SAMAL, Bataan- Restoration is underway for the 417-year old church here to withstand high intensity earthquakes and not to suffer the fate of heritage churches in Bohol and Cebu.
Fr. Tony Bernardo, parish priest of the St. Catherine of Siena church said the church is the second oldest in Bataan, next to the St. Dominic Church in Abucay town which is 425 years old.
He said that an official of the National Historical Commission and a structural engineer recently inspected the church in the wake of the destruction of old churches in Bohol and Cebu. “Matitibay naman daw ang mga haligi at structure sa labas kaya pwedeng plasteran ang mga bitak- bitak,” the priest said.
Bernardo said they have begun fixing the facade because some portions have collapsed even in the absence of an earthquake. He said some structures attached to the church will be removed per recommendation of the NHC and structural engineers. “Dapat daw tumayo lang ng solo ang simbahan,” he said.
Bernardo said that there were no differences between the structures of old churches in Bohol and Cebu and those in Bataan. “Pare-parehong walang bakal at semento dahil wala pang semento noon kaya egg yolk, corals at batong silyar ang mga materyales,” he said.
He said, however, that church officials have noted some variances. “Ang simbahan na ito maganda ang tagiliran, makakapal ang wall at ang labas hindi ginalaw dahil ito ang structure na nagbibigay ng lakas sa simbahan,” Bernardo said.
“Medyo mahina ang mga simbahan dahil walang semento at bakal pero dinaan na lamang sa lapad ng mga halige, pader at pundasyon,” the priest said.
