of the church fence.

Source: UAP Sentro ng Arkitekturang Filipino